After being backstage at Fashion Week, I learned something: models are not as pretty as you might think they are. Sure, they've got great bone structure and most are above average in the looks department, but if it weren't for the hair and makeup artists' magic you would not be all that impressed (no offense to any models out there).

There are a lot of good mascaras out there (and plenty of bad ones too, like these), but there are only a few great ones. So which are they? That's what we asked TotalBeauty.com readers. And boy, did they respond! From their reviews we put together this list of the best mascaras of all time.

It's an on-going debate: are drugstore skin care products just as good (or better) than fancy department store products? Since I'm one of those people who are constantly tempted by pretty packaging (a.k.a. over-priced products), I'd like to believe that the more you spend, the better the results will be. However, I know this isn't always true (as this research shows).

It's totally understandable to get a little lax with your look in the summer. After all, what's the point of hair and makeup like this if you're just sitting around the pool? But come fall, that whole warm-weather excuse goes away and it's time to bring back a bit of the effort, right?

I wouldn't call myself cheap (I've been known to splurge on items like these from time to time), but I do love a good bargain when I find one. Who doesn't!?

Cellulite sucks, there's just no two ways about it. A big part of why we lovely ladies get it has to do with genes and hormones (joy!), but there are also some lifestyle factors involved (check out this article to see if you're guilty of any cellulite-causing habits). We looked at those pesky habits to see which cities likely have the most cellulite.

My sister and I recently got into a debate about this. She's a meticulous shaver year-round, while I tend to get a little lax once the weather cools down enough for me to wear pants every day (much to my boyfriend's chagrin).

On the one hand, applying eye makeup seems like it should be easy. A little liner, shadow, mascara and you're done, right?

As fall approaches and we start trading skirts for pants and bikinis for jackets, you have three options regarding that killer tan you acquired without committing one of these skin sins:

I learned something new about myself today: I suck at guessing people's age. It first became clear when I went to lunch with my boyfriend and one of his co-workers. I pegged the co-worker as mid to late twenties, so you can imagine my shock when he mentioned his high school prom -- in 1986!