Blog Posts by DivineCaroline

Vicks is an age-old mentholated topical cream intended to relieve head, throat, and chest stuffiness. It uses menthol to elicit a response from receptors in the nose and chest and can work wonders on children with colds or chronic bronchitis. Vicks has been around for over one hundred years and is one of the most widely used over-the-counter decongestants. Lately, there's been a lot of buzz about unique and unconventional ways to use this odiferous ointment. You'll be surprised to learn that Vicks VapoRub is a supposed treatment for so much more than just a congested chest.

1. Paper Cuts and Splinters
To prevent infection and speed up healing time, dab a small amount of Vicks on any small cut or splinter.

Is the Flu Shot Really Necessary?


2. On Your Tootsies
Applying Vicks to your feet provides nighttime cough relief. Generously rub VapoRub all over your feet and cover them with socks. Within moments your cough will subside-in the morning you'll wake up a new, hacking free

Lately it seems like I can't go anywhere without encountering that awkward tipping moment-a prolonged handshake with a bellhop at a hotel, a lingering stare across the coffee shop counter as the "Tips Please" box looms between me and the barista, or wondering whether the five dollars I tack on to my total at the nail salon is as generous as I intended it to be. (Or too generous?) So I set out to squash that awkward moment, asking everyone from valets to etiquette experts to talk about what are largely unspoken guidelines. When do we tip? How much? What's too little, too much, insulting? The good news: they've generously provided us with some tangible guidelines. The bad news: now we have no excuse.

5 Sneaky Tricks Credit Card Companies Play on You

Transportation
From the airport shuttle driver to the late-night taxi ride home, my tips to these folks don't follow any pattern-they usually consist of whatever I can scrounge out of my pockets between balancing my bags, juggling

There are all kinds of beauty "rules" that women are taught to follow, dictating everything from where we should apply perfume to exactly how much shimmer is acceptable, depending on age. (Is there a mathematical algorithm for that?) What will happen if break one of these rules? Will there be mass chaos and rioting in the streets? Hardly. The worst-case scenario is that you don't like the result, in which case you simply don't do it again. But you just might discover that you love the way you look! These "rules" are ready to be broken for good.

Click here to see the other five beauty rules you should break!

More from DivineCaroline:

Celebs That Look Better Without Makeup

New Dating Questions for the 21st Century

4 Makeup Mistakes That Age You

The Health Perks of Pumpkins

Celebs' Best Love and Relationship Advice

Do People Treat You Differently When You Don't Wear Makeup?

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Urban Outfitters is in hot water again. This time it's for the glut of "Navajo"-themed merchandise in their stores. Turns out, the Navajo Nation holds twelve trademarks on use of the term "Navajo," so the brand's "Navajo Hipster Panty" along with the twenty-three other products in its inventory that have the word "Navajo" in the name might be grounds for litigation. Not to mention the fact that UO might be in violation of federal law under the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990, which makes it illegal to market an art or craft item using the name of a tribe if a member, or certified Indian artisan, of that tribe did not actually create the item. The Navajo Nation's Attorney General has asked Urban Outfitters to cease and desist using the term. We imagine UO will get to it just as soon as it ties up all those other cease and desist orders from indie designers, or when it decides on a new hot-button cultural reference to appropriate-whichever comes first.

More from DivineCaroline:
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Practically nothing feels better than a pair of jeans that fit just right. With such versatile denim pieces in style this season, you don't have to limit that feel-good sensation to just your lower half. From jackets to jeggings, here are the quintessential denim items you need right now.

More from DivineCaroline:
New Dating Quetions for the 21st Century
Get Evan Rachel Wood's Fall Beauty Look
Fall's Hottest Nail Polishes
The Best and Worst of London's Fashion Week
Celebs' Best Love and Relationship Advice
5 Dating-Profile Clichés and What They Really Mean

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Find us on Facebook!
Follow us on Twitter!
Share your story!

There are few things more aggravating than trying to get decent customer service. From navigating through an automated maze of numbers and pound signs to being put on hold while reluctantly listen to Enya's entire first album, just reaching a living, breathing human can be a task of epic proportions. Next time you're in need of customer service, follow these helpful guidelines to maximize the chance of talking to a live representative and to get the most out of your conversation.

Shop at places that are known for great customer service.
It would be one thing if IBM's ultra-intelligent computer, Watson, was manning the phone lines, but sadly he's too busy dominating on Jeopardy. Rather than struggling with run of the mill automated systems, make purchases at companies that use real people. Certain retailers like Nordstrom, Zappos, Urban Outfitters, Amazon, and more are known for their exceptional customer service. That's reason enough to shop there first.

5 Companies with Great

In preparation for Halloween, we headed to Kryolan Professional Make-Up to learn how to transform ourselves into three popular Halloween characters: vampire, cat, and zombie. If you thought elaborate makeup required dozens of pricey products or aesthetician experience, think again. Special effects specialist Jordan Plath showed us how to create these looks in just a few simple steps.

Zombie

1. Apply a foundation with yellow undertones, or mix yellow face paint into regular foundation, and set with translucent powder.
2. Use a lighter foundation to highlight cheekbones, the bridge of your nose, forehead, and jawline, making them look more pronounced and skeletal.
3. With brownish or reddish shadows, emphasize the sunken areas of your face (the cheeks, temples, and forehead ridges), as well as all around your eyes. Add dabs of brick-red shadow around your mouth, ears, nose, and eyes.
4. With your lips pressed together, dab on some foundation to create a

Cleaning house can feel like a gargantuan task, especially when you've let things slide for a few days too many. But it doesn't have to be such a time-consuming undertaking. By incorporating these easy tips into your daily routine and prioritizing the areas that have a knack for getting the messiest the quickest, you'll find that keeping the house in order is as easy as pie. The only drawback is that now you'll have to figure out what to do with your new-found free time.

Kitchen:

• Do the dishes or place them in the dishwasher after every meal. (5 minutes)
• Wipe down countertops and stove with an all-purpose cleaner after cooking. (2 minutes)
• Wipe up any spills and sweep up any crumbs after eating. (2 minutes)

9 Kitchen Gadgets That Make Food Beautiful

Bathroom:

• Keep sanitizing wipes under your bathroom sink so you can quickly wipe the countertop after each time you wash your face or brush your teeth. (2 minutes)
• Once a week, wipe the toilet and