by Sophia Panych


David Stesner If you have oily or acne-prone skin, clay masks are a must-have. They not only soak up all traces of dirt and grease, but wearing one makes for funny Instagram pictures (yes, my sister and I are completely guilty of this). They're also simple to use: Apply one all over your face, have a glass of wine while you wait for it to dry to a hardened shell, and rinse. Am I right? No, no I am not. Turns out I've been using clay masks the wrong way for all these years--and doing more harm than good to my skin.

See more: Celebrity Hairstyles That Will Make You Look 10 Years Younger

So what changed? Yesterday I met with Sharon McGlinchey, a facialist and the creator of MV Organic Skincare, a line of organic skin-care products developed for people with high skin sensitivities (Emma Watson and Maggie Gylenhall are both fans). As McGlinchey applied her MV Signature Mineral Mask, made with sun-dried clay, she doled out this little bit of advice: "You should never let a clay mask dry

The best look-goods are not always the most rare and expensive, discovers Emily Listfield.

By Emily Listfield

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Get a flawless glow with this advice on using self-tannersBy Woman's Day Staff

A Better Bronze
The darker your skin tone, the less you'll notice lumps and bumps. Try this step-by-step guide to fake an even glow. Photo by Thinkstock.

1. Exfoliate.
Use a scrub to slough off dead skin cells so tanner won't adhere to dry patches.

2. Moisturize.
Put on your body lotion and let dry. To skip this step, opt for a moisturizer that gradually tans skin, like Jergens Natural Glow Foaming Daily Moisturizer. $8.99; Amazon.com

Related: Check out 75 timeless beauty tips.


3. Swipe on.
Apply the tanner as you would a moisturizer.

4. Skip knees and ankles.
Products travel up to an inch due to your skin's natural oils, so avoid these areas, which absorb and darken quickly.

Related: Discover 6 all-natural beauty fixes.

5. Wash hands.

A bronzed palm will give you away!

SOURCES: Sheri Feldman, MD, Beverly Hills dermatologist. Kate McCarthy, glominerals national makeup artist. Ariel Ostad, MD, New York City dermatologist. Joshua Zeichner, MD, New York

Marie Claire

Looking good pays off. That's the overwhelming conclusion of research conducted by noted economist Daniel S. Hamermesh, a professor at the University of Texas, Austin, whose book Beauty Pays found that attractive people earn on average as much as 4 percent more annually than their unattractive colleagues. So consider your appearance one of your most important assets-and invest in it. We've picked the best worth-every-penny products and procedures designed to keep you on track.

1: TOTALLY WORTH IT: A TRANSFORMATIONAL HAIRCUT
What you're aiming for is a style that's polished, sophisticated, and, most important, easy to replicate. Think of it this way: All the time you spend taming your locks each morning could be spent courting new business. Famed hairstylist Ted Gibson, who works with Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain, charges $1,200 for a cut (you read that right), yet his eponymous salons in New York City and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, are consistently booked with new

feeeeetFor as many manicure DIYs and nail art tutorials circulating around the internet, pedicures and foot maintenance seem to be far less buzzworthy. Which makes sense really, because feet are ugly, unless you're into that kind of thing, of course. But also, for many seasons, our toes are hidden in the deep, dark tips of our shoes and our heels concealed in socks. But as Summer quickly approaches, it's time to get our feet ready and our toes pretty! And even though professional pedicures are relaxing and fabulous, they're also expensive to keep up, take precious time away from our busy schedules, and I always think, "Why pay someone for something I can easily do myself?!"

I turned to celebrity manicurist and owner of As "U" Wish Nail Spa, Skyy Hadley, for her insider tips to the perfect at-home pedicure to get your feet Summer ready in no time at all!

* How often should you get a pedicure…
- You can never care for your feet too often, but weekly pedicures aren't necessary either. Once

Baker Hyde's book, which documents her journey.

We've all been there. That bold lip or sexy smoky eye we planned with the best of intentions doesn't quite turn out the way we would have liked, and the only saving grace comes via the swipe of a saturated cotton ball.

Some of us will give it another go (and pull it off), while others may throw their hands up at the idea of ever attempting the trend again. But 38-year-old Phoebe Baker Hyde had a far more radical reaction of her own.

When a red party dress failed to live up to expectations, the cultural anthropology Ivy Leaguer decided she had enough of trying to meet an impossible standard she had self-admittedly set for herself. She swore off all beauty enhancements for a year, including makeup, hair products, jewelry and new clothes. The extreme beauty cleanse serves as the basis for her recently launched book, "The Beauty Experiment: How I Skipped Lipstick, Ditched Fashion, Faced the World Without Concealer, and Learned to Love the Real Me."

Now as someone who would

by Maura Lynch


Rob LoudIf there's one thing makeup artist Fiona Stiles knows, it's how to create subtley-glamorous, wildly gorgeous, natural-looking makeup (see: Jessica Chastian, Halle Berry, Kate Hudson, etc.)--which is what I immediately noticed about her when I met up with the Mark celebrity makeup artist for coffee in Soho (well, that and her stack of Phillip Crangi rings). I demanded to know what she carries in her kit, so she sent me this picture of it (above) later that day:


1. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz pencil: "Brows are like sisters, not twins--everyone can use a little brow love! The colors and textures in these pencils are perfect."

See more: 8 Outfits Men Love on Women

2. Mark Wet/Dry Eyeshadows: "I love the versatility and finish on these. The mattes don't skip and the shimmers glide on beautifully. The neutral colors are my daily go-to's."

3. Dior Nude Natural Radiance Bronzing Powder: "The perfect neutral bronzer. It's not orange or sparkly, so it's really flattering

by Elizabeth Siegel


Fairchild ArchiveThere's one good way to make any eye makeup sexier: "There's a trick that makeup artists use all the time backstage at fashion week," says Neil Young, a makeup artist with M.A.C. "You can tap lip balm over your shadow or a bare lid, and you get a slightly glossy, lived-in look that's very sensual." We loved the eye makeup at Missoni's Fall 2013 show--here's how to get the look:

See more: How to Wear Bangs

The trick is to use just a teeny tiny bit of gloss (press your finger against the back of your hand to remove any excess first), so your eyes don't look slick. Then, gently dab it onto just the center of your lid for a subtle highlight: "It's the same idea as wearing a shimmery shadow, but without the obvious shimmer," says Young. "It makes your eyes stand out in a more natural way." One caveat for wearing this runway look: Check your makeup periodically, to make sure it hasn't creased.

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