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All products featured on Self are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links. Keep up with SELF staffer Jaclyn Emerick as she preps for her first-ever marathon. It’s about 28 degrees and there’s four inches of fresh snow covering Manhattan. This is why gear matters: It’s uber important to be warm and comfortable in cold conditions. Plus, who doesn’t want to look the part?...

Prep your skin The first step to a flawless complexion is simple: Clear up any imperfections. (You should be going for an annual mole check anyway!) __Nighttime moisturizer:__Look for emollients such as ceramides and olive or coconut oil. (Try First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream, $28.) Eye cream:“Grab a formulation with cucumber extract to depuff. Peels with a chemical exfoliator such as lactic or glycolic acid are best forsensitive skin....

Scalp Saver Don’t fret over a few flakesget rid of them. Lather up with lemon-scented Desert Essence Organics Lemon Tea Tree Conditioner for Oily Hair, $9. Hair too thick for most boar brushes? This one comes with nylon-tipped bristles to penetrate even the most unruly wisps. Blow-Dry Buddy Finallya diffuser that fits most blow-dryers. Snap on a Sunbeam EuroAir Diffuser, $8, when you want to speed the drying process. (Um, every workday morning!...

(Use the salon’s set and you could wind up with an infection.) It feels like a mini-massage! Use it to minimize the appearance of pores and scrub away dirt and makeup. Don’t Sweat It Wouldn’t it be nice if all-day deodorants really did last until bedtime? Formulated with shea butter and glycerin, a humectant, it draws in moisture for the softest results. Or smooth a bit over blush for dewy cheeks....

Laced with vitamin C (a powerful antiager), it’s actually good for your lips. And the marker-tip applicator lets you prettify your mouth with effortless precision. Great Eye-Dea! Smarter than your average makeup palette, E.L.F. Beauty Encyclopedia Eye, $5 (a major steal! Heal and Conceal You don’t have to break the bank to nab effective skin-perfecting makeup. Swipe on the clutch-sized, cream-to-powder shadow wand in the A.M. to create a soft daytime look for work....

You’ll needA stability ball and a pair of 3- to 5-pound dumbbells. Stop and move to another exercise in any order. Repeat the plan three times a week, increasing the number of reps as you get stronger. Add 60 minutes of fat-melting cardio most days to reach navel nirvana in no time. Walk feet forward, leaning back so ball rolls under shoulders and head. Squeeze glutes, and lift hips toward ceiling; extend arms up, palms facing in, to start....

Clean, Fresh, Fabulous Your first have-hot-hair trick: learning to give yourself a salon-caliber shampoo. It will leave you feelingand your hair lookinglike a million. Use these insider techniques in your own shower. Be scentsitive.Sniff out shampoos and conditioners infused with citrus notes (zesty orange, grapefruit and lemon). Not a bad way to start the day! Get precise.Lather up at roots only. But do the opposite with conditionerends need moisture. Rinse thoroughly so your hair isn’t weighed down....

All products featured on Self are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links. Be stealthy to get healthy with these discreet downsizers. Perfect posture will target your tummy as you sizzle calories. When you’re in the carTighten and release abs repeatedly at red lights. It’s the ab equivalent of Kegels: a little move that yields results almost without your noticing....

Your heart slows, blood pressure falls and digestion eases. Your brain grows.As you get older, your brain begins to shrink. Controlling for other factors, he found that genes associated with stress-related illness behaved differently in the two groups. “These genes control not only stress but also premature aging and inflammation,” he says. It seems meditators' genes were essentially telling their body to stress less and age more slowly. Read on and we guarantee you’ll change your mindand your body, too....

80 calories Hummus and Carrots 1/4 cup hummus, 3 carrot sticks. Cheese and Crackers 1 Laughing Cow Light Swiss Original wedge, 3 pieces Kavli Crispy Thins. 85 calories Tuna Jerky One 1-oz package tuna jerky. COPYRIGHT ©2008 THE CONDÉ NAST PUBLICATIONS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 90 calories Mozzarella and Tomatoes 1 oz buffalo mozzarella, 1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes. 94 calories Cheetos 1 bag Baked! Cheetos 100 Calorie Mini Bites....

When planning a party, you have a few things to consider. So which ones should you make? Well, that’s the hard part. Should you makethese make-ahead sides? What about thesefive-ingredient snacks? Orthese fancy yet simple skewers? Before you let all this decision-making hoopla drive you mad, consider these 20 recipes. Because guacamole topped with almonds (yes!) deserves a freakin' gold medal. Spread it over sliced mini baguettes, or mix it up and use whole grain toast triangles....

Start Strength Training Already! “I do free weights three days a week. Having more muscle means burning more calories, which is a reason guys lose weight faster than women. Lifting makes me leaner.” I got rid of mine three years ago, and I haven’t been on one since. When you put on muscle, you gain weight, and it has nothing to do with size." If your core is strong your back will be strong....

Brooklyn Decker and Andy Roddick “In a relationship, just go to bed happy. I think that goes for any relationshipa friendship, a girlfriend, a husband, someone you love. You’ve got to get through your issues before the day ends. It’s really important.” Ellen Pompeo and Chris Ivery “I don’t feel less sexy [as a mother]. But you have to make time for your relationships. Give your husband equal attention. I’ve read they can get jealous....