It is no secret that eating raw almonds, the most nutritious of all nuts, is good for your health. Packed with vitamins and antioxidants, raw almonds help to lower cholesterol, decrease the risk of getting heart disease, and even help with weight loss.

Almond oil, which is unheard of by many, also has several other beauty benefits. Purchase a bottle at any health foods store and apply it to your skin as a moisturizer. The oil rehydrates and smoothes skin and has been shown to reduce signs of skin aging and discoloration.

Almond oil can also be used on skin to combat itching, irritation and inflammation.

If you are coloring your hair at home, mix almond oil with your hair color before applying it to your scalp to make your hair shinier and give the color more luster. Your color will also last longer. Added bonus: almond oil helps prevent hair loss!

The Christiana Mall will be graced by a new store addition soon.  Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey owned makeup hub, Sephora is moving in for its grand opening on Friday, September 4!

We know what you're thinking: FINALLY!  Doors to the store open at 10:00 am and don't close until 9:30 pm.

Can't get there for their grand opening?  Sephora always offers amazing products from some of the best brands out there, and the employees give makeup lessons and makeovers every day of the week.  So if you want to experiment with a new look for your next party or for your next class, check out the selection at Sephora!

Blue polish has been a major beauty hit this summer, gracing the digits of highflyers such as Lauren Conrad, Scarlett Johannsen, and Miley Cyrus. To cater to this trend, polish producer Essie has graced us with The North Fork collection, a trio of blues and aquamarines named for popular summer spots on the North Fork of Long Island. The colors-Greenport, Sag Harbor, and Shelter Island-are reminiscent of the summer sea and sky and make one think of harbors, seaside towns, and sailboats. (I myself received many compliments when I tried out the Greenport shade.)

When it comes to your nails, banish the reds and toss out the pinks; as far as I'm concerned, the bluer the better!

Image: realsimple.com

*BEEP BEEP BEEP* Your alarm disturbs your peaceful sleep and you're forced to drag your tired self out of that warm heaven of cotton and get to that summer job of yours. You sluggishly stride to the bathroom and glance up at the mirror. Woah, double take- what are those things under your eyes? Dark circles that show you're clearly sleep deprived.  You frantically wash your face and reach for the concealer. But its summer and you don't want to cake on makeup. So how do you get rid of those horrid things?!

First off, take a deep breath. Secondly, grab an eye shadow brush and some light beige/gold eye shadow. Simply dab on very little amount of concelear as a base and then sweep the shadow underneath your eyes, coating the skin. Light will reflect off the shadow, and instantly liven up your eyes!

With this easy tip, your eye shadow will become multifunctional, and your mornings will be a little bit brighter.

Eye color and brush both available at store.bareescentuals.com

Instead of turning lemons into lemonade, try using the sour citrus fruit as a cheap way to fight daily breakouts.

Lemon juice is proven to heal breakouts and acne scars efficiently through its natural antiseptic quality. Dab a cotton ball with a hint of this cleanser and gently brush it on the areas of your face that are becoming a nuisance. Flush it with water straight afterwards, or use it as a toner to get the full effect.

This at-home remedy will get deep into your pores and promote faster healing. After one to two weeks of use your face will be clearer and more refreshed-which is always in style.

Image: Planetgreen.discovery.com

Project Runway's most well known winner (and my personal all-time favorite), Christian Siriano, will be collaborating with Victoria's Secret Beauty this fall.

Siriano's collection will feature eye shadow, lip-gloss, and eyeliner in shades to match his fall clothing collection. And, while his clothes may not fit your budget, you can definitely grab some of the cosmetics to ensure you are anything but a hot mess!

Stay fierce, UDressers, by picking up some of the pieces due out in August.

Pick 'em, and squeeze 'em, but strip 'em to show 'em how you care.  Except, in this case, 'em is not a hunky fellow but a nasty blackhead.

Dermatologist and beauty experts will tell you over and over again not to pop pesky pimples, but when you're running around all day in this summer heat, you're bound to clog up your pores and be greasier than usual (it happens to everyone!).

The solution?  Instead of making yourself red and possibly scaring your precious skin for life, try Biore's pore strips.  Just wet your blackhead-infested area, place the strip, let dry and peel off.  You'll literally see the wretched things come out of your skin and onto the strip.

And guys, feel free to try this out too!  Don't worry, we won't tell...

(Image from biore.com)