Allure, the first and only magazine devoted to beauty, is an insider's guide to a woman's total image. Allure investigates and celebrates beauty and fashion with objectivity and candor, and places appearance in a larger cultural context.
Ever seen the erotic- camp drama Showgirls? No? Don’t. It’s widely regarded as one of the worst movies of all time. Those two hours would be better spent cleaning your living room, lighting a candle, and comprehensively poring over this issue starring the lovely Amber Heard in full Showgirls-inspired regalia. The NC-17 flick was the chief reference for Allure’s cover shoot. Staged way up in the Los Angeles hills, the set was more of a party than not, and in the middle of it was Heard, decked out in Swarovski crystals from eyelid to temple. “My face is bedazzled right now. I’m not sure how much eye I can give you,” she shot back when photographer Daniel Jackson directed her to look toward the California sun. The crew laughed and…
Eye (and Lip) Impact “The shoot was full-on fantasy,” said makeup artist Romy Soleimani. “Amber was so cool to let me put things all over her face.” Things like hot-rod flames, Swarovski crystals, and sequined ribbons. “I used bejeweled trim from a craft store and clear crystals as winged liner,” says Soleimani, who also bonded with Heard over a shared love of red lips. They were incorporated into each look: “I used a matte blue-red lipstick all over and an orangered liquid in the middle to brighten it up.” The slick, high pony is the work of hairstylist Didier Malige— the perfect complement to high-octane makeup. Heard’s cover look can be re-created with the following: Even Better Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 15 in Neutral, Just Browsing Brush-On Styling Mousse in…
On the surface, the word “fantasy” instantly conjures images of insane, over-thetop luxury in my mind: an all-expenses-paid, nodistractions escape to the Maldives; every delicious, whimsical Gucci shoe lined up in my size; the massive 20thanniversary Anastasia Beverly Hills brow kit containing what seems like every brow product the company ever made. But as time has gone on, I’ve begun to recognize that true fantasy and luxury also lie in the opposite direction— toward minimalism. As they say, a tidy space equals a tidy mind. And in these noisy days of complicated issues, I’m craving some mental housekeeping. I had a friend who was so committed to her family’s minimalism that their closets looked like they had just moved in and only one box had arrived. I marveled at how…
5 Age of YouTuber Charli Rose, who has over 83,000 views (and counting) on a makeup tutorial where she uses Tarte’s Make Believe in Yourself Collection to transform herself into a unicorn. 1933 Year an X-ray of Raphael’s oil painting Portrait of a Lady With a Unicorn, which dates back to 1506, revealed that the animal cradled by the subject was originally a dog. 67 Percentage increase in the number of unicorn-themed beauty products available between July 2016 and July 2017. 7 Number of times the word “unicorn” appears in the Bible. 59 Grams of sugar in a Starbucks Grande Unicorn Frappuccino, a fruity-sour swirl of pink, purple, and blue. 398 B.C. Year a Greek traveler to India named Ctesias wrote of “wild asses as large as horses” with red-tipped…
My character’s name is Lettie Lutz—she’s the bearded lady. In my role prep, I did a ton of research into polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), an endocrine disease in females that can include overproduction of testosterone. It can lead to weight gain, acne, and in some extreme cases, prominent facial and chest hair. Last year, I discovered some articles about an incredible young woman named Harnaam Kaur, who lives with PCOS. Through her courage to speak of her own struggle, I learned so much about my own insecurities. I mean, logistically speaking, they’re nothing like that. But relatively speaking, they’re exactly like that. When I was younger, my mother wanted me to look like Claudia Schiffer. I was like, “We’re not even German, but all right.” As you get older, whatever…
In antiquity, obesity suggested a life well lounged; more recently, the Isabel Marant wedge sneaker did the same with its mixed message of comfort (sneaker!) and also not (wedge!) and also $$$$ (Isabel Marant). Today, we have the next frontier of luxury signifier: the bespoke 3D manicure. Who can afford to lift a finger when that finger is laden with rhinestones and gold leaf? You can, because you can afford anything, but you’d rather not and thank you. You’re far too busy exfoliating with diamond dust and marrying for love. Though you needn’t mention any of that—your nails say it all.…
