Allure March 2022

BEAUTY IS OFTEN WRITTEN OFF as a pursuit of the vain. People focus on the changes you can make to your appearance using cosmetic paints, injectable treatments, topical potions, and more. But looking their best is only one part of what the Allure audience cares about. And that goes for the Allure staff too. While we were brainstorming new ideas for 2022 and beyond, one word kept coming up again and again: impact. How does beauty make change beyond the way we look? How does it influence who we are and how we live? And how can Allure broaden the scope of its mission in this new era? In my years as a beauty editor, I have met Nobel Prize-winning chemists, developers who are putting AI into the palms of our hands,…

Like a Charm Lipstick is the key to our hearts—and now, our homes. The refillable lipsticks from Herrera Beauty by Carolina Herrera double as key chains. Select your shade from an array of soft roses and striking crimsons (in satin, sheer, and matte finishes), then choose your cap. Each one showcases a print that references one of Carolina Herrera’s couture pieces, explains Wes Gordon, the brand’s creative director. “The rainbow cap is inspired by a cape I created for Lena Waithe’s 2018 Met Gala outfit, and the heart pattern uses a motif [from] resort 2019. [Carolina and I] loved the idea of being able to ‘dress your makeup up,’ as it were.” Add a colorful tassel and charm (heart, jasmine flower, or beetle) for a key chain lipstick that’s all your…

THE WORLD KNOWS CHRIS Appleton as hairstylist to superstars like Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez. But 17-year-old Kitty-Blu just knows him as Dad—and soon, perhaps, as a colleague. The makeup artist-in-training recently moved from England to Los Angeles to live with her dad while honing her craft. Consider this a window into their dining room-table talk. CHRIS: When you were young, I used to practice on you. You’d have these high-fashion looks. At the age of six, you had blue extensions in. There’s a picture of you on the [playground] and you have a ponytail longer than Ariana [Grande]’s. Before I did Ariana’s hair like that, I did yours! KITTY-BLU: I was always that girl with my hair done and a full face of makeup. Because of social media, everyone at school…

“I’ve always loved lipstick, since the day I saw my mom applying red lipstick,” says Rihanna. “It was my favorite from the very, very beginning.” This memory inspired The MVP, a fiery shade in her new collection of semimatte Fenty Beauty Icon Refillable Lipsticks. “I wanted to create that perfect shade of red that works with every skin tone, and I love it,” says Rihanna. She’s not alone: “I’m not one to grab a red lipstick,” says one Allure editor. “But, dang! It’s Monday morning, and it’s already on.” Two additional reds and seven neutrals (in taupes and mauves) round out the vanilla-peach scented palette. It’s debatable whether the creamy texture (thanks to hyaluronic acid and vitamin E) or the unique bullet (shaped like RiRi’s Cupid’s bow) is what allows…

What’s the point of wearing mascara if it winds up on your lids? That’s a rhetorical question. And one that I—and my oily, hooded eyelids—don’t have to worry about with Blinc UltraVolume Tubing Mascara. The jet-black pigment stays on lashes using trusty tubing technology (tiny polymers wrap around hairs, explains cosmetic chemist Ginger King) for a flake- and smudge-free finish with tons of volume. As easy as it is to wear this foolproof formula all day, it’s even easier to remove: Warm water and gentle rubbing are all it takes to whisk away those tiny tubes. The March Allure Beauty Box includes Blinc UltraVolume Tubing Mascara along with six other products ($23 per month). Go to allure.com/beautyreporter to subscribe to the Allure Beauty Box by March 31 and get this mascara…

WRAP STAR Kaleidoscopic silk scarves “are a great way to showcase your personality through your hairstyle,” says hairstylist Lacy Redway. They’re also an excellent way to disguise day-three hair. “To secure the scarf, cross two pins behind your ears where they are not very visible,” says Redway. LOUD MOUTH Find the brightest lipstick you can—pink, coral, purple. Okay, good. Now make it even more over-the-top: “Knock out underlying [lip] tones with concealer. This amplifies the brightness while creating a clean canvas for the color to pop,” says makeup artist Daniel Martin. Keep the rest of your makeup pretty bare—but don’t hesitate to bedazzle your earlobes. EYE IMPACT Electric orange and blue eye shadows are even more arresting when drawn in interesting shapes—like the disjointed wings we saw at Chloé and Prabal Gurung (right) or graffiti-like…