Have you ever turned green with envy when you spotted a woman with gorgeous gleaming hair? Most of us have. But rather than wishing those shiny tresses were yours, here’s a better idea. Learn the secrets of women with high-gloss hair, and you can amp up the luster of your own locks.

1. Women with shiny hair don’t play rough. To create silky shine, treat your hair like fine silk. Use only a wide-tooth comb to detangle wet hair. When you step out of the shower, blot -- don’t rub -- your hair with a towel. Cut down on brushing to avoid fraying strands. “Use the minimum number of brush strokes it takes to achieve or refresh your style,” says Jeni Thomas, a Pantene research scientist on hair and scalp health. Look for a brush that has seamless bristles. “These bristles won’t inflict damage the way bristles with rough surfaces can,” says Thomas.

2. Women with shiny hair use heat tools with care. Protect your hair from being damaged by the high heat of blow-dryers, curling irons and flat irons by coating towel-dried strands with a thermal-protectant product. Always use the nozzle attachment on your dryer. “The coils on dryers are so hot you can literally fry your hair if you place the dryer right against your hair,” says Giovanni Mele, artistic director and owner of Philadelphia’s Giovanni & Pileggi salon. “Without a nozzle, you’re delivering heat and air in all directions, and that can leave your hair frizzy rather than smooth and shiny.” If you’ve been using the same hot tools for the last decade, consider an upgrade. New technology, such as ceramic flat irons and ionic dryers, speeds styling time and reduces the static electricity that causes flyaways and dullness.

3. Women with shiny hair keep their tresses well-hydrated. Shine happens when light bounces off hair’s smooth reflective surface, which means you want your hair to be less like straw and more like ice. Moisturizing shampoos gently remove dirt and product buildup -- which can lead to dull, brittle hair -- and deposit feather-light oils and protein to boost luster. Look for ingredients like dimethicone and aloe vera; they smooth the cuticle and seal water inside the shaft.

4. Women with shiny hair are consistent about conditioning. You don’t need to shampoo your hair daily, but every time you wet it in the shower, applying a conditioner to the ends is essential to keep strands soft and smooth. Once or twice a week, apply a moisturizing mask, then don a shower cap and run a blower over your head for two or three minutes. “That heat helps the treatment ingredients penetrate the hair shaft,” says stylist Steve Lococo, co-owner of B2V Salon in West Hollywood. “That’s why salon treatments always include a few minutes under the dryer.”

5. Women with shiny hair choose styling products that add extra sparkle. Whether you like glossing drops, anti-frizz cream, hair spray, nourishing oil or volumizing mousse, you can find a shine-enhancing version of your favorite styling product. Just avoid your roots and be sure to use a very small amount of product. Instead of applying the styling product directly to your hair, try spraying or spreading a bit on your palms instead and then run them lightly over your hair, section by section.

Photo: @iStockphoto.com/alenkasm

In the movies, the heroine always wakes up looking perfectly refreshed and gorgeous. Sure, she may have Hollywood magic on her side, but the rest of us have a potent beauty weapon too: sleep!

It turns out, there really is such a thing as beauty sleep. “Sleep allows the body to go into several stages of non-REM and REM cycles for restoration of body functions,” says Dr. Vermén M. Verallo-Rowell, a research dermatologist. Further, the emerging science of chronobiology -- the study of the impact of biological rhythms and their effects on the body -- has uncovered subtle differences in skin behavior at night. The skin is more permeable; it expends fewer defenses against the daytime’s free radicals, pollution and sun damage; and oil production is lower. All these changes help active ingredients absorb more effectively at 2 a.m. than at 2 p.m.

Here’s a guide to the types of treatments and products that work their magic in the dark.

Hair Conditioners
Sometimes called “deep conditioners” or “reparative masks,” these temporary leave-on hair products can work even better when they’re allowed hours, not minutes, to absorb deeply into the hair shaft. Before bedtime, massage the mask along the ends and mid-shaft of dry hair and comb through. Rinse and style as usual in the morning.

Heavy-duty Moisturizers
Quick-absorbing, lightweight hydrators with built-in sunscreen are perfect for protecting the skin during the day and providing a satiny base for your makeup. Nighttime is when you’ll want to slather on the thicker, richer, more emollient moisturizers that may look greasy but provide more reparative moisture benefits. This deeply penetrating moisture can have a carryover benefit into the daytime.

Retinoids
Dermatologists suggest that patients use over-the-counter and stronger prescription retinoids (tretinoin, tazarotene, adapalene) only at night because these topical forms of vitamin A can degrade in light and make the skin more vulnerable to sun damage and more likely to burn. “They have become the gold standard of what dermatologists recommend to help exfoliate, lighten brown spots, stimulate collagen production and clean out pores,” says Dr. D’Anne Kleinsmith, a Michigan cosmetic dermatologist.  

Active Treatment Products
Many treatment products work best when they’re not competing with layers of cosmetics and sunscreen, says Dr. Patricia Farris, a Louisiana dermatologist. What’s more, active ingredients such as salicylic acid, which exfoliates dead skin cells, as well as peptides -- tiny proteins that stimulate collagen to help reduce the signs of aging -- are most effective when they’re not being diluted by perspiration or fending off daytime environmental stressors like pollution and sunlight. The increased blood flow to skin at night, along with nocturnal water loss, may help these ingredients better penetrate the skin’s barrier layers.

Rough-skin Erasers
Products made to soften rough skin on the feet or hands are likely to get the best results if they’re applied at bedtime. Many include alpha hydroxy acids (lactic, glycolic and citric acids) that penetrate the outermost layer of skin to promote exfoliation. Or, try this softening treatment suggested by Dr. C. Ralph Daniel III, clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center: Soak hands and feet in room-temperature water for up to five minutes. Apply an extra-thick moisturizer, such as shea butter or petroleum jelly. For the best overnight penetration, pull on a pair of light cotton gloves or socks.

Antiperspirant
Some extra-strength antiperspirants are specially formulated for nighttime use, but a regular formula can also be more potent during the night’s optimum conditions. “For people who have problems with excessive perspiration, it makes a lot of sense to apply an antiperspirant before you go to bed,” says Kleinsmith. “When you’re not already perspiring, you can block the sweat glands more easily and let the medication work more effectively.”

Concealer can be a girl’s best friend, especially after a night out sipping salt-rimmed margaritas. But even teetotalers can wake up with under-eye bags or dark circles -- resulting from lack of sleep, fluid retention, hay fever or just the deep-set eyes you inherited from Mom and Dad. Dermatologists say the thin tissue around the eye is subjected to more stress than are other areas of the skin, making it one of the earliest problem areas for women.

A good concealer can hide the problem, but there’s an art to finding the right shade and formula. For that, we asked Eugenia Weston, an Emmy-nominated celebrity makeup artist. She says there’s a reason most concealers are either peach (orange-based) or yellow: Each color does something different, which is why they’re often packaged side by side in a single compact. The trick isn’t deciding between peach and yellow (most of us need both), but choosing the depth of tone they’re available in -- light, medium or dark -- to match the pigment in your complexion.

Choosing the Right Color Concealer
If you have bluish or dark circles, a peach concealer will help cancel them out. But if your under-eye area and eyelids are pink-tinged, a common condition among the fair-skinned or allergy prone, a yellow concealer will counter the redness. The formula -- cream or liquid -- is a matter of personal preference. Cream concealers offer more coverage but take a little more skill to apply; liquids are sheer and a better bet for minimal circles or younger skin.

How to Apply
Using your ring finger for a light touch, prep the under-eye skin with eye cream so that the concealer won’t drag on. If you woke up with puffy peepers, apply a tightening or firming eye gel instead. The coolness and lifting ingredients should help send those bags packing.

If you wear foundation, bring it up under the eyes. Using an oval-shaped 1/3-inch wide synthetic bristled concealer brush, apply three dots of concealer starting at the tear ducts and ending at the iris. Paint them down and outward to cover the entire area. Gently blend in the concealer with your ring finger, using a press-and-roll motion. If upper eyelids are pink, stroke on yellow concealer there as a neutralizing eye shadow base.

Use a Powder
Set your concealer with one of the new ultrafine mineral powders in a colorless, one-size-fits-all translucent shade. “Dip the corner of a triangular latex sponge into the setting powder -- I use pressed rather than loose for neatness -- and blot it right up against the lash line,” says Weston. Powdering concealer is an often overlooked but essential step. “Otherwise, the mascara and eyeliner you’re about to apply will smudge as the day wears on, creating the very darkness you’re trying to eliminate.”

How Hair Can Help
It never hurts to think outside the box. If under-eye circles are chronic, a good hairstyle can deflect attention from them, says Tom Brophy of the Tom Brophy Salon. For instance, sideswept bangs cut from a side part will direct the beholder’s gaze away from the under-eye area, as will soft layers around the face. “What I would avoid,” says Brophy, “is a middle part or horizontal fringe, both of which would only frame the problem area.”

Also, consider that your natural hair color may be exaggerating those under-eye circles by casting a shadow on them. Colorist Michelle Vance at the Tom Brophy Salon has a solution: Lighten up. “Since dark shades and ashy tones can accentuate under-eye circles, think about taking your overall color one shade lighter. Or add a few blond highlights around the face to brighten things up,” she says.

Next thing you know, those sunglasses that were hiding your under-eye circles will have nothing to do but act as a headband up in your hair.

After a long winter, you’re definitively ready to toss aside boots and leggings for sandals and short skirts. The question is: are your legs prepared for public display?

If gnarly toes, pasty calves and jiggly thighs are telling you “absolutely not,” don’t panic. You can get great, gorgeous legs with these easy beauty routine fixes and tricks.

1. Fake a Sunkissed Glow
No matter how long and lean your legs are, they’ll look even shapelier with a sunkissed glow. Drugstore shelves offer a wide variety of self-tanning products for an even, natural-looking tan that will leave your skin smelling great too. Here’s a guide to the formula that’s right for you.

• Wash-off self-tanners These solutions create a temporary color that lasts about a day and washes away with soap and water. Apply one layer for a sheer look; add a second for deeper color.
• Tanning mousses and gels Quick, but doesn’t dry instantly, so you can correct mistakes. The tint lets you see any spots you might have missed.
• Daily self-tanning moisturizers Gradually builds a subtle glow with daily use. Foolproof, these are perfect for self-tanning novices.
• Tanning lotion Produces the deepest caramels and bronzers for that “just back from St. Bart’s” look.
• Tanning sprays The fastest way to achieve all-over coverage. Perfection takes practice; try this out a few times before a big event.

2. Pamper Your Feet
Squeezed into boots and forgotten for months, your feet are likely looking dry and callused, and your toes a bit ragged. Get them ready for their flip-flop debut with a spa pedicure that goes beyond just a file and polish.

Look for a service that offers these steps: a foot soak in a warm bath with moisturizing ingredients like essential oils; an exfoliating scrub to soften calluses and remove dead skin cells; a second scrub with a foot file to banish those calluses and other rough spots; a soothing massage followed by the application of a super-hydrating lotion that’s sealed by dipping your feet into warm paraffin or wrapping them in hot towels.

The final steps: shaping your toenails and applying polish. Scott Barnes, a makeup artist for such celebrities as Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce, suggests painting your toes in sheer nudes or a brown hue to make your legs look their longest. Nail stylist Reham Bastawros who prettifies the peds of Renee Zellweger and Miley Cyrus favors a splashier look: eye-catching colors like bubblegum pinks, citrus yellows, watermelon hues or a classic vixen red.

3. Choose Shoes That Elongate Your Legs
Fling aside those 4-inch tottering heels! Shoe designer Stuart Weitzman says this season, ’70s-inspired wedges will add height without straining the foot the way stilettos often do. Opt for shoes in nude or tones like blush-beige, khaki, brown or bronze that will trick the eye into thinking your legs and shoes are one lean, unbroken line. Avoid ankle straps -- they’ll chop your legs to make your gams look shorter than they are.

4. Tone Your Muscles
Want to rev up the definition of your legs in a flash? Dr. Philip L. Goglia, a Los Angeles nutritionist and trainer whose clients include Kim Delaney, Owen Wilson and Raven-Symone, suggests these three moves:

Wide-stance squats: Do them like a ballet plie, with toes angled outward, and a stance wider that your shoulders. Do five sets of 20 reps daily.

Hill- and flat-walking should be for 30 minutes (good) to an hour (better!) each day. Or, try stair-climbing for the same length of time.

Walking lunges: Great for your glutes! Just make sure that your knees don’t extend beyond your feet as you lunge. Work up to five sets of 20 lunges daily.

Want gorgeous skin? Fake it! Sure, a proper skin care regimen, smart diet, regular exercise and never even looking at a lit cigarette (much less smoking one) will give you good skin. But to get to great, you need to bring in some artifice: foundation.

How to Choose the Best Foundation for You
The right foundation is what gives stars who walk the red carpet the look of poreless, airbrushed skin. And it can be yours too. First, choose the foundation that’s right for you in both texture and color. If your skin is oily, you’ll want to control your T-zone with an oil-free formula or a powder foundation. Mineral makeup is a good choice too. Those mineralized particles suck up extra moisture.

Opt for a cream or liquid foundation if you have dry skin. Look for words like “hydrating,” “moisturizing” or “luminous” in the product description. 

Hate makeup? Get the benefit of foundation without looking like you’re wearing any with a lightweight tinted moisturizer or a BB cream. These “beauty balms” are all-in-one wonders, acting as primer, coverage, moisturizer, skin treatment, sunscreen and even concealer. Find a shade that matches your skin exactly. When you swipe it across your jawline it should melt into your skin invisibly. Step into natural light to check it. (Yes, you want to go foundation shopping in the daytime.)

Application Secrets of the Pros
Borrow a few tricks from makeup artists for perfect application. Brett Freedman, a Hollywood makeup artist who has worked on stars like Emily Blunt, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Lisa Kudrow, says prepping your skin before your apply foundation is key. He likes to lay down a veil of lightweight oil-free foundation with a flat-top brush, allow it to dry for a few seconds and then use the same brush to apply foundation. “That way there’s still a touch of moisturizer on the bristles when I’m smoothing foundation over the skin,” Freedman says.

Makeup artists also spend at least a minute or more blending foundation so it completely melts into the skin. They make sure to blend around the hairline, ears and neck. Forget these areas and you can end up with the dreaded VFL (visible foundation line).

The pros are divided on whether to apply concealer before or after foundation. If you apply foundation first, some makeup artists say, you’ll know exactly where you need concealer. But Kimara Ahnert, who owns a makeup studio on Manhattan’s Madison Avenue and includes Brooke Shields and Cameron Diaz among her well-heeled clients, makes a convincing case for starting with concealer.

“Under-eye concealer first,” says Ahnert. “And foundation only on the rest of your face.” And here’s where her advice is truly eye-opening: “Do not double up!” she says. “If you layer foundation on top of the concealer, you’ll dilute it or completely blend away what you’ve just applied.”