Blog Posts by Allure Daily Beauty Reporter

By Kate Sullivan, Allure magazine

When I first got my eyes checked just before college, an alarmed doctor reviewed my test results and asked how I had gotten to the office that day. He wanted to make sure I hadn't driven. He told me I was legally blind in one eye and had astigmatism in the other. I hadn't known the extent of my poor eyesight because it was all I had known. I got glasses and eventually laser eye surgery that corrected my sight-for a while.

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Fast forward to a few years after the laser eye surgery, and I'm getting headaches, my night vision is terrible, and I can no longer make out that street sign a block away. My sight had deteriorated; a risk I knew was possible because I had the laser surgery very young (at age 22). I needed glasses. The new optometrist was again shocked that I had been walking around without them, and by the strength of my peripheral vision when the rest of my numbers were garbage. She

Fairchild ArchiveBy Catherine Q. O'Neill, Allure magazine

Red hot Emma Stone stole the show with her hilarious presenter skit, stunning Giambattista Valli gown, and flawless hair and makeup. Here, how to get The Help star's gorgeous look.

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Makeup:
"It's glamorous, sophisticated, and lighthearted-it's her," said makeup artist Rachel Goodwin, who created Stone's pretty in pink look for Oscar night. First, she applied Revlon PhotoReady Airbrush Mousse Makeup to Stone's skin, then dabbed Revlon Lip Butter (yes, a lip balm!) in Cotton Candy on her cheeks to give them a pink sheen. She used her fingers to blend a berry gloss onto her lips for a stained effect. To make the star's green eyes really pop, Goodwin swept a soft pale pink shadow up to the brow bone, traced black liquid liner along her lash line, and applied a strip of false lashes followed by two coats of black mascara. She finished with St. Tropez lluminator in Rose (a shimmery

Some of us are lucky enough to find foundation that always looks natural or mascara that never ever smears. Then there are the rest of us. But with these foolproof tips, you can make sure you love the products you buy-without using testers on your face. (Unless you see them being opened, consider them contaminated with bacteria, says dermatologist Heidi Waldorf.) Here's what to look for, whether you're shopping at the drugstore, a department store, or online.

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PHOTO: Courtesy of Jack Black; Courtesy of Kiehl's; Courtesy of Malin+GoetzWinter is the season of cold weather and dry skin-except when it's the season of warm weather and dry skin. I know this because of the parched look of my face in the mirror these days, and the light dusting of dead skin all over my hands, which seem to be crying out, "We're thirsty," even though it looks like spring out.

We can fix all of this. But, first, why is it happening? In general, warm air does carry more moisture than cold air. But some of the staples of winter, like indoor heating, hot showers, and thicker clothing, we indulge in even when we don't have to, and all of them can dehydrate you.

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Fortunately, none of the above is a match for a good man-strength moisturizer. You may prefer the generally lighter and more fragrant formulas made for women, but a face cream from the men's aisle may come in handy next time you're stranded in Guyville or, in these days of warm winter dryness, want to pick up something to help out a

Photo: Courtesy of Realtor.comI'll never forget my first encounter with Mary Kay Cosmetics. I was thirteen years old and one of those iconic pink Cadillacs nearly ran me over in the parking lot of my junior high youth group. The elderly woman driving it could barely see over her steering wheel, and immediately became my idol.

Mary Kay Ash died in 2001, leaving a multi-million dollar legacy behind her. Her Cadillac-driving saleswomen are still scattered across the United States (a mother of one Allure editor still sells lipstick out of her living room). And now, true fans of the brand can even take up residence in her real-life Barbie Dream House.

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Her sprawling estate, located in Dallas, Texas, just went back on the market for $3.3 million. And yes, it's pink. In fact, even the bathroom is pink (complete with a pink bathtub and pink toilet). Listing agent Karen Luter told MSNBC that she'd like the home to go to another self-starter like Ash, but if it's a man

Is your water making you fat? As crazy it it sounds, plastic bottles and take out containers could be contributing to obesity-yes, you read that right. BPA, is a chemical in plastic that's recently come under a lot of scrutiny for potentially having negative effects on the brain. But in case that isn't reason enough to stay away from it, it turns out that it may also cause an uptick in insulin levels that could cause you to pack on the pounds, according to a new study by Angal Nadal, a BPA sepcialist at Miguel Hernendez University in Spain. Even trace amounts of BPA (we're talking a quarter of a billionth of a gram) can have these effects, says Nadal.

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It's enough to make me put down the delivery menu and dust off my cook books. Or, for that matter, put down my water bottle and turn on the tap. What about you? Any ideas for how to lead a BPA-free life? (It's not easy-the stuff is everywhere!)

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Nars Blush in ZenIf you read the Allure blog regularly, you know that I basically have my spray tanner on speed dial (we text every Thursday to nail down my appointment time). But of course things come up and there are weeks when I can't fit my spray tan in. If I'm in the mood to embrace my natural skin tone (believe it or not, this happens), I do, but other times, like when I'm interviewing Justin Timberlake (tomorrow!), I take tanning into my own hands. These are my tried-and-true techniques:

For a subtle boost: Swipe a Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Glow Pad on clean skin before bed. The towelettes are pre-soaked with hydroxy acids to exfoliate and microencapsulated DHA to produce color. You wake up with softer, warmer-looking skin.

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For a deeper glow: Add a dollop of Jouer Cosmetics Luminizing Moisture Tint in Bronzed to your typical foundation to pump up the color a notch or two. This warms up your skintone without looking fake.

Nicole Miller Fall 2012 RTW Six days into New York Fashion Week and we're already in beauty overdrive. Bright, glossy lipstick? Bring it on. Sleek updos? Sign us up. Funky nails? The bolder, the better. We had to wonder, though, if our boyfriends were just as enthusiastic about the new trends as we are. We enlisted the help of the guys downstairs at GQ to give us some pointers on what they actually like to see on a date. Now excuse me while I wipe off my fuchsia lipstick.

Let down your hair. GQ contributor Mark Anthony Green says he'd rather see women with their hair loose than pulled into a braid like we saw at Rachel Zoe. "I mean, what are you tying that with? A barrette with some rhinestones on it that says your name or some shit?" he asked. And as far as voluminous updos go (like the ones at Katie Gallagher): "That swoop in the front, I don't know what you call it, looks a little like a Triceratops," he added.

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Less is more. When it came to choosing a