Allure
Take a trip down fashion memory lane with this year's crop of beautiful and stylish Academy Award nominees.
Gourmet, Romulo YanesDanielle Pergament, Allure magazine
An interview with Kevin Zraly, the founder of Windows on theWorld Wint School in New York City and the author of Kevin Zraly's Complete Wine Course (Sterling Epicure).
Narrow it down. There are literally thousands of wines in the world, so start by focusing on a country, then a color, then a region: for example, Tuscan reds or Sanish Riojas, you could focus it even more by year (Napa Valley Cabernets from 2009) or by price (Argentinian Malbecs under $20). From there, a knowledgeable salesperson at a store with a large selection can help you choose your wines. Try for six different bottles. Any more can be hard ot keep track of.
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Run the numbers. You need about one bottle of wine for every 15 people, and each serving should be about an ounce and a half; you may want to buy extra if you're hosting dinner after the tasting. Ideally, you would sip each wine from a different glass.
Use your senses. Before you
Lexi Novak, Allure magazine
Date night is the time to break out of your usual routine and crank up the romance. Here are the secrets to getting the best flirty makeup looks-with a little celebrity inspiration.
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The 10 Most Gorgeous Hair-Color Ideas for Brunettes
Courtesy of drugstore.comElizabeth Siegel, Allure magazine
1. Breakage. The pros agree the best thing you can do to prevent future damage is use a heat protectant when blow-drying. Coax any flyaways down with two shots of lightweight hair spray. "First aim it at the hair in the direction you want it to lie," says Hawkins. "Then spritz it on a paddle brush and use that to smooth the hair down."
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2. Flakes. Quick quiz: Do you only see flakes in the winter? You've got a dry scalp. Use a moisturizing shampoo, and put conditioner right on your scalp for five minutes each week. Do you use styling products like volumizer on your roots every day? Scrub away the residue weekly with a tablespoon or sugar or clarifying shampoo. Do you have flakes and no clue why? Use an anti-dandruff shampoo, like Head and Shoulders Damage Rescue, twice a week (walmart.com).
3. Split ends. Stop putting off your next cut-every eight to ten weeks is the rule, says Blandi. And again, if you own a
Grace Clarke, Allure magazine
Tossing your hair and licking your lips? Please-amateur night! There are more surprising (and effective) ways to be utterly seductive.
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10 Hairstyles That Make You Look 10 Years Younger
The Most Flattering Makeup Colors for Brown Eyes
The 10 Most Gorgeous Hair-Color Ideas for Brunettes
Danielle Pergament, Allure magazine
An interview with Nate Berkus, an interior designer and the author of The Things That Matter (Spiegel & Grau). He has a line of accessories and home goods at Target.
The best interiors are assembled and layered over time. Before you acquire anything, stop and take a beat-it's really important to have a connection to what you are buying. You wind up with a house full of little stories that reflect who you are.
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Be inconsistent. I try to buy in odd numbers. Three frames or candlesticks look less rigid than two. Don't go for one uniform accent color-it looks contrived, like you live on a TV set. If you want pops of green in the living room, make sure you have five different shades of green. And be inventive: Put a green palm leaf in a clear glass vase; add a grosgrain ribbon to a lampshade; paint your coffee table. There are plenty of ways to add arftul details without spending a lot of money.
Elevate the
Courtesy of AquaphorSophia Panych, Allure magazine
Your skin is intimately connected to the environment, so going to a new climate throws off its natural moisture levels. You always need to give your skin a few days to readjust, but there are steps you can take and products you can pack to minimize any trouble.
An interview with Ellen Marmur, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New york City.
Prepare yourself. Regardless of where you're traveling, start using the products you'll be taking with you three days before you leave, to acclimate your skin. Tone down drying or potentially irritating ingredients, like alpha hydroxy acids or retinols; wash with sulfate-free soap; and load up on creams and serums rich in emollients so your skin is well hydrated. Also, avoid unnecessary irritation, like peels and resurfacing treatments. Think of it as an elimination diet for your face.
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At the beach. By nature, our skin loves
Elizabeth Siegel, Allure magazine
You know not to lather, rinse, repeat. You know not to shampoo every day. But unless you're a professional hairstylist, you're probably still washing your hair the wrong way.
1. Look at how much shampoo you're using. Now cut that in half. You should use a quarter-size amount. "Shampoo removes all of the dirt and oil from your hair, then it starts stripping away essential oils and lipids that prevent dryness and breakage," says Hawkins. Shampoos labeled moisturizing, curl-enhancing, or color-protecting are relatively kind.
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2. Do not vigorously massage your shampoo. That roughs up the cuticle, causing frizz, flyaways, and miniscule tangles. Rub your shampoo between your hands, gently massage the roots with your fingertips, and smooth what's left on your palms over the length.
3. Rinse (duh), but don't condition just yet. Give your hair a few gentle squeezes first, since "excess water dilutes your
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Courtesy of GoopKate Sullivan, Allure magazine
Some celebrities are fashion pioneers. Gwyneth Paltrow takes on that role for diet trends. Here, a history of her food habits.
MACROBIOTIC, 1998-2002
Paltrow researches macrobiotic food for her father, Bruce, who was diagnosed with throat cancer; she gradually adopts the lifestyle herself. Bruce says the diet is like "biting into The New York Times."
JUNK FOOD, 2004
Craves grilled cheese and French fries while pregnant. She later says, "I couldn't look at brown rice" and "What I learned during my pregnancy is that there is a real lack of Mexican food in London, and the pizzas are too small."
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FOODIE HEDONISM, 2008
Joins Mario Batali and Mark Bittman in filming PBS's food and travel program Spain...On the Road Again. She eats clams, chocolate, and sandwiches and jokes that she's going to "gain ten kilos on this trip."
PESCATARIAN, May 2008
Tells W magazine that she hasn't had
Courtesy of PurellKate Sullivan, Allure magazine
They are prolific, disgusting, and phobia-inducing-yet they are also immunity builders. Below, some facts that will make you want to wash your hands immediately.
36 B.C.: Year Italian scholar Marcus Terentius Varro published a theory that swamps may breed illness because of "minute creatures that cannot be seen by the eyes."
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590: Year Pope Gregory I invented a post-sneeze prayer-"God bless you"-as sneezing was considered an early sign of the plague.
3: Number of times a day Henry VIII of England ordered that the walls and floors of his son Edward's rooms be washed to prevent illness. Edward died, likely of tuberculosis, at age 15.
18: Percentage of women who died in childbirth at a Viennese hospital in the seventeenth century. When Ignaz Semmelweis, an obstetrician there, made doctors wash their hands with chlorinated limewater before examining pregnant women, the mortality rate dropped to
Read More »from Germs, a History