The Scots say, 'Real men wear skirts.' But do they wear lipgloss, too?

While the über fabulous RuPaul may have glamourized gender-bending drag in the '90s, a new generation of men are turning to war paint and heels to express themselves and make social statements in fascinating ways.

What's more, some of the beauty and fashion industry's biggest names are taking it mainstream.

Recently, brands have been exhibiting men in women's ad campaigns, outfitted in everything from a punch of pink polish to full-on female regalia, seemingly savoring the plush display of beauty that society has only deemed acceptable for the 'fairer' sex to explore in this modern age.

Fashion icon Marc Jacobs recently shot an Industrie spread dolled to the nines, dripping in luxe labels like Prada, Louis Vuitton -- and of course -- Marc Jacobs. Meanwhile, Serbian model Andrej Pejic sauntered down the runway as femme fatale in Jean Paul Gaultier's Fall 2011 menswear show, and decked in white tulle as the bride in the designer's Spring 2011 haute couture show.

And then there's James Franco of Spiderman fame. The actor just splashed across the second issue of Candy -- the first transsexual fashion magazine -- sporting pillowy red lips and lashes for days. Talk about a departure from the hard-bodied, cheekbone-jutting black and white beach shots Franco fronted as the face of Gucci fragrances just a couple of years ago.

Leading feminist thinker and author of the The Beauty Myth, Naomi Wolf, says that the trend reveals men -- and brands -- are increasingly questioning rigid definitions of masculinity, and embracing aspects of dress and adornment that they have had to suppress.

"This suppression is not the historical norm, even in the West," Wolf tells StyleList. "It was only about a hundred and sixty years ago that Western men stopped being the 'peacock' of the species and subjugated themselves into drab, 'straight' uniforms. I love it, it is all good. It's all about play...and play is almost always good for gender politics," adds Wolf.

If there's someone who knows a thing or two about 'peacocking,' it's Johnny Weir -- the figure-skater-turned-cultural-fashionista who regularly jaunts about in shimmery pink lipgloss and Louis Vuitton handbags. Weir just broke big beauty news by signing on as the newest face of MAC Cosmetics, who he will collaborate with on a makeup collection this upcoming holiday season, aptly titled, 'Glitter and Ice.'

Weir follows in the footsteps of fellow avante-garde trailblazers RuPaul and Elton John in modeling for the popular makeup brand, which the skater says he turns to for a stroke of confidence when putting his 'best face forward' in the public eye.

"My collaboration with MAC is very fantastically over-the-top, but I am showing the great things that makeup can create in art terms," Weir tells StyleList.

"Men need to have their 'peacock' moments as much as women - they need to feel more confident and proud of the way they look. I hope my work with MAC empowers guys to walk into MAC and actually ask the amazing artists for help," adds Weir.

It could be conceived that generations of straight-laced, corporate suit bore is what is pushing some to paint men in the opposite extreme today, which an industry like beauty and fashion is more likely to receive and embrace first -- thanks to a deep respect and reverence for personal expression.

"I think gender-bending in fashion is great, and I hope it's more than a flash-in-the-pan trend," says Feministe blogger, Jill Filipovic. "Limiting the range of ways one can adorn one's own body because 'boys don't wear lipstick' or 'girls don't wear pants' strikes me as antithetical to everything that makes fashion exciting and important," adds Filipovic.

And yet, there has been equal parts public backlash. Who could forget what the press dubbed "Toemageddon 2011," when J. Crew President Jenna Lyons appeared in the catalog painting her five year-old son Beckett's toes pink?

From decries that hot pink pedi polish could instantly turn sexual orientation, to obstinate claims that nail polish is a girl's club only accessory, the frenzied public reaction makes one wonder how much of our own meaning and personal hang-ups we're bringing to things like an inanimate bottle of lacquer.

Essie Weingarten, whose top-selling brand Essie designed the peppy Pink Parka shade featured in the controversial photo, says that nail industry insiders know that men have become a sizable portion of regular salon clientele. And it's not just a clear topcoat they're going for; a swipe of the sheer milky pink Mademoiselle shade is increasingly requested for a perceived sheen of health on finger tips.

Men who request darker or more flamboyant shades at the salon are often -- and ironically -- inspired by a very traditionally 'masculine' model.

"We're seeing experimentation with bolder colors, like Licorice and Aruba Blue, a trend that started with rock stars," Weingarten tells StyleList. "I personally believe men should wear any color that makes them feel good."

While it's not likely that men will flock in mass to paint their toenails pink and stroke on blue eye shadow, it will be interesting to see how the beauty and fashion industry's glamorization of gender mingling affects or moves the boundaries that the public finds acceptable for men to explore within.

After all, isn't it the search for freedom that brought us here?

Have you ever happened upon a beauty product that turned out to be a real game changer for you?

Now, I'm talking holy grail status.

From low to high end, some of beauty's best brands are launching products that will not only make your grooming time more effective, but will prove worthy of the hard-earned bucks you spend on them.

From a new spray that helps capture those precious extra Z's in lieu of washing hair every morning (yes, even in this heat!), to a fully absorbent high sunscreen that won't have you sliding off your seat, these latest and greatest picks truly double as time and hassle savers.

When 21-year-old Alyssa Campanella was crowned this week as Miss USA 2011, her shimmering cascade of vibrant red hair broke the pageant mold of many a blond and brunette predecessor before her.

Yet this Manalapan, New Jersey native has a little secret: she's actually a natural blond.

As a high school sophomore, it was the opportunity to play Cherry Valance -- a saucy character so named for her flaming cherry-colored locks -- that inspired Campanella to first dye her hair red.

And she has never looked back.

"Every girl has something that is unique and special about them, that separates them from everyone else," Campanella tells StyleList. "You'll know it when you hit it. I knew I hit it with red hair. I was quiet and reserved as a blonde -- but it's like the red hair immediately unleashed this fiery personality I had inside."

Though mom took the future pageant queen to a professional colorist that first time, Campanella has dyed her own hair ever since. After experimenting with different brands and formulas, the redhead says she favors drugstore color by L'Oréal.

But let's make one thing clear: it takes some grit to attain that perfect shade of rouge. Just ask Aura of Color Makes All the Difference--the blogger and colorist has a great eye for hard-to-attain hues.

"When I dye my hair red, you'd swear I murdered someone in my bathroom. I'm messy, and it's splattered everywhere. I call it the 'crime scene bathroom,'" laughs Campanella.

Attributing the distinctive shade as part of her success as a model and pageant queen, Campanella says the hue is something that you can pull off if your personality is most importantly a fit first.

While it's best to consult with a professional to determine the perfect shade to accentuate your skin tone and coloring, here are some helpful tips the newly crowned Miss USA shared with me on how to sizzle in red, Jessica Rabbit-style.

Take baby steps. A shock of red can be a scary cliff jump right into color. The easiest way to discover if you like the tone first before committing to a deep shade is to try a sheer wash-out tint. "A red tint on a natural brunette looks beautiful, like a hint of auburn," says Campanella. Blonds may instead want to experiment with a light strawberry for a light kiss of color.

Use semi-permanent hair color. Red washes out faster than other hair colors, which causes most redheads to process their hair more often than other shades. Campanella swears by semi-permanent color -- which contains little to no ammonia, peroxide or other developer chemical -- so that freshening up a dye job is more gentle and forgiving on her tresses.

Plan for some natural fading. If you want your hair color to look brighter for a special occasion -- or perhaps softer for a more conservative situation -- a little advanced planning is in order. "Those first few days after I dye my hair, it's like this big red pow!" says Campanella. "But by the next week, it settles down into a calmer color."

Wash your hair less. To preserve that perfect red hue, the pageant queen washes her hair every two days -- a habit that doubles as a plus for hair health, too. "Dry shampoo is the best invention! I use it between washings. I've learned from my work as a model that hair actually styles and looks better dirty," says Campanella. Be sure to brush dry shampoo out thoroughly after application, so that you don't leave behind any tell-tale white powder.

Look to the seasons for tone guidance. Red can range the gamut in intensity, and Campanella says that the amount of sunshine she is exposed to determines which way she swings. "In the summer with more sun exposure, your hair is going to fade, so I keep it a lighter strawberry blond in warm weather so that it's less maintenance," says Campanella. Come cold weather, the queen goes for a deeper burgundy red, which also looks richer against classic fall and winter wardrobe palettes.

Experiment with a touch of green eye makeup. While Miss USA's natural hazel eyes are a beautiful complement to her red tresses, Campanella says eyes of any shade can enjoy the flattering nuance with a touch of eyeliner. "Use a hint of green eyeliner on the bottom rim of your eyes. It looks gorgeous with red hair," says Campanella. If you like the look, you can intensify the effect by applying an emerald or hunter green gel eyeliner on the top lash line instead.

Clothes can make red hair pop. The Miss USA 2011 pageant marked the first time Campanella sashayed in green for the evening gown competition. Though it turned out to be a winning choice, the beauty queen was initially hesitant. "With the green dress and red hair, I was afraid I was going to look like a Christmas tree!" confides Campanella. Yet it was styling knowledge gained on modeling jobs that encouraged her to go green. "The experts always put me in purple, greens and ivories for photos so that my hair color pops! But be careful of red on red. The deeper your hair color, the trickier it can be to pull off without clashing," advises Campanella.

While the rest of us will enjoy lazy beach days and barbeque burgers this summer, Campanella will be busy training for the Miss Universe 2011 pageant that will take place on September 12 in São Paulo, Brazil. The contender plans to sport her signature red tresses, with beloved CHI Flat Iron in tow as strategy to beat the city's infamous humidity that is known to hover around 89 percent.

And there's something else the pageant queen plans to add to her entourage: a runway coach.

"I want to show all those Latina girls my own fierce walk!" says Campanella.

Now those sound like the words of a winner to me.

Want more pageant queen beauty tips? Check out how Miss America gets ready for prime time in minutes.

Watch the winning moment again in the video below.

They say that the harried pace of city life can harden you. But did you know it can prematurely age your skin, too?

According to New York dermatologists, Dr. Eric S. Schweiger and Dr. David E. Bank, urban settings are rife with factors that rapidly dull skin, coax out wrinkles and splatter complexions with the type of pigmentation spots that accelerate the look of your years.

Now as a city girl, I don't like the sound of this one bit.

Not only do I have to deal with a cost of living that makes a cardboard box apartment seem plausible, but now I have to worry about looking old before my time?

I asked the good doctors to explain the city's biggest culprits that speed up the hands of mother nature's clock, and tips for mitigating and even reversing the symptoms into beautiful, healthy-looking skin.

So if you pound pavement daily in any of the country's major cities, put down that Blackberry and steal a New York minute to learn how to protect and recharge your skin against the less-than-glamorous parts of city life.

City sun rays are more dangerous, because they're sneakier. While non-city folk usually experience their strongest daily sun exposure in a predictable pattern that hits the driver's side half of the face and body, city dwellers often unknowingly bathe completely in the age-inducing rays. "We're walking everywhere, and we're constantly being exposed to the sun," says Schweiger. Add to that the fact that most people are out and about during the most intense light during the morning and lunch hour, and you've got the perfect recipe for premature wrinkles. Make applying a daily sunscreen lotion for the face and body of at least SPF 30 part of your grooming routine, and you'll quash one of aging's most dangerous triggers.

Pollution taxes skin, and requires deep cleansing. "Think about all the car pollution, construction zone soot and other allergens and dirt that gets kicked up by subways, people and cars daily. Don't sleep on an unwashed face!" says Schweiger. For a more intensive cleaning, look to foaming formulations or a tool like the Clarisonic to loosen and remove layers of pollution that invisibly melt onto the skin during the day. Schweiger recommends Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser or Purpose Moisturizing Foaming Cleanser for dry skins, while I can personally attest to the addictively squeaky-clean results left in the wake of a Clarisonic cleansing.

Stick to smoke-free areas. Cities like Los Angeles, Boston and New York may ban smoking in enclosed public places, but you can still ask for a light in destinations like Dallas, Las Vegas and New Orleans. What you may not know: even if you're not the one doing the smoking, your skin is paying the price. "Smoke is one of the worst things for your skin. It accelerates skin aging and leads to early sagging and wrinkling," says Bank of the vapors that settle onto skin like pollution. "The best thing is to avoid being in smoking areas, and to stop smoking if you're a smoker yourself in order to prevent damage."

Try allantoin to soothe city-weary skin. Found in the comfrey plant, allantoin stimulates skin cell regeneration for a softer, smoother and more luminous complexion. "Allantoin is very helpful in protection from environmental conditions and helps the outer layers of your skin shed, which is beneficial in a city lifestyle that is filled with pollution," says Bank. H2O+'s line of cleansers, masks and toners contain the healing ingredient, as does Obagi Clenziderm M.D. Therapeutic Moisturizer.

Lack of sleep and stress takes a toll on skin. The dizzying pace of city life combined with high expectations for a demanding career usually makes for little sleep and lots of coffee. The resulting stress triggers inflammation to spike in the body, which is the cause of aging. And without sufficient sleep, the body doesn't have time to heal during the necessary regenerative phase. "Establishing stress management and good sleep habits are critical to looking younger," says Bank.

Antioxidants are the best prescription against aging. The age-inducing free radicals caused by all the different factors of city life can be 'eaten' or even reversed by the presence of antioxidants. Diet-wise, you an find the powerful fighters in richly colored fruits and veggies, like blueberries, strawberries, pomegranate and kale. Antioxidants are also present in skin care ingredients like Vitamins A, C, E, and are most effectively absorbed through serum form at bed time. Loading both your diet and skin care routine with the powerhouse element can harbor dramatic anti-aging results, says both dermatologists.

Stick to a routine, day and night. All the fancy ingredients in the world can't compete with simple routine if they're not applied consistently, says Bank. A twice daily cleansing and protective moisturization is needed morning and night to protect skin that is under constant assault from the city environment. "To keep skin healthy and young when living in the city, it takes more work and dedication," says Bank. "It's about sticking to a routine morning and night, including cleansing and sun protection. The most important thing for city dwellers is to make sure they take care of their skin so the skin has god natural immune function."

Now that you know how to best protect your skin, here's why you should use oil in your hair.

It used to be that the most pressing decision you had to make at the nail salon was which polish to pick for that special mani-pedi treat.

But with the advent of today's gel technology, a dizzying plethora of nail enhancement options now temptingly lay before you.

A paint job that stays fresh for two weeks? Check. Nails so strong, you'll even take on dishwater? Check. Designs you thought only Nicki Minaj could rock? Check to that!

The problem is, it's confusing to figure out the difference between all of the gel options available today. If you walk into a nail salon and ask for "gel," that can translate as a variety of offerings. Even more challenging can be getting a straight, accurate answer from the specialist behind the table, who is sometimes more interested in the salon's bottom line than whether or not the treatment will benefit you.

"It's not uncommon for a woman to read about a new service like Shellac, or hear about it from friends, and then ask for it at her salon, only to be given something that isn't it at all, and -- even worse -- is not a fit for her lifestyle or level of maintenance," says Jan Arnold, co-founder of CND.

The truth is, gel nails are not a one-size-fits-all remedy that works for everyone. The type of gel you select -- if you decide to pick one -- should depend on two things: how nail color figures into your personal sense of style, and the degree of upkeep you're willing to commit to the look.

"Some women want a classic neutral that lasts and lasts, while others would feel creatively stifled by that, and instead prefer to change polishes often, so that nail color is more like an accessory," says Arnold.

Yet deciding what you want is only half the battle; you also need to make sure the salon gives you what you're asking for.

With many nail salons suffering the brunt of the sputtering economy, common cost-cutting measures may be affecting the quality of your manicure -- particularly when it comes to gels, which are costlier and take more time to apply.

"We've had issues with some salons substituting UV lamps and polishes into the Shellac system, which can adversely affect how the product applies and wears," says Arnold. In an attempt to make sure consumers receive a consistent experience wherever they go, CND will now require salons that carry Shellac to receive certification, with routine quality visits made to make sure everything is in proper order.

If you want to take the plunge and indulge in the gorgeously glossy finish of gel nails, check out the cheat sheet below for guidance on the perfect choice for you. And take special note of warning signs you should be on the look out for, to make sure your salon is not cheapening out on your experience -- and results.

Please note that cost ranges are estimates only, and can vary greatly by region of the country and local cost of living standards.

Traditional Clear & French Tip Gel

What It Is: Traditional gel is sculpted and painted onto the nail from a pot, which adds strength and a picture-perfect shape to nails. The surface must first be buffed down for the gel to adhere properly, and then set under a UV dryer. Most technicians use more than one coat of gel to build a consistent look across all nails. The French tip version cushions a half-moon of color between sheer layers of gel, while the clear version can be painted over with your color of choice, just like a regular manicure. While the French manicure is completely dry after the UV setting, paint over the clear version still needs to dry like regular polish. It's recommended you get a 'rebalance' every two weeks, to even out the area of growth near the cuticle.

Cost Range: $50-$80 for initial set; $30-$60 to rebalance

What You Should Know: Nails need to be filed down for rebalancing, which is most commonly done with a rotating drill filer. Not everyone is comfortable with the concept or sensation, and an unskilled technician can damage your nail or the surrounding skin if the tool is wielded incorrectly.

Beware: In an effort to speed up the service and get more chair turnover, some technicians rush and apply the gel too thickly. Not only does that make for an obvious looking gel manicure, but it can burn your nail beds when placed into a UV dryer, as a glob of gel heats up more rapidly than a thin, lacquer-like application.

OPI Axxium Gel

What It Is: Applied just like a traditional gel, the defining quality of OPI's version is that it comes in a slew of the brand's most beloved shades, like I'm Not Really A Waitress, Bubble Bath and Lincoln Park After Dark. Each layer is cured under a UV lamp, and lasts the standard two weeks. Unlike a traditional gel that can be shaped thicker over areas or certain nails that need it, you must be mindful of applying the same amount of Axxium Gel to each nail in order to achieve the same hue for all fingers. When you want to change colors, the current manicure must be soaked and then filed off.

Cost Range: $25-$45

What You Should Know: Axxium Gel - and other colored gels like it - can have a more abrasive and damaging removal process, since you need to get every speck of color off the nail to start anew. (The only way to get around this is to choose a darker nail polish shade.) Some users also claim that the gel version of shades doesn't exactly match the nail polish version of the same name.

Beware: The cheapest way for a salon to soak off a colored gel product like Axxium is to have you dip your hands in acetone, and sit for 15 minutes. A higher quality salon will use a far less damaging and effective method: the technician will file just the the tip of the nail to break the seal of the gel, and then place cotton balls soaked in acetone on each nail, individually wrapping each digit with foil to keep the cotton in place. After placing hands in a heated dryer for 10 minutes, the gel should lift right off.

CND Shellac

What It Is: The first hybrid between nail polish and a gel, a Shellac manicure consists of a UV base coat, two coats of Shellac color, and a finishing UV top coat -- all of which are painted straight out of nail lacquer bottles. In fact, CND refers to the product as a 'power polish' instead of a gel. While each layer is cured in a UV dryer, there is no filer drilling or soaking involved, like with traditional gel products. The nail is just dehydrated first with a slick of alcohol in order to make the polish adhere better, and the layers of product are sheer enough to allow the natural nail to breathe through. When set correctly, the finish stays glossy and true for two weeks, and is removed with finger puppet-like acetone wraps that break down the bond between the Shellac and the surface of the nail.

Cost Range: $35-$45

What You Should Know: Since Shellac is a hybrid polish, it doesn't offer the strength and sculpting possibilities as a traditional gel. But in return for the lightness of the product, removal is easier and less damaging to the nails. The application also takes about 50 percent less time than a gel manicure.

Beware: For the product to set correctly and not peel, all of the components -- from the dryer to the polish and topcoat -- must be part of the Shellac system. Many salons have components like a UV dryer that they swap in to save a few bucks, but this will prevent your layers from curing correctly. Another common cost cutting method is to use regular nail polish colors between the Shellac base and top coat. Again, this will adversely affect how long and well the manicure wears. Check to make sure all items used during your Shellac experience are labeled with the CND logo.

Harmony Gelish

What It Is: Commonly confused with Shellac, Gelish is a polish-to-gel hybrid that requires no filing or soaking in application and removal process. However, Gelish is more of a gel, and comes with an optional shaping layer that a technician can use on clients who have weaker or poorly shaped nails to create more of a substantial gel finish. Gelish also claims to last longer than Shellac - up to 21 days.

Cost Range: $35-$45

What You Should Know: While it may not be the same type of filing that traditional gel nails require, Harmony does recommend that the very top of the nail surface be buffed down to marry the product to the nail.

Beware: The Gelish system is among the lowest priced gel nail products on the professional market, so the propensity for technicians to mix and match other products with the dryer and make unskilled errors like failing to buff and dehydrate the nail for the best application is greater.

CalGel

What It Is: While solid CalGel colors are painted on from a pot like traditional gel, nail art lovers flock to the brand for the creative possibilities that are painstakingly swirled on to the nail bed with a fine brush. With over 80 shades to choose from, you can also have a unique hue custom-blended. Thought by many to be the most durable of all options, CalGel claims to last for up to four weeks, and requires a 15 minute soaking to remove.

Cost Range: $30-$40 for a solid shade; designs depend on intricacy and typically start at $45, and can reach $85+ in cities like New York and LA.

What You Should Know: If you're going for a design, be prepared for the time it takes to perfect your creation. Regular clients cite application times that hover around and above the two hour mark.

Beware: CalGel application -- especially designs -- require the most artistic skill of all gel options. It's advised that you use a salon that is known for carrying the service as their main offering, or else risk a messy yet expensive result from a technician who is merely making it available to cash in on the trend bandwagon.

So can a manicure really stay fresh for two weeks straight? Check out the before and after photos of how our nails fared with Shellac.