Blog Posts by Allure Daily Beauty Reporter

When one of my esteemed editors sent me a package of silicon nipple guards in the mail, I thought she was having a laugh. Then I realized that this product is not a joke. Nippies, $24, are two nude-colored cups that adhere to your skin, using your own body heat, and are intended to keep you from looking too, um, "alert" should you need to go bra-less for whatever reason.

How to buy a bra that fits.

Perhaps the most noticeable and slightly alarming aspects of the Nippies is that they're slightly defeminizing. I mean, now I know what Barbie feels like. Still-and I don't care that Carrie on Sex and the City made bra-strap baring chic-I do have a certain LBD that demands bralessness, and the night I wore them out on the town I felt completely secure. (Not a nip slip in the house!) So laugh all you want, but I'm now officially a Nippie convert (but no, that's NOT me in the photo above).

Related: Tips for building a lingerie wardrobe.

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Acne. Frizz. Wrinkles. The most common beauty complaints may not be anything new-but the secrets to giving them the old heave-ho sure are. So in case you were still snoozin' when Allure's editorial projects director, Kristin Perrotta, showed off the newest breakthrough problem-solvers on The CBS Early Show today, let us give you the lowdown/low-tech-Tivo of the segment.

Old problem: Breakouts
New solution: ClearPrep by CoverFX, $39. Part foundation-primer, part acne-treatment, this silky potion keeps makeup in place while it unclogs pores and sucks up oil with salicylic acid and willowbank extract.

Old problem: Frizzy hair
New solution: No Frizz by Living Proof, $24. Think frizz-fighting isn't rocket science? Tell that to this company. They put an actual M.I.T. scientist on the case who, in turn, discovered a breakthrough molecule that repels moisture without leaving hair greasy and limp, the way silicone can. We silently thank him every rainy, humid day.

Related: Top five tips for Read More »from 6 new solutions to age-old beauty problems

Re-applying sunscreen always seems like a guessing game-and the idea that a simple gadget could give you an exact "apply more now!" schedule seems pretty good. Enter UVSunSense wristbands, $9.99 for a pack of seven.

You apply a sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher and slip on the wristband before going outdoors, and the orange band turns purple as soon as it's exposed to the sun. As your skin-and the wristband-absorb the sunscreen, the wristband gradually turns brown, signaling when it's time to reapply.

Related: How much SPF do you really need?

(Crazy side note: The technology behind the wristbands was developed by an Israeli physicist for nuclear power plant employees to identify dangerous levels of UV radiation. The wristband is able to react just like your skin to sunscreen wearing off and UV radiation kicking in.)

After the band-and your skin-experience the maximum level of safe sun exposure, the band turns salmon, to signify that it is time to beat it indoors. Could something so

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Just as it's getting to be the time to clean your house and lighten up your wardrobe, it's time your skin care regimen could use some renovating. Here's how to update things, without spending a fortune (in money or time.)

1. Switch your moisturizer. I know, it's kind of a duh, but especially for those types that tend to get "dewy," you need to step away from the acne-inducing rich creams asap. Instead, switch to an oil-free lotion or gel. Right now I'm loving DDF's new Ultra-Lite Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew, $38.

2. Up your SPF. A few weeks ago we spoke with dermatologist Jeffrey Dover, and while he thought SPF 100 might walk on the extreme side, he cautioned that when it gets warmer out, you naturally spend more time outdoors and need to up the sunscreen ante. The Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock finally comes out next week, and we're going to buy it for the light, couldn't be farther from greasy feel alone.

Related: These face and body washes, scrubs, and shampoos

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Ah yes, another week, another airbrushing "scandal." The latest victim, Kim Kardashian, had a refreshingly flip answer to the media frenzy caused when Complex mag accidentally released an unairbrushed photo of her and quickly replaced it with a slimmed-down image: "So what! I have cellulite!" And duh, she's not alone. (Ways to beat cellulite. Kind of.)

Approximately 85 percent of women share her so-called affliction, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons; other estimates go as high as 90 percent. Bottom line is, we can relate. In fact, even one of the greatest supermodels of all time, the inimitable Cindy Crawford, exclusively told Allure, "So if Star magazine or whatever wants to print a picture of me on the beach from the back, at the worst possible angle, and say that I have cellulite, I'm like, Guess what? I do, and I never said I didn't. I've had two kids, and I'm 43, so leave me alone."

We love it. Sounds like Kim and Cindy have more in common than the

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BBC America got a lot of press last year when Super Skinny Me aired-the documentary featured two women who followed the craziest possible celebrity diets in order to fit into size 0 jeans. The one who developed an eating disorder? Well, she's back-in the BBC's latest pun on Super Size Me. In Super Botox Me, journalist (and exhibitionist?) Kate Spicer goes face-first into the world of injections and lasers. Check out this part of the clip of her meeting with her "knife coach" for a consultation: "Do I look like I've had Botox?" "Yes." Tune in tonight at 9 P.M. EST.

--Hannah Morrill, Assistant Editor

Related: Botox: Does It Make You Happy or Sad?

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Will the next big blonde trend be buttery highlights? Platinum streaks? Caramel lowlights? For now, it's actually none of the above. Instead, the news is about haircolor going green. Scientists have figured out a new way to lift dark pigment without hurting your hair or the environment. The method? A fungus. Researchers at the Kao Corporation in Tokyo discovered that one found in forest soil, Basidiomycete ceriporiopsis, contains an enzyme that can blondify hair. A treatment still requires some peroxide, but only a fraction of what's used in traditional bleaches. If you're dying to get green hair (heh), there'll be a bit of a wait-the scientists are struggling to grow enough of the fungus to satisfy wannabe blondes.

Celebrity stylist, Chris McMillan's tips on how to get shinier, healthier-looking hair.

photo by Franz Walderdorff for Allure

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• Botox: Does It Make You Happy or Sad?
  
• The perfect red nail polish right now
  

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Listen up shopaholics and please, step away from your overburdened credit cards immediately. There's an answer to the recession-era "spend money on an 'It' bag or your rent" dilemma: borrowed couture. Perhaps you've heard of Bag Borrow or Steal at this point, the site devoted to fine leather rental? Right now, you can get your mitts on a quilted Chanel bag (the one we just saw all the models in Paris sporting), for as little as, ahem, $119 per week. Hey, it costs almost three grand to own. You do the math.

Check out all the hottest beauty trends straight from the runway.

Lesser known but growing day by day is Wear Today Gone Tomorrow, a similar premise that revolves around clothing. I'm not sure if even I am superficial enough to carry around a fancy clutch I'm pretending to own, but considering I'm invited to more weddings this summer than Katherine Heigl in 27 Dresses, it's tempting to borrow a minty Fendi shift for just one special day without spending more than I ought

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