Beauty Talk

If you don’t think the order you apply your foundation or concealer in really matters, think again — because we’re setting the record straight: You should apply foundation first, and here’s why. The level of coverage you get depends on the formula of your foundation. If you use a sheer product, you may need more concealer. If you use a heavy foundation, you may not need any at all.

There are two types of people in this world: Those who swear by shampoo, and those who avoid it. Most of us with curly hair tend to fall in the latter category — especially when it comes to the drugstore variety. It's not that we have anything against these brands (and there are certainly more options available than ever before), but we can't just use any old shampoo on our coils, since there's always a risk that it will leave our hair feeling drier than a Triscuit.

Exhausted from 2019? The struggle is actually real: More Americans are having trouble falling and staying asleep than five years ago, according to a recent study in Sleep Health. Unsurprisingly, the researchers point to phone use before bed and midnight text alerts waking you up as two of the biggest culprits for worsened sleep. Darkness prompts the release of melatonin, a hormone that helps us fall asleep.

It happens to the best of us. You wanted loose, beachy waves, but you've ended up with tight, over-curled ringlets. The good news is that you don't have to start your style over. The bad news? You're going to have to spend a few extra minutes making amends. Luckily, the damage control is super simple. You can take a blow-dryer like T3's Cura Luxe Hair Dryer ($285; dermstore.com) and a paddle brush like Conair's Velvet Touch Large Paddle Brush ($5; target.

Whether it's your birthday party, sister's wedding, or a first date, pimples intuitively know to pop up whenever you have a special event on your iCal. The bad news is there's not way to instantly get rid of a zit. However, the good news is that with the right technique, a breakout can be covered up with makeup so that it's (almost) invisible. The secret is distraction. We suggest an eye look because it'll draw the focus up and away from any pimples.

Colds and the flu are often lumped in together, and for good reason. Not only do they both make you feel like crap, but there’s also the fact that the two respiratory illnesses like to rear their heads around the same time each year (yes, those chilly winter months). All of this means that when you’re feeling under the weather, it can be tough to tell what’s what.

It’s with a heavy heart that I must report: The $500 Dyson humidifier is a godsend. I realize that a near-prohibitively expensive device being actually worth its price is the last thing anyone wants to hear. But even if out of morbid curiosity, hear me out. The effects of dry winter air can be devastating. For those living in colder climates, each day spent exposing your skin to harsh, sub-optimal humidity can contribute to cumulative damage on the skin surface.

If you saw the recent International Journal of Cancer study linking hair dye to breast cancer and thought, crap, you’re not alone. About 40 percent of American women dye their hair regularly, according to Statista. Some background: The study looked at 46,709 women whose sisters had breast cancer, and over eight years, 2,794 of them got breast cancer themselves.

Raise your hand if the possibility of a round brush getting stuck in your hair has kept you up at night. While the hair tool might be intimidating to use, it can be a total blowout game-changer. When used correctly, the brush can add so much more volume and movement to your hair. Used wrong, you can end up with a tangled mess. First things first: there's actually two different kinds of round brushes.

Whenever you see a celebrity with super thick, full hair there's a good chance it's not entirely their own. This shouldn't be surprising since extensions, wigs, and the right cut and color are all well-known strategies to make hair look so much fuller than it actually is.

Let’s be honest: Even though we firmly believe dark under-eye circles are not the devil, they're a big deal for women across the board. In our recent state of skin survey, 60 percent of women ranked under-eye circles as a top five skin concern — slightly beating out even cellulite and fine lines and wrinkles. But the truth is, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for dark eye circles. In some cases, your genetics will overrule even the best under eye cream. Womp, womp.

There’s no denying that there’s a long list of upshots to making gels, acrylics, or dip your go-to manicure. No dry time, long-wear with no chips, perpetually glossy shine, and, in the case of acrylics, even longer length. But all of these types of manis come with the potential to take a major toll on your tips (particularly if they’re removed improperly).

I'll admit it: I'm really bad at washing my face. Every night I spend minutes meticulously massaging serums and moisturizer into my skin, but when it comes to cleansing, I quickly wipe a cotton round soaked with micellar water across my face to just get it over with. While I always think I get every last bit of mascara and foundation off, when I wash my face the exact same way in the morning, there's always traces of last night's makeup on the cotton round.

For anyone who has been dying to know Elizabeth Warren's skincare routine, today's your lucky day. As a part of Cosmopolitan magazine's The Candidates Come to Cosmo series, the democratic candidate sat down with editor-in-chief Jessica Pels and revealed one secret that will likely leave any beauty-obsessed person heavily triggered: she never washes her face. Instead, Warren has sworn by only using Pond's Moisturizer since her 20s.

By now, you’ve probably heard the buzz about weighted blankets. Well, now the trend has come for your eyes, too, promising to ease stress and anxiety, promote better sleep, and even provide relief from tension headaches and migraines. Typically stuffed with microbeads, natural flaxseeds, or sand, weighted eye masks claim to work by providing gentle pressure that sends a signal to your brain to relax, while also blocking out sleep-disturbing light.

It’s a true luxury to get 12 hours of sleep. But luckily, there are a slew of beauty products on the market that can help plump up tired, dull-looking skin, making it look like you’ve had a good night’s rest (even if you didn’t). Laura Dern’s secret to looking well-rested lies in a small one-ounce jar.

With the start of a whole new decade right around the corner, it's time to start thinking of fresh ways to style your curls. Seeing as natural hair is as versatile as it is, there are a plethora of ways to wear it come 2020. But if you're looking to be on-trend for the new year, Unilever Celebrity Stylist Ursula Stephen says there's one look you should be keeping in mind: the ponytail. While ponies are nothing new, the hair expert says in 2020, the style will definitely be taken up a notch.

The HydraFacial is one of the most popular in-office facial treatments right now. So popular that one is performed every 15 seconds around the world. That stat alone is impressive, but the treatment's become the go-to facial for celebs, your co-worker, and Facebook friend from high school because it targets many of the most common skincare concerns like dryness and signs of aging with little to no side effects.

Chances are, you know someone whose hair went from flat to bombshell and their nails from flimsy to Herculean when they were pregnant. This isn’t an uncommon side-effect of building a baby. During pregnancy, there’s an increase in estrogen that causes hair to remain in its “growth” phase and some experience longer, stronger nails from the added hormones, too.

Of all the many, many makeup products to potentially invest your hard-earned money into, there’s nothing quite as multi-tasking as a good tinted moisturizer. Blurring the line between skincare and makeup, they pretty much do it all: Even out your complexion, fade fine lines, mask dark circles and blemishes, hydrate skin, and protect against the sun’s harmful rays.

I never found out if blondes really do have more fun after I bleached my hair, but I did discover that heat styling becomes absolutely terrifying and the trigger of a ton of anxiety. My beloved curling iron is now essentially the vehicle of breakage and dehydration, but because I'm my most confident self when my fine hair is styled in loose and more voluminous messy waves, I won't let up on my routine.

Shaping your brows doesn't stop at waxing, plucking, or threading. Using a pencil, powder, gel, or pomade to style them is also an important step. But, at times, it may seem like there are just too many products out here. When you search Sephora, for example,141 products pop up for brows, and at Ulta, there's a cool 234 products to choose from.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve likely seen, heard of, or even tried collagen peptides. The ingredient is popping up in powders and drinks left and right, touted as a way to improve the look and feel of your skin, hair, and nails — the ultimate beauty supplement. But while collagen is nothing new, this exact delivery method is, and there’s lots of confusion and misinformation out there. Let’s start with the basics.

Two things happen when cold weather hits. First, everyone scrambles for their coziest coats, sweaters and scarves — and then they buckle in for cold and flu season. The average adult will have about two to three colds per year and a record-breaking 900,000 Americans were hospitalized from the flu in 2017 — which means preparation is key for getting through the winter months unscathed.

The early-'90s style bob haircut may have reached global dominance in the year 2019, but the biggest beauty trends in 2020 will have us time-traveling forward and back. In the flashback category, we're predicting nostalgic styles like milkmaid braids, high ponytails, and piece-y waves. Also, prepare to revisit your high school prom looks because updos with face-framing tendrils are happening, and French tip manicures have already begun storming our shores.

The final countdown to Christmas and New Year’s Eve is on, so it's likely you already have a couple outfit ideas lined up for your holiday parties. But if you’re someone who wears glasses, you may think you’re limited when it comes to hair and makeup options. However, in reality, that's certainly not the case — you just have to get a little creative.

In my humble opinion, glitter nail polish should be worn any day of the year. Yes, it's impossible not to feel festive when you've transformed your fingers into minature disco balls, but unlike your one neighbor that leaves their Christmas lights up until March, sparkly nail polish doesn't feel out of place once the holidays are over. While glitter polish is easy to apply (the shimmery flecks cover up any streaks!), it can be a pain to remove.

There’s no denying that there’s a long list of upshots to making gels, acrylics, or dip your go-to manicure. No dry time, long-wear with no chips, perpetually glossy shine, and, in the case of acrylics, even longer length. But all of these types of manis come with the potential to take a major toll on your tips (particularly if they’re removed improperly). If your weak, brittle nails are in need of a little extra TLC, try this pro tip to help them grow longer and stronger.

If there's anyone who can give us tips on how to protect natural hair (including the edges) under wigs and weaves, it's none other than the fabulous Laverne Cox. The self-proclaimed "wiggy" absolutely loves using extensions to play with different looks, while her natural hair is usually cornrowed underneath. But once she went completely natural in 2011, after she says relaxers "destroyed" her hair, she learned the importance of figuring out what she needs to do to nourish her own curls and scalp.

Dabbing on a spot treatment with the expectation that your zit is going to disappear overnight, or slathering on a retinol cream in hopes your forehead wrinkles will fade in a few hours is pretty much setting yourself up for disappointment. The truth is that while you may want to get rid of your skincare issues quickly, most beauty products can't instantly transform your skin. But, that doesn't mean they're not working — you just need to have a little patience.

Beauty Talk is InStyle’s primer on the best in hair, skincare, and makeup. Tune in for what’s new in beauty, and tips on how to use your favorite products.

Beauty Talk is InStyle’s primer on the best in hair, skincare, and makeup. Tune in for what’s new in beauty, and tips on how to use your favorite products.

Beauty Talk is InStyle’s primer on the best in hair, skincare, and makeup. Tune in for what’s new in beauty, and tips on how to use your favorite products.

Beauty Talk is InStyle’s primer on the best in hair, skincare, and makeup. Tune in for what’s new in beauty, and tips on how to use your favorite products.

Beauty Talk is InStyle’s primer on the best in hair, skincare, and makeup. Tune in for what’s new in beauty, and tips on how to use your favorite products.

Beauty Talk is InStyle’s primer on the best in hair, skincare, and makeup. Tune in for what’s new in beauty, and tips on how to use your favorite products.

Beauty Talk is InStyle’s primer on the best in hair, skincare, and makeup. Tune in for what’s new in beauty, and tips on how to use your favorite products.

Beauty Talk is InStyle’s primer on the best in hair, skincare, and makeup. Tune in for what’s new in beauty, and tips on how to use your favorite products.

Beauty Talk is InStyle’s primer on the best in hair, skincare, and makeup. Tune in for what’s new in beauty, and tips on how to use your favorite products.

Beauty Talk is InStyle’s primer on the best in hair, skincare, and makeup. Tune in for what’s new in beauty, and tips on how to use your favorite products.

Beauty Talk is InStyle’s primer on the best in hair, skincare, and makeup. Tune in for what’s new in beauty, and tips on how to use your favorite products.

Beauty Talk is InStyle’s primer on the best in hair, skincare, and makeup. Tune in for what’s new in beauty, and tips on how to use your favorite products.

Beauty Talk is InStyle’s primer on the best in hair, skincare, and makeup. Tune in for what’s new in beauty, and tips on how to use your favorite products.

Beauty Talk is InStyle’s primer on the best in hair, skincare, and makeup. Tune in for what’s new in beauty, and tips on how to use your favorite products.

Beauty Talk is InStyle’s primer on the best in hair, skincare, and makeup. Tune in for what’s new in beauty, and tips on how to use your favorite products.

Beauty Talk is InStyle’s primer on the best in hair, skincare, and makeup. Tune in for what’s new in beauty, and tips on how to use your favorite products.

Beauty Talk is InStyle’s primer on the best in hair, skincare, and makeup. Tune in for what’s new in beauty, and tips on how to use your favorite products.

Beauty Talk is InStyle’s primer on the best in hair, skincare, and makeup. Tune in for what’s new in beauty, and tips on how to use your favorite products.

Beauty Talk is InStyle’s primer on the best in hair, skincare, and makeup. Tune in for what’s new in beauty, and tips on how to use your favorite products.

LINKS TO CONTENT: https://www.instyle.com/beauty/skin/how-to-use-retinol-kate-somerville-interview https://www.instyle.com/beauty/bedsure-satin-pillowcase-amazon https://www.instyle.com/hair/easy-bangs-styling-tips https://www.instyle.com/beauty/microdermabrasion-facial-facts https://www.instyle.com/beauty/squalane-oil-skincare-benefits How To Soothe Irritation From Retinol, According to Kate Somerville You probably know the name Kate Somerville because it's a best-selling skincare brand at Sephora.

Beauty Talk is InStyle’s primer on the best in hair, skincare, and makeup. Tune in for what’s new in beauty, and tips on how to use your favorite products.