Allure December 2021/January 2022

I cut the cable cord years ago, but my connectivity never waned. Now, all forms of entertainment float into my life uninterrupted via invisible Wi-Fi signals to every available screen. I can watch TikTok videos from bed in the morning (learning viral dances definitely counts as exercise, right?). Disney movies come directly to my home, making my couch as cushy as a theater. I can listen to true crime podcasts or Broadway show tunes in the shower, and the Real Housewives…well, their endless drama screeches through my AirPods during subway travel. I can’t even go to sleep without playing out a few rounds of The Oregon Trail on my tablet. As our viewing options seem to grow exponentially with each passing month, so does the relationship between beauty and what we…

Cocooned inside a huge Balenciaga overcoat, Rihanna glows, soft and flickering. Like the jeweled skullcap layered under her knit beanie, this beauty look somehow bridges the gap (a wide one) between dazzling and cozy. The makeup centers on a single focal point: a fathom’s-deep burgundy lip color (Fenty Beauty’s Underdawg, if you must know—and we think you must). Makeup artist Hector Espinal drew on the liquid lipstick with architectural precision to emphasize Rihanna’s Cupid’s bow. The effect is a velvet arrow in makeup form: plush, pretty, and striking with perfect aim.…

THE TALENT: Paul Rudd THE CONCEPT: In addition to having the most twinkling smile in the movie business, Rudd happens to be an ageless dreamboat. As such, he could launch a tightly curated set of toners, serums, and overnight creams for outrageously sprightly skin. THE MOST COVETED PRODUCT: The Eternal Delight, an eye serum that removes any signs of world-weariness. THE TALENT: Grimes THE CONCEPT: The ethereal, avant-pop shapeshifter brings us commoners tools that mimic her face drawings, as seen on her TikTok discussing A.I. and communism. In sci-fi color schemes, her rave-ready makeup can be used as face paint or war paint. Take your pick. THE MOST COVETED PRODUCT: Æquoeus £iquid, a liquid liner in colors so psychedelic we have no choice but to extend the swirl beyond the eye region. THE TALENT: Anya Taylor-Joy THE…

MICHELLEKHAN @michellekhxn Easy how-to videos for the trendiest, fanciest, or swirliest nail art (sometimes all of the above!) are Khan’s domain. After some bad acrylic experiences at salons—sloppy paint jobs, significant damage—this photographer decided to take her nail health seriously and learn how to do her own manicures. Now Khan shares her ideas for damage-free, gel-extension application and simple nail art techniques, such as crocodile-print French tips or a checkered and smiley-face pattern with a ’90s vibe. A self-described “nail art bestie” to her 400,000-plus followers, Khan says, “People have reached out to tell me I changed their lives because now they can do their manicures at home and practice designs they have always wanted on their nails.” HYRAM YARBRO @skincarebyhyram More than six million people follow Yarbro for his reactions to the latest shenanigans…

ANDREW FITZSIMONS HAIRSTYLIST “Instead of hair elastics, I prefer hair bungees, which have hooks on each end. They’re more versatile—you can wrap them around a pony as many times as you need to create tension—and not hard to use, even though they look a little intimidating. I always leave one small section of hair out to wrap around the bungee to hide it.” KELSEY DEENIHAN MAKEUP ARTIST “Sometimes the exact shade of liquid liner I want doesn’t exist, so I create a custom one by turning eye shadow into a paint using Mehron Mixing Liquid. I apply the mix with an angled liner brush.” TASHA REIKO BROWN MAKEUP ARTIST “For quick smoky eyes [like Brown recently created for Leslie Grace, above], use a flat eye shadow brush to apply a wash of shadow all over lids and just…

There’s an old adage in the world of special effects makeup: If you can tell someone’s wearing it, you didn’t do your job. Special effects were created to help the audience believe whatever is transpiring onscreen—a character aging, a ballerina transforming into a swan—is utterly, entirely real. Creatures that stem from the imagination—like Marvel’s Mystique or Stephen King’s Pennywise—are often brought to life through hours of detailed cosmetic applications: layers of airbrush makeup, prosthetic latex appliances, sculpted wrinkles. Makeup artist Jack Pierce, one of the first makeup department heads at Universal Pictures, is considered a pioneer: He created the Frankenstein monster and Dracula makeup for films in the early 1930s. The materials at his disposal? Mortician’s wax, putty, spirit gum, and grease paint. Today, the tool kit has evolved. The most masterful…