Blog Posts by Marie Claire

Marie ClaireYour closet should be more than just a hole in the wall where you haphazardly throw your clothes - it should reflect you. And indeed, as Niecy Nash explains in her television show Clean House, if your closet space is in disarray, usually so are you. "Readers should know that clutter is an outward expression of an inward thing. They kind of parallel each other. When you start getting your emotional closet together, everything else will be sure to follow," says Nash.

Each week Nash and her crew of interior designers choose one cluttered American home to organize, host a giant yard sale as a way of deciding what stays and what goes, and then pour the proceeds into a home makeover. At the end of the day, an organized closet benefits not only you but also the many charities in desperate need of your last season's attire. So clean your closet, and don't just feel good, do good at the same time. Niecy Nash tells us how.

MC: When is it time to start cleaning?
NN: "Nobody has to tell you.

From chic scents to sleek shadows, here are the must-have products of the season.

MarieClaireBig girls are forever being told what not to wear: Shiny fabrics add bulk; pleats make your hips look huge. Even my slimmer friends, self-conscious about this or that, are slaves to these rigid fashion diktats. One size-8 colleague looked like I'd splashed paint on her Louboutins when I suggested she rock a pair of booties with a shirtdress. "Booties?! They'll make my calves look like pork chops!" she shrieked.

While it's true that many fashion rules are based on a kernel of fact-shiny garments made of cheap fabrics will accentuate every roll-most are just guidelines and can be tweaked. Take skinny jeans. No question, these are less flattering on bottom-heavy women. One saleswoman had the gall to sniff, "These jeans aren't for you," as I was buying a killer pair of size-18 dark-rinse skinnys. "Tell that to my AmEx," I told her. Here's my no-fail antidote to the thunder-thigh effect: Pair skinny jeans with a tailored blazer, longer shirt, and towering heels. You'll look like a

e Weight Forget every carb-cutting, craving-canceling trick you know. We combed through the latest diet research for what really works.Forget every carb-cutting, craving-canceling trick you know. We combed through the latest diet research for the skinny on skinny.

1. OLD RULE: CUT CARBS

Why you should break it: Low-carb diets reigned during the Atkins craze, but in the long run, people can't maintain them. According to a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, dieters who ate carbs in moderation lost about five pounds more than carb-avoiders.

New rule: Eat five servings of grains daily, especially whole ones (oatmeal, brown rice), says Dr. Marion Vetter, medical director at the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and lead author of the study. "Carbs provide great energy and fiber," she says. Besides, "avoiding them isn't realistic." But you knew that.

She's lighter, but her wallet isn't.1. We won't ask you to set aside your Saturday nights for coupon clipping, but most major supermarket chains will list their weekly sales online, so log on before you

Get complexion perfection in four simple, do-it-yourself steps.

Don't let his eyes wander. Here's how to to keep him focused on you.While trolling the internet, the headline "How Do I Keep a Man's Attention" caught my eye. It was based on a question posed from a female reader who lamented having sex too early in relationships. The article, however, did not address the subtle points of keeping a man's attention outside of sex. Non-sexual tactics help in the beginning of a relationship. Or these tactics can simply get you male attention at a social event.

The main thing that keeps my attention is confidence. If I feel like a woman is too dependent, it's unattractive and eventually it pushes me away. Men, just like women, are drawn to strength. There exists, in every guy's past, a list of needy women that didn't pan out. A confident woman makes a man jockey for position as the center of her world. So, it gives him the "thrill of the chase" excitement.

Is Monogamy The Best Policy?

There few things you can do to appeal to a guy's visual tastes, and it doesn't mean you have to dress like you're working a

Troy Word; Marie ClaireThe first vacation with a significant other can make or break a happy union. We asked the members of Marie Claire Ask & Answer-Marie Claire's online Q&A community for dating, sex, and relationship advice-about their recipes for getaway success.

Rest Up
Answerology member Anonymous warns, "Make sure you are WELL RESTED." When she went on vacation with her boyfriend, things started to fall apart when he didn't feel well on their first night. "It wasn't so much sick, it was tired," she says, "and he's so melodramatic about illness/fatigue. It spoiled the first night for me, and I'd warned him the night before to get his rest in so we could have a fun and active time. I ended up going out by myself. We made up fine, but it stung that he didn't at least try to muster up the energy for a short walk." If you know you tend to get cranky and snap when you're tired or hungry, make sure you plan for that so you don't end up taking it out on your unsuspecting partner.

5 Vacations That Could Boost

Sure, you've never had a personal stylist or set foot on a red carpet - but that doesn't mean pulling off one of this season's glamorous dos is out of the question. Here we have the most elegant styles from this year's Academy Awards - and tips on how to create these evening hairstyles yourself. What would your favorite celebrity hairstyle look like on you? Try it on in our Virtual Hair Salon!