Blog Posts by Allure Daily Beauty Reporter

Courtesy of sephora.comSophia Panych, Allure magazine

Sure, it's the summer-the time of year when most of us get a chance to escape on vacation or at least spend our weekends relaxing on the beach. But it's also the time of year for back-to-back weddings, long car trips, and one too many happy hour margaritas. I might be speaking from personal experience here, but all those factors combined equal dark circles and serious bags. Here are the tricks, tips, and products I use to keep my eyes bright (and open) after a long night out.

See more: Top 21 Drugstore Beauty Bargains

Chill out. My favorite cooling eye gel is from Skyn Iceland. I lay the mini masks under my eyes the minute I get out of the shower and leave them on while I make my bed and get dressed. After about five minutes all the puffiness is gone.

See more: The 10 Commandments of Mascara

Get caffeinated. An eye cream that contains caffeine or vitamin K strengthen the blood vessels and reduces puffiness. I love Clinique All About Eyes.

Alexandra Owens, Allure magazine

Terrible at two, sweet at sixteen-sexy at 28? A new survey by Lil-Lets found that the average British woman feels sexiest at 28 and most confident at 32. But I'm not buying the idea of, as The Daily Mail put it, a "magic age." It suggests that everything before, in between, and after must somehow be lesser.

See more: Top 21 Drugstore Beauty Bargains

Being surer of your body and yourself at 32 rather than 22 makes sense. At that point, life becomes increasingly stable, you've had richer, diverse experiences, and you're more established in your career and social circles (one would hope). But it seems strange to me that 32 caps off the growing period. It worries me that, according to this study, women at 38, 48, or 68 aren't more confident. Does confidence wane? Does it just plateau?

See more: The 10 Commandments of Mascara

When I first started college, so many people told me that it would be the best time of my life. When I graduated, the

Lexi Novak Owens, Allure magazine

Kelly Osbourne may be. And it looks like you won't find too many frilly G-strings or lace bustiers in her top drawer, either-after being asked about her favorite lingerie, she told WWD that it's Spanx all the way.

See more: Top 21 Drugstore Beauty Bargains

I hear you, Kelly. I love the rush of excitement that comes from wearing racy unmentionables as much as the next girl, but I'd rather be sucked-in and smooth than lumpy and lacy. And while that black scalloped bra and matching thong may look great in candlelight, for the fluorescent-lit 99 percent of my life, I prefer something a bit more utilitarian. The big question, however, is: when do those Spanx cross the line from confidence-booster to psychological crutch?

See more: The 10 Commandments of Mascara

It was during a recent beach vacation that my dependence became clear. I was planning to wear my go-to, always-looks-amazing summer dress to dinner. Everything was going smoothly (pun

Photo: Courtesy of Touchstone PicturesAlexandra Owens, Allure magazine

As anyone who has ever walked past a construction site knows, men often seem to think that women welcome comments about their appearance. And lately, it seems like women are speaking up more and more about the fact that we really don't need to hear the subconscious streaming about our legs, skirts, breasts, makeup, or anything else.

See more: The 10 Commandments of Mascara

The dialogue has ranged from the truly upsetting to the mildly irritating, like Jezebel's spot-on post, "Don't You Dare Ask Me Why I Look Mad." Judging by the number of comments and Tweets the post stirred up, it seems like a lot of us can relate to the gross, infuriating feeling of having a stranger stare us down and critique our expression or face. It suggests, "You're not good or pretty enough when you don't meet my criteria"-and assumes that we care about meeting those criteria in the first place.

See more: The 6 Most Flattering Haircuts for Round Faces

As much as

Sophia Panych, Allure magazine

I've always stayed far away from clip-in hair extensions. They make me think of Bump-Its, Britney Spears during the K.Fed years, and horrible shows like The Bad Girls Club, with women ripping each other's fake hair out. I recently discovered that several of my friends keep clip-ins handy for getting thicker, longer-looking hair for a night, and they always look good-but I still wasn't entirely sold on the idea of wearing something in my hair that could potentially fall out or make me look like a pop star on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

See more: Top 21 Drugstore Beauty Bargains

That all changed when I met up with hairstylist Ken Paves yesterday at the launch event for his new collection of Hairdo By HairUWear products. (They're out this fall and include textured ponytails and ombré-dyed extensions.) With three quick clicks and a few swipes of a flatiron, Paves converted me into a clip-in fanatic-my hair looked, and felt, thicker and the 16-inch

Alexandra Owens, Allure magazine

My favorite thing about America's Next Top Model (OK, the only reason I ever watched it past the first season) is the makeover episode. I love watching girls reduced to hysterics by cutting shears and hair dye. It's great, primetime schadenfreude. I tell myself that they're ridiculous, childish, out-of-touch, and, of course, that I would be braver and have the perspective to realize that hair does in fact grow back. Drastically altering your hair is not a big deal.

See more: The 6 Most Flattering Haircuts for Round Faces

As it turns out, that's exactly what Anne Hathaway tried to convince herself of before getting a pixie cut for her role as Fantine in Les Misérables. Although the actress didn't expect the change to be a big deal (and even offered to do it instead of using a wig), she confessed that she wasn't so tough when the time came. "I've now done backflips out of windows, I've jumped off buildings," she told PEOPLE.com. "And cutting my hair

Renee Trilivas, Allure magazine

Whether it means dropping a few pounds or putting on mascara in the morning, everyone wants to look good. But do you really want to look good-or do you want to be looked at?

See more: The 6 Most Flattering Haircuts for Round Faces

An Ohio woman is raising money for breast implants, which will help improve her self-esteem, she says, but instead of picking up some extra shifts at work, she's taking her cause to the streets. Thirty-seven-year-old Chrissy Lance, clad in a silver bikini and perched on a shiny motorcycle, has been panhandling at the side of the road to pay for her plastic surgery. You've got to give her props for putting it all out there to get what she wants, but her quest for $5,000 to pay for a boob job seems to be as much about attention as self-improvement.

See more: Top 21 Drugstore Beauty Bargains

Maybe it's just me, but if I ever decided to opt for plastic surgery over my real breasts, I wouldn't be parading around in next

Catherine Q. O'Neill, Allure magazine

If you followed soccer's Euro 2012, you know Spain defender Gerard Piqué got a lot of attention this year (and not just because he helped his team take home the championship). Piqué also happens to be dating Colombian bombshell Shakira, who didn't miss a match this season. We talked to the singer, who is launching her new fragrance, Elixir, this month, about her summer beauty routine and how she always looks so gorgeous on the sidelines.

See more: The 10 Commandments of Mascara

Are there any products you can't live without in the summer?
Sunblock. Sunblock. Sunblock. I like BabyGanic because it's all natural, waterproof, gentle, and it really stays. And La Roche-Posay Anthelios 50 because it's paraben-free.

See more: The 6 Most Flattering Haircuts for Round Faces

What's your summer makeup routine?
I'm trying to go au naturel with my makeup. I like to use Tarte foundation because it's oil-free and waterproof and doesn't have