BuzzSugar

Our Ultimate Swimsuit Guide - Get the Best Fit For Your Body

Hannah Weil — Fri, 25 May 2012 16:22:49 PDT

Finding the perfect Summer suit can seem like an impossible task, especially when you don't know quite what you're looking for. We're putting an end to all that with our ultimate guide to getting the right fit for your body. With the help of swimwear fit and style expert Audrey Jimenez over at Everything But Water, we're breaking down the best fit tips for every body type and the best styles to shop for your figure all right here. From curvier frames to athletic body types, we're helping to make sense of the endless swimwear options out there and narrowing down all of our favorite options that were made to fit and flatter your frame. Want to know what you should be looking for? Get the expert's quick-hit dos and don'ts, then click on to find your perfect suit - and resolve to never hate swimsuit shopping again.

Dos

Do try on lots of different suits. Swim styles change all the time, so look outside of your comfort zone and you may find your new favorite silhouette.
Do go with a smaller size if you are not sure. Swimsuits expand when wet.
Do use ties and adjustable straps to fit the suit to your body. Go tighter than you think. Once tied, lean forward and adjust until your bust is covered and stays put.

Don'ts

Don't choose a trendy silhouette if it doesn't fit you well. Great style begins with a great fit, so it's more important to find the silhouette that best flatters your figure.
Don't assume a size larger or more fabric will give you more flattering coverage. Many women purchase suits that are too large, and as a result, the fabric gaps and the suits don't support properly. If you want more coverage, find a style that offers more coverage.

Fab's Top 10 Celebrity Looks of the Week - Hilary, Kate, Ashley, and More!

Hannah Weil — Fri, 25 May 2012 14:04:04 PDT

Cannes wasn't the only place to do glam-spotting this week - a bevvy of stars here at home, across the pond in London, and even in South Korea turned out in their cocktail finest to fete the MoMA and more. Hilary Rhoda perfected the body-con fit in a curve-hugging knit cocktail dress for the MoMA's NYC festivities, while Kate Bosworth showed off modern-day ladylike minimalism in a leather-topped Calvin Klein for the designer's party in Seoul, and Ashley Madekwe celebrated in London in the chicest kind of shorts suit. Inside there's more from this week's most stylish - click on for a glimpse of the top 10.

Shawn Johnson Talks Weight Loss and Learning to Love Her Body

espnW — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:05:26 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar!

By Shawn Johnson

Shawn Johnson is blogging for espnW throughout her training for the Olympics in London this summer. Follow hers other Olympic hopefuls' journeys on espnW.com.

Four years ago, I was standing on an Olympic podium, wearing a gold medal, and still thinking to myself how I could have been better. It had nothing to do with my performance - it was all how I looked. Back then, I always felt like I could have been a few pounds lighter. But the irony is, when I look back at the pictures, I look unhealthy and too thin. It's easy to get into a trap as an elite athlete, because you're made to feel that you're never perfect, that you can always be better. That's how you improve in your sport, but it's also tough because you aren't satisfied with yourself ever - it's second nature not to be. I'd always think, "Just get a little stronger, a little lighter," until it was completely ingrained in my mind.

Shawn Johnson takes us inside training camp

It's easy for people to blame gymnastics for this mentality, but I feel like the sport has improved a lot. The horror stories we heard from generations ago (think Joan Ryan's infamous book Little Girls in Pretty Boxes), you don't hear at all anymore. But I do believe it can improve further and that good nutrition could be a key to all of this, if it were only taught at a young age. Many gymnasts go into the elite level at 13 or so, and a 13-year-old isn't going to go to the library to read some book on nutrition! She needs to be given the right information on how to eat well. Otherwise, it's not until she's out of the sport that she realizes the damage she's done to her body by not eating enough over the past 20 years.

Shawn Johnson in the driver's seat

I see all the success we have as a country where the gymnasts aren't 100 percent healthy, and I imagine how amazing we could be if we were doing it in the healthiest way possible. I don't think it's a failure on anybody's part; the education just isn't there right now, and it's just not thought about in our sport. My parents have told me since I was little, "You're given your body for a reason. It's OK to be different. Being unique is a good thing." But I always struggled to believe it. I'm stocky, muscular and short, and I wanted to be thin and flexible so bad! My mom would say, "You're not made that way, and you're not going to become that, so you have to learn to accept and love the body you're in." Well, some people are born with that appreciation, and some people have to work really hard to get there. Put me in that second camp.

Read on for more on what Shawn Johnson has to say about body confidence and how she feels in her gymnastics leotard.

A Veggie-Filled Indoor Picnic

OnSugar Blog — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:45:46 PDT

A sandwich of asparagus and mushrooms could be kind of dull - or, as Between the Bread demonstrates, it could be a triumphant lesson in culinary restraint.

Ann Arbor's famed Zingerman's Deli is known for its corned beef sandwiches, but it's also not shy when it comes to packing on farmers market fresh veggies.

This recipe, dubbed Rodger's Big Picnic, comes from my trusty Roadfood Sandwiches cookbook, which describes this sandwich as Zingerman's ode to Michigan produce and particularly asparagus.

Putting this recipe together, I worried it would be too dull. The mushrooms are just broiled, not marinated, and the sandwich is adorned with nothing but sharp cheddar and Dijon mustard.

But with perfectly cooked, totally fresh produce, two ingredients are all you need. The sandwich was unexpectedly graceful, simple yet full-bodied, and hard to put down.

For the recipe, keep reading.

9 Ways to Earn Extra Cash When Money Is Tight

Wise Bread — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:51:58 PDT

I'm sure everyone can do with a little more cash in their wallets. Here are some great suggestions by Wise Bread for you to make extra money.

Even though I'm self-employed full-time, I'm always looking for new and exciting ways to make more money.

Earlier this year, I wrote a Wise Bread post on websites that can help you earn extra cash. More recently, I came across a blog post on Zaarly titled, "10 Ways to Make Money Without a Job." After reviewing the latter post, I thought it was time to revisit the topic and let you in on a few more ways to get paid.

The ideas that Zaarly presents are perfect for the unemployed or those who just want to pad their pockets a little more. In addition, there are moonlighting jobs that I do that I thought you should know about. Thus, if you're without a steady paycheck or you just want to build up a rainy-day stash, here are some of your options.

1. Offer Experiences to Strangers

I recently learned about a new site called Vayable, which allows people with specialized knowledge and talents, local info, and time on their hands to create experiences that others can purchase. It's basically a touring and activity company without the company. Anyone can join the site and set up an experience. For instance, the Kan Brothers offer motorcycle tours of San Francisco - which include helmet rental, a drink at a local hot spot, and a city map - for two to four people at $75 per person. In New York City, Kim G. is offering a personalized painting lesson for groups of two to six for a flat rate of $300; the experience includes acrylic paints; canvas board and supplies; studio space; wine, cheese, and crackers; and Kim’s undivided attention. Consider this tip if you're interested in joining Vayable: Browse the site to see what other people in your area are offering. By creating a unique experience that no one else has established, you have a better chance of getting booked.

Read on for more.

Tina Fey Shares Memories of Her Skinny and Chubby Years

Susi May — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:56:14 PDT

Happy Birthday to our fave funny lady! Tina Fey turns 42 today. We've been fans of the actress, writer, and comedienne since her early days on Saturday Night Live. Like many of us, Tina's weight has fluctuated over the course of her career, and to mark her birthday, we're sharing some of her funny quotes from juice cleanses to body image.

Before making the leap from writers room to on-camera talent, Tina followed the pragmatic Weight Watchers program to drop pounds. But that doesn't mean she hasn't dabbled in more extreme techniques to lose weight. She explained to Jimmy Fallon, "I don't really believe in those [cleanses] - your body's not like a purse. You're not supposed to turn it inside out and shake it. But I was like, 'Oh, I don't care. I just need to jump-start this.' So I tried it." After an allergic reaction caused her lips to swell, she abandoned a juice cleanse. Go figure.

These days, Tina works out with trainer when she can fit a session into her hectic schedule, and if she can't, she takes a walk. She's even become a fan of yoga and the superfood kale.

Before settling into her healthy weight, Tina experienced both sides of the weight equation and shared her memories of these phases in her book, Bossypants. In two short, consecutive chapters, she explains the positive and negatives of the different times. Keep reading for a brief excerpt after the break.

How Not to Destroy Your Marriage

The Good Men Project — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:30:42 PDT

We're happy to present this story from one of our favorite sites, The Good Men Project. Today, Mark Tyrrell offers eight relationship tools to make your marriage work.

"All marriages are happy. It's the living together afterward that causes all the trouble." - Raymond Hull

So how do you make your marriage work? Or do you just blindly hope it'll take care of itself?

Think of a hot, successful date with someone you’re attracted to. You have fun, great conversation and more sexual chemistry than a warehouse full of pheromones. You don’t have to “work at” the date because it’s self sustaining. It runs as smoothly as the gliding hand of a classical guitar maestro and you can’t wait for another rendition.

Teenage Dating in a Twilight-Hunger Games World

But marriage, or any long term relationship; well that’s a whole other caboodle.

If we’re not careful, marriage can deteriorate into little more than a torturous assault course; littered with routine boredoms, frustrations and resentments. Couple all that with external pressures and sometimes marriage feels not worth the effort. But there are major benefits to being hitched or committed, other than just a beneficial tax regime.

Healthy marriage; healthy people.

Being happily married bestows heaps of health benefits. You might be forgiven for thinking that if you’re married you don’t live longer it just seems like it but, no, a good marriage really can help you clock up more years (1) and married people are happier (2) even though they don’t always look it from the outside.

But when marriage doesn’t work it can feel being manacled to a maniac, marooned with a misogynist or nailed to a nag. And I don’t care what the studies say, that’s not healthy. You may hear couples say stuff like: “We are making our marriage work!” but how do we do this?

Making it work.

We pay lip service to “working on the marriage” but what is the work we need to do? Marriage vows such as “to love and to cherish” and “forsaking all others, for better or for worse” don’t really tell us how to make it work, although they give us a clue.

Fortunately a ton of research has been done on what to do and not do to make your marriage, or any intimate relationship work. Follow the guidelines here to become “good at marriage."

Tip one: Be romantic but keep it real.

We are all (force?) fed romance in movies and novels. The handsome man gets the beautiful woman. But what I wonder is what happens after our romantic couple ride off into the sunset together? What do they do exactly? Bicker? Moan at one another? Start to ignore each other?

After all that romance, our beautiful couple is bound to have massive expectations of their life together. But when rose tinted expectations clash with day to reality, watch out!

Romance is vital in any relationship. Always seeing the best in your partner helps to keep things intimate and love should be expressed. But if you have been raised on Mills and Boon Romance novels or feel-good movies, then your own romantic expectations can work against the sustainability of your long term relationship.

When day to day life fails to live up to the giddy, heady lust-filled days of the pre-settled down romance people can become angry, even blame one another: “This wasn’t what I signed up for." They find it hard to take the rough with the smooth because they never really figured there would be any rough.

Expectations not diluted with at least a dash of realism can be a royal road to relationship ruin. Your partner may be an angel, but they have feet of clay. You must learn to love those feet or at least accept them a bit!

Get the rest after the jump!

Brides and Bacne: What to Do

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 18 May 2012 10:30:19 PDT

Everything is going dreamily. You found the perfect wedding gown for the big day. You've been exercising regularly to make sure it fits just right. The problem is, all that sweating you've been doing makes you break out, and not just on your face - on your back and shoulders too.

For starters, do not stop working out. All that exercise is great for relieving stress, and there are many things you can do to prevent bacne from ruining your special day.

Always wear clean workout clothes.
Make sure to wear a sports bra and top that are made of wicking fabric to pull moisture away from your skin. Avoid clothes that don't let your skin breathe.
Take a shower immediately after exercising to wash off sweat and bacteria.
When you shower, use Cetaphil or some other antibacterial cleanser on your back since exfoliating helps unclog blocked pores and get rid of dead skin cells. Use either an exfoliating scrub or bath gloves once a week.
After showering, allow your skin to dry completely and then apply a topical cream that contains either salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to treat and prevent blemishes. Be careful of bleaching your clothes if you go the benzoyl peroxide route.
If your problem persists or you have severe body acne, make an appointment with a dermatologist.

Lauren Conrad: Swimsuit Guide

Lauren Conrad — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:01:48 PDT

We are thrilled to share this story from Lauren Conrad! The TV personality, writer, designer, and style maven has started LaurenConrad.com, a social networking site that features daily posts by Lauren on all of our favorite topics - fashion, beauty, food, party planning - and Lauren will be sharing her latest fashion finds with Fab every month. This week, she's sharing her swimsuit picks.

Now that we are all getting in tip-top shape with my Bikini Boot Camp Plan, it's time to start actually shopping for the perfect swimsuit. I usually like to snag a new suit before Memorial Day since I almost always end up on the beach or at the pool… What about you?

But before you shop, make sure you check out my swimwear guide on how to pick the right swimsuit for your body. That way you will have a better idea as to which cuts work best with your shape. Once you've pinpointed a style that works, get shopping!

Here are 10 of my favorite swimsuits for summer 2012:

Keep reading to find out where to shop Lauren's picks.

Freida and Eva Show Off Two Completely Different Looks in One Night - Which Do You Prefer?

Marisa Tom — Thu, 17 May 2012 09:47:22 PDT

Just when we thought we couldn't be more impressed (or in love) with Freida Pinto's pink Michael Angel perfection and Eva Longoria's gauzy Marchesa gown at the Cannes Film Festival opening ceremony, the dazzling duo pulled an outfit-change fast one on us. For the ceremony dinner, both had slipped into something much darker, slinkier, and altogether sexier. Freida chose a striking black sequin Versace number with a sheer neckline, sheer sleeves, and a thigh-high slit, while Eva channeled her sultry side in a black Alberta Ferretti gown, complete with body-con nude slip, lace piping, and delicate tulle overlay. It really comes down to a stylish battle of the ultrafeminine dresses vs. the more gothic gowns - and we want to know which set of looks you like best. Time to weigh in: are you partial to Eva and Freida's girlier red-carpet picks or their darker dinnertime wares?