These are my legs in a self-portrait taken on my recent vacation to Tulum, Mexico. I have worked with David Edwards, my personal trainer at the Rockefeller Center New York Sports Club twice a week for more than two years so I feel I've earned these legs and from the front they look great, but from the back I have cellulite that I've learned to live with and the sides of my legs have big, blue spider veins running from the top of my thighs down to my knees.

For years I've thought about getting them checked out by a phlebotomist because my mother had varicose veins on her left leg, huge ones that popped out and hurt her terribly and I've been worried that someday veins might pop out of my legs in a similar fashion. Plus, I am a bit self conscious about them when at the beach. I did my research and made an appointment at The Vein Treatment Center on Manhattan's Upper East Side. I liked that this established facility solely treated vein problems and had been doing so for 28 years. Plus, women flock here from Europe to get their veins treated!

After a consultation where I learned vein problems are largely inherited, and a doppler exam to test the functionality of the veins in my legs (I am in good shape and in no danger of varicose veins), I decided to go ahead with the treatment to remove the unsightly veins. It took about 15 minutes for Dr. Luis Navarro to make about 25 injections per leg into the visible veins on my legs. Some of the shots didn't hurt at all, others stung but not as much as a bee sting or the dreaded laser hair removal. (I did take two ibuprofen tablets for pain about half an hour before the procedure). The cost was $500 and I was sent home with orders to buy support hose, which I wore overnight and for two days.

So far the results are exciting. The unsightly blue veins have almost completely disappeared as if they've been erased. I do have bruising, which is expected to last about two weeks total. I am going back tomorrow for another session and to see how I'm progressing. I expect I'll need a couple more treatments. So far, so good. I'll let you all know how tomorrow goes.

The Vein Treatment Center, 327 East 65th Street, New York, N.Y. 10021. Phone: (212) 249-6117.

I remember my drugstore beauty days when I stood in the drugstore aisle trying to figure out my best foundation bet by holding up the bottle to my face. I inevitably picked the wrong shade and walked around with the telltale line at the jaw. These days, we're lucky most department and drugstores have very liberal return policies. Now you can buy a slew of foundations, try them out and keep the one you like, returning the rest.

I got an email recently from a 41-year-old woman with combination skin and some rosacea. She has tried numerous foundations and formulas and has yet to find her perfect foundation fit. She asked my advice. Find out what I told her in, "Help! How Do I Pick the Right Foundation?"

Some tips when picking foundation:

1. You'll likely need a lighter shade in summer and a darker shade in winter. Get more tips in "How to Pick the Perfect Foundation."
2. Don't cover your entire face with foundation, the older you are, the more it settles into your wrinkles, causing a "cakey appearance." Only use foundation on the spots where you need it most. See my list of 13 best foundations.
3. Plump up face with a moisturizer before foundation. You'll find the foundation glides over moist, dewy skin better than dry skin. Get more tips in "How to Even Out Your Skin Tone."

Image: Photodisc for Getty

Every night I use Pond's cold cream to cleanse my skin. I follow the cleansing with moisturizer before applying eye cream and Retin-A. As you may know by now, I'm convinced Retin-A will be my secret to looking 60 when I'm really 70. Once every couple weeks I may treat myself to a microdermabrasion scrub or a hydrating mask.

In the morning, I use a washcloth dipped in organic coconut oil to wash off the dry skin flakes that sometimes come from Retin-A. I follow that (sometimes) with antioxidant rich Vitamin C cream and I top that with La-Roche Posay's SPF 60 tinted sunscreen.

After all of this, it's amazing I find the time to floss.

Dermatologists are always touting retinols, antioxidants AND microdermabrasion, but if one is on a prescription-strength retinoid (like my Retin-A), should she also be subjecting her skin daily to a Vitamin C cream and twice a month to a scrub? I was wondering how much is too much, so I turned to Maryann Mikhail, a dermatologist at Manhattan's Spring Street Dermatology with that exact question.

Find out what she had to say.

Image: Photographer's Choice

Last week I wrote about my stay at Rancho La Puerta spa in Baja, Mexico, where I exercised all week, got massages and facials and fell in love with a healthy guacamole recipe made with avocados and peas.

People wrote to me asking for more information, so I called up the Ranch's corporate offices in San Diego and they happily sent it to me their Aztec Guacamole recipe.

Turns out you use a cup of frozen peas for each avocado to make this delicious guac. Don't like peas? Don't worry, you don't taste them at all. I was blown away when I found out the guacamole had peas in it. You can also use cooked asparagus tips, edamame or broccoli. Other ingredients are expected: lime juice, onion, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, tomato, sea salt and pepper. Get the recipe.

Photo courtesy Rancho La Puerta