Blog Posts by Redbook

• 100 Cute, Affordable Winter Accessories

• 50 Simple Little Ways to Feel Sexy
  

• The Best Celeb Hairstyles for Every Length
  

• 100 Cute, Affordable Winter Accessories

• 50 Simple Little Ways to Feel Sexy
  

• The Best Celeb Hairstyles for Every Length
  

  
  

Everything from stress to nutrition to hormones can impact whether your strands are thick and shiny or thin and brittle. Check out these telltale clues that your tresses can give you about your overall well-being. By Holly Corbett, REDBOOK.

Major shedding
What it means: The average woman may lose as many as 100 hairs a day, but if you suddenly notice fistfuls coming loose when you brush or piles on your pillow, it may be a clue that you have a hormonal imbalance called PCOS, or polycystic ovary syndrome. "PCOS can trigger your ovaries to produce too many androgens, or male sex hormones, and contribute to hair thinning or hair loss," says Elizabeth Cunnane Phillips, a trichologist at the Philip Kingsley Clinic in New York City. Other signs of PCOS include stubborn belly fat, facial hair, acne, and irregular periods.

The fix: As many as one in 15 women may have some degree of PCOS, but losing weight by eating whole, unprocessed foods and exercising for at least 30 minutes a day can

The right shade makes you look younger, prettier, happier -- and you don't need a stylist to get it. Read on, and color your hair like a fancy pro...at home! By Eleanor Langston, REDBOOK.

Find your formula
Stop staring at that drugstore wall of boxes like a zombie! Here's how to know what you need:

1. If you're more than 25 percent gray or want to lighten your color, buy a permanent formula, says Avon colorist Lorri Goddard, who counts Reese Witherspoon as a client. Try Garnier Nutrisse Nourishing Color Cream ($7.99) or a foam formula, which is a bit easier to maneuver, like John Frieda Precision Foam Colour ($12.99).

2. To deepen your existing tone or even out highlights, get a kit that's demi-permanent. We like L'Oréal Paris Healthy Look Crème Gloss Hair Color ($9.99) which fades within 28 washes.

3. "For the best results, stay within two shades of your natural tone," says Clairol colorist Marie Robinson, who works with Michelle Williams. Ignore the picture on the front of the

Studies show that being satisfied with your romantic relationship is one of the best predictors of happiness - even more important than education, income, or having a high-status job. Resolve to make 2013 your happiest year yet with these bond-strengthening pledges. By Holly Corbett, REDBOOK.

1. Cultivate your creativity
It's no secret that creativity is sexy: Think about how artistic types such as musicians, actors, and writers seem to ooze sex appeal. "Studies find that creativity is powerful in attracting a mate, but we often let our passions and interests fall along the wayside once we're married," says Glenn Geher, Ph.D., co-author of the new book Mating Intelligence Unleashed: The Role of the Mind in Sex, Dating, and Love. This year, resolve to keep pursuing your own passions (think: picking up the guitar again or taking painting lessons) and watch that joyful feeling transfer over into other areas of your life.

2. Do one kind thing a day
"If you go an entire week without doing

Celery sticks and extreme dieting? Unnecessary. Solid research shows that a few everyday habits (and less exercise!) could be the key to losing weight easily. By Sunny Sea Gold, REDBOOK.

Lose 8 pounds by refusing to skip meals.
Researchers at Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center spent a full year following a group of 123 women who were trying to lose weight. One of their happiest discoveries: Going hungry does nothing for you. People who reported skipping meals lost nearly eight pounds less than women who ate regularly. "It may be that they became too hungry by their next meal and overdid it," says lead study author Anne McTiernan, M.D. Another theory: Habitual meal-skippers might also be the same sort of people who spend less time planning and preparing meals.

Related: 100 Gifts Under $50 for Everyone on Your List

Lose 5 pounds by packing your lunch.
More props for brown-baggers: In the Seattle study, women who brought lunch from home lost five pounds more than those who

Giving in when it will make your guy happy shouldn't kick off Grudgefest 2013. Author Alisa Valdes finally learned how to compromise. REDBOOK.

My poor ex-husband. When we were together, I refused to ever compromise, right down to insisting on always listening to my music in the car. God help him if he reached for the dial. Raised by feminist academics, I thought compromising was a sexist concept that really just meant women should do anything to please men. Then, a few years after my divorce, I fell for the impressive persistence and otherworldly good looks of Steve, a traditional cowboy I met online. I finally realized that making a relationship work between two people so different would require compromise--lots of it.

At first, though, I went overboard and gave up too much, like almost letting him talk me into buying the pickup he liked when I really wanted a compact SUV. I failed at healthy negotiation because, like many women, I didn't know what it was. For me, learning when to

It's not just about attracting someone - real sexiness is the total confidence that can make you feel smarter, funnier and better in every area of your life. Who doesn't want to be a bit more like that every day? By Kelsie Blazier, REDBOOK.

A for effort
"Feeling confident about your appearance is the first step to genuine sex appeal," says says Eve Marx, author of Beddington Place: Watch Your Back, Cover Your Tracks and contributor to thirdage.com. Give yourself permission to invest in how you look - whether that means a visit to the makeup counter or a new haircut. It'll change what's inside, too.

Get out of town
Take an art class. Or book a last-minute weekend getaway. "Novelty is the greatest aphrodisiac,"says Sandor Gardos, Ph.D., and founder of mypleasure.com. When you live in the moment, anything's possible - and that's exciting, and sexy.

Touch yourself

After a hot shower, massage your body with lotion, instead of just slapping it on. Or give yourself a relaxing neck rub.