Blog Posts by Allure Daily Beauty Reporter

by Stephanie Saltzman

Tired, last-resort Father's Day gift clichés exist for a reason: A lot of men are tough to shop for. So here are ten grooming gift ideas that raise the Father's Day ante--because a man can only own so many ties, golf balls, and "World's Greatest Dad!" mugs.

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Summer's Most-Wanted Beauty Products

by Lexi Novak


Getty ImagesYou don't need to max out your credit card on a makeover or binge on self-help books to feel better about yourself. Turns out, all you have to do is check Facebook. A new study out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison reports thatvisiting the website may actually trigger positive psychological effects. After viewing their own profiles for just five minutes, participants scored higher on a test that measured their levels of self-esteem.

See more: Top 21 Drugstore Beauty Bargains

Generally speaking, I'm full of haterade when it comes to Facebook. What's to love about a public forum devoted to self-obsession and one-upmanship? But these new findings do make sense. We post carefully curated information about ourselves, we flood our newsfeeds with reminders of fun times, and we publish pictures that we want 937 of our closest friends to see. Visiting our profile for a few minutes is probably the same as thumbing through an old photo album: It just makes us feel good.

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by Anne-Marie Guarnieri


courtesy of CK One Confession: I like the smell of nail polish. And Sharpies, gasoline, and hair spray. And before you get Dr. Drew on the line, note that I said, "I like the smell," not "I like to huff." Just so we're clear. Anyway, I suspect that I'm not alone in liking those chemical-y smells, but I don't personally know too many other people who feel the same way. Take nail polish, for instance: Every time I even think about painting my nails or toes, I have to give my husband a warning and enough time to vacate the immediate area. So I was stoked when I got samples of these CK One Summer polishes because the press notes said they were scented with CK One Summer, a lighter version of the sexy, citrusy, unisex classic.

See more: Celebrity Hairstyles That Will Make You Look 10 Years Younger

Scented nail polish is not a new concept, but usually the fragrances are in the candy or fruity family--something my husband also finds unappetizing. But I thought he might actually welcome

by Ramona Emerson


Getty ImagesI haven't worn a baseball hat since second grade softball, but when I saw them coming down the spring runways (DKNY, Alexander Wang, Catherine Malandrino), I was strangely intrigued. The caps seemed to instantly project an awesome kind of sexy-tomboy aesthetic--and they're a great way to tame puffy summer hair, or hide the fact that you're at the worst stage of a bang grow out (hi!). But how does a non-baseball-hat-wearer rock a hat without looking like she's a) trying too hard or b) next up at bat? Matt Fugate, a hairstylist at Sally Hershberger downtown and ball-cap enthusiast, filled me in:

Mess it up: "If you're going to rock a baseball hat, don't be rocking it with your gorgeous blowout!" he says. "You want it to have an edge and a boyish charm in a feminine way. Anything beachy or messy. You want bedhead hair.'"

See more: Find the Best Haircut for your Face Shape

Point it right: Cara Delevingne, above, looks great wearing her hat backward. Everyone else, wear it

by Elizabeth Siegel


photo by Nicholas Moore Gray, shmay. My main gripe with this rainy weather is the frizz. So let's get one thing straight: The best way to fight frizz is to prevent it. You can use a smoothing shampoo and conditioner, like L'Oréal Advanced Haircare Smooth Intense Polishing Shampoo and Conditioner. You can prep your hair with a dime-size dollop of anti-frizz serum with silicone, like Göt2B Glossy Anti-Frizz Shine Serum. And you can blow-dry your hair until it's bone-dry before you leave the house (this is really key). But all that takes time. And maybe you're running late. Or maybe you just don't feel like blow-drying your hair when it's so gross and rainy out. I can relate. So here are my three favorite tips for smoothing the frizz that pops up during the day--each trick only takes a few minutes (hey, if you were willing to spend longer on your hair, you would have shampooed it this morning, right?).

See more: Top 21 Drugstore Beauty Bargains

Mist on a shine spray, like Garnier Fructis

by Elizabeth Siegel


Getty ImagesOrdering the salmon could be good for more than just your waistline: Eating fish may also help prevent acne.

See more: Celebrity Hairstyles That Will Make You Look 10 Years Younger

A study out of Italy suggests that unlike a lot of dietary and environmental factors (smoking or eating pasta, meats, sugary foods, or fruits and vegetables), eating fish was associated with fewer breakouts. Drinking more milk, on the other hand, was associated with increased acne. "The idea is that milk comes from cows that may have high levels of hormones, and that can lead to oil production," says Joshua Zeichner, a dermatologist in New York City. "It translates to breakouts in some people, but not everyone."


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Find the Best Haircut for your Face Shape
Summer's Most-Wanted Beauty Products
10 Easy Summer-Hair Ideas
Top 21 Drugstore Beauty Bargains

by Elizabeth Siegel


Molly Sims by Elizabeth Siegel Yes, Molly Sims really is that pretty in real life. Also, she wears Zara. (That's the brand's printed dress she's wearing above.) I met her last week at Sephora in Times Square, at an event hosted by the all-natural fragrance brand Lavanila.

See more: Top 21 Drugstore Beauty Bargains

They were launching a new fresh vanilla-lemon fragrance (a light citrus scent) and mini versions of their all-natural Healthy Deodorants that smell like vanilla, which Sims has a personal interest in: "When I was working on [Las]Vegas, I had a little bit of an issue with sweating, because I would get nervous and cold sweat," she said. So she turned to a strong ("I won't bad-mouth anyone") deodorant that stopped her from sweating completely--which freaked her out enough to make her consider going natural. "Then I started using Lavanila the day I got pregnant.... I don't use everything natural, but the things I can use and control I do."

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by Ramona Emerson


photo by Patrick Demarchelier No email strikes fear into my heart quite like "Your friend tagged 25 photos of you on Facebook," which is exactly what happened to me yesterday, when my best friend put up the pictures from her recent bachelorette party. I logged on to Facebook and immediately got down to the job of de-tagging myself from all but the most blurry or faraway shots. But once the evidence of my sweaty bangs and awkward smiles had been erased, I didn't feel relief--I felt guilt. Was my vanity trumping posterity? Is it actually rude to de-tag oneself? I asked Katie Heaney, author of Buzzfeed's wonderful Internet etiquette column FWD: Halp!, to relieve me of my guilt--but she did not.

See more: Top 21 Drugstore Beauty Bargains

While Heaney says it's technically fine to de-tag any and all pictures for any and all reasons, she cautions against erasing all flaws from your Facebook profile. "It's good to keep up some pictures that present a more human side of ourselves," she says, referring