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.
The first-ever Best of Beauty Awards was launched five years into a great experiment that was an all-beauty, all the-time magazine called Allure. It was 1996, an election year, and the introduction to the inaugural Best of Beauty winners list referenced Bob Dole, Bill Clinton, and the power of the voting process. “We field-tested amber waves of lipstick, purple mountains of nail polish, and fruited plains of fragrance,” we wrote. “Now we’re talking America the beautiful.” Winners were categorized into the “Moist Wanted” (Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion, Prescriptives Flight Cream) and “Tautest of the Town” (Chanel Firming Eye Cream, Biotherm Cellulite Smoothing Concentrate). Chanel Vamp and Crème de la Mer were honored; so were Cetaphil and Vaseline (those latter two are also 2021 winners). Innovation has flourished in these…
1. AVEENO POSITIVELY RADIANT DAILY MOISTURIZER SPF 30 Number of wins: 5 Here’s why: This is one of the first moisturizers with SPF that we fell for—and even though there are now more options than Netflix shows, this formula still “offers the reassurance of serious sun protection while lightening any spots that are already there” (as we proclaimed on the occasion of win number one, 15 years ago). Little-known fact: Soy, it’s not just for lattés: In skin care, some soy extracts, like the kind that play a starring role in this lotion, have natural pigment-inhibiting properties that help fade dark spots. 2. TANGLE TEEZER THE ORIGINAL DETANGLING HAIR BRUSH Number of wins: 4 Here’s why: This palm size tool has taken home top marks for its ability to (gently)…
THE SERUM Helps to reduce and prevent the signs of aging, including fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and loss of elasticity, for a firmer, revitalized complexion. THE EYE CREAM Helps to reduce under-eye circles, puffiness, fine lines and wrinkles, while boosting firmness and hydration for well-rested, younger looking skin. Experience total complexion correction this September augustinusbader.com…
The beauty of a hair accessory: “It changes a look completely without any skill level required,” says hairstylist Justine Marjan. Play with bold colors and shapes (like the kelly green Kanel barrette [4] or the Lelet NY Gemma Clip [5]) to sweep hair to the side, or “use pins and clips as an unexpected pop at the base of a ponytail,” adds Marjan. Try Area’s Crystal Bow Clip [3] or Gucci’s Crystal Hair Clip [1]. If you’re really working against the clock, a delicate, embellished headband (like the pearl Jennifer Behr Iris Headband [2]) has the power to make even bedhead look chic. —PAIGE STABLES K-pop and Euphoria have helped artful makeup trickle into the mainstream, but gluing on jewels and painting kitschy designs around your eyes can leave you…
Swiping on lipstick after lipstick, rubbing your mouth raw with makeup remover in between, and ultimately eyeballing it…In our experience, finding the perfect shade of red isn’t an exact science. But Clinique begs to differ. Each pink-y and orange-y and bluish-red bullet in the brand’s Pop Reds collection is specifically designed to balance the most common mix of undertones found in different complexions. First, Clinique had to figure out what those undertones were, so they enlisted a team of engineers and data scientists to analyze more than 10 million faces, using artificial intelligence. Next, images of the faces’ undertones were fed through an algorithm to determine what ratio of, say, white to pink pigments would look most harmonious with yellow tones in the skin. At this point, you might be wondering,…
Before the millions of Instagram followers and the Queer Eye empire, Jonathan Van Ness’s entrée into hairstyling wasn’t exactly a fairytale. “I didn’t feel confident about the way I looked, and I think that’s because there was such a strict idea of what a man was supposed to look like. I don’t want people to feel bad about themselves ever again and that’s so much of what moves me about doing hair,” says Van Ness, who just launched a line of hair care, JVN, an extensive range of shampoos, conditioners, treatments, and one low key styler, Complete Air Dry Cream. “You don’t need to do anything with your hair because you’re a certain gender, a certain age, a certain this, a certain that,” says Van Ness. “I want everyone to…
