Music has been a defining factor in Latino men's fashion through the decades. Today, Latinos are wearing jewelry to define their individual fashion style, more than to identify themselves with the music of their culture.

Reggaeton artist Don OmarTropical music expert Archie Mercado, host of the Salsa web-show "Cocinando con Archie", remembers when he arrived in Miami in the 1970s as a teenager. He had a passion for jazz and the afro rhythms of Caribbean music, and the best places to enjoy these sounds were in the burgeoning Cuban neighborhoods of Miami. The mix of the music with the distinctive look of the men who played and danced to those early rumbas became an identifiable cultural symbol to the teen newcomer. "Men were known to wear 18k gold necklaces with a particular shape called 'Cuban Link'," says Mercado. "Hanging from their necklaces there was usually a medal with the saint of their devotion. The top buttons of their hand-made, linen Guayabera shirts were undone to reveal the medal. They also

Brown bagging for the family doesn't have to mean the same old peanut butter-and-jelly every day. Spice up your lunch this week with these satisfying Latin sandwiches.

Get your pencils and your dinero ready. Going back-to-school for children should also mean family lessons on managing money.

Financially-uneducated childreniStockphoto

According to personal finance expert Andrés Gutiérrez, the longer a person goes through life without cementing healthy financial habits, the harder it becomes when he/she reaches retirement. Establishing the correct work to money correlation during productive years will ensure fewer financial headaches later on. But, according to Gutiérrez, a good financial education shouldn't be initiated when income is earned; it must start at childhood.

"We are hard-working people who want to provide everything our children need; we want to give them a better life," says Gutiérrez of most American families who he believes aren't doing much to teach their children about money by spoiling them and providing an overgrown sense of entitlement. Gutiérrez offers the example of Latin families trying to follow expensive traditions like

By Liliana Moyano for Shine Latina

Passionada I went to a small, private college with professors from all over the world. During my time there, I connected really well with two business faculty members who eventually became my mentors and friends. Once I graduated, we adopted the tradition of going out to lunch every couple of months. Hagai is from Israel, and Lloyd is an American married to a Cubana who, of course, is married to all her Cuban traditions.

Normally we visit different types of restaurants, but for the last couple of months, Hagai has been insisting on taking us to his favorite Jewish cafe where all the servers speak Hebrew to customers, whether they know the language or not. As soon as we arrive, an array of delicious dishes start coming to the table, even before we start ordering our dinner. The only thing I want right away is my drink; the rest comes at the restaurant's pleasure. I usually order their mint lemonade made with fresh mint leaves. This fragrant herb adds a

In this tutorial I'll show you how to achieve Sofía Vergara's flawless makeup seen on the September cover of Allure magazine. The Colombian actress is all about natural, feminine beauty, and this simple look emphasizes her luscious lips and strong eyebrows.

By Charleen Gonzalez for Shine Latina
Sofía Vergara
A flawless base
To prep the skin for foundation, I used Clarins Beauty Flash Balm which instantly improves the skin's appearance. Sofía has a flawless, soft matte complexion. To get this type of texture I used Hourglass's Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation applied with Sigma's F88 Flat Angled Kabuki Brush. This foundation is great for oily skin types, as it instantly dries to a matte finish. Next, to cover up dark circles I used ELLIS FAAS Concealerand blended it in with Sigma's P88 Precison Flat Angled Brush. I love using the P88 because it feels like your using your fingers but better, as the bristles get into every nook and cranny. As a last step, I used a little bit of Jouer's

Telemundo reporterBy Flor de Maria Rivera

The first day I showed up to work as an intern at Telemundo in San Jose, Calif., I wore a power suit. Well, for me, that meant a super mini baby blue skirt and a skin-tight blazer, along with four-inch heels. It's no wonder the news anchor still talks about my outfit, haha.

I was straight out of college back then, but once I started working as a sports anchor and reporter at Telemundo, I traded the short mini skirts for pencil skirts and a fitted blazer or sexy top. When I was in the field interviewing athletes, I opted for jeans and a nice blouse.

In the years since I left Telemundo, I've learned how to be stylish and stay within the company dress code. It was time to class up my act! Here are some tips on how to stay work appropriate and still feel like your sexy self:

Related: Take Charge of Your Career

1. If your work requires you to wear a suit, make sure it's fitted and hugs you in the right places. I would go with a pencil skirt, a

From relieving inflammation to curing hangovers, find out how adding these delectable tropical wonders to your diet will keep you healthy and strong.

Adoption in the Latino communityWhen it comes to taking care of parentless children, Hispanics have a strong reputation of stepping in and bringing up kids within the extended family. However, in this country, Latinos may not be as interested or versed in the adoption process when it's done via the official legal means.

"We have a long tradition of taking care of our own children," says Maria Quintanilla, director of the Latino Family Institute in West Covina, California, alluding to the fact that before governments got involved, children whose parents could no longer take care of them were placed by the family with grandparents, aunts or uncles. As a matter of fact, once an individual became a padrino or godparent in baptism, he or she was considered responsible of taking care of their ahijado (godchild) if the child's parents were no longer present.

Child placement goes as far as moving kids to live with a widowed grandmother or an older single aunt in a custom called prestando, which dates back