Three Sneaky Ways You're Staining Your Teeth

Swimming in a pool—especially on hot summer days—sipping wine or soda, and opting for a cup of tea vs. coffee to kick your day off right might all be awesome ideas, but they all have the capacity to stain your teeth. Really? Yes. Really. 

With Memorial Day coming around the corner, we suggest keeping your mouth closed when taking a swim in the pool. "I see this mostly in avid swimmers, but pool water can create spots on your teeth called swimmers calculus," says Beverly Hills-based cosmetic dentist Kevin B. Sands, DDS, who tends to the teeth of a ton of celebrities, including former Cosmo cover girls Miley Cyrus and Kim Kardashian. "What happens is the high pH of the chemicals in the pool water causes the proteins in your teeth to harden into a dark brown tartar. And to remove the stains, professional whitening is required." No bueno.

Another surprising way you can wreak havoc on your pearly whites without knowing it: We all know that dark-colored sodas and red wine can stain your teeth, but clear soda and white wine can also do some damage. "Lighter colored beverages are acidic and chromagen-rich and can cause significant staining," says Sands. "The acidity softens the tooth enamel and then sets the stage for further staining."

Lastly, if prefer tea over coffee, don't think you're exempt from staining. "Black tea, for example, is rich in stain-promoting tannins that can cause worse staining than coffee. Try sipping these drinks [and the ones above] through a straw to minimize the amount of liquid that's actually coming into contact with your teeth," advises Sands.

For more ways to score whiter teeth (and keep them that way), click here.

Photo: Getty Image

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Eyeliner That Lasts Three Days?!?

If you're looking for an eyeliner that will stand up to sweat, swimming, and tears this summer, then I suggest you trace your upper and lower lash lines with one of the pencils inside Cargo's Swimmables Eye Pencil Kit, $19, ulta.com.

Seriously, this formula has the staying power of a stage-five clinger, yet easily glides on like a liquid liner and can then be immediately smudged. However, once it sets, it doesn't budge.

I put the black pencil to the test last Friday night, lining my lower lash line with it. Because I wanted to see how truly long it would last, I told myself I'd keep it on as long as it looked like it was freshly applied—which meant that I had to refrain from touching my eye makeup when I washed my face. I know, it's sort of gross to leave liner on that long, but it was in the name of a beauty experiment, so deal with it.

The next two days kind of blew my mind because the liner was still in place. It didn't smear, move, budge, create raccoon eyes—nothing! It wasn't until Monday morning when I woke up that I felt I needed to take it off and start anew. 

Um, all together that's two and a half days, people! And in that time I went out dancing, laughed with friends until I cried, and teared up over a recent break-up—so it's safe to say that this was a legit road test.

So, tell me, are you in search of a don't-even-think-about-budging eye pencil? Try this one and let me know what you think!

Photo: Courtesy Images

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Jessica Alba Wore Two Corsets Day and Night for Three Months To Drop Baby Weight

Korin Miller
Korin is the site director for Cosmopolitan.com. She loves uncovering cool new research and learning more about what makes guys tick. Outside the Cosmo office, you can find her running with her dog, trying to convince friends to go to karaoke bars, and watching as much reality TV as humanly possible. Hit her up on Twitter: @korinmiller
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Michelle Ruiz
Michelle is the news editor for Cosmopolitan.com. She's obsessed with interviewing celebrities and spotting the latest pop culture trends. Her life highlights include chatting with Ryan Gosling about sex dolls, dancing on stage at the Oprah show, and shopping with her mom on Long Island. Tweet her: @michelleruiz
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Dara Adeeyo
Dara is the associate web editor for Cosmopolitan.com. She's intrigued by all things digital. Dara loves playing with html and discovering new studies. When she's not reading up on the latest cocktail recipes (for work, of course), she can be found breaking it down on the dance floor or watching the Investigative Discovery channel. She also has a sick obsession with nail polish, elephants, and most importantly, Nutella. Dara basically lives on Twitter, so tweet at her and say hey: @dadeeyo.
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Elisa Benson
Elisa Benson is the senior editor of social media for @Cosmopolitan?so, yes, she tweets about sex for a living. Elisa grew up in Ohio, attended Colgate University, and wrote love and relationship advice for Seventeen before graduating to Cosmo. She lives for girly things (weddings and eyelash extensions and Pretty Little Liars?) and frequently tweets about all of the above: @elisabenson.
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Three Men Deported From Saudi Arabia For Being "Too Handsome"

Korin Miller
Korin is the site director for Cosmopolitan.com. She loves uncovering cool new research and learning more about what makes guys tick. Outside the Cosmo office, you can find her running with her dog, trying to convince friends to go to karaoke bars, and watching as much reality TV as humanly possible. Hit her up on Twitter: @korinmiller
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Find all posts by Korin
Contact Korin

Michelle Ruiz
Michelle is the news editor for Cosmopolitan.com. She's obsessed with interviewing celebrities and spotting the latest pop culture trends. Her life highlights include chatting with Ryan Gosling about sex dolls, dancing on stage at the Oprah show, and shopping with her mom on Long Island. Tweet her: @michelleruiz
Read More

Find all posts by Michelle
Contact Michelle

Dara Adeeyo
Dara is the associate web editor for Cosmopolitan.com. She's intrigued by all things digital. Dara loves playing with html and discovering new studies. When she's not reading up on the latest cocktail recipes (for work, of course), she can be found breaking it down on the dance floor or watching the Investigative Discovery channel. She also has a sick obsession with nail polish, elephants, and most importantly, Nutella. Dara basically lives on Twitter, so tweet at her and say hey: @dadeeyo.
Read More

Find all posts by Dara
Contact Dara

Elisa Benson
Elisa Benson is the senior editor of social media for @Cosmopolitan?so, yes, she tweets about sex for a living. Elisa grew up in Ohio, attended Colgate University, and wrote love and relationship advice for Seventeen before graduating to Cosmo. She lives for girly things (weddings and eyelash extensions and Pretty Little Liars?) and frequently tweets about all of the above: @elisabenson.
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Find all posts by Elisa
Contact Elisa

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Three Hot Ways to Wear Lace This Spring

We love lace. It's sexy, elegant, and feminine all at the same time. But sometimes it's hard to figure out how to wear it.

Thanks to these three celebs, we have a few more options when it comes to donning doily-like wares.

Sarah Jessica Parker and Ke$ha showed up at the same event—the Calzedonia Summer Show Forever Together in Italy—recently, wearing the flirty fabric, but in two very different ways. SJP chose to accent her topcoat and cobalt blue shoes with lace tights, while Ke$ha wore a figure-flattering jumpsuit complete with side cutouts covered with lace.

Sienna Miller, on the other hand, stepped out in NYC wearing a lace embossed LBD that we're just dying for because it's perfect for date night. Ladies, take notes.

But what are your thoughts?

Photo: Getty Images

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Dating Three Guys to Find the One

Ever hear the old adage, "date three to find the one"? If not, you've clearly never met my grandma.

The simple premise—date three men at once to increase your chances of finding the man you'll marry—was something my grandmother swore by (funny, considering I doubt she dated anyone besides my grandfather. Ever.)

But there may be wisdom in these wise, old words.

Grandma's concern was about weighting your options instead of driving yourself nuts and obsessing over just one man. Not investing all your time, energy, and emotions into any single man, no matter how much he's convinced you he's Mr. Fabulous can have its benefits. You simply don't have time to fret about how much time he's fretting about you if you're simultaneously dating Mr. Semi-Fabulous and Mr. Just-Okay, too.

"If you are looking for a serious relationship, then you should absolutely be dating more than one man at once... you need quantity to find quality," says "dateologist" and flirting expert Tracey Steinberg. Even if you're looking to keep it casual, "then by all means, also try out the variety and the spice of life."

Steinberg does not suggest sleeping with more than one man at once because of added drama and STDs, but she advises all of her clients to go out on dates with multiple people—until they find someone that becomes particularly sparkly and special to them.

Emily, 28, who was my grandmother's worst nightmare—a woman who became fixated on each new flavor of the month without keeping perspective. So she decided to try a little man-juggling.

"I would date a guy and if I liked him, start picturing our wedding within the first three dates," she admits. "Everything I did became about him. Every invite I got would become, 'Oh, I can invite him to this.' Every dress I bought would be, 'Oh, I can wear this in front of him.' And this would go on and on for three month cycles or so."

She consciously tried to break this habit by dating more than one person at a time. "My friend suggested I date more than one person at a time for my own good, and I met Adam and I started seeing the pattern happening again, but I forced myself to break it. I started seeing another guy, and even a few other dates here and there with some losers, but the whole time, it really just helped distract me," she says. "I was forced not to put my life on hold for him."

Perfect, right? But dating coach David Wygant says dating three to find the one isn't always the best mantra, and can even be emotionally "dangerous."

"You can date as many people as you handle," he says. "But some people date around because they are needy."

Instead of worrying about how many dates you have and it being a balancing act, Wygant suggests women "date from feelings. Know what you want ahead of time so you aren't getting too invested. Do a reality check. You should have a personal list."

Ladies love lists, but Wygant says he's talking about a different kind. "Most women make a list of what they want the guy to be, not how they (personally) want to feel."

Somewhere between her wedding fantasies and serial dating, Emily was able to do some soul-searching. "I was getting such a severe rush of feelings for these guys, almost like I was scared of losing an opportunity to date them, that I never really took the time to think if I really liked them or not," she says. "When I was dating more people I could take a step back and think: 'Do I really like them? Do I want to be with them?' It felt good."

Apparently the answer was yes. Dating around led to the ultimate happy ending: Emily is now engaged to Adam. Do you think dating three to find the one is a good idea? And besides that, do you have the time, energy, and stamina, to date a trio of guys at once?

Want more stories from Carson? Follow her on Twitter.

From Cosmopolitan.com. Visit Handbags reviews and advice for best reference here

Three Easy Ways to Kick Up Your Hair Color in 2013

If you find yourself annoyed at the fact that your hair color is dulling or that your roots are more visible than Jon Hamm's package, then you're going to want to listen up.

Hair color doesn't stay salon-worthy forever, people. It loses its vibrancy, regrowth happens, and shades get altered from the sun (hello, brassiness!). But, thanks to three brand new, at-home hair color products, we promise your strands will be super shiny and stay ultra-bright, longer.

So what are these hair color gifts from the beauty gods? We're glad you asked.

Roux Color Refresh Mask, $5, sallybeauty.com. This color-depositing mask takes three minutes to work its magic, reviving your hair color, conditioning your strands, and adding radiance back into lackluster locks. Expect the color to last through three to five washes, depending on your hair type.

ColorMark TouchBack Plus sulfate-free Shampoo and Conditioner, $30 each, ulta.com. Both products deposit temporary color onto your hair and is to be used between permanent colorings. The formulas revive dull color (on natural or color-treated hair) that lasts through two shampoos, protects your hair against UV fading, smoothes and repairs damaged hair, adds shine, and tones down grays (if you have them). Oh, and when you don't need to add color, you can use the TouchBack Plus Clear Shampoo, $25, ulta.com, for color maintenance and UV protection.

Revlon Luxurious ColorSilk Buttercream, $6, revlon.com. This ammonia-free, permanent cream hair color uses Revlon's Buttercream technology that offers up color that stays truer, longer; looks even; and adds radiance, shine, and manageability. The Triple Butter Complex it contains also uses mango, shea, and coconut butter in the color and conditioner to helps increase moisturization without that icky greasy feel (score!).

Clearly we're all after sexy-as-hell hair color, so if you're in a bind and need to amp up your shade, these formulas are the latest way to go.

Will you be incorporating on (or all) of these products into your at-home hair color regimen?

Follow Carly Cardellino on Facebook and Twitter.

From Cosmopolitan.com. Visit Amazon Beauty Center here

Three Announcements

“So I broke things off with Candy,” Jenna said once she, Jane and I were settled into our table. “Like, really broke things off.”

Technically, Jenna and Candy had broken up weeks ago, but nothing had really changed between them. They’d decided to stay “friends,” which apparently entailed hanging out constantly, sex, and sleepovers. Not really a breakup at all.

“Still friends?” Jane asked skeptically.

“No,” Jenna said firmly. “Clearly we’re not very good at that.”

“Did you meet someone else?” I asked.

Jenna shook her head. “Nope. I think I’m going to stay single for a while, and try to figure out what I really want.”

“That’s great!” Jane and I exclaimed in unison, too loudly and too enthusiastically.

Jenna grinned. “Subtle, ladies.”

“I have some news,” Jane announced. Jenna and I turned out attention to her. “I’m going back to work.”

“Like, in an office?” Jenna asked. Jane nodded. I can’t remember the last time Jane has had a full-time job since I’ve known her. Possibly never.

Jane went on to explain that one of her former freelance clients was looking for a creative director, and offered her the gig. The money was too good to pass up, she said, and also, as much as she loved being a stay-at-home mother, she was ready to start the next chapter.

“Congratulations, to both of you,” I said, raising my mimosa. They raised theirs, and we clinked glasses.

While we waited for our food, talk turned to wedding planning. It’s going surprisingly well. Ben and I came up with our guest lists, and shared them with our parents. My mother had an additional 12 people she wanted added—friends of hers from Florida that I’d never even met—but I put my foot down and she actually let it go.

“Man, I cannot wait to meet your mother,” Jenna said. Jane concurred. It’s so weird that neither of them has ever met her.

Jenna’s phone began vibrating on the table.

“That’s Leslie. I have to take it.”

She grabbed her phone and walked out of the restaurant.

“So,” Jane began, trying to sound nonchalant, and failing. “Have you talked to Sarah?”

“Not since she told me that she didn’t want to be in the wedding.”

Jane winced. “She feels really bad about that, you know.”

“Then maybe she should tell me that.”

“Why don’t you reach out to her? She was hurt that you asked Jenna to be your maid of honor. I bet if you did, she’d still be a bridesmaid.”

“Because I’m planning a wedding, Jane,” I said. “And it’s stressful. And I don’t need any of her drama making it even more stressful.”

“You two have been friends for a long time.”

“I know that, but you know what? If I met her right now, we wouldn’t be. I don’t even think I’d like her. I think I’d be like, ‘I met that vaguely famous chick from TV, and she’s kind of a bitch’.”

“So you’re done?”

“Yeah, I’m done.”

Jenna returned.

“Um, did something happen while I was gone? You guys look all serious.”

“It was nothing,” I said.

The check came shortly thereafter, and we paid and left. When Jane gave me a hug goodbye, she whispered an apology. I whispered one back. When I hugged Jenna, she whispered, “I am so calling you in a little while.”

And she did. And when I told her what had happened between me and Jane, she’d had this to say: “Eff Sarah.” I agree. Eff Sarah, indeed.

Posted at 4:32 PM

From Cosmopolitan.com. Visit Amazon Beauty Center here

Three Announcements

“So I broke things off with Candy,” Jenna said once she, Jane and I were settled into our table. “Like, really broke things off.”

Technically, Jenna and Candy had broken up weeks ago, but nothing had really changed between them. They’d decided to stay “friends,” which apparently entailed hanging out constantly, sex, and sleepovers. Not really a breakup at all.

“Still friends?” Jane asked skeptically.

“No,” Jenna said firmly. “Clearly we’re not very good at that.”

“Did you meet someone else?” I asked.

Jenna shook her head. “Nope. I think I’m going to stay single for a while, and try to figure out what I really want.”

“That’s great!” Jane and I exclaimed in unison, too loudly and too enthusiastically.

Jenna grinned. “Subtle, ladies.”

“I have some news,” Jane announced. Jenna and I turned out attention to her. “I’m going back to work.”

“Like, in an office?” Jenna asked. Jane nodded. I can’t remember the last time Jane has had a full-time job since I’ve known her. Possibly never.

Jane went on to explain that one of her former freelance clients was looking for a creative director, and offered her the gig. The money was too good to pass up, she said, and also, as much as she loved being a stay-at-home mother, she was ready to start the next chapter.

“Congratulations, to both of you,” I said, raising my mimosa. They raised theirs, and we clinked glasses.

While we waited for our food, talk turned to wedding planning. It’s going surprisingly well. Ben and I came up with our guest lists, and shared them with our parents. My mother had an additional 12 people she wanted added—friends of hers from Florida that I’d never even met—but I put my foot down and she actually let it go.

“Man, I cannot wait to meet your mother,” Jenna said. Jane concurred. It’s so weird that neither of them has ever met her.

Jenna’s phone began vibrating on the table.

“That’s Leslie. I have to take it.”

She grabbed her phone and walked out of the restaurant.

“So,” Jane began, trying to sound nonchalant, and failing. “Have you talked to Sarah?”

“Not since she told me that she didn’t want to be in the wedding.”

Jane winced. “She feels really bad about that, you know.”

“Then maybe she should tell me that.”

“Why don’t you reach out to her? She was hurt that you asked Jenna to be your maid of honor. I bet if you did, she’d still be a bridesmaid.”

“Because I’m planning a wedding, Jane,” I said. “And it’s stressful. And I don’t need any of her drama making it even more stressful.”

“You two have been friends for a long time.”

“I know that, but you know what? If I met her right now, we wouldn’t be. I don’t even think I’d like her. I think I’d be like, ‘I met that vaguely famous chick from TV, and she’s kind of a bitch’.”

“So you’re done?”

“Yeah, I’m done.”

Jenna returned.

“Um, did something happen while I was gone? You guys look all serious.”

“It was nothing,” I said.

The check came shortly thereafter, and we paid and left. When Jane gave me a hug goodbye, she whispered an apology. I whispered one back. When I hugged Jenna, she whispered, “I am so calling you in a little while.”

And she did. And when I told her what had happened between me and Jane, she’d had this to say: “Eff Sarah.” I agree. Eff Sarah, indeed.

Posted at 4:32 PM

From Cosmopolitan.com. Visit Amazon Beauty Center here