Blog Posts by Allure Daily Beauty Reporter

Madaline Donnelly

Courtesy of Getty ImagesSteam rooms are great for relaxing. That much we all know. But determined to find more benefits of-and, to be perfectly frank, more excuses to hang out in-a steam room, I called Francesca Fusco, a dermatologist in New York City.

Is the steam room like one big facial for the body?
In a way, yes. "Fifteen minutes in the steam room opens pores, increases sweating, stimulates circulation, and eliminates toxins," Fusco says.

See more: Top 21 Drugstore Beauty Bargains

Should anyone avoid steaming?
"People with rosacea or sensitive skin should approach with caution," she says, "because it could promote or exacerbate flushing through the dilation of capillaries, which are very reactive."

What can you do to maximize the benefits of steaming?
"Before entering the steam room, shower with a gentle exfoliating scrub to prevent clogging and sweat-trapping that could lead to heat rash," Fusco says. "For dry scalps, apply a conditioning mask like Clear

Patrick Rogers


Courtesy of Getty ImagesYou can always count on the tabloids for sensationalism, but one particular headline earlier this week sent shivers of fear through the beautysphere. "Doc Warns That Popular Gel Manicure Is a 'Cancer Risk'" screamed the New York Post atop a story that likened the lamps in nail salons to cancer-causing indoor tanning beds. We contacted the doctor in question, NYU Medical School department of dermatology assistant professor Chris Adigun, and she welcomed the chance to set the record straight about an article that related some, but by no means all, of the information you need to know about UV nail lamps. "There is a risk, but the risk is small," she says-and there's certainly no reason to give up your gel manicures.

See more: The 10 Commandments of Mascara

As any woman who has had one of the popular manicures knows, UV lamps are an essential step for curing the gel polish that can last for weeks. The problem is, the lamps emit UV light, and UV light does cause cancer

AllureJoan Kron


Spring is almost here and all across America women are squeezing into skin-tight, colored jeans and thinking, "If only I could be one size smaller." Well, come September, a new fat-reduction machine will be available to help fulfill that wish-and this one may actually work. The Czech-made Vanquish device uses so called focused-field radio frequency to zap fat without ever touching the patient's body. Only a handful of the devices will initially be available, which means the line for appointments could be longer than a queue for Justin Bieber tickets.

Oh no, not another fat buster, you say. In the last 35 years, entrepreneurs have introduced a cavalcade of technologies to reduce fat, each with its own drawbacks. First came liposuction: It requires anesthesia and surgery and sometimes leaves patients with uneven results and weeks of bruising. Then there was ultrasound: A technician moves a hand piece over the body to deliver deep-diving sound waves that destroy fat below

Courtesy of Getty ImagesLinda Wells


My favorite places to shop in Paris (besides Céline, Pierre Hardy, Louboutin, Azzedine Alaïa, and E.Dehillerin, for pots and pans) are the pharmacies. Just the sight of the neon green cross that identifies them makes me salivate. They're small and clinical, and something about them makes everything inside seem more powerful and important. Many of these products are sold now in the U.S., but they're often cheaper at French pharmacies. Here's what's on my shopping list this week:

Embryolisse Laid-Crème Concentré. This looks like a toothpaste tube and holds a face cream of almost perfect consistency. It moisturizes really well, works under makeup, and smells slightly floral and feminine. It doesn't contain SPF or a single anti-aging ingredient, so I layer it over those.

See more: Top 21 Drugstore Beauty Bargains

La Roche-Posay Anthelios 50 Mineral Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid. This sunscreen used to be available only in Europe, and I'd stock up on every trip. I still

CN Digital StudioShannon Ray


Shannon Ray was the winner of the 2012 Allure Beauty Blogger Awards and is now contributing to the Daily Beauty Reporter.

This weekend is Daylight Savings Time, which means that yo' butt's going to be getting one less hour of sleep. For me, that means looking exactly an hour less presentable to the world. Or you can use these time-saving beauty tips and hit the snooze button until your little heart is content. I'm a lazy b, so I know ALL the tricks to continually perpetuate the laziness while still living my life (somewhat) normally. Taking forever to get ready when you could be saving a ton of time? Not on my watch.

See more: Top 21 Drugstore Beauty Bargains

Bang, bang, bang. There are those times in life when just washing and styling your hair seems like so friggin' much. But walking around looking like a Johnny Depp hair twin only works for, well, Johnny Depp. Luckily, there is a fast (and easy) remedy for this conundrum. First, wash just your bang area (or

Courtesy of Getty ImagesAlexandra Owens





Yes, you read that right. The same microbe that causes inflamed, impossible to get rid of acne may also be the secret to eliminating it. New research from UCLA has revealed that Propionibacterium acnes, the common acne bacteria found in pores, comes in many different varieties-and the strains specific to your skin may determine whether you're prone to pimples or not.

See more: Top 21 Drugstore Beauty Bargains

It seems not all forms of the bacteria are bad. Researchers collected samples from the noses of 101 participants, half of whom suffered from acne and half who didn't. The bacteria was present in both skin groups, but after the genomes of 66 different strains were mapped, some interesting results emerged. Certain variants, including ones with increased resistance to tetracycline, an antibiotic commonly prescribed for acne, were more prevalent in acne sufferers, while other strains lived predominantly in the pores of people with healthy skin.

See

Elizabeth Siegel



There's a certain free-spirited quality to long hair-and it looks like that fact hasn't slipped by the North Koreans. Word's gotten out that their famously secretive government has issued a list of 28 state-sanctioned haircuts for men and women, as reported by the U.K.'s Telegraph-and none goes past the collarbone. The approved cuts have been deemed the "most comfortable" styles that also protect against the "corrupting effects of capitalism," reports New York's Daily News. Think of the worst hairdo your least-favorite grade school teacher had, and it's probably on the list of the 18 options for women.

See more: Top 21 Drugstore Beauty Bargains

(Apparently, middle-parted, feathered bangs are supereasy and socialist.) Single women are instructed to keep their hair shorter than married women, and guys are prohibited from growing their hair longer than two inches-unless you're "older," in which you case you can get away with a full three. The good

Courtesy of Getty ImagesMadaline Donnelly



The beautiful Michelle Williams has been in the news lately for two things: a sad split (from funnyman/everyone's favorite puppeteer Jason Segel) and, fittingly, a new hairstyle. And we just got a good look at how she's already pulling off the latter (above), which is no small feat: After rocking her now trademark blonde pixie for roughly six years, Williams says she's ready to go long again. Calling the growing-out phase "hard on your self-esteem," she told E! News, "I'm happy to not have anything looming [work-wise]-I'm really working on growing my hair out."

See more: Top 21 Drugstore Beauty Bargains

While I've never grown out a pixie personally (or even bangs for that matter), I hear where she's coming from and imagine it's a total drag. Sort of like the beauty equivalent of those half-winter half-spring mornings where you stand in front of your closet wondering what to wear forever, only to settle on some weird combo that leaves you