8 Easy Exercises for Killer Curves Tone your body with these simple workouts

By Ariel Nagi

1. Leg Lifts: Start off on all fours, keeping a neutral spine. Lift one leg as high as you can without bending it. Squeeze your glutes as you lift. Do 15 reps on each side.

2. Diagonal Leg Lifts: Remaining in the same position, lift one leg and cross it over the opposite leg. Squeeze your glutes as you lift. Do 15 reps on each side.

3. Pelvic Lift: Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and arms by your sides. Squeeze in your abs and glutes, and slowly lift your pelvis and hold for a few seconds, then release. Do 15 reps.

4. Pelvic and Leg Lift Combo: Remaining in the same postion, lift your leg straight at the same time you lift your pelvis. Lift it as high as you can without bending it. Do 15 reps on each side.

5. Side Lunge: Stand up straight with your feet a little less than hip-width apart and your hands on your hips. Step to the side with your right leg and go down as far as you can without bending your left leg. Make sure your knees do not go past your toes. Do 15 reps on each side.

6. Reverse Lunges With Knee Lift: Standing in the same position, step back and bend your right knee at a 90-degree angle, then stand up and kick it back as high as you can without bending it. Do 15 reps on each side.

7. Jumping Squats: Stand up straight with your arms directly in front of you. Jump into a wide-legged squat, then jump back into your starting position quickly. Do 15 reps.

8. Classic Squats: Stand up straight, feet hip-width apart and your arms directly in front of you. Gently squeeze your glutes and squat down as far as you can go without bringing your knees past your toes or arching your back. Do three sets of 15 reps.

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What More Women Are Doing for the Sake of High Heels

Discover the terrifying foot procedure gaining popularity

By Natalie Matthews

This story originally appeared on Elle.com.
Women of the world, you probably know this moment, too: You ask the polite shoe salesman to bring you that snakeskin lace-up stiletto or navy ballet flat in a 9 or 7 or whatever, and he brings a shoe that's two sizes too small, purring a coy, "It's the only size left, do you want to just try it?" It's a valiant effort, but inevitably you gawk, like what, am I supposed to just cut off my toes to fit into that?
Well, maybe. For years now, plastic surgery to alter women's feet to look better and fit better in shoes has been on the rise. (Doctors can even make your shoes feel better, thanks to strategic Botox injections on the balls of your feet.) Now, as The New York Times reports today, these operations are apparently more popular than ever, so if you thought women's vanity was limited to our faces, chests, and love handles, well, you're wrong. Plastic surgery is now a lucrative head, shoulders, knees and toes game—emphasis on the toes.
To prove their point, the Times highlights one Beverly Hills doctor, Dr. Ali Sadrie, who says these elective, cosmetic foot surgeries are so popular that he coined cute little names for them all, so patients can conveniently order them like they're choosing the Mai Tai at Dry Bar (except scarier). These procedure names range from the Perfect 10 (toe shortening) to the Model T (toe lengthening) to the Cinderella, where Dr. Sadrie simply alters your foot to the shape of a shoe you want to wear, but can't. Because, you know, why buy another pair of shoes if your foot doesn't fit them? That would be crazy.
Photos: Alexander McQueen spring 2014 shoe, courtesy of Catwalking

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5 Things You Must Do Before You Buy a Swimsuit

Consider the following so you don't regret your next purchase

1. Check for Customizable Features
Finding the right swimsuit is about as hard as finding the right pair of jeans. Make it a little easier by looking for bathing suits that can be adapted to your needs. Adjustable shoulder straps will prevent them from falling down or digging in to your shoulders. Removable cups are also great; if they get old or out of shape, you can easily replace them without buying a whole swimsuit. If you like tankinis, select one with drawstrings that allow you to make the top shorter or longer to flatter your body.
2. Examine Embellishments Are sequins or beads sewn on loosely with just a few threads or held tightly by a lot of threads? It's always a disappointment to buy a bathing suit only to have some of the colorful jewels or exotic beads that made it so attractive fall off. While you're in the store, check out the similar swimsuits on the rack; if there quite a few with beads or jewels hanging off, chances are your suit isn't going to stand up to a lot of wear and tear.
3. Consider Construction
Is the whole suit lined or just specific areas? What about stitching? Are there single rows, double rows, or zig-zag stiches? Are there threads coming loose? A high-quality suit will be lined throughout and have either double-row or zig-zag stitches. If the threads are coming loose in the store, the suit's probably not going to hold up to fun in the sun.
4. The Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) Clothing, including swimsuits, with UPF is a growing trend. UPF gauges a fabric's effectiveness against both UVA and UVB light. The higher the number the more effective it is at blocking out UV rays. Look for a swimsuit with a UPF of 50 or higher, which means it allows less than 2% of radiation through.
5. Weigh Price vs. Use If you're really interested in a trendy swimsuit, you can sometimes just go for the cheapest one you can find, knowing you may not want to wear it more than one season. However, when looking for a classic swimsuit that you plan to swim a lot of laps in, take the time to inspect the quality and spend a little more cash.

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