Blog Posts by Marie Claire

For Marie Claire's third annual Women on Top Awards, we combed the country for the up-and-comers leading thought-revolutions, creating businesses, and making names for themselves in fields from the military to the arts. None is a day over 40, with a couple of notable exceptions: We've added a "Super Woman" category to celebrate women of any age who made their mark on 2012. But their accomplishments speak for themselves...

The best mascaras a girl could ask for!As a beauty-product-hoarder, I often debate when to spend big and when to pinch pennies. For perfume and bronzer, I always splurge. But mascaras? Save all the way! Most of my favorites come straight from the drugstore.

For lashes that pop better than your favorite falsies, try my top three steals, and keep your cash for something more worthy - like shoes!

7 Bedtime Habits That Are Ruining Your Sleep

A two-step system, L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes ($9) fully coats and deposits color without any chance of flaking. Jojoba, palm oil, panthenol and glycerin work to soften and condition for serious lash pow.

To add instant drama, try CoverGirl LashBlast Volume Blasting Mascara ($5.50). In a patented, volume-boosting formula, each coat maxes out lashes with smudge-free, foolproof application.

9 Signs That He's Cheating

Just one coat of collagen-enriched Maybelline Volum' Express Colossal Washable Mascara ($8) plumps up lashes. The thick brush sweeps through

Five easy steps to get and keep those pearly whites.

A bright smile is a high priority for most women, but that doesn't mean they're willing to spend thousands of dollars - and hours in the dentist's chair - on a high-tech professional whitening treatment. So, what's a girl to do to get those pearly whites? It doesn't take much, according to top New York City cosmetic dentist Elisa Mello. Here, some quick fixes you can do throughout the day to get instant results:

In the Morning
If you like using whitening strips but don't like sitting around for the 10 minutes they're doing their magic, then multitask. "Use over-the-counter whitening strips and whiten while you wake up in the shower," Mello recommends.

The Best Flat Belly Foods to Beat the Bloat

At Lunch
Swish water in your mouth for 30 seconds right after eating to help prevent stains from food, she says. Better yet? Keep a bottle of mouthwash at your desk, so you have it readily available.

During a Midday Snack
If cravings hit, chomp on

Keep your eyes bright and big with these four simple steps!1. Apply a matte nude shadow over the entire lid. Try: MAC eye shadow in Orb.

2. Lightly line the upper and lower lids from the inner corner to the outer corner with a soft brown or taupe eye liner. Apply the eyeliner a little heavier on the outside corners. Try: Naturistics Eye Stixx in Sable.

7 Bedtime Habits That Are Ruining Your Sleep

3. Apply another shadow a shade or two darker than the nude (we like Garden Botanika eye shadow in Kava) to your crease and use your finger to blend the color up toward your eyebrow.

4. Finish the look with two coats of black mascara. Try: Estée Lauder Futurist Lash-Extending Mascara.

More from MarieClaire.com:

12 Celebrity Body Secrets
30 Dates To Spice Up Your Relationship
10 Hot Sex Positions You Need to Try
20 Secrets Men NEVER Tell Women

Tammy BaldwinLast month, we gave you a list of 11 female congressional candidates hitting the campaign trail this season. Now, with less than a month to election day, we're checking in with some of the most fascinating candidates and closest races.

Tammy Baldwin (D) - Wisconsin Senate (Pictured)
Numbers: You would think Republican governor Scott Walker's recall victory a few months ago would have provided some GOP momentum. But Baldwin is neck-in-neck with former governor Tommy Thompson. Yesterday's Quinnipiac University/New YorkTimes/CBS News poll shows her 2 points ahead.
History at Stake: If elected, she'd be Wisconsin's first female and openly gay senator.
Latest Drama: One of Thompson's campaign advisers sent out an email of Tammy Baldwin dancing at a gay pride parade. Other than that, though, her sexuality hasn't been front-and-center.
Home Stretch Strategy: Back in August, Baldwin released a slew of negative ads about Thompson, while Thompson battled in a bloody primary fight.

You really can have your cake and eat it too!IT CAN HAPPEN AT ANY AGE: One day you're eating what you want with no consequences. The next day, one stray cookie and your jeans don't zip. Elisabetta Politi, nutritional director at the Duke Diet & Fitness Center in Durham, North Carolina, notes that each year your resting metabolism burns approximately 10 fewer calories--100 fewer per decade--meaning you can slide up into the next dress size all too easily if you don't gradually adjust your diet over time. Plus, as you age, "your old techniques don't work anymore," says Heather Bauer, a New York City--based registered dietician and coauthor of Bread Is the Devil. "You can't binge and starve your way to a healthy weight." Research suggests that even exercise can't counteract the evils of age-related weight gain. Recent studies indicate that metabolism is less responsive to exercise than we had thought. New York--based fitness instructor and holistic health coach Craig Smith believes that the food you eat accounts for a full 85

Now those are frozen veggies. The latest science suggests that it's not just the chilly, dark days of winter that make us feel (and look) so miserable, it's our diet. Eat right, and avoid the beauty and health hazards of the season. Here, the latest strategies:

DRY, ROUGH SKIN

Indoor heating; long, hot sudsy showers: These winter standbys will warm you, but they'll also suck you dry. Keep moisture contained by eating whole-grain bread and rice. A recent French study reported that women who ingested lipids from whole grains had reduced dryness and redness. These lipids (ceramides) help "cement" skin cells, says Alan Logan, coauthor of The Clear Skin Diet.

Try extra helpings of Swiss chard, and enjoy your egg yolks. Both contain biotin, which promotes production of fatty acids - a must-have for smooth skin. As a dietitian at Foodtrainers in New York City, Lauren Slayton tells her clients: "An egg a day keeps dry skin away."

7 Bedtime Habits That Are Ruining Your Sleep

COLD-WEATHER ACNE AND

Don't get caught in a compromising position-read these tips first!It's clear that dating someone you work with could be a large-scale disaster. If things go bad, there will be no avoiding the person in question. A bad breakup affects your concentration at work regardless, but if you have to see the bozo who has caused your misery EVERY DAY - during every single staff meeting, no less - it's going to be excruciating. So if you're going to do it, here are a few things to keep in mind to minimize the damages:

1. SIZE MATTERS.
As Ask Men points out, having a big office will make it easier to keep a distance from the person in question if things don't work out, whereas a tiny office could help to make things mighty uncomfortable.


5 Secrets of the Highest-Paid Women

2. DATE, UM, HORIZONTALLY.
The person you're having nookie with is the head honcho - or your underling? That could have a damaging effect on your career, as an Excelle article notes. "If the focus of your desires is in your line of authority, such as your boss or your subordinate, you're on