Blog Posts by Allure Daily Beauty Reporter

You've heard us talk about the necessity of sunscreen before. And we don't deny it, we love the stuff. But you may not know about all the good things that come from protecting your hair from the sun. UV exposure can ruin your color and also cause your hair to turn gray faster.

"I believe the affect UV rays will have on the hair is the same as the skin," Jeannette Graf, a dermatologist in New York City, told Allure. "You can see it when the side you part your hair on turns gray sooner than the rest of your hair." The good news is that you don't have to smear your hair with sunscreen-there are products designed specifically to protect your hair.

A few we like: Goldwell's new Dual Senses Sun Reflects line is specifically targeted at protecting your hair from sun damage-their Leave-in Protect Spray works as a detangler, moisturizer, and UV filter (and has a delish passion fruit smell). Redken's Color Extend Sun Solar Screen SPF 12 contains mango oil to moisturize and ceramides to repair

Confronting a new work week can be tough to do early in the morning, so in order to make ourselves feel-and look-polished before heading out the door, we each have our tried and true makeup product that makes the morning a little better. Here are our Monday morning staples:

"Definitely mascara. Creating a dark contrast between your lids and your eyes make the whites look whiter, so I always wear black-never brown. If the mascara comes in a 'Blackest Black,' 'Very Black,' or 'Carbon Black,' I go for that. Maybelline Define-A-Lash in Very Black is ideal because it's very glossy and doesn't fade to gray halfway through the day. Just make sure to push the brush into the lash line before sweeping it up the lashes so you get a good concentration of color there." -Amy Keller Laird, beauty director

"Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes eyeliner in Pearly Brown. I wear eyeliner every day, and this dark brown one adds just enough definition to my eyes without looking as intense as black. The pencil

A note to the United States Postal Service:

After we read in Women's Wear Daily that Germany now offers scratch-and-sniff stamps (with the scents of lemon, blueberry, strawberry, apple, and red rose)-as do countries including Bhutan, South Korea, Brazil, Switzerland and Hong Kong-Allure would like to suggest a few fairly lofty perfume ideas for a scented-stamp series right here in the States, tailor-made for exactly what you're dropping in the mailbox.

• Wedding invitations: By Kilian's Prelude to Love, Invitation mixes sophisticated citrus notes of bergamot, orange, and Italian lemon with soft, warm iris. We find that it's just as nice on men as women (really, some of our husbands wear it!)-ideal here, because it isn't actually just her day.
• Love letters: There's nothing better than Frédéric Malle Carnal Flower to ignite the fires. The tuberose scent really, truly smells like sex-but in a gorgeous, glamorous, movie-love-scene-perfection way.

There's a new kind of omega on the block. We've all heard about the tons of health benefits of getting enough omega-3 fatty acids. Now a new study from the University of Illinois suggests omega-6 fatty acids can help your skin.

The study on mice, which was published in the Journal of Lipid Research, found that a deficiency in arachidonic acid (a type of omega-6) in mice made them scratch themselves continuously. When researchers gave the mice omega-6, boom-their skin got better. The scientists think that incorporating the fatty acid, which is found in meat, eggs, and dairy, into the diet may help with dermatitis (itchy, reddened skin.)

Photo Credit: Condé Nast Digital Studio

More from Allure:

• 10 Hairstyles That Make You Look 10 Years Younger
• 37 New Hair Ideas For 2010
• 17 Bad Skin Habits
• 10 Greatest Celebrity Hair Makeovers Ever
• 20 Products That Will Make You Look Younger Instantly

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) has released statistics on cosmetic procedures performed nationwide in 2009. (Their projections are based on a survey of certified doctors.) Here are a few highlights:

• Contrary to what you might think based on reading tabloids, of the 10 million cosmetic procedures performed in 2009, only 15 percent of them were surgeries. Eighty-five percent were nonsurgical procedures such as Botox, Juvederm, and laser hair removal.
• Cosmetics procedures on men have increased over 8 percent since 2008. The top male surgery of 2009 was liposuction.
• Breast augmentation is the top surgery overall (and the top surgery for women). But fewer people got them this year than last (311,957, compared to 355,671).
• Seventy-eight percent of the procedures were performed on Caucasians.
• And last but not least, the richer people are, the more they approve of cosmetic surgery. Forty-eight percent of those who earn under $25,000 approve,

You choose your shampoo and conditioner based on your hair type. Same goes for your styling products and sometimes even your brushes and hot tools. But did you know that there are several different types of salon highlights, each of which flatters certain hair types or shades? Neither did we, until we spoke with colorist Jet Rhys of Jet Rhys Hair Salon in San Diego. She breaks down the lingo and offers tips on what to ask for at the salon.

Foil highlights. Even if you've never had highlights, you're probably familiar with this approach. It's ideal for women with fine hair, since the dye bulks up strands, while the increased dimension creates the illusion of fuller hair.

Related: Our Favorite New Hair Boosting Trick

Balayage. Want highlights that don't look like, well, highlights? This technique, in which the dye is painted on by hand (meaning no foils), is especially flattering on women with curly or wavy hair to create natural-looking streaks. On each section of hair, the

We're pretty excited about breaking out the sandals, but if you're not able to squeeze regular pedicures into your calendar-or your budget-don't be afraid to try it on your own at home. Here's how:

1. Take a milk bath. Not as ridiculous as it sounds! The lactic acid in the milk will help smooth calluses, so fill a large bowl or tub with equal parts milk and warm water, add a few drops of lavender oil, and soak your feet for five to ten minutes.
2. Care for your cuticles. Rub a drop of cuticle oil into each toenail bed and push back any thickened skin with an orangewood stick. Use a coarse-grain emery board to file your nails straight across to prevent ingrowns, and then slightly round the edges.
3. Soften your soles. Refill the bowl with clean water, then thoroughly exfoliate both feet with a coarse foot scrub and rinse them clean. Remove calluses on your heels, the balls of your feet, and your toes with a foot file or pumice stone.
4. Add some moisture. After

Hairstylist Louise O'Connor, owner of OC61 Salon and Spa in New York City, recently gave me a bouncy blowout before I went on TV. As she spilled these products out of her kit, the beauty voyeur in me took over and I asked why these five items made the cut out of all the hair products in the world. Here's what O'Connor-who has worked with Beyoncé, Jessica Simpson, Kirsten Dunst, and model Coco Rocha-loves and why:

Phyto Phytovolume Actif Volumizer Spray: "I give two sprays at the roots when hair is damp. I do it section by section: As I spray the product, I add blow-dryer heat to the roots." (She says that the technique can also work to refresh a blowout.)

Marilyn Jeli Ceramica brush: "The ceramic core adds a little extra heat and shine to hair so it helps to set the shape."

Barex Re-Define Creme: "It's really light-people with any hair texture can use it. I like to use this when hair is damp before a blow-dry, or as a polisher on dry hair to take away frizz."

Living