allure

The trick to an ace blowout is the right blow-dryer, and Allure has expert tips on how to pick your perfect drying mate.

Plenty of people I know like nothing more than a good blowout, but to me there's a lot to dislike about the process: the loud, sustained noise; the occasional hair-caught-in-the-vent fiasco; the added static; and, of course, the ridiculously long time it always seems to take. But there are times when leaving my apartment with damp hair just isn't a viable option. (True story: I once went outside on a Winter day with wet hair and inadvertently re-created Cameron Diaz's infamous There's Something About Mary hairstyle when a breeze froze my bangs straight up in the air.)

So I figured I may as well learn how to blow-dry my hair correctly — and how to get it over with as quickly as possible. For help, I turned to hairstylists Kerrie Urban, an Allure product finder expert who has worked with Lady Gaga and Mariah Carey, and Hansen Liu, a stylist at Sally Hershberger Downtown.

Get Urban's expert tips when you keep reading.

If you're a DIY maven, you'll adore Allure's four easy beauty recipes starring a beauty classic: baking soda. It's one ingredient that really can do it all.

Sometimes an oldie really is a goodie — vinyl records, The Golden Girls, shower caps (without which I cannot live). My current new/old love interest? Baking soda. I recently attended a seminar on a million ways to use it (sponsored, of course, by Arm & Hammer ($3)) and I can actually say I was impressed by how versatile a product it really is. Here are some road-tested new ways to use the contents of that orange box that actually work (and one I don't think I'll try again):

Are you a fan of air-drying your hair? Allure has two simple tricks to making the results look even better. Plus, they're super quick, so you can get back to more important things like sleep.

I'm a big fan of air-drying my hair. I've even been known to let my hair air-dry in February. (OK, if you must know, I did it this morning.) So I've made a study of ways to make hair look better when it's air-dried. If you also air-dry in the winter, then I bet you could use these two tips.

Models and celebrities both make sure to have a glowing grin, whether it's on the runways or the red carpet. Allure has teeth-whitening tips that you can do at home.

Oh, the unspeakable acts I'd commit for a whiter smile. (I may or may not be guilty of plastering on two-hour Crest Whitestrips and sitting, mute, through a meeting.) And if the number of people trolling the dental-hygiene aisle at Walgreens last weekend was any indication, I am not alone. Call it the Award Season Effect, but unlike Jessica Chastain's cheekbones or Angelina's leg(s), a whiter smile is actually attainable. I spoke to New York dentist Lee Gause, who cares for the gorgeous grins of Ford Models and regular folk alike, about getting a whiter, healthier smile.

Even celebrities get a blemish now and then, so Allure chatted with a dermatologist to the stars on how red-carpet beauties get their skin in tip-top shape.

Waking up to a monster pimple is problematic for anyone. But for the celebrities attending this weekend's Academy Awards, grinning and bearing it isn't an option. That's when they call L.A.–based dermatologist Dr. Harold Lancer. Lancer, who tends to the likes of Ryan Seacrest and Victoria Beckham, keeps his office open for frantic calls in the hours leading up to the awards show. "It would be extremely uncommon not to see people on Saturday or Sunday," he says. "Stuff always happens — they have an irritation, or they have a costume change and something is now showing on the back that has to be dealt with." We spoke with the dermatologist to find out how he prepares A-list skin for its biggest night of the year. Get Dr. Lancer's tips when you keep reading.

Are your dry, split ends in need of some TLC? Allure shows us a three-pronged attack to kick dead ends for good.

"The ends tend to be the most damaged part of anyone's hair," says hairstylist Kristin Ess, who works with celebrities including Lauren Conrad. "And if you have long hair, your scalp's natural oils don't get all the way down to the ends, so they're usually a little duller than the rest." Good thing she's honed a technique for making them look healthier. And nope, it doesn't involve going on a search-and-destroy mission for split ends. Here's her advice:

Every season there are new fads in the spa world (think: oxygen facials and bull testicle hair masks), and 2013 is no exception. See which treatments are hot right now thanks to this fascinating research done by Allure.

Those sour-milk baths Cleopatra took a few thousand years ago might be the first official spa treatment in the history books. Since then, we've gotten a little more savvy — sweat-inducing hammams, hallucination-inducing detox clinics, collagen-stimulation chambers, not to mention the endless varieties of massage. So what's new in the spa world this year?

It's OK to admit you've been slacking on your sunscreen routine this season. Whip yourself back in shape with Allure's sun-safe tips.

Just because you retire your Havaianas and bikini when the temperature drops doesn't mean you should shelve the sunscreen too. The sun emits harmful UV rays all year, whether it's 90 degrees outside or 19. Now I'm going to step down from my soapbox and make a confession: Even though I'm neurotic about sun protection in the summer, I do to get a bit lax (OK, completely negligent) in winter. So I spoke with Debra Jaliman, a New York City dermatologist and author of Skin Rules, about why SPF is still important during colder months.

BB cream is the multitasker of the makeup world. And we're pretty sure you'll fall in love with it all over again with Allure's three new ways to wear it.

By now, I bet you know all about BB creams. (If not, here's a refresher course: They're supercharged tinted moisturizers, usually with anti-aging ingredients and SPF, and they've become a beauty bag staple for women on the go.) But instead of just slathering it all over your face, try some of our favorite new ways to wear a BB cream. Learn the tricks when you read on.

Is your blowout falling flat after the gym? Allure has the steps to maintain your smoothed-out style even through a sweaty workout routine.

We're officially halfway through January, and I'm thrilled to report that I am kicking some New Year's resolution tush. I haven't missed a day at the gym yet (just did an acceptance-speech-style "thank you, thank you so much" gesture, don't worry), but here's the rub: my hair, usually blown out and shiny, is taking a hit. Fortunately, I cracked the code for preserving my face-framing waves. Here's to not sacrificing one good beauty habit for another. Learn how to make your blowout last when you read more.