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.
MY MOTTO: “DON’T START NONE, WON’T BE NONE.” ASHLEY C. FORD, WRITER, “AN AMERICAN DREAMER,” PAGE 62 Hometown: “Fort Wayne, Indiana.” The beauty product I use every day: “Burt’s Bees Micellar Cleansing Water.” First job: “Kirkland’s sales associate. You could get a statue of Santa, lawn furniture, and a cookie all in the same section.” Weirdest thing in my bag: “I carry a folding fan everywhere. It makes me feel glamorous.” I feel most free when: “I’m swimming in the ocean.” Guilty pleasure: “I don’t feel guilty about any of my pleasure!” Summer jam: “I’m marrying a good man this fall, but ‘Sorry Not Sorry’ by Demi Lovato really speaks to me and my summer feels.” My motto: “Don’t start none, won’t be none.” The invention I’m still waiting for: “Casual…
Ever since I was five, I remember being intrigued by nails. I’d sneak into my mom’s tiny stash of beauty supplies, file my little nubs, and paint them. It felt creative and fun. Like an art project, but one displayed for a limited run—just a week—and then gone. The ’90s were all about Chanel Vamp and creamy pastels from Hard Candy (remember those?). Then I fell in love with nail art about four years ago. I had gotten my digits done by a few nail artists at editorial shoots and started to experiment on my own, too. Now I change my nails about once a week, as the spirit moves me, and my only rule is always try something new. Sure, I’ve caught some side-eye over the years (especially when…
17th Century in which Middle Eastern and Indian women began wearing a stud in their left nostril. They believed it would ease the pain of childbirth. 10,503 (and counting): Number of piercings Elaine Davidson has. She was named the most pierced woman by Guinness World Records. 16 Number of faux eyebrow piercings makeup artist James Kaliardos secured to model Aline Weber’s face for the spring 2015 Rodarte show. 14 Types of distinct genital piercings available to men. Options! 1913 Year French singer Polaire stepped out in Paris wearing a septum ring, astonishing the public. $65 Approximate price of a new engagement-ring alternative: getting a (fake) diamond implanted in your ring finger.…
I moved from Korea to New York in 1990 with $400 in my pocket. I started working in a Korean nail salon—it’s what a lot of Korean immigrants did, and I had no other choice. But being a manicurist, you can talk with clients. When you don’t have anything, people are your biggest asset. One client suggested I make house calls, and I had nothing to lose. I started going to Andrea Pomerantz Lustig’s house; she was the beauty director at Cosmopolitan. She asked me if I wanted to do photo shoots. I did campaigns for CoverGirl, Revlon, and L’Oréal and worked backstage at fashion week. I was discovering my capabilities. I got a good deal on rent and opened my own salon. If you’re ambitious, you need that next…
Essential oils have been the darlings of the green-beauty movement since day one. They’re plant-based, they smell amazing, and they contain chemical compounds that can do everything from kill acne-causing bacteria to help regulate hormonally stressed skin. But new natural skin-care lines such as Trilogy and Natrèceutique are making an effort to leave them out. The reason: Essential oils are chemically active and potentially harsh compounds, and creams with lots of them sound nice but can irritate sensitive skin. While you don’t need to kick them out of your routine entirely, you should be conscious of which you’re using. Gentle ones, like geranium, chamomile, blue tansy, and ylang-ylang, are low in aldehydes and phenols, which are compounds found in plants that can irritate skin, says Amy Galper, New York City…
Meet the five indie brands bringing us great skin—plus the satisfaction of saying “You’ve probably never heard of it” when someone asks for details.…
