Nail Tek Swarovski Crystal Files Create Beautiful Nails

Many of you reading this, get professional manicures. So you're not worried about what kind of nail file is best for shaping and smoothing a great set of fingertips.

But for those of you who like to file your nails and keep them clean, buff, and pretty, all on your own, consider for a moment, the kind of nail file you keep on hand.

If you're like me, any file would do. For a long time, I was using a plain, old emery board. Don't laugh. Some manicurists would tell you that emery boards are more sanitary than a metal file. You can throw away an emery board when you're finished filing. And emery boards can be quite sharp, too. But you can also harm the nail if you are too sloppy filing.

An emery board is actually a thin strip of cardboard coated with powdered emery. But they do have a toughness to them. Baseball players have been caught trying to "scuff" the ball with emery boards. It gives the ball more grip and movement. That, of course, is illegal in baseball. One pitcher, Joe Niekro, was caught with an emery board in his pocket in 1987. He was suspended for 10 games.

Nail files can be made of steel, ceramic, and even, glass. We adore these:

Nail Tek Swarovski Crystal File ($20 each, at fine nail stores).

It's their Limited Edition: with authentic Swarovski Crystals! Really pretty glass file. And comes in its own convenient carrying case.

"Designed specifically for natural nails. It will not shred the nail like an emery board or ordinary file. Special patented surface seals and protects the free edge as you file and shape the nail. Prevents splitting and peeling of the natural nail.-Double-sided abrasive surface never wears out.-Washable, sanitizable and completely sterilizable.-Lifetime replacement guarantee."

We're not knocking emery boards. But if you enjoy grooming your own nails, try a glass nail file. It seals the free edge of the nail. And you can shape and smooth your nails without worrying about snagging, breaking and peeling. You don't have to be a professional manicurist to create a great set of nails.

Jennifer Esposito Credits Her Flat Belly With Zone Balance Board

Tired of doing endless sit-ups and gut-aching crunches? Why not rock your way to a flatter belly! No more lying on your back and contorting yourself into these difficult abdominal exercises.

Rock you way to a flatter belly? Yes. And sexy, slender actress Jennifer Esposito of Samantha Who? is a perfect example. She swears this little skateboard thing truly works!! The Zone Balance Pro Board($150, http://www.vewdo.com/), is a balance board. But there aren't any wheels. Instead, the platform is perched on top of what can best be described as a rolling pin. (By the way, this popular board is temporarily back-ordered).

You simply stand on the board, and rock back and forth. Sounds like a piece of cake, but it isn't that easy. The object is, to stay on the board and not fall off. Believe it or not, you get a good workout because it is challenging your abs, or stomach muscles.

Jennifer says it's "a great way to switch up your tired old routine."

Fitness expert Gabe Valencia agrees that the benefits are there, as long as you keep up with it faithfully.

"If you're consistent, 10 minutes of balance boarding 3 days a week will give you better ab definition than 10 minutes of straight crunching."

Wow! That beats crunching. And it looks like fun, especially if you have ever tired skateboarding or surfing for the first time. And you can rock back and forth on the Zone Balance Pro Board while watching television, listening to music, gabbing on your cell phone. You get the picture. It doesn't require a lot of exercise space, and it's portable.

Jennifer Esposito is in great shape, having been a gymnast and an ice skater. But even this Zone Balance Pro Board is hard for a woman with excellent balance.

"You can do some serious toning. As you improve, concentrate on different areas--using your stomach more or keeping your weight in your heels to work the legs and butt. But don't try this in Prada wedges like I did the first time. Sure, you look stylish, but no one will be checking out your shoes if you have a broken neck."

High-Definition Makeup Really Makes You Look Flawless

This little beauty tidbit caught our eye. There really is such a thing as high-definition makeup. At least, the cosmetics industry never misses a beat. With such major improvements in TV technology, like HDTV, faces on television need state-of-the-art makeup coverage. Let's face it, as beautiful and sexy as many celebrities are, even their tiny flaws can look, well, quite noticeable.

Nightly news anchor, Katie Couric, once remarked that she was not looking forward to high-def, because that meant her own facial flaws would be examined in more detail. And when you're a woman in your 40s, 50s, and beyond, it's more challenging to look youthful and wrinkle-free with such modern TV technology and the ever-sharp camera lens looking into every pore on your face. (We happen to think that Katie looks polished and very glam in high-def).

What's so harmful about HDTV? Nothing, except that it has five times more detail than standard television, because it contains more information in digital form. So it produces an exceptionally clear and crisp picture. Colors are more vivid. And, yeah, wrinkles, lines, scars, undereye circles, etc., are more highlighted, too.

But now there's high-definition makeup to the rescue! And you don't have to be a celebrity like Kelly Ripa, Anne Curry, or Soledad O'Brien, to appear flawless and pretty. This new and special makeup can improve your skin's texture and even out your complexion.

Here are some excellent high-definition makeup products to try:

1. Borba HD-Illuminating Plasma Crystals Diamond Dermabrasion Peel Treatment ($59, http://www.borba.com/). Use this before you apply makeup, and you will see a flawless glow. An ultra-smooth canvas to build on.

2. Smashbox High Definition Healthy FX Foundation SPF15 ($38, http://www.smashbox.com/). You need a foundation to even out your complexion, and this one does the trick. It's a weightless foundation that has the ability to build great coverage. Plus it's packed with vitamins, and a good SPF for sun protection.

3. Make Up For Ever HD, High Definition Powder ($30, http://www.sephora.com/). Yes, an HD powder to set your makeup. It contains micro-particles made of 100% mineral silica powder. These teeny particles do great big things like, reflect natural and artifical light. And soften lines and imperfections on the screen and in person.

4. Cargo Blu-Ray Lip Gloss ($29) and Mascara ($20, http://www.sephora.com/). For a beautiful smile, hyaluronic acid spheres and a peptide chain plump lips and smooth out fine lines, while transparent pearl pigments provide an even color payoff.

And the mascara is HD-fabulous, too. It's formulated with Panthenol and Keratin, which strengthen and improve the structure of lashes. Lashes look full and voluminous yet perfectly natural.

Apply These Nightly Beauty Treatments And Wake Up To A New You

We know you've heard the phrase, "I need my beauty sleep."

Maybe there's ample truth to that. Getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night, can make a difference to your whole being. When you're fast asleep, your body is busy doing things at the cellular level. That's the time that skin repair and rejuvenation begin to kick in gear.

The National Institutes of Health say that our hormones play an active and key role during deep sleep.

"In children, human growth hormone (HGH) is released during deep sleep. Insufficient sleep can affect hormonal balance in adults as well. Tissue repair also occurs during sleep, including repair to the daily skin damage done by UV light. Getting enough deep sleep will help your skin repair itself."

And we have a 'beauty sleep' list of treatments that are designed to work when you're catching your zzzz's. These products will help you get ready for the next 24 hours.

Get ready to get glamorous overnight!!

1. Molton Brown Relaxing Yuan Zhi Bath & Shower ($28, http://www.moltonbrown.com/). This rich, moisturizing bath formula fights stress and promotes a peaceful sleep.

2. John Freida Frizz-Ease New Creme Serum Overnight Repair Formula ($9, http://www.drugstore.com/, and local drugstores). John Freida makes super salon quality hair care products. Fix damaged hair while you sleep. Envelops each strand. Contains calming chamomile extract.

3. 5th Avenue Bath Co. Pillow and Linen Spray ($8, http://www.5thavenuebathco.com/). A revitalizing, luxurious spray that calms you before you drift off to sleep. You will awaken refreshed and energized. Comes in several delightful scents, like Asian Lemongrass, and Pomegranate Fig. Simply spray onto pillowcases and sheets.

4. Zo Skin Health Ossential Radical Night Repair ($325, http://www.zoskinhealth.com/, and nordstrom stores). Developed by the famous Dr. Obagi, of the well-known skin care system. Full of highly concentrated retinol to repair skin, boost radiance and firmness. The price is high, but Dr. Obagi insists you will see ,"amazing results."

5. Bourjois Night Repair Balm, ($10.50, ULTA stores.) A tinted lip balm that treats dry and weathered lips as you sleep. Smells floral sweet. Very creamy texture nourishes your lips. Lips feel like velvet when you arise in the morning.

Diet And Fitness Tips of Olympic Medal Beauty Dara Torres

Wow!!
Need we say more? We couldn't ignore the inspiring story of Dara Torres. She's 41-years-old, and the mother of 2-year-old Tessa Grace.

And Dara Torres just picked up a silver medal in the swimming relay last night. She's got 10 Olympic medals. That's right. Nine medals from 1984, and now this one! And she competes in the 50M freestyle soon. My money's on Dara. In addition, Dara Torres broke a century-old Olympic record last evening, by becoming the oldest swimmer in the Olympic games.

How are Dara's Olympic accomplishments an important beauty tip?

Just take a look at the photo. The body is rock-solid. She's 41, and had a baby. That just goes to show us all, that a super body can be developed at any age, with the perfect amount of dedication, nutrition, and fitness.

Dara is close to 6 ft. tall and weighing in at 149 lbs. And we have Dara Torres' diet and fitness tips.

Dara doesn't count calories, because she says she had an eating disorder in college (bulimia). She told MSN.com, that for breakfast power, she drinks a Living Fuel Shake (berry-flavored) with milk and fruit.

As we get older, our bodies change, when it comes to diet and fitness.

"The biggest change is recovery. I don’t recover as quickly as I used to, so now I try to eat more foods—lean protein in particular—that help me recover quicker."

Dara's favorite meal?

"A mixed green salad, turkey-spinach lasagna, garlic bread and green beans. My favorite cookbook is one I got in college—Where’s Mom Now That I Need Her?"

Dara also cheats, probably not too often, considering the superior shape she is in.

" It’s OK to have bites of food that probably aren’t the best for you because that way you won’t deprive yourself and then want more of that food. I eat what I want, when I want, but I exercise so I can do that."

This Olympic medal winner trains very hard. Gearing up for the summer games, Dara had a head coach, sprint coach, strength coach, two stretchers, two masseuses, a chiropracter, and a nanny for her daughter, all at a cost of $100,000 a year. And we can see by the results and her big silver victory, that the grueling and challenging work has paid off.

"I spend two hours in the pool, five days a week, and I weight train four days a week—two days of lower-body and core and the other two days upper-body and core. I also do resistive stretching three days a week."

Here are Dara Torres' favorite cheat snacks:

1. Root beer float "It has to be made with IBC root beer and Breyers vanilla ice cream."2. Vanilla cream cookies "They're so good I don't even bother taking bites. I just put the whole cookie in my mouth."3. Blocks of milk chocolate from Fresh Market "This is real, no-BS chocolate." 4. Lime Tostitos "They have a kick to them. I love to munch on them before dinner." 5. Fresh-squeezed lemonade "I keep it in my water bottle."

New Beauty Collagen-Enhancing Gadget By Dr. Perricone

We love beauty products. Who doesn't? And we, here at BeautyTipToday.com, also get excited over new beauty gadgets. And boy, do we have a cool, little hand-held beautifier right here.

Skin guru and cosmeceutical giant, Dr. Nicholas V. Perricone, has just introduced a new collagen-enhancing gadget with red and infra-red light. It isn't the cheapest item on the block. But at $335, you could consider this a key beauty investment for your skin.

It's called the PerriconeMD LIGHT Renewal. And Nordstrom stores are offering this little beauty gadget exclusively (also online at http://www.nordstroms.com/).

So, what does the PerriconeMD LIGHT Renewal do?

According to Dr. Perricone, this beauty gadget is really good at rejuvenating your skin and boosting cell regeneration:
Key benefits: Stimulates collagen and elastin. Reduces fine lines and wrinkles. Imparts radiance.

It's Dr. Perricone's first hand-held at-home light-therapy treatment. And he claims it comes pretty close to in-office procedures. It's convenient in size. It's totally portable. And you can repair your skin in the privacy of your home, office, vacation spot, and so on.

The PerriconeMD LIGHT Renewal is easy to use. Just aim and zap! For best results, use 2 hours a day, spread over4 consecutive days a week. Within 3-7 weeks, you will notice healthier facial skin.

"By using measured doses of red and infra-red light at specified time frames on targeted areas of the face, a renewed appearance of contour, tone, and texture presents itself on the surface, particularly around the eye area where significant studies were established."

The good thing to know, clinical trials have been done on this little Perricone beauty gadget, and at the moment, the statistics look pretty solid. Trials focused on the eye area and the wrinkles present there:

Clinicals:- 84% reported improvement in the appearance of skin tone¹- 83% reported a softening in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles²- 75% reported improvement in the appearance of skin smoothness²- 74% reported visible changes in fine appearance of lines and wrinkles¹- 68% reported improvement in the appearance of skin firmness¹- 84% rated the product very easy to use¹¹Based on 12 week clinical study of periorbital wrinkles²Based on 9 week clinical trials of periorbital wrinkles.

Our List Of The Best Undereye Concealers

Do you have them, and hate them?

According to dermatologist to the stars, Dr. Frederic Brandt, 9 out of 10 us have dark, undereye circles to some degree. But don't blame yourself. Sometimes, your DNA plays a key role in giving you those dark, unattractive shadows. Have any relatives that have the same problem? We bet you do.

Then there's the capillary science. We all have capillaries, or tiny blood vessels. And many of us have leaky capillaries under the eye, which in turn, leave behind those dark blue-black shadows. And because the eye area is made of delicate skin, you see the dark circles more easily.

Even the famous Mayo Clinic has been researching dark, undereye circles. Their advice: Buy over-the-counter beauty products to help diminish the darkness. The clinic suggests applying eye creams that contain vitamin C or K, or alpha hydroxy acid, or kinetin. All these can be beneficial to the thin skin that is found along the eye area.

Meantime, let's get down to business. We all could use some undereye concealer. Don't fool yourself. Even if your skin is near perfect, this is an essential beauty item to use daily.

Important Beauty Tip Today: Always apply concealer AFTER putting foundation on.

And we compiled a list of our Best Undereye Concealers:

1. Stila Illuminating Concealer ($22, http://www.stilacosmetics.com/). This little number comes in a liquid formula, filled in a tube with an applicator brush. It gives sheer coverage but is able to neatly cover up dark circles and discoloration, even blemishes. We love it because it contains mica particles which refelct light to fool the eye.

2. Nars Concealer ($21, http://www.narscosmetics.com/). Nars pakages their concealer in a lipstick-like tube for easy, quick application. The product is nice and creamy, but still lightweight, offering good coverage. Made with nourishing stuff like vitamin E. Long-lasting, and resists creases.

3. Benefit Erase Paste ($26, http://www.benefitcosmetics.com/). Brand new this year, an instantly blendable camoflager. Very creamy consistency. Comes in a little pot with a spatula and step-by-step directions. Great at brightening skin and hiding imperfections, all at once.

4. Prescriptives Camoflage Cream ($17.50, at Macy's, http://www.prescriptives.com/). A weightless, creamy undereye concealer that covers all your little imperfections quite perfectly. Never creases. Comes in 9 shades. Can also be used as an eyeshadow primer.

5. L'Oreal's True Match Super Blendable Concealer ($8.99, at drugstores, http://www.ulta.com/ ). An oil-free concealer with vitamins E and B5 to revitalize delicate undereye skin. The brand new formula also comes in 9 shades. Easy to find the right shade. Great coverage for dark shadows and acne blemishes.