Here are a few of my favorite beauty tips:

1) Use clear mascara to tame fly-away hairs. This trick works wonders for keeping strays at bay, especially when you put your hair up and need a little extra polish. It also works well on baby hairs around the face.

2) Rinse your hair with cold water to make it shinny. This trick really does work! The cold water helps to seal the hair shaft which makes hair look less frizzy and more silky and smooth. It has made a huge difference in the quality and texture of my hair.

3) Use body lotion to ward off cellulite. You don’t have to buy expensive skin firming lotion. Really any kind will do because the act of massaging the skin is really what makes this one work, not the product. I have never had a problem with cellulite (well, not much of one anyway), and I am convinced that my dedication to this practice is the reason why.

4) Use sunscreen and don’t smoke! If you won’t do it for your health, do it for your looks. Nothing ages skin more than sun exposure and cigarette smoke. Cigarettes also contribute to lines around the mouth and tooth discoloration.

5) Speaking of tooth discoloration, I have a trick for that too for when brushing your teeth after eating isn’t practical. I love coffee and tea, and am becoming more and more of a wine drinker these days. All huge culprits for staining teeth! Chewing sugar free gum after drinking is supposed to do wonders for warding off stains, but the chemicals that they use in sugar free gum gives me a tummy ach so that trick is out for me. Instead, I always keep a bottle of water with me whenever I drink anything that might stain my teeth. Every sip of coffee (or tea or wine) is followed by a sip of water. This has worked pretty well for me over the years.

6) Here’s a helpful trick from Rachie: “You know when you get leather shoes and they have that edge at the heal that is not soft enough and it kinda cuts into you heel? You don’t need moleskin, just a piece of scotch tape stuck right on your skin. It hardly shows and it lets the ouchy shoe slide right over the cutty place.” I just ordered some new leather shoes from Urban Outfitters, and I can’t wait to try this trick with them!