Maria Menounos And Her Rock-Hard Abs: Flattest Tummy In Hollywood

Popular entertainment reporter Maria Menounos is a dancing sensation and could be on her way to the finals with partner Derek Hough on DWTS! At least we hope so.

The girl looks amazing.....not that she's ever looked less than that. But even more so, since those multi-hour days of dance practice and careful dieting, Maria remains curvy and toned. And we would bet that she has THE flattest abs on the DWTS set.

Have you seen Maria's belly?

Incredible!

So, how does the brunette Mediterranean beauty get such FAB Abs?!

Well, you're not going to believe this, but her secret allegedly involves a few punches. Read on.....

Maria Menounos says it all started in a village in Greece where her dad grew up. Mr. Menounos would have people throw rocks at his stomach to keep his abs tight.

"People would come, and it would almost be like a circus act. Everybody would huddle around him," Maria once said to Shape Magazine. "Of course, being a crazy Greek daughter interpreted it differently. I was like, I don’t want people to throw rocks at me! How about people punch me? So I’ve had many people punch me in the stomach over the years." And this she claims, is her beauty secret to keeping her abs rock-hard.

"I’d rather have people punch me than do sit ups. Sitting there, just squeezing your abs and bracing yourself for the punch—that is an ab workout." she adds. "Houdini died like that apparently. My family gets very upset when I do that so I do it less and less these days."

Is she for real?? We like to think that a sound diet and challenging work-out regimen along with some good DNA, has enabled the personable celebrity to keep a super flat tummy at age 33.

In case you aren't buying Maria Menounos' secret fab ab tip, we did find a great quick ab exercise you can do, courtesy of personal trainer Nick Tumminello. No crunching involved:

Combination Swiss Pike and Roll-Out.

Vogue Mag Says Yes To 'Fatter' Fashion Models?!

Fashion models who DON'T look like they are all starving 14-year-olds?!

Well, ladies, DON'T get too excited yet, but maybe change IS on the way?

Let us applaud the 'bible' of the fashion industry and it's recent statement that Vogue magazine will now ban models either under the age of 16 or suffering from an eating disorder from appearing in 19 international editions of Vogue. And that includes Anna Wintour’s U.S Vogue mag).

The announcement also mentions this:

"We will be ambassadors for the message of a healthy body image," and, "We will work with models who, in our view, are healthy and help to promote a healthy body image."

Okay then.....What is U.S. Vogue's physical ideal?

Excellent question. Please stay tuned, because what may be your vision of a healthy body might not be that of the magazine's model standards.

Frankly, we miss the days of the real supermodels. You know who we're talking about----Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, and Linda Evangelista, who wouldn't roll out of bed for less than $10,000 a day, etc. Those fashion icons were healthy-skinny and somewhat curvy girls. None of them were size zeroes---mainly 4's and 6's, and maybe a few were size 2's. But no one had ever accused Cindy or the other supermodels of being anorexic. Those models brought sexy back to the cat-walk.

Let's face it....professional models are very tall and very thin, and that's just how the modeling industry is set up. Clothes just look better on that kind of body. We all get that. But it would be so refreshing to return to the supermodel physique.

Cindy Crawford spoke to Parade magazine in 2011 about model sizing:

The modeling industry has changed since Cindy’s reign.
"I do feel like an outsider now, but I just saw the CoverGirl commercial with Taylor Swift and I thought, 'Wow, it is so hard for models to get a job these days.' You have to sing and act, too. There doesn’t seem to be as much work specifically just for models. And I also think when I was modeling, size 6 was a normal size and now it’s like 2 or 0."

We will surely be checking out the pages of Vogue in the coming months just to see exactly how models have changed and what 'healthy' looks like.

Lindsay Lohan Looking Lovely: Alleged Cosmetic Filler Finally Settled

The proof is in the pudding as the old saying goes. So, let's closely examine the photos we have of actress Lindsay Lohan to see if cosmetic filler were actually used to enhance her great bone structure.

Look at the 3rd bottom pic. There's Lindsay back in March of 2011, 1 year ago. Now, fix your eyes on the middle photo #2. There she is this past March 2012.

As we recall, the 25-year-old star was being tormented by the media for suddenly looking like a cabbage patch doll with her very swollen cheeks and rounder, pillow-like face.

Tabloid reports were accusing the embattled actress of overdoing the plastic surgery or becoming bloated from too much partying, etc.

The smart money was on the assumption that Lindsay had merely gotten cosmetic filler like Restylane, Juvederm, or Perlane, all designed to add major volume to the face.

Now, take a look at the top pic of Lindsay Lohan, just 8 days ago at the D.C. Correspondents' Dinner(April 28). She looks stunning! The alleged fillers have finally settled.

We cannot prove the actress did indeed receive cosmetic filler, but it seems the only intelligent reason for the dramatic changes.

Fillers like Restylane or Juvederm can cause swelling, bruising, and redness for a few weeks before 'settling' into the skin layers.

These dermal fillers with their smooth, gel-like consistencies are injected into the deeper layers of the skin beneath the fold/crease. The result---instant volume and smooth lines. There is no "down time" and the filler lasts about 9 months. And results can be quite amazing, depending on the skill of the pro injecting the filler and 'designing' beautiful facial contours.

The only real tell-tale sign of any cosmetic work appears to be with the celebrity's fuller lips as you can see in bold red gloss.

We think that Lindsay Lohan looks great with her back-to-natural auburn hair and her back-to-normal-sized facial proportions.

Would you agree?

Vanessa Williams Believes In Microcurrent Facials For Ageless Beauty

Vanessa Williams, a guest on E'!s 'Fashion Police last evening, dished to host Joan Rivers about the cosmetic enhancements she enjoys using to stay ageless.

One of these beauty weapons is Botox, which we've heard Vanessa mention several times before. The other is microcurrent facials.

Now, we were intrigued.

At age 49, we think the talented singer/actress looks fab! So, let's examine the microcurrent facial, a non-invasive procedure that Vanessa swears by to tighten up facial skin, rather than heading in for a surgical facelift.

Firming the facial contour. That's what microcurrent technology aims for as the wand hooked up to this beauty machine glides over the face to strengthen tired, aging facial muscles. A painless, safe impulse or zap is sent through the wand, revving up circulation and stimulating collagen/elastin production.

Results are instant at about $120 per treatment. And the more sessions you attend, the better results you can achieve.

Many celebrities opt for the microcurrent facial BEFORE a red carpet event, because they look refreshed, skin is plumped up and pores look invisible.

So, is this trendy facial as good as a real facelift?

Most plastic surgeons would say, of course NOT. And here's why, according to the experts who weighed in on microcurrent technology at RealSelf.com:

"Unfortunately, as in most advertising, the hype does not live up to the reality. Microcurrent has been tested and shown to help with wound healing but there is nothing in the medical literature about microcurrent reversing the signs of aging."--D.J. Verret, MD
Dallas Facial Plastic Surgeon

"Microcurrent treatments will not yield results simular to that of a facelift because the energy applied will not result in elevation of the structural components of the face - namely fascia, muscles and fat. Only the very superficial layer of skin and dermis would have any response to microcurrent and I suspect that would be modest at best."--
Douglas Stevens, MD
Fort Myers Facial Plastic Surgeon

"A facelift is the procedure of choice to make permanent and extensive changes in the face for rejuvenation. Microcurrent therapy has some benefits, however modest. It can improve skin tone and slightly change the shape of the structures. It can easily be oversold. Buyer beware. All the best, Tal Raine MD FACS."--
Chicago Plastic Surgeon.

We can say that Vanessa Williams looks naturally beautiful. In other words, her face does NOT look tightly pulled back and artifical, so it's possible that she is happy with what plastic surgeons would call 'modest' results.

What do you think?

Kelly Osbourne: The Color Purple. Great Movie Not The Hair?

Let us first state that we are a Kelly Osbourne fan!

From the soft, playful British accent to the extreme love of all things fashion and beauty to the amazing collection of shoes, she is a breath of fresh air.

And now, er, Kelly's hair. Back in January, we noticed the dyed grey locks the daughter of rock legend Ozzie was sporting. Then slowly, those tresses turned lilac/lavender/purple!

The Fashion Police star showed up Monday evening rockin' the striking hair color at E'!s Upfront Party in New York City. That, along with purple lip color, a pretty tartan plaid frock, and a pair of sky-high pink open-toe pumps.

It isn't easy getting away with purple hair color or lips in the same shade.

So, we have to ask....Can Kelly Osbourne Rock the Color Purple?!

Well, yes. She looks quite lovely here in the photos. And because she is UNDER age 30, we give her a free pass. When you're in your 20s, it's okay to play around with the wilder shades of makeup and hair color.

Kelly said this about her grey-to-purple locks back in February:

"To me, I'm 27, I've got three years left, the way I look at it, to have fun with it, because once you're 30, you look like a right idiot walking around with like rainbow, bright color hair and all different things like that.

"I don't exactly come from the most normal family. I don't get why anyone expects anything different from me.

"So I think, for me, I'm just having fun with it as much as I can until it's not appropriate anymore."

We also read recently somewhere, that Kelly said she wanted to give her over-processed blonde hair a rest, and that is why she had turned to a softer, less damaging hair dye process, a la purple.

Want to copy Kelly's purple look?

Try Mac's Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Asian Lavender ($14.50, at Macy's). As for the hair, please visit a professional. And get ready to be noticed!

Jersey Mom Takes Extreme Tanning To Scary Limit: We Can All Learn Something

We certainly don't wish to make Jersey mom Patricia Krentcil the poster child for extreme tanning. But maybe, we can all learn something from this.

The 44-year-old New Jersey woman was hauled into court yesterday for allegedly sneaking her 5-year-old daughter into a tanning salon. Her attorney denies the charges.

As you can tell by the photo, Patricia Krentcil likes to tan-- a lot! In fact, she hits the indoor tanning booth 5 days a week at the maximum and spends $100 a month there.

This poor woman has now become the butt of many late night TV jokes, and yeah, we DO feel sorry for her and her family.

We don't wish her any ill will. We only wish she would take better care of her skin, because at age 44, time is running out.

We all know about the dangers of too much sun and the indoor tanning booths that help you achieve that golden glow no matter what the weather is doing all-year-long.

And BeautyTipToday is certainly not here to judge. We did our own sun damage years ago, when we spent our childhood/adolescence EVERY summer at our grandparents' house-by-the-beach We are paying for it now.

We have friends and relatives who worship the tanning rays of the sun, both indoors and outdoors. And they look healthy and golden brown.

We can't help but shudder though, when we read this in the NY Daily News:

...."Going to a tanning salon even just one time is dangerous. Tanning booths are considered a Class 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization. This is the same category that plutonium is put in!"

Those words by Dr. Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research in the dermatology department at Mount Sinai Medical Center.

And here's a bit more information from another respected NYC plastic surgeon, Robert Tornambe, M.D.:

"The primary culprit causing melanoma(skin cancer) is UV light from the sun or tanning beds," he explains. "Research shows indoor tanning increases a person's melanoma risk by 75 percent! Anyone can get melanoma, but there is a higher incidence in people with fair skin, sun-sensitive skin (tends to burn rather than tan) and a family history of the disease. Five or more sunburns during your lifetime double your risk of developing skin cancer. 80 percent of lifetime sun damage occurs during childhood."

Are You About To Turn 30? Remember This Word: Exfoliation

We all know Angie Harmon, the gorgeous former model and star of the TNT drama 'Rizzoli & Isles.'

She celebrates her 40th birthday in August.

But did you know that Angie was not crazy about the time she left her 20's?

"I'm not gonna lie: I was scared to turn 30," she says.

Angie Harmon is just one of the contributors of a wonderful new book called, 'Thirty Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know by the Time She's 30,' by the editors of Glamour magazine.

We were reading through a few of these nuggets of advice in the May issue of Glamour, when we stumbled on to Angie's thoughts for the gal turning 30.

Here is one of the key pieces of advice the actress mentioned:

"You HAVE to exfoliate for young-looking skin. End of discussion."

Big deal, you say? Yeah, it IS a big deal.

Let's look at what exfoliation really is. According to Wikipedia, it's all about 'shedding.' Out with the old--in with the new:

...."Exfoliation involves the removal of the oldest dead skin cells on the skin's outermost surface, and has been used for many years to help maintain skin. Exfoliation is involved in the process of all facials, during microdermabrasion or chemical peels at medical spas. Exfoliation can be achieved through mechanical or chemical means."

In other words, you have to work at maintaining good-looking skin AFTER age 30. It is not a given. And exfoliation delivers a softer, clearer and more glowing complexion. Your anti-aging products can penetrate more effectively because pores become un-clogged when you routinely exfoliate.

Start off with a decent facial cleanser, one that contains exfoliating properties---like Alpha Hydroxy Acid, Salicylic Acid, or Beta Hydroxy Acid. These help loosen up the dead skin cells.

From mechanical exfoliation, you can then proceed to chemical exfoliation, which includes facial peels and the like. You will notice a difference---your skin becomes so soft and your complexion becomes radiant.

If you're new to all things exfoliation, a dermatologist can guide you in the right direction.