Blog Posts by Marie Claire

These international Olympians are famous for going all out. Here, they take a rare time-out to talk beauty obsessions, diet secrets, and intense workouts. By Gina Way

Natalie CoughlinNatalie Coughlin, Swimmer (USA)

California girl Coughlin, 29, is an 11-time Olympic medalist and two gold medals shy of being the most decorated female U.S. Olympian in history.

TRAINING SCHEDULE: I train at least six days a week. I'm at the pool by 5 a.m. and do a Pilates mat routine to warm up before I get in the water. I swim from 6 to 8 a.m., lift weights from 8 to 9:30, then rest and have something to eat. In the afternoon, it's more swimming followed by power circuit training and Pilates again.

SECRET TO LEAN MUSCLES: It's important to do the entire range of motion when you're lifting weights, as opposed to short, little reps, which build bulky, tight muscles.

RUBDOWN REHAB: I see a physical therapist once a week and a Swedish massage therapist once a month. The masseuse inflicts bruises with deep

The hot and humid weather outside may not seem like it's suited for a great hair day-but you'd be wrong. Why not embrace curls, volume and height this summer instead trying to fight them? We think these 10 famous faces (and their gorgeous heads of hair) will be enough to convince you. By Abby Gardner

More from MarieClaire.com:

10 Hot Sex Positions You Need To Try

How To Look Great In Every Photo

12 Celebrity Body Secrets

30 Dates That Spice Up Your Relationship

For more of our favorite hairstyles, visit us on Pinterest.

From sporty beach days to office picnics, beat the heat with these expert tips for staying gorgeous wherever the season takes you. By Ning Chao

Summer Beauty

SUMMER SCENARIO: It feels like your sunscreen is suffocating your skin.

QUICK FIX: Heavy-duty sunscreens - especially sport formulas - are meant to stay put, making them hard to wash off at the end of the day. "Sunscreen ingredients do not typically clog pores, but chemical formulas contain ingredients that can irritate if not thoroughly washed off after use," explains Beverly Hills dermatologist Dr. Robin Schaffran, adding that physical filters like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide can require extra steps for proper removal. Instead of scrubbing skin clean, Schaffran recommends using a foaming wash followed by cleansing oil "if you still feel a film on the skin."

MC RECOMMENDS: Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby Faces SPF 50+ With PureScreen, $11; Sun Bum SPF 30+ Face Stick, $9; Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes, $7; Shiseido's Ultimate

Combat heat waves with these ultra-refreshing summertime concoctions made for poolside babes. By Jessica Velez

Skinny Dipping

2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 oz. strawberry puree
1/2 oz. agave nectar
prosecco to top

Shake all ingredients except prosecco and strain into an ice-filled 16 oz. cup. Top with prosecco and garnish with a strawberry.

From ARIA Resort & Casino

Le Bajan Groove

1 1/2 oz. Grey Goose La Poire
1/2 oz. falernum
1/2 oz. lime juice
2 oz. coconut water
3 cucumber slices
3 mint leaves
1 large basil leaf

Muddle cucumber, basil, and mint in a shaker tin. Add remaining ingredients and fill shaker tin with ice. Shake hard and strain over fresh ice into a Collins glass. Garnish with cucumber.

From Bagatelle Los Angeles

Laid in the Shade

1/2 oz. grenadine
1/2 oz. orange juice
1/2 oz. cranberry juice
1/2 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. Passoa
1 1/2 oz. Stoli O
2

Stop by one of these not-to-be-missed cities across the country. They're the best of the best. Nashville

1. Music: Nashville, Tennessee

Music City offers more than honky-tonk, with an indie rock scene that has The Black Keys, Karen Elson, and Jack White all calling this town home.

HOTEL The Union Station Hotel, housed in a former train station, takes you back to a more elegant time. From $259 per night.

RESTAURANTS Cap off a meal at Catbird Seat with a cocktail downstairs at Patterson House. Try the El Diablo.

MUST-DO Sample bluegrass at Station Inn or country at Robert's Western World. Record shop Grimey's New & Preloved Music sits above The Basement, a great venue to hear indie acts. Stop by Jack White's Third Man: It's a store, recording studio, and performance space.

30 Dates That Spice Up Your Relationship

CHEAP THRILL Hatch Show Print has been making concert posters for everyone from Dolly Parton to Johnny Cash since 1879. Take one home for about $12.

Score more weekend invites with these best-guest practices. By Edith Zimmerman

Summer EtiquetteYou may not have that summerhouse you've always wanted (not yet, anyway), but you have friends who do-and they've given you the nod. Alas, visitors are often unaware of behaviors that can drive their hosts crazy, leading to a weekend of simmering resentments. To avoid antagonizing your generous friends, follow these good-guest suggestions.

Arrive with a present. Think beyond wine. One idea: "Balsamic vinegar that's been aged for 25 years and first-press Italian olive oil," says Dorothy McGivney, editor of jauntsetter.com. "Your friends will think of you every time they dress vegetables or pasta."

Dial down your phone. "Turn off the data connection," says Nick Bilton, tech columnist for The New York Times. This way you can get emergency calls but not distracting e-mails, texts, and tweets.

The Most Iconic Movie Dresses of All Time

B.Y.O. Picky eaters should "offer to pick up some

Who says curvy girls can't rock stripes?! Dare to wear the hottest trends with these no-fail tips from fashion diva Nicolette Mason. By Nicolette Mason

Big girls are forever being told what not to wear, that everything from stripes to pleats to booties (even ponytails!) are off-limits to us. Is it any wonder that so many full-figured women cling to their boring black separates-the "safest" things in their wardrobes?

Thankfully, my years working in fashion have taught me some invaluable lessons about how to pull off pieces traditionally thought of as no-no's for anyone beyond a size 6. Follow these foolproof tips and brace yourself for some serious style points.

Horizontal StripesMYTH Horizontal stripes enlarge a big frame.

TRUTH Break up the pattern with a blazer or colored pants. Très chic-for all figures.

30 Dates That Spice Up Your Relationship

MYTH Top-heavy women can't wear knits.

TRUTH Look for body-skimming silhouettes in metallic for a pulled-together take.

Peplum

Meet four power players who started on the lowest rungs of their companies and made it to the very top. Here, they reveal their secrets to parlaying entry-level gigs into corner offices. By Lauren N. Williams

Kate GutmannKate Gutmann
President, Worldwide Sales, UPS

STARTED AS: Intern

While a senior at Siena College in upstate New York, Gutmann landed a marketing internship at the Albany offices of UPS. Afterward, the company offered her a junior sales job. Today, the 43-year-old mother of two runs the company's massive international sales force.

TIP #1: MAKE SURE THE DECISION MAKERS KNOW YOUR NAME AND WHAT YOU DO. "I was based in Atlanta-I'd already moved two or three times at that point-and was hoping to get promoted to a vice president position. But the person making the decision didn't know me at all, which can happen in a big company. So I wrote a memo-'Why Kate Gutmann?'-explaining who I was and why I should at least get an interview. It was a little courageous and scary at