Blog Posts by Allure Magazine

Bailey Brown, Allure magazine

Spring is here and with it come new trends. See one way to rock them all here!

Intricate nail décor has been creeping its way onto store shelves and into makeup collections for over a year. But what started as easy-to-apply, pre-decorated nail polish strips has turned into an all-out texture, color, and finish-laden free for all, and it isn't going anywhere in the coming Spring and Summer months. This is by far my favorite trend because it makes loud and flashy nails chic, and the possibilities are endless! But it's this trend's versatility that can make it hard for a girl to know where to start. My suggestion: use other trends as the basis for your design.

See more: The Best Beauty Products Under $9

Photo: Bailey BrownPastels
Candy coat your nails with soft colors and fun designs. Pastels are a safe way to rock the color trend without worrying about going overboard. Clueless about what design to use? When in doubt, I go for something simple and repetitive, like

Hannah Morrill, Allure magazine

There may be no guaranteed way to prevent unwelcome red or white streaks, but Howard Sobel, a New York City dermatologic surgeon and the founder of DDF Doctor's Dermatologic Formula, says you can minimize them with a few effective skin strategies.

See more: The Best Beauty Products Under $9

Don't yo-yo. Staying within 25 to 30 pounds of a base weight decreases the chances that stretch marks will form.

Treat them early. Marks start out red and become white over time. No matter what course of action you take, you'll have much better luck if you treat them when they're fresh.

See more: The Best Beauty Products Under $9

Moisturizers are a temporary fix. Lotions and body oils encourage cells to retain water, which plumps the skin. This helps improve the look of stretch marks and can also minimize, but not prevent, their formation during pregnancy.

Retin-A targets red streaks. Applied twice daily for two to six months, a 0.1 percent

Photo: Courtesy of amlactin.comHannah Morrill, Allure magazine

Forty percent of the population has a genetic predisposition to keratosis pilaris (KP), the gritty red bumps often found on upper arms and thighs. The condition is so common at dermatologist Doris Day's New York City office that she's developed a surefire course of treatment to keep KP on the DL.

See more: Find the Best Haircut for Your Face Shape

It's controllable, but not curable. When the skin's keratin proteins form hard plugs at the hair follicles rather than shedding normally, KP is born. While you may eventually outgrow the condition, there's no permanent solution.

See more: The Best Beauty Products Under $9

Avoid harsh scrubs. Abrasive ones can inflame the already sandpapery bumps. Glycolic acid cleansers, such as Glytone Exfoliating Body Wash, gently dissolve the dead cells that bind the plugs.

Switch your moisturizer. An alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) cream, like AmLactin, loosens keratin buildup while it moisturizes. Most people notice

Hannah Morrill, Allure magazine

They may take decades to appear, but according to dermatologist Susan C. Taylor, who founded the Skin of Color Center at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City, sun spots can take just a few minutes to remove with targeted treatment.

See more: Find the Best Haircut for Your Face Shape

First, they must be diagnosed. Sun spots are flat, brown collections of melanin pigment produced by cells called melanocytes. They won't fade on their own like some freckles, and they aren't black or irregularly shaped like malignant melanomas.

They're also preventable. Sun spots have only one cause: sun exposure. A daily slathering of SPF 30 or higher on the face, chest, and backs of the hands can prevent new spots. When heading outdoors (beach day!), smooth on SPF 30+ a half hour before exposure, and be sure to reapply every two hours.

See more: The 10 Commandments of Mascara

Brightening creams take time. Prescription creams containing 4 percent

Photo: Courtesy of philosophy.comHannah Morrill, Allure magazine

In the humidity of New Orleans, body acne is hard to avoid. Dermatologist Mary P. Lupo, who practices there, erases bumps and blemishes on every inch of the body and knows what really works: not voodoo, but the right skin products.

See more: Find the Best Haircut for Your Face Shape

Use a medicated body wash daily. The back and butt harbor more bacteria than the face, and when you sweat-which everyone does, all day-pores open, swell, and clog. Add the friction of tight clothing, and what you end up with is unbecoming bacne and buttne. Zapping bacteria cuts the process off at the start. For the best results, try a mousselike formula with 10 percent benzoyl peroxide, like PanOxyl. It absorbs quickly and won't overdry the skin.

See more: The Best Beauty Products Under $9

Turn an acne spot treatment into a weekly peel. Spot treatments don't prevent future outbreaks. Instead, apply a 2 percent salicylic acid product all over, and allow it to fully

Rory Evans, Allure magazine

"Did someone order lobster?" Comments from friends only add insult when you lapse and get a sunburn. Here's how to minimize the pain and damage…and snarky asides.

See more: Find the Best Haircut for Your Face Shape

1. Pop an anti-inflammatory like aspirin or ibuprofen to reduce inflammation and pain.

2. Soak it in. Draw a lukewarm bath and mix in colloidal oatmeal, which moisturizes and limits inflammation, says Shamban. (It's available from Aveeno.)

See more: The Best Beauty Products Under $9

3. Try an antioxidant. Shamban recommends drinking fresh-squeezed orange juice. Rubbing on a vitamin C cream will also soothe the burn, Shamban says.

See more: The 10 Commandments of Mascara

4. Moisturize. Use your regular body lotion, or, for flaming red spots, Fusco recommends aloe-either in gel form or directly from the plant.

See more from Allure:
The 6 Most Flattering Haircuts for Round Faces
The 12 Best Eye Creams
10 New Sexy (and Speedy) Makeup

Hannah Morrill, Allure magazine

Bikini season cometh. We asked leading skin experts for their best tips for erasing spots, marks, streaks, and blemishes.

Drink water. Eat right. Think positive thoughts. If we had a dollar for every time we heard a celebrity or model coyly suggest this prescription for keeping in shape, we'd buy a private island-and escape such chimerical fluff forever. The truth is, no one thinks or drinks their way to firmer biceps. Behind every famously taut, toned, and smooth-skinned body, there's a cadre of experts tightening flab, zapping fuzz, and eliminating bumps, lines, and puckers. And now we've brought that team to you. We asked leading dermatologists, aestheticians, and waxers to spill their best tips for tackling every blemish from the neck down. No sugarcoating, no smug assertions, just real, valuable advice. How's that for a positive thought?

HAIR REMOVAL

Before Cindy Barshop founded Completely Bare 14 years ago, bikini waxes were simply

Photo: Courtesy of sephora.comElizabeth Siegel, Allure magazine

In The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen's scars get magically erased with futuristic technology. In real life, well-applied makeup is the next best thing. "A lot of it is about manipulating light," says makeup artist Joanna Schlip, who has scars on her own face from a burn. The secrets are patience-wait a minute between steps and makeup won't smudge-and the right products and tools. Here's how they can work a little trickery.

See more: Find the Best Haircut for Your Face Shape

PITTED SCARS

Two layers of primer can fake smooth skin. With an oil-free one, like Make Up For Ever HD Microperfecting Primer, apply a light, even coat, then dab more directly over each scar. If the area still looks concave, brush a concealer that's two shades lighter than your skin on top, using crisscrossing strokes (Schlip likes thick, creamy concealers, such as Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage). Otherwise, go straight to a foundation that matches your skin tone,