Getting gorgeous feet doesn’t have to mean a trip to the salon. Here are five steps to getting a professional-quality pedi within your own four walls.

1. Soak: Prepare your feet for their transformation by soaking them in warm water. Add some fragrant salts to soothe tired feet and enhance the spa-like mood.

2. Exfoliate: Depending on how much time you have, you can exfoliate quickly with a grainy scrub. Concentrate your efforts on the heels, balls of the feet and the underside of your big toe. If time is no object, pat your feet dry and use a foot file to slough away hard spots. Better yet, settle in with some relaxing music and a cup of tea and use both the scrub and the file.

3. Shape and prepare nails: Trim nails with clippers or file them down with an emery board. When filing, remember to swipe in one direction; sawing back and forth can damage the nail. After filing, use a buffer over the whole nail to smooth out ridges and remove any staining.

4. Moisturize: Smooth a heavy moisturizer onto the tops and bottoms of your feet, making sure to deposit extra love into the much-abused areas. For a bonus, halt your pedi here and hit the hay with cotton socks on, which will lock in moisture overnight. If time is tight, continue on to the next step.

5. Polish: The last step is to add the finishing touches: nail art, a pretty polish or a shiny topcoat, the choice is yours. Just be sure to figure drying time into your plan. And since you won’t have to drive home from a salon in flimsy flip-flops, there will be no excuse for smudges.

We love tank tops: they’re cheap, they come in a zillion colors, they always fit just right, and we can dress ‘em up or dress ‘em down.

Here are four fun ways to show off your skillful accessorizing and rock a tank top:

1.  Experiment with length. Tank tops provide the ideal clean slate for playing with different waist lengths. Try a pair of high-waisted shorts or a chic pencil skirt over your tank top for a slimming, edgy look, or let your tank hang over a pair of comfy leggings for a more casual look.

2.  Take advantage of the tank’s low scoop neck and show off an incredible necklace. Layered necklaces, turquoise beads and crochet collars will dress up any tank and draw attention to your sun-kissed neckline.

3. Layer your tank with a loose razor back top of a contrasting color or opt for another tank with a smocked waist. Try a buttoned vest (cute!), or a ruffled short sleeve cardigan finished off by a solid wide belt. This will cinch your center for a slimming effect and offer a look that you can take from day to night.

4. Embellish your tank with a flower brooch. You can find some incredible one-of-a-kind options at Etsy, the online website for handmade goods, or swing by H&M for a low-cost assortment of colors and sizes.

Such is the life of a fashionista without good lighting: leaving the house thinking your look is fierce, only to discover outside that it’s altogether frightening. When in doubt, always believe the rearview mirror. Why? Because you’re usually looking in one during broad daylight.

Where you do your makeup makes all the difference in the world. The holy grail of makeup-approved lighting is natural daylight. It’s the reason I tell women who are testing foundation in the store to walk outside for a second look. If it appears perfect in natural light, then it is. Overly cool lighting can make you think you need more product, and lighting that’s too warm can fool you into believing your blending is great. 

Off lighting is the primary reason some of your favorite celebs hit the red carpet looking like a mess. It’s not that their makeup artist hates them; it’s that they trusted the hotel room lighting, which made the makeup look fabulous.

An inexpensive way to turn your bathroom into a makeup trailer is to get a lighted vanity mirror. Today’s versions mimic natural lighting as well as evening lighting so you can glam up a look in a hurry, 24/7. Or, for foolproof beauty, move your makeup kit near a window with sunlight. You’ll see your exact results and lose your fear of the brutally honest rearview mirror.

Sure your man is adorable, but what guy couldn’t use a woman’s touch when it comes to his style?

Here are some simple ways to start making over your man:

Ask His Opinion
Get his opinion on guys’ outfits and manly accessories as you come across them in magazines, while window-shopping or while you’re out and about. The occasional “That would look great on you!” will do wonders to see how responsive he is to even having an opinion about man clothes. And he may even surprise you by discussing other items he’s seen.

Source the Issue
If you find your guy resisting change, there may be a deeper issue. Guys have insecurities too, so take that into account before approaching him. Is he sensitive about his weight? Does his financial situation have him in a budget pinch?

Pick Your Battles
He’ll dodge the subject if you come up with a laundry list of things he needs to change. Instead, begin by deciding what single issue is most important to you and tackling that -- say, his out-of-date acid-washed jeans or frat-boy tees.
Make over your man in just 7 days.

Encourage Him to Compare Sizes
“No matter what he is wearing, if it doesn’t fit, it will still look sloppy,” says Godfried Addae, owner and image consultant at The Urbane Gentleman in St. Louis. “Left to their own devices, men will buy clothes that are either too large or too small.” Encourage your man to try on two sizes of the same clothing item so he can compare the fit.

Make Some Wise Investments
Help your man invest in some classic, high-quality pieces. Avoid trends and stick to such versatile items as button-down collared shirts, dark jeans and a nice sports coat for professional occasions.