I just read about a 19-year-old girl who had to have 30 operations to remove cancerous moles. Why? Because she was hitting up the tanning bed for hours a day!

Tired of the usual glam beauty looks? You know, the smoky eyes, sleek buns and red lips? Well, have we got a brand new look for you. Get rocker-girl chic (without the guitar or trip to rehab) by trying these beauty tips -- and see how we transformed a plain Jane into a wild child.

In case you hadn't heard (maybe that rock you live under is really heavy?), we're in a bit of a recession. We may be spending a little less money, but we still want to look good, right? Enter this money-saving advice we've gotten from hair and makeup experts:

I love, and I mean love, a good mascara (like any of these). Ergo -- yeah, I said ergo -- I hate when I waste my money on a tube that gives me flaky, smudgy or spidery lashes. I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume you feel the same. Ergo -- there it is again! -- you'll probably want to steer clear of the ones TotalBeauty.com users said were the worst they've tried. Unless you like raccoon eyes. Then by all means, buy away …

My quest for Angelina Jolie lips has taken a disturbing turn (although not as scary as these collagen-filled celebrities, yikes!). Check out this Luscious Lips thingy -- it uses vacuum action to plump. Painful? Maybe. But I totally ordered one.

This quiz told me mineral makeup would work for me, but it's no secret I didn't have the best experience. (Maybe because I used these awful mineral makeup products -- avoid!) TotalBeauty.com readers on the other hand? They freakin' love the stuff. Check out their picks for the top 18 mineral makeup products. After reading that, I'm giving 'em another shot.

I too love the soft wave trend that Sarah just mentioned, but I can't help but comment on the updos at the Oscars. These celebrity ladies are getting it right when it comes to Academy Awards updos. The looks are youthful and modern instead of stiff or prom-esque. Agree?

Want to create a look like this for your one of your special events? Check out these how-tos.

That was our reaction when we saw Lisa Rinna on the red carpet at the Oscars. So, so many things wrong with this look, it's hard to know where to begin, but I'll try:

A trend I'm loving on the Oscars red carpet: soft, loose waves. A ton of stars were wearing them and I thought it was a breath of fresh air for the Academy Awards. We expect stars to be sleek and done up on Oscar night so I enjoyed seeing some of them let loose (literally). Here were a few of my favorites:

Being a beauty journalist, I'm like, been there/done that with every trick in the book. But somehow this week, I learned not one but FIVE new things...

1. Lipliner isn't evil. (Especially these best ones.) I always kept away, because hey, "Drag queens give it a bad rap," agrees makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury. But done right, it's the best way to make my lips more symmetrical... which we ALL need if we're wearing red.