Blog Posts by Allure Daily Beauty Reporter

Courtesy of drugstore.comGrace Clarke
Allure


Oh, the unspeakable acts I'd commit for a whiter smile. (I may or may not be guilty of plastering on two-hour Crest White Strips and sitting, mute, through a meeting.) And if the number of people trolling the dental hygiene aisle at Walgreens last weekend was any indication, I am not alone. Call it the Award Season Effect, but unlike Jessica Chastain's cheek bones or Angelina's leg(s), a whiter smile is actually attainable. I spoke to New York dentist Lee Gause, who cares for the gorgeous grins of Ford Models and regular folk alike, about getting a whiter, healthier smile.

Start with an at-home whitening product. Whitestrips do work. And there are options beyond that, too, like Boots Pearl Drops Beauty Sleep Overnight Serum-a nice mix of whitening peroxide and tooth strengthening fluoride that tastes not half bad. For the day-in-day-out task of whitening, Gause recommends stashing a whitening pen, like Finishing Touch Smile Pen, in your bag ("take this to the bathroom

Catherine Devine, Allure Magazine

In case you haven't heard, the East Coast just got hit with a little snow storm. Naturally, I spent Friday night holed up in my apartment catching up on episodes of Nashville (Really, Teddy? And with the girl from Father of the Bride?!) and scheming up vacation ideas that would get me as far from Nemo as possible. You guys, on the other hand, have far less scheming to do: We've already planned your next trip for you, all in the name of our Readers' Choice Awards. Tell us the products you just can't live without and you'll be entered for the chance to win a trip for two to Lake Austin Spa Resort in Austin. Oh, and if you fill out our Readers' Choice Breakthroughs ballot, you'll be entered for the chance to win another trip to Red Mountain Resort in St. George, Utah. Yup, that's TWO free spa trips up for grabs!

See more: The 10 Commandments of Mascara

There's seriously nothing like a relaxing, yoga-class-and-massage-filled weekend away. But believe

Elizabeth Siegel, Allure magazine

"The ends tend to be the most damaged part of anyone's hair," says hairstylist Kristin Ess, who works with celebrities including Lauren Conrad. "And if you have long hair, your scalp's natural oils don't get all the way down to the ends, so they're usually a little duller than the rest." Good thing she's honed a technique for making them look healthier. And nope, it doesn't involve going on a search-and-destroy mission for split ends. Here's her advice:

See more: The 10 Commandments of Mascara

Every time you style: If you're starting with wet hair, rub a dime-size amount of a lightweight leave-in conditioner into your ends; if your hair is prone to flyaways, smooth some over the lengths as well. (Sexy Hair Healthy Sexy Hair Leave In Conditioner is Ess's favorite.) "I like to avoid using oils on the ends because they attract dirt and dust, which will make them look even duller," she says. Then, when your hair is dry, flatiron just the ends-even if

Courtesy of ZaggoraLexi Novak, Allure magazine

First, there were stomach belts that promised to tighten your abs. Then came the bulky toning sneakers. And now come workout tights that claim to boost weight loss: Zaggora HotPants.

See more: The 10 Commandments of Mascara

According to their website, HotPants are made with Celu-Lite (cute, eh?), a "fabric technology that harnesses the body's natural heat during exercise to help you burn more calories." In one study, participants wearing the HotPants burned an average of 11 percent more calories than those wearing standard exercise clothing.

Geralyn Coopersmith, national director at Equinox Fitness Training Institute, says the pants may increase your energy expenditure by making you sweat, since "your body is working harder to keep you cooler." But that's not necessarily a good thing. "The body is working to dissipate heat, and if it's unable to do that, it compromises the cardiovascular system and people begin to feel ill," she says.

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Courtesy of Getty ImagesShannon Ray, Allure magazine

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

Dudes can be kind of weird, non? They can kind of seem like simple creatures, when they're putting on that same old crumpled-ass T-shirt they've worn four times in a row and playing like that mess doesn't have a rampant infestation of ketchup stains all over it. (Sorry to stereotype you, guys. I know this isn't applicable to ALL of you.) And it seems that this simplicity usually crosses into their beauty (manuty???) routines, or lack thereof. But don't be fooled-there are many lessons to be learned from these dude actions, and they can totally be translated into grown-lady beauty business.

See more: Top 21 Drugstore Beauty Bargains

Shaving to exfoliate. Have you ever noticed how a lot of guys' faces are supersoft and smooth? Surely they aren't all secretly harvesting away apricot facial scrubs. In reality, shaving is a damn

Courtesy of GettyAlexandra Owens, Allure magazine

The publishing world has been speculating about what the redesigned T magazine would look like-and its first cover, featuring 79-year-old Lee Radziwill, was well worth the wait. Everyone is buzzing about Radziwill's years, but the best part of the Kennedy-connected socialite's image isn't just her age-it's that she actually looks it. Posing assertively in an elegant black dress, she appears confident, beautiful, and every bit the way I would sell my soul to look when I approach 80. There's nothing shy or apologetic about this picture.

See more: The 10 Commandments of Mascara

It reminded me that last year, Allure asked three gorgeous women at different ages how they feel about growing older. Here's a bit more inspiration-and words of wisdom on aging right.

Carolyn Murphy, 38, told us, "I do mindful meditation with my daughter. It takes ten minutes. I think reducing stress plays a big part in anti-aging."

See more: Top 21 Drugstore Beauty

Courtesy of garnierusa.comElizabeth Siegel, Allure magazine

What to always-and never, ever-do to keep hair in top shape.

Always: Use heat-protectant spray. It prevents frizz, flyaways, split ends, breakage, and dullness, says hairstylist Oscar Blandi of the Oscar Blandi Salon in New York City. Try L'Oreal Paris Color Vibrancy Dual Protect Spray, wchich contains light reflectors to add shine (drugstore.com).

Always: Choose tools wisely. Detangle with a wide-tooth rubber comb (like one by Beuy Pro) and style with a boar-bristle brush. Pick an ionic blow-dryer with 2,000 watts, a ceramic iron, or keratin-infused tools, like those from Remington Keratin Therapy (Beuy Pro, btypros.com; remingtonproducts.com).

See more: The 10 Commandments of Mascara

Always: Take the nozzle off your blow-dryer. Point it down, says hairstylist Sarah Potempa. "The heat will be more diffused."

Never: Manhandle wet hair. If you tug on it, tease it, tie it up with an elastic, sleep on it, or comb it, wet hair