Now that TotalBeauty.com is at the ripe old age of 2 1/2 we were due for an upgrade, a facelift to be precise. And our face is our homepage. So we gave it a brand spankin' new look. And in honor of this update (or, the first phase of it at least), we'd love to have you tell us what you think about it by clicking here to answer a few questions.

Please be brutally honest -- we're all about unbiased, honest feedback here at TotalBeauty.com, which hopefully you already know.

I want to be Jennifer Aniston. And, NO, not because she has a house cool enough to be this month's Architectural Digest cover story, a kickass body, and intimate knowledge of Brad, Bradley and John.

I want to be Jennifer Aniston because she has hair people.

That's right. Jennifer Aniston probably never, ever, ever has to blow out her own hair. Don't forget, beneath those stick-straight strands of the A list uber celeb we know today, lies the wavy frizz of Rachel Green circa 1995. Girlfriend's got curl. But she's also got peeps to tame it.

But I'm not bitter. Anymore. Wanna know why? I just learned some of the best-kept How to Blow Dry "your hair like a pro" secrets and, guess what, I'm gonna share.

That's the kind of friend I am.

Step 1:

Turns out, getting a great blow out is as much about the tools you use as how you use them. Let's start with the dryer.

Mari Ring, from the Maximus Salon in Hermosa Beach, CA says that you don't have to spend a lot to get a great blow dryer, you just need to know what features, like wattage and weight, are important. Get that scoop here.

Step 2:

Moving on to the brush.

The shape of brush you choose will play a major part in the end result. Again, you don't have to spend a million bucks to look great -- just know what will work for your needs. "If you're going for volume and curl," says Ring, "it is best to use a round brush with a barrel anywhere from 1 3/4 to 2 1/2 inches depending on the size of the curl you're after.

Want to go stick straight? See what shape of brush is recommended -- you might be surprised.

Step 3

Did you know that you need to dry your hair a little before applying styling products or they'll just slip right off? I had no clue.

If you have curly or wavy hair that you're blowing straight, use a straightening serum like the one Ring swears by, Enjoy Straightener, $15.99. If you're after softness and shine, try Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream, $30. "It's super-trendy at the moment but for good reason," Ring says. "It conditions the hair, eliminates frizz and isn't tested on animals!"

Never know how much product to apply or where exactly to put it? Learn here.

• Now that you're set with the prep, learn the full blow out process.

• Do you prefer to embrace your natural waves instead of blowing them straight? Watch this video to learn how to get Jen's tousled waves.

• Want to know how to blow dry your curls (without straightening them)? Learn to wield your diffuser attachment for the best ringlets ever.

Keep up with the latest in beauty -- follow us on Twitter and friend us on Facebook.

Newsflash: Seeing strangers naked gives me hives. And, as with any worthy axiom, the converse is also true. Being naked in front of strangers gives me hives.

Ok, so maybe Katie Couric won't pound down my door for an exclusive, but this is a genuine problem for me. Especially when I go to the spa with friends and they all prance around buck (or is it butt?) naked.

The bad news? I'm not good at handling awkward situations like that. The good news? These beauty etiquette tips.

Manners maven, Lizzie Post (yes, of that Post dynasty) graciously took the time to tackle a blitz of pressing beauty problems, and all I have to do to move to the head of the class is pay attention.

Question:

Starting with the age-old conundrum: Is it ok to apply lipstick at the table?

Answer:

Post says that it's "perfectly fine to reapply if you can do it without a mirror," in fact, "Lipstick is the only cosmetic we say is OK at the table." (Note: she shudders at the visual of women using their butter knives as mirrors.)

But, what does Post say about the napkin? To blot or not – that is the question. Get the answer here.

Question:

Is it ok to tell your friend you think her acrylic/bejeweled nails are downright tacky?

Answer:

Let's turn this around for a minute. Post suggests that you need to analyze why you feel compelled to comment on her nails in the first place. Are you embarrassed to be seen with her? "Too bad," Post says. "Personally, I wouldn't say anything. This is you butting your nose in where it doesn't belong. It's her style and her choice." (Psst. If you just can't resist, read how to proceed -- with caution.)

Question:

"My friend thinks it gross that I wear a hair band around my wrist! Is it?"

Answer:

Now for a collective "Phew;" Lizzie Post doesn't see anything wrong with wearing one around your wrist in all but the most intimate/professional settings.

• Want to know how to tell a friend she's got something embarrassing going on? Wonder about how much perfume or makeup is too much? Confused about what you can and can't do at your desk? Then the only proper thing to do is to click here!

• Know what else is a makeup "do"? Not blowing all your cash on products. Here are some top makeup finds for $5 or less!

• It's super rude to keep people waiting. Try these 17 hairstyles that take less than 10 minutes to do!

Keep up with the latest in beauty -- follow us on Twitter and friend us on Facebook.

I kissed a girl and I liked it.

Oops. Wrong column. But, now that it's out there and we're on the topic, can I just say, what was up with Katy Perry's bangs at the Grammys?

I mean, I get that she likes to be fashion wacky (I actually applaud her for that) but unless she got her hair caught in her Oral-B Sonic, and had to butcher it to free it from the rotating heads, there is just no excuse for those too-short, too-heavy bangs.

You want good bangs? I'll show you good bangs (see a whole photo gallery of them -- here). Heidi Klum has good bangs. Kate Moss has good bangs, Heck, even Ashlee Simpson has had good bangs.

Maybe it's the whole "Russell Effect" -- and maybe she'll get back on the beauty improvement track she ruled just 12 months ago, but, in the meantime, I'm thinking maybe a little "How-To" video might be the thing she needs to get those bangs where they need to be. Do you agree? Or am I overstepping here?

Here's how to rock the blunt bang that other celebs are so fond of (hint, hint).

Or ... if you're sick of your bangs or want to ditch them because they're just plain bad (like Katy's), learn how to camouflage them with these tips.

My body likes to be contrary. My butt is plump but my lips are thin.

My nose is big but my boobs are small. My hair is dull but my face is shiny. All good things -- if you happen to live in opposite land.

Me? I live in L.A. where it's pretty much against the law to be unattractive. And, while I'd have to go undergo several painful and/or costly procedures (though hopefully not as many as these ladies have had) to perk up my sad little lips and boobage, thanks to some amazingly effective products, I can conquer my dull hair affliction lickity split!

According to the pros, shine serums and sprays should be the first arrow out of your, um, arrow holder thingy, when you're trying to wage the war on lackluster locks. (With Robin Hood.)

They're multi-purpose too, in addition to imparting awesome sheen, they work wonders on controlling frizz and static.

Of course, as with everything in our country o' plenty, there are oodles to choose from -- enough to make your un-shiny head spin. That's why TotalBeauty.com went to the source -- the readers -- and let them chime in on what works best.

Here, without further ramblings from me, are some of the top reader picks for superlative shine serums and sprays.

No. 11: KMS California SilkSheen Therapy Plus, $8.95

One reader says this "makes achieving a salon blow out incredibly easy," see why here.

No. 10: Aveda Brilliant Spray On Shine, $20

Whether you have thick or thin hair, readers say you'll get, well, "brilliant" results from this Aveda product. See how they use it.

No. 9: Victoria's Secret So Sexy Smoothing Shine Serum, $13

Not surprisingly, considering the store it's from, readers rave about this serum's "intoxicating" scent. See what they think about its performance here.

No. 8: Neutrogena Triple Moisture Healing Shine Serum, $6.99

TotalBeauty.com readers refer to this serum as their "latest beauty secret." Click here to find out why.

Want to know what Nos. 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 ... and of course No. 1 are? Then click here, silly.

• Get shiny hair without breaking the bank. Learn which drugstore shampoos,, conditioners and styling products work just as well (if not better than) their pricier cousins.

• Can you keep a secret? We'll let you in on the hush-hush ways the pros get shiny, strong hair.

• Worried that age is taking its toll on your once beautiful hair? Find out how to fix it.

Remember how your mom always told you that your hair looked too messy? Well, she'd have had a field day on the red carpet at Sunday's Grammy Awards. Whether you call it "bed head" or "beach hair" or "I can't find my brush hair," the look was seen on everyone from Miley Cyrus and Britney to J. Lo and some chick named Ke$ha. Even etiquette ambassador, Snooki, took down her signature bump and sported a textured look for the occasion.

This all comes as no surprise, of course, since more-than-slightly-tousled hair's

all the rage in Hollywood and, listen, if you've ever tried to copy this "I just got off my boat, boy is my hair mussed" look, you know that it's not as easy as it looks -- there is some skill involved.

That's why we went to Jillian Halouska of Warren Tricomi Salon in New York City for some handholding. Here, she tells us how these famous heads get the look:

Sienna Miller and Fergie

Long, wavy hair, like Miller's and Fergie's, is perfect for creating this laid-back style. At home, start with damp hair. Run a quarter size of mousse, like Got 2b Kinky Curling Mousse, $6.29 through your strands, from root to tip. Then apply a dab of styling cream just on your ends. Flip your head upside down and blow-dry just the roots with your fingers. Find out what to do next.

Victoria Beckham

Beckham, (lucky, lucky woman that she is) proves that you don't need to have loads of locks to rock this style. Her super short, textured hair is perfect for a "messy" look -- since there's so little to work with, it's virtually effortless to achieve. See how Haluska recommends you get the look.

Elizabeth Reaser

Reaser's natural ringlets help make getting this look relatively painless -- if you can stop curly's sidekick, frizz, from rearing its ugly head. There's really nothing chic about messy, frizzy hair. Haluska recommends using a diffuser to dry hair without creating fuzzies. See which products our expert recommends to combat frizz and achieve the desired tousle.

See more textured hairstyles on celebs like Kristen Stewart, Alicia Silverstone and more -- here.

• If this texture's a bit too messy for you, create classic, Giselle-like waves with help from this video.

• Totally over all the untidiness? Get back to basics with these sleek, straight looks.

• Don't care what the trends are, but do need a new hairstyle or makeup look? Find the perfect one for you, here.

• Keep up with the latest in beauty -- follow us on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

There's something about anti-aging products that makes happy.

Sounds a little nutty, I know, but it's gotta be the buoyed hope I get from reading the packaging. Promises of "fewer these' and "plumped those" totally pump me (if not my wrinkles) up.

Now, don't get me wrong, actually choosing which ones to purchase can induce a full-blown anxiety attack. Seriously, how is any mortal woman who doesn't hold a degree in molecular chemistry and biology supposed to make heads or tails of all that's out there without ingesting a Xanax or two?

Well, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret; TotalBeauty.com's message boards.

Readers jump at the chance to share good experiences with things they've tried -- and are equally eager to denigrate the ones that, what's the word? Oh, yeah, SUCK.

Here's a compilation of some of the recent faves. Take a gander, you know you want to!

No. 1: SuperMel C (by Serious Skin Care -- only on HSN): "It has a potent antioxidant from a rare melon and, so far, it's working. [I have] soft skin, and my fine lines are diminishing!" -- Scrantongal, TotalBeauty.com reader

No. 2: NightSkin: "It's not a brand name but I'm happy with it. I've noticed (my friends too) that my wrinkles have reduced, the spots on my face are less visible, and my skin feels tighter, younger." -- Emma-Johnson, TotalBeauty.com reader

No. 3: Tight, Firm, & Fill by BeautiControl:

"The results are immediate! Within an hour you will see a difference in your skin because it plumps out the wrinkles! It also works over the long term to produce more collagen and tighten. It is a miracle cream." -- Francinegerman, TotalBeauty.com reader

No. 4: Dermophisiologique Anti-Age Serum:

"The results are instantaneous and, after 1 month, my skin appears more luminous and smooth. The brand is Italian and not well-known in the U.S. but is worth a try." -- Ely1979, TotalBeauty.com reader

No. 5: Olay Regenerist Daily Rejuvenating Serum:

"This stuff is amazing. It absorbs quickly and you can't feel it on your skin. I'm almost 40 and have recently been mistaken for a college student!" -- MariaLove, TotalBeauty.com reader

No. 6: Vitamin Enhanced Face Firming Serum from Made from Earth:

"I [was able to stop] using it after six months because it naturally improved my skin's own ability to tighten and heal itself. I saw a major difference." -- Nancyw999, TotalBeauty.com reader

No. 7: Skin Renue by ElanVeda:

"It's not only priced right, but is natural and actually works. A couple of drops around the eyes and mouth on those tiny little wrinkles (or wrinkles to be) and you will have incredibly soft, smooth skin." -- Beauty963, TotalBeauty.com reader

• Need more guidance? Consult this list of the Best Anti-Aging Serums.

• Had it with going-it alone? Here's a list of the secrets used by top dermatologists to keep their skin looking its best.

• If it ain't broke, you won't have to fix it! Here's a guide to your best defense against aging in the first place.

Here's some useless trivia for ya: at last count, there were 487 people on staff at The White House.

Yep. Nearly 500 employees clock in every single day and not one of 'em has the title "Special Attaché for Brows." People, if we're going to save our beautiful First Lady." from her dreadful arches, that needs to be rectified. Stat.

Of course, this brow brouhaha is nothing new. In '08 Obama's advisors were worried that her "intense" look would negatively impact his campaign so her make-up artist, Ingrid Grimes-Myles, took the rap. "In the very beginning when I was training Michelle's brows, I trained them to grow in an angular way." My personal aesthetic is that I like a high arch," she said to the Chicago Tribune.

Then, the brows were softened accordingly, Obama won the election, and we thought that was the end of it.

Wrong. BrowGate is back and scarier than ever. (Heck, when she glowered at Republicans during Wednesday's State of the Union address it was downright disturbing!)

As a beauty-conscious American, I feel it's my responsibility to dole out some tough tweezing love. MObama, I respect and admire you, but either send Air Force One to fetch brow guru Anastasia pronto, or heed these tips for a kinder, more gentle arch.

No. 1: Put down the tweezers. Your brows are too thin and need to be allowed to grow in for a fuller, more natural look.

No. 2: Bring them back down. They've gotten way too high again and need to nestle in farther away from your hairline and closer to your eyes.

No. 3: Tone down the arch -- it'll give you a much softer appearance.

No. 4: Ease up on the pencil. The one you're using is too dark. Go for one that's a shade or two lighter than your hair color. Or, as expert Kristie Steicher from the Warren Tricomi salon suggests, "use a tinted brow gel, which looks even more natural and adds fullness and length to your brows."

• Learn about the eyebrow mistakes you're making.

• Indulge in one of these

top brow-enhancing products.

• Note to MObama: Check out how these celebs turned around their brows.

I'm going to try a little social experiment. Raise your hand if you have curly hair. Ok, got it. Now, raise your hand if your hair is curly right this very moment.

Aha! Just as I thought.

The thing with us curly girls is that most of the time we don't know how to manage our ringlets, so we either wrestle them into submission or -- I'm just guessing here since I personally never, ever, do this -- just yank 'em back into a pony tail and go about our day.

But the time has to come to embrace our God given strands and to learn to rock a totally hot, curly look … with a little help from a friend.

Meet the diffuser. You might know it as the thing that came with your blow dryer that's been sitting under your sink, but it's a crucial tool.

A diffuser works by changing your dryer's airflow from a direct stream to a more, yeah, diffused wide circle of air that helps to minimize frizz and keep curls from getting blown out of shape.

To understand how to best employ this wondrous attachment we went to curl guru, Ouidad. A world-renowned curl expert and mastermind of a line of curly-only products and salons, she walked us through each crucial step involved in achieving the perfect curly head.

Psst. You straighties can try these steps too -- guys love big, sexy hair. Just sayin' …

Step 1: Apply Leave-In Conditioner

Once you've washed and conditioned, Ouidad recommends using a spray leave-in conditioner the minute you step out of the shower. Find out why and see which specific products to try here.

Step 2: Use the "Rake and Shake" Method

Ouidad's signature method for applying product has been copycatted the world over. It's a little time consuming and requires patience and self restraint, but is well worth it. You basically divide your head into five sections and, proceeding one at a time, rake product through with your fingers. Click here to learn the rest of the method and get product recommendations.

Step 3: Add Volume

Before you begin blow drying, place duckbill clips at an angle into the roots of your hair so they gently lift the top section -- this will keep it from laying flat. See what else to do before you turn on the dryer.

Learn the rest of the steps and collect your "I know how to properly diffuse my hair" certificate -- here.

• Don't have a diffuser? Peruse this list of top-rated ones.

• See pretty photos of your fave celebs rocking curly hairstyles.

• Find out, once and for all, what the best products for curly hair are!

Gone are the days of stringy, spaghetti-straight strands. On celebs at least. We mortals still wind up with marinara-ready heads more frequently than we'd care to admit. But that's only because we don't know the tricks of the trade used by the women we see staring out at us from covers and catwalks, right?

Wrong! Starting here. Starting now, with help from celebrity stylist Eli Thomas, the owner of Thomas Chance Hairdressing in Santa Monica, Calif, we're going share tricks on how you can rock these perfect-for-straight-hair sexy celebrity styles by following these cinchy steps.

Lucy Liu

If you want to keep your hair healthy and glossy like Charlie's sassiest angel, Thomas suggests seeing your stylist often for a "dusting," -- or a very minimal trim of your ends. This will help you maintain the healthiest-looking hair without -- gasp -- sacrificing length. Get more tips on copy-catting Lucy Liu's healthy head of hair.

Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon's super-blonde straight style wowed at the recent Golden Globe Awards and, no wonder, Jake G.'s ex other half has long been known for her shiny, healthy hair. To increase the shine of your strands, Thomas recommends using a nighttime strengthening serum like Kerastase Noctocalm Night Serum, $30. If shine's not your issue, see how to copy Witherspoon's style here.

Blake Lively

Audiences have been ooing and ahing over Blake Lively's hair since "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," and for good reason. She can literally do anything with it (okay, maybe not everything) and it looks fab -- like this easy braided hairstyle that requires minimal effort (and works great when you don't have time to shampoo!) Learn how to do the braid.

Amy Adams

Expectant mom Amy Adams is going to be stoked that she has easy-to-manage hair once her baby-bundle arrives. Here, working a sexy side part, the actress proves that straight and simple doesn't have to mean "plain." To recreate this look, Thomas recommends a good blow-out to smooth the hair and keep it close to the scalp. See the rest of the steps.

• Have straight hair that's fine too? Try one of these sexy styles. (They work on Jennifer Aniston and Jessica Biel.)

• Want to straighten your curls? Stay away (far far away, in fact) from these 10 Worst Hair Straightening Products.

• Are you as bored with your straight hair as we are? Try these fun braided styles.

Keep up with the latest in beauty -- follow us on Twitter and friend us on Facebook.