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We may be beauty editors, but our hair is just like everyone else’s—it gets frizzy, falls flat, and resists attempts at quick blowouts. But because we’re lucky enough to spend our days interviewing beauty experts and testing new products, we’ve stumbled upon a few hair tricks that are just plain amazing. Here, our favorites.

How to: Make a blowout last
“My hair is parched from years of highlighting, and I’ve learned that shampooing frequently makes it even drier. Now, I wash my hair every three days and use these tricks to keep it looking fresh.” —Colleen Sullivan, Beauty and Fashion Editor

Always wear a shower cap.
“On days that I’m not shampooing, I pull my hair into a ponytail, secure it with a soft scrunchie (hair elastics can leave dents), then pop on a shower cap before I shower. Without it, my hairline gets frizzy from the steam.”

Freshen up with dry shampoo.
“Three days after a blowout, my hair looks limp. (If you have oily hair, this might happen sooner.) So, before my shower, I flip my head upside down and spray the roots with Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo Spray ($21) as I tousle them with my fingers. Then I shower with a shower cap, and when I take my hair down afterward it has more volume and the oiliness is gone.”

Keep things smooth.
“If I notice that my hair is looking greasy or frizzy, I neaten it up with a flat iron. Rather than sliding the iron down the length of my hair, I just pick up small sections of the top layer and tap them with the flat iron, opening and closing it a few times near the roots or anywhere else that’s messy.”

Next: How to: Prevent hair damage

Laura Doss

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Eyebrow expert Kristie Streicher shows reader Monique Pridgeon how to get naturally defined arches. View the slideshow.

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A recent survey by L’Oréal found that 82% of women feel more confident when wearing makeup. So, go ahead—give yourself an instant self-esteem boost with these makeup must-haves. View the slideshow.

Zandy Mangold

Colleen Sullivan
Beauty and Fashion Editor

Best Winter Tip: “To smooth your feet when they get rough in the winter, you have to get rid of the dry skin before you put on foot lotion. I love the Dr. Scholl’s micro file (page 40). You just rub it over your feet, and it gently sloughs off the rough stuff on your soles.”

Zandy Mangold

Jennifer Goldstein
Beauty and Fashion News Editor

Best Winter Tip: “My skin looks better in summer when I eat lots of antioxidant-rich berries and fresh fish, which has omega-3 fatty acids. Since I don’t consume those as much in winter, I keep my skin glowy by taking an omega-3 supplement and spiking my water with an antioxidant drink.”

Zandy Mangold

Melanie Rud
Beauty and Fashion Assistant

Best Winter Tip: “Heat up a pair of dry cotton socks in the microwave for 7 seconds, slather Aquaphor Healing Ointment ($5.49; drugstores) on your hands, then slip the warm socks on your hands for 10 minutes. It’s like one of those spa paraffin treatments, but it costs a lot less!”

 
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Zandy Mangold

We beauty editors are always answering skin-care questions from our co-workers and friends. What’s the best antiaging moisturizer? How do I get rid of a pimple quickly? Do I need to see a doctor for this thing? (Yes, we’re asked to check out friends’ scaly patches more often than we’d like.)

We also get a ton of questions from you. So we thought: Wouldn’t it be great if we could bring all our readers into Health’s Beauty Closet for some real-world advice? Since that wasn’t possible, we did the next best thing: We gathered your top winter skin problems, then pooled our collective wisdom to help you solve them. Read on for our straight talk (no topic is taboo in the Beauty Closet!), quick tips, and favorite winter product picks.

Skin problem #1: “I have rough, dry skin all over my body.”

Colleen: This happens to everyone in the winter because of the colder, drier weather. I’ve found that it helps to shower every other day.
Jenn: That’s a good idea because water—especially hot—dehydrates your skin. It seems counterintuitive, but every dermatologist I’ve asked says it’s true. If you can’t go a day without showering, keep showers short and turn down the water temperature.
Colleen: An aesthetician once told me dry body brushing helps, too. Before I shower, I run a body brush over my skin using upward strokes—it removes the flaky dry skin cells so moisturizer penetrates better. After the shower, I apply Lubriderm Advanced Therapy Moisturizing Cream.
Melanie: But the trick is you have to put on lotion when your skin’s still warm and damp from the shower in order to seal in the moisture.
Jenn: I know that’s what you’re supposed to do, but I always forget!
Colleen: I put the lotion in my shower next to my shower gel, so I remember to do it before I get out.

Skin problem #2: “My complexion gets really dry.”

Jenn: Even people with oily skin can have this issue in the winter.
Colleen: My derm told me dry indoor heating is actually a big part of the problem. I’ve found that running a humidifier at night really helps. And switching to a richer formula of face moisturizer makes a huge difference.
Melanie: So if you use a gel, step it up to a lotion. And if you use a lotion, get a thicker cream.
Jenn: Most people don’t think of this, but you should also switch to a creamy cleanser because they’re less drying than the high-foaming gel ones. I like Neutrogena’s new cream cleanser. It takes off my makeup without making my skin feel tight and dry.

Skin problem #3: “My skin is so sensitive in the winter.”

Melanie: I can relate. As soon as the weather changes, my complexion becomes red and itchy.
Jenn: One derm told me when your skin is drier, the protective lipid barrier is compromised, and things that normally don’t cause irritation—like pollutants in the air or the lanolin from a wool sweater—can cause sensitivity. Fragrances in products can also be irritating for some people. So he suggested switching to fragrance-free products in winter.
Melanie: I have a fragrance-free soap and moisturizer, but I like serums, and it’s hard to find one that doesn’t have some sort of scent.
Colleen: Oh, the Olay serum that I like is actually fragrance-free. I put it on right before my moisturizer.

Next page: Winter dulls my complexion

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You can lose 10 pounds instantly with the right outfit. Here, designer Donna Karan shows you how. View the slideshow.

Over a decade ago, I hired a smart and sassy beauty assistant who I knew would one day set the world on fire. Kathy Kramer was the type of employee who was always coming to me with ideas—well, make that inventions—so I wasn’t too surprised that after she resigned from the world of writing lipstick copy she put all her energies into creating a belt.

Like Kathy, this was no ordinary belt.

The Invisibelt ($22, invisibelt.com) is made of a thin plastic, so you get the support of a belt but with a flat, smooth surface. Quite simply, you won’t see the trace of a bulky belt or buckle under thin sweaters or tops. I rarely wear belts, but lately I’ve noticed my shorts and capris have been gaping at the back and I constantly need to pull them up. So I took home one of Kathy’s new stylish designs and it worked great: no more tugging of my short bottoms, no more plumber’s butt. Best of all, the adjustable belt provides an instant stomach-slimming effect.

Kathy came to see me in my office recently wearing the ever-so-chic silver lace belt with white jeans. She left me with her latest creation: Invisibelt Girl. My 11-year-old daughter walked out of the house this morning wearing a pair of jean shorts that never fit properly—her Invisibelt, covered in cool purple peace signs, was doing a good job at holding things up.

If you’ve tried the Invisibelt, let me know what you think and email your thoughts to me!

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Once upon a time, there were beauty rules you were supposed to follow when you hit a certain age. But, like perms and frosted lipstick, those guidelines no longer apply. To find the freshest antiaging tricks, Health polled 140 experts for their best advice.

Sure, we heard fundamental tips like “Wear sunscreen!” again and again, but we also picked up some unexpected strategies. Read on for nine great ones that will help you look amazing.

Hair help

Warm up your hair color
“Ashy tones are your biggest enemy as you get older,” says George Papanikolas, a colorist who works with actress Rachel McAdams. “Women tend to add pale highlights and go blonder to camouflage gray, but they end up looking washed out and older.”

If you don’t need to hide gray, try a few warm highlights around your face. “Blondes should go more golden; brunettes should try warm, caramel tones,” colorist Robert Ramos says. For more gray coverage, use a permanent dye in a warm color one or two shades lighter than your natural pregray shade.

Avoid the mom cut
“Age shouldn’t influence hair length,” notes Mark Townsend, a Matrix celebrity stylist and Reese Witherspoon’s go-to hair guy. So no need to go short at a certain age. In fact, the mom cut—ear-length, overly layered (think Hillary Clinton or Suze Orman)—adds years, according to the stylists we polled.

“Don’t get stuck in no-man’s land. Hair that’s an awkward length without a discernible style is very unflattering,” says Ryan Cotton, a stylist at New York City’s Serge Normant at John Frieda Salon. He suggests an easy-to-style cropped cut (Halle Berry), a bob that’s at least chin-length (Katie Holmes), or longer hair with layers (Julianne Moore).

Go for face framing
“Styling your hair back off your face can make you look 10 years older,” Cotton says. If you have short hair, style it so it frames your face. For longer hair, bangs are the way to go, according to San Diego salon owner Jet Rhys. “They hide signs of aging and instantly give you a youthful appearance,” she says, citing Goldie Hawn as an example of someone who knows the antiaging power of fringe.

Next: Skin & body strategies