THESE ARE THE BEST-SELLING NAIL POLISH COLORS OF 2014

COURTESY ELLE



Photo: Courtesy ELLE

You know when you walk into your favorite department store and are immediately inundated with hundreds of beauty products to choose from? It's an overwhelming feeling.


Thankfully, Rank & Style came along and simplified shopping with their daily lists of the top ten products in basically every category. And the best part? These lists are created scientifically. They're not based on personal opinion, but on real data from magazines, blogs, department stores, and social media, all of which help to rank products by popularity, quality, and buzz.

From now until January, we'll be bringing you the top five products in various beauty categories. Last week, we shared the top selling fragrances of 2014. Today, we're revealing this year's five best-selling nail polishes. So there's no reason to use the same old light pink shade you've been wearing all year! Instead, try one of these shades on for size.

5 FOODS THAT FIGHT AGING

From the editors of WomansDay.com, eat the right cheese, nuts, and more to reverse the aging process.




These natural remedies help your skin and teeth defy time. And they may be in your diet already! Here's what they are and how they fight aging.

1) Oatmeal
Non-processed (read: not instant) versions of this breakfast favorite are packed with amino acids and vitamin E, which nourish your skin, combat sun damage and counteract aging free radicals.

IF THE LOW-FAT DIET IS A LIE, WHAT THE HELL SHOULD WE EAT?

For decades the low-fat, high-carb diet was gospel. Now science is singing a very different tune. So what's a woman to believe?


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You name it—Rebecca Newell has tried it: Carb Cycling, the Ketogenic Diet, the 21-Day Sugar Detox, Dr. Oz's 3-Day Detox Cleanse (13 times), the Alkaline Diet, Intermittent Fasting, and something she called the "small food" diet, when for 30 days she tried (and failed) to give up any food smaller than a quarter.

For 15 years, though, before she found herself changing diets as if they were socks, the 41-year-old college administrator had followed one plan: the low-fat diet. She chose big bowls of pasta over steak, had a pantry full of low-fat salad dressings, and steered well clear of avocados. (She even tried a gummy-bear diet; her husband would drive her to the movie theater to indulge in the pick-and-mix no-fat candy.) And it worked—sort of: Newell, who is 5'6", would drop 40, even 50, pounds, then gain it all back again. "Odd years were my fat years," she says. "I'd lose on the even year and gain on the odd." To accommodate the swings, Newell kept clothes from sizes 4 to 14 in the attic.


She's the first to admit that her obsessive, try-anything-once approach is extreme. You might even call it unhealthy. But for Newell—and to varying degrees millions of other American women—the serial diets are a desperate response to the debunking of the low-fat dogma. "The low-fat thing was so ingrained in my brain that it was really hard to move away from it. I couldn't believe it was better to eat a steak than a bagel," she says. "At this point there isn't any expert I can trust. I have to figure this out for myself."

WHY YOU SHOULD RINSE YOUR HAIR WITH CHAMPAGNE

And other holiday-inspired at home hair treatments by Kyle White of Oscar Blandi Salon.


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One of our favorite hair salons, Oscar Blandi, is offering exclusive treatments that celebrate all things Yuletide, with rinses that smell like the candy canes you've been eating by the handful and treatments that make your hair shine like the champagne you've been guzzling sipping at all your holiday parties. And beyond just being wonderfully winter-y, each treatment works magic for your hair, promising more volume and envy-worthy shine in addition to those "I rinsed my hair with champagne" bragging rights.


One blistery December Saturday, I experienced the treatments first hand with hair magician Kyle White, and all I can say is, my hair has NEVER looked better. The champagne brightened my blonde locks, the candy cane clarifying treatment tingled and got rid of my pesky product buildup, and the eggnog was a great conditioning mask and treatment (and it smelled so delicious I wanted to eat it). I'd recommend them to anyone—but if you can't make it to the salon in time for a hair pick-me-up, here are the ingredients and directions to try these treatments at home.

HOW TO SMELL LIKE A QUEEN

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Photo: Getty Images

Here's something that might not dawn on you as you spritz your wrists with your favorite eau of the moment before dashing off to work: Hundreds of years ago those notes of ambergris, bergamot or agarwood in your Dolce & Gabbana and Tom Ford were so precious they were reserved for royalty. Now, that ought to make you feel even more special and alluring than they already do. Catherine de Medici wore a fresh citrus and bergamot scent created especially for her in 1533 by the famed Florentine pharmacy Santa Maria Novella. Now, of course, you can find these rare and highly prized scents in your local Sephora. That's mostly thanks to developments in technology that allow for thecreation of synthetic scents that last longer and often (but not always) cost less than their natural counterparts. Still, the history that links fragrance to royalty is fascinating. So we tapped the savant behind perfume blog Kafkaesque (the author wishes to remain anonymous) to break down the most highly prized scents in history.

HOW TO NAIL IT, MANICURE-WISE, THIS NEW YEAR'S EVE

Count down to 2015 wearing the LBD of manicures—a bejeweled nail designed by Miss Pop that’s sleek, chic, and totally versatile. Switch up the colors to match your New Year’s Eve outfit, or let your fingertips be the focal point of an understated look. Here's how to do it.

HOW TO CURL YOUR HAIR WITH 3 DIFFERENT STYLING TOOLS

Maybe you're traveling without sufficient room in your suitcase, or perhaps you've never felt the need to invest in more than one heating tool. Whatever your reason to consolidate, NYC-based stylist Lizzy Weinberg shows us how to curl no matter the device you have on hand—whether a curling wand, an old-school clamp curling iron, or a flat iron.

10 WAYS TO ACTUALLY KEEP YOUR 2015 FITNESS GOALS

Photo: Getty

For the past few weeks, we've been laying around the house munching on sweets with our families by day and over-indulging with our friends by night—hey, it's just that time of year. Now, it's time to regain our collective focus. Many of us have made the resolution to get in shape—but as common as this goal is and as packed as gyms across America will be this January, come March, the lines for the treadmill will have dwindled. So, we reached out to Equinox personal trainer Vicky Udebiuwa for tips to make sure we stick to a new routine. She says the trick is to make S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely) goals, plus forming a few other habits along the way.

6 BEAUTY TIPS TO GET YOUR SKIN THROUGH THE POLAR VORTEX

With icy wind gustsoutside and hot, dry air inside, wintertime can wreak havoc on skin. Just as we add layers of clothes, we need to tune up our skin-careregimen to keep it hydrated and happy. Here, six easy tips forstaying well moisturized this winter.







Limit Harsh Cleansers: Usea mild, pH-neutral cleanser only when and where you really need it.
Learn to Love Lukewarm Water: The longer skin is exposed to hot water, the drier it becomes. No needto shiver through freezing cold showers—just try to gradually decreasetemperature and duration.
Moisture Loves Moisture: Damp skin absorbs moisturizers better, so post-bathor hand washing, gently pat dry, then apply a thin layer of emollient. You'llbe surprised by how easily it blends in.
Stock Up: Keep travel-size lotions and creams in your purse, gym bag,desk drawer, and night table as constant reminders to moisturize often.
Be Gentle: Skin renews itself in amazing ways, and most of the time itdoesn't need our help. Go especially easy when using harsh scrubs andexfoliating brushes during the winter months.
Put a Sock On It: Apply a thick moisturizer to dry hands and feet atnight – then slip on cotton socks or gloves. They help the moisture work itsway deep into the skin.

With a little extra care, your skin can make it through the dehydratingeffects of winter unscathed. Moisturize now, and your skin will be ready toshow itself come sundress weather.

HOW THIS 'FUNCTIONAL FITNESS' WORKOUT TRANSFORMED MY BODY

What happens when a fitness fanatic stops seeing results? Cheryl Wischhover goes back to basics and finds her best body ever


DAVID BURTON





This article appears in the January 2015 issue of ELLE magazine.



I have a problem with commitment. Over the past decade, I've jumped from workout to workout, switching to any new program promising a lean, strong form. For a few years, I ran daily. Then for another year, I did Spinning classes four days a week. Switched to kickboxing. Then six months at barre classes. When SoulCycle came along, it was back to the bike. I was technically fit. But despite my dedication to each method—working out three, four, five days a week—I didn't see much change in my appearance. Until I accidentally discovered "functional fitness," a workout philosophy that first became popular in the early aughts.

THE HOTTEST WORKOUTS FOR 2015

GILLES FOR ELLE





Photo: Gilles for ELLE

NEW YORK 

S10, S10training.com; This workout incorporates weight training and cardio with the goal of getting you to sub 10% body fat (S10), the optimum for health and body composition.


Mile High Run Club, milehighrunclub.com; Treadmills are the new stationary bikes come 2015. This club, the first treadmill studio in the city (it opened last month), offers 45-minute interval runs for the cardio junkie.

SLT, sltnyc.com; SLT stands for strengthen, lengthen, tone—all of which this workout delivers through a combination of cardio, weights and pilates.

THE RIGHT BANGS FOR EVERY FACE SHAPE

Question: Which bangs best flatter each face shape?

Answer: Say what you will about winter and its not-so-great effects on your skin, there's one thing the season is great for: bangs. No humidity, no sweat, no ruining your hair after jumping in the pool—and they'll grow out by summer if you're sick of them. Plus, don't we all want to start off the new year with a transformative look? Here, a quick guide to choosing the right fringe for your face.

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6 EXPERT TIPS TO GETTING GLOWING SKIN AT HOME

GAVIN O'NEILL/BLAUBLUT-EDITION





Photo: Gavin O'Neill/Blaublut-Edition

This article appears in the January 2015 issue of ELLE magazine.



"Acid is not a four-letter word," insists New York City dermatologist Dennis Gross, MD. But this was not always the case. Before Gross created his DIY two-step anti-aging Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel in 2002, dropping acid outside the derm's office was still considered risky. But Gross's gentle formulation makes it virtually impossible to abuse the high-potency ingredients found in his products. Next up: a foolproof face wash and mask hybrid that changes color when skin has been sufficiently scrubbed. "I'm a huge believer that you have to do homework in addition to in-office treatments," he says.

4 EXERCISES THAT IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE

HAO ZENG





Photo: Hao Zeng

There's a ridiculously simple way to totally transform your appearance with very little effort: Stand up straight! Of course you (and anyone who has ever given you shit about slouching) know that's easier said than done. A refresher: Your posture is perfect when your shoulders are stacked directly over your hips, your chest is lifted and open with your shoulders rolled back and away from your ears, and your spine is aligned from your tailbone to your neck.

HOW TO DECODE YOUR SKINCARE INGREDIENTS LIKE A PRO

Tackling a skincare regime is tricky enough without trying to translate all the ingredients and science jargon on our product labels. But since knowing what goes on our bodies should be as important as knowing what goes in them, we recruited skincare expert Sunday Riley to school us on the basics. As the founder of an eponymous luxury skincare line favored on runways ranging from Stella McCartney to Jason Wu to The Row, Riley knows the importance of choosing the healthiest, most high-quality ingredients and production processes. Here, she shares her tips on how to see through marketing trickery, why shopping for sunscreen isn't just about an SPF number, and more:

NASSER MECILI

ARE MAN-icures BECOMING A THING?

On Sunday, Brad Pitt showed up at the Palm Springs Film Festival flashing some seriously colorful nail polish. One might assume his fingers are painted because he lives with a brood of six children who may enjoy using their dad's nail beds as a canvas from time to time. (Don't you recall Angelina's wedding veil covered in her kids' drawings? It'd make sense.) But if my recent observations speak to a larger trend, this MANicure may be more of Brad's doing than some people might assume.

GWYNETH PALTROW, COCO ROCHA, AND MARILYN MONROE DEMONSTRATE THE POWER OF MAKEUP