Blog Posts by YouBeauty.com

Unfortunately, you don't have much control over pesky veins.

We Asked: Ted King, M.D., Vice President of Medical Affairs of Vein Clinics of America and a practicing phlebologist in Oakbrook Terrace, IL.

The Answer: Another old wives' tale put to rest! Crossing your legs absolutely does not cause varicose veins. They are hereditary-and that's that.

MORE: The Best Treatments for Varicose Veins

A significant portion of adults (some studies say 20 to 25 percent of men and women) get varicose veins-those twisted veins that seem to bulge out of your legs. If you're stuck with them, what's happened is that the walls of your veins have lost elasticity, so they aren't able to stretch and relax the way they're supposed to. Genetic damage also causes the veins to become stiffer, so once they're stretched out, they can't shrink back down.

MORE: Olympian Summer Sanders Talks about Her Varicose Veins

Another aspect is that the valves inside the veins that keep blood flowing in the right direction stop working. That means blood can no

Dewy skin, without any of the oil.

A matte finish has its place in the world of beauty: on lips, it's classic and gorgeous; on nails, it's an unusual yet not-too-bizarre choice. But when it comes to skin, doing the matte thing can read as flat, dull and (gasp) aging. On the flipside, the elusive dewy skin we read about and naturally, want more than just about anything, seems impossible to achieve past age 15 without looking like a teenage wannabe. The good news? We investigated and-thanks to breakthroughs in skincare, makeup and nutrition-the dewy look really isn't that hard to create. If your complexion wish list involves descriptions like glowing, luminous and fresh (yes!), here's how to get it.

MORE: The Cure for Acne Might Lie in Your Yogurt

1. Encourage Your Natural Glow
Dennis Gross, M.D., a New York City dermatologist, suggests flooding skin with a steady supply of ingredients that hydrate and brighten. He's partial to radiance-boosting vitamins C and D (both are found in Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha

Put an end to the springtime sniffles for good.

Spring is finally here.

And with it comes the sniffles for over 35 million Americans who suffer from seasonal allergies.

Personally, it's the pollen that gets my eyes itching and nose running. For others it may be the flowers, grass, trees and plants, or even dust and dust mites inside the house, along with mold, or pet dander as spring stirs things up. Regardless of what causes allergies, it certainly affects a bunch of us.

MORE: 5 Unexpected Allergy Triggers

Allergies come from a misplaced and often exaggerated response by our immune system. Instead of ignoring common substances in the environment-call them allergens-immune cells view them as threats and try to fight them off by creating an inflammatory response. This results in a flood of histamine and other inflammatory compounds that produce the watery eyes, sneezing, runny or itchy nose and a scratchy throat. Every time a person encounters a reactive substance, they will have some kind of an allergic response.

An animal-print trench goes great over any rainy day attire.

The Rain Coat
Spring showers don't mean drowning yourself in baggy, shapeless rainwear. Look for a lightweight, belted, ultra figure-flattering trench in a stylish animal print instead. Animal prints are the new neutral-and something that can easily layer over any look. Or try a trench in a vibrant cobalt or emerald color to brighten up your next rainy day.

Betsey Johnson Double-Breasted Animal Print Trench, $180, Macy's

MORE: Jeans That Flatter Your Butt Shape

The Blazer
From drab to fab-a blazer transforms the plainest outfit (jeans and a tee) into a polished look. A bright color, such as coral-a major shade for spring-is chic and unexpected. And something with contrasting, color-blocked panels along the sides will help create an Hourglass figure, no matter what shape you are!

Rag & Bone Jefferson Blazer, $535, Barney's

For a more affordable option, try Nine & Co.'s Button-Notch Collar Jacket, $45, JC Penney

MORE: Dress For Your Body Shape

The

That drink might be doing more bad than good.

Many people end their evenings with a nightcap to relax and help sleep come easier. In fact, physicians once recommended a nightcap as a sleep aid! Although alcohol may help people unwind and put the stressors of the day at bay, it can actually have detrimental effects.

Many people with insomnia self-medicate with alcohol because it is sedating and induces sleep at the beginning of the night. However, it is a poor choice overall because the body quickly metabolizes alcohol and its effects wear off within a few hours. Despite being able to fall asleep with alcohol at the beginning of the night, consuming it before bed can actually lead to more awakenings, lighter sleep and disrupted sleep stages.

MORE: How A Poor Night's Sleep Can Affect Your Relationships

Most importantly, regularly relying on alcohol as a sleep aid can lead to tolerance (the need to drink more and more alcohol over time to achieve the same initial level of sedation).

A recent meta-analysis to appear

Your healthy measures might actually be hurting you.

Do you pop supplements like jelly beans? When it comes to the vitamins and minerals your body needs to function properly, you might think you can't get too much of a good thing-especially when they're wrapped in foil and taste like candy. But just like wine spritzers and apple crumble, you can overdo it on supplements.

COLUMN: Easy Ways to Snack Smarter

They're complicated: More is not always better-and more can sometimes be dangerous. Vitamins, mineral supplements and even some herbs can interfere with each another, interact with the medications your doctor prescribes and it's even possible to overdose on them. (We're not talking about a scene out of the movie "Pulp Fiction" here, but the effects can be serious nonetheless.)

Before you down another multivitamin full of everything from A to Z, read on to find out which ones can spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E.

1. Calcium
To support bone strength, stave off osteoporosis and keep your muscles and joints working well, it's

If there's one thing that's worse than shopping for swimsuits, it's shopping for jeans. And the area that seems to cause the most despair? You guessed it: the derriere. To help ease your pain, we've rounded up the best jeans for your butt. Flat, wide, small or saggy, it's all about strategic pocket placement and knowing when to embellish and when to keep things simple.

Now, who's ready to hit the stores? It's time to learn to dig your denim.

- by Lesley Kennedy

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The Best Boots For Your Body

Get the right formulas to work with your skin.

What works when you're 20 usually doesn't work when you're 40-whether it's your food choices, your ability to rebound from a hangover (enter the two-day recovery!) or how you apply your makeup. When it comes to cover up, our needs shift over our lifetime. The formula you used to cover your teenage breakouts is decidedly not the one you want to layer beneath your 30-something eyes to disguise your baby/work/social life-induced sleep depravation.

The good news? Thanks to major innovations in the concealer department, simply adjusting your approach to the shifting needs of your skin can have you looking vibrant, no matter your decade. We asked Sandy Linter, celebrity makeup artist and Lancôme's Beauty At Every Age Expert (who is incidentally looking damn good at 65) for her best concealer-blending tips for skin of every age.

QUIZ: Does Your Skin Look Older Than it Should?

Concealer in Your 20s
Late nights up studying, working or out on the town with friends can