Get Empowered: Perricone Power of DMAE Giveaway

Now that we've given you the delicious details on the Perricone 3-Day Diet (and reported our amazing first-hand results), we're feeling extra generous. That's why we’re giving away a set of Perricone MD’s Power of DMAE routine to one lucky winner. A topic the media is buzzing about, DMAE is a powerful antiaging ingredient that visibly tightens, smoothes and delays the signs of aging. Dr. Perricone was the first to formulate this marine-based antioxidant in skincare. This advanced regimen goes beyond the basics to gently exfoliate and minimize sun damage. It’s customized to feed your skin from the outside in— leaving you with a truly radiant healthy complexion. If the 3-Day diet is the "facelift in the fridge," then we're dubbing these products the "facelift in a bottle."

This prize, valued at $300, includes the following:
- 6 oz Nutritive Cleanser
- 2 oz High Potency Amine Face Lift
- 2 oz High Potency Evening Repair
- 2 oz Face Finishing Moisturizer

To enter, simply leave a comment here and tell us your favorite food prescribed in the Perricone 3-Day Diet. Don't forget to include your email address. We'll pick a winner Wednesday, August 3rd at 9AM PST.

Tried + Tested: Dr. Perricone's 3-Day Diet

Day 1 lunch: Sesame-encrusted salmon on a bed of greens with miso dressing

It might have been the unofficial tagline "a facelift in the fridge."
...the diet's short 3-day duration
...the improvement in mood and memory
...the rumored boost in sex drive
or, the fact that every product we've ever tried from Dr. Perricone delivers on its promises—without fail.

It was all of the above, plus my masochistic love of restricted diets. I will try any diet at least once. So, I canceled on a bbq, threw out my leftover wine, and headed to the fish market, for Dr. Perricone's infamous salmon diet. It's salmon, twice a day, for three days, and generous servings of eggs and greens.

Day 1 breakfast: kale frittata

This is a regimen that lets you eat...a lot. In fact, I've never been on one that has allowed me to consume so much, and technically still be "on a diet." There are a few rules. No coffee, no alcohol, no dairy, and no root vegetables, i.e. carbs. Fortunately, caffeine, in the form of green tea, is permitted. In addition to three full meals, the diet allows for snacking (even before bedtime) on nuts, berries, or yogurt. You can find a sample menu at Dr. Perricone's site here.

Day 3 dinner: pan-seared salmon with avocado and yogurt dip and sauteed chard

If you're thinking to yourself variety is the spice of life, and you can't do salmon twice a day for the sake of your joie de vivre, you'll have to remember a. to lighten up. It's just three days. And b., you can improvise recipes as long as you meet the diet's guidelines. Being a vet of many spa diets myself, I rearranged my omega-3's, fatty acids, and leafy greens to suit my tastes. For breakfast, I made a scramble, an omelet, and a frittata. And, I planned six variations of salmon to keep it interesting (see examples of what I ate above). Let me know in the comments if you'd like me to share a few of my favorite recipes.

And, yes, I noticed results within two days. My skin—not just my face but all over—had a soft sheen. Gone was the puffiness and upon some scrutiny in front of my bathroom mirror, my cheekbones actually looked more pronounced. My husband, the unwilling accomplice to all my nutritional experiments, saw smoother skin around his usually leathery eyes, and a healthy tan like he had just been on vacation and had sensibly worn his SPF.

Another bonus benefit came from my co-worker, Heather, who reported she slept better, possibly due to the reduction of caffeine in her diet. She also had more energy later in the day.

The conclusion: We're converts of Dr. Perricone's diet and plan on sprinkling it throughout the year whenever we want to recalibrate our system, debloat, and get enviably gorgeous skin. Stay tuned later this afternoon for our weekend Power of DMAE giveaway, a complete skincare routine from our favorite nutritionist and dermatologist.

Linda Wells' Three Insider Beauty Tips

Last night, we interviewed Allure's editor-in-chief, Linda Wells, at Sephora on Fifth Ave while she was meeting fans and autographing the new Allure Beauty Editor Palette. Here are her personal tips gleaned from the industry's hottest makeup artists while working backstage. We're happy to report anyone can do them, they don't require hours or extra products, and yes, they will change your life.

1) Use concealer on the very inner corners of your eyes. It's where most people have darkness, but forget to apply. It makes a big difference!

2) Wiggle the wand from your mascara back and forth at the base of your lashes so it acts like a liner. (We tried this and bonus, it made our lashes look thicker too.)

3) After you apply your foundation, take a two-ply tissue and separate it so you just have one layer. Use it to blot over your face—this makes your foundation look like your natural skin, not foundation.

Want more beauty tips? Visit our BeautyTalk community or watch our how-to videos for each of the palettes!

Get your Allure Beauty Editor Palette here. And upload your own tutorial to our YouTube channel.

- Interview by Jessica White

Sephora's App for iPad: Tap Into the Virtual World of Beauty

If there was a magical marriage ceremony where beauty and technology joined in perfect harmony, we're pretty sure the venue would be Sephora's new App for the iPad. Just released on Thursday, we're more than jazzed about it, and judging by its #8 ranking of all free apps on iTunes— we think you are too.

With the app, you can get your beauty and social fix at the touch of your fingertips: it's chock full of innovative features like how-to videos, expert tips, social buzz, and our favorite part—the virtual mirror and side-by-side video player. Plus, it houses our first-ever multimedia catalog that's sure to delight beauty enthusiasts everywhere.

Our favorite highlights:

• The app features our first-ever multimedia catalog, only on the iPad, packed with expert tips, videos, animation, and the latest hair, makeup, skincare and fragrance trends.
• You can access and engage with up-to-the-minute news from Sephora's social channels, like BeautyTalk, YouTube, and Facebook- all in one place.
• Learn to create our pro looks on yourself with our innovative feature that transforms your iPad into a side-by-side mirror and video player (exclusive to the iPad2). Using the front-facing camera, you can see your face within the app while you watch how-to videos for applying make-up. Your device turns into your personal Beauty Studio— now that's tech-talk we don't need translation for.
• Shop, shop, and did we mention, shop? Browse and purchase available products, read fashion tips that are relevant to that product and purchase items through the website. Plus, if you are using an iPad2, you can make those purchases without even having to exit out of the app.
  

See the app in action below and on YouTube and download it from the iTunes store now. Don't have an iPad? Don't worry, you can still see our summer trends online

Tarte Vamps It Up at Comic-Con

Candace with her amazing artistry team from left to right: Jenna, herself, Tania, and Aline

Tarte's brand expert, Candace Craig Bulishak, was at Comic-Con last weekend, sharing with the world of science fiction fans the limited-edition collaboration between tarte and HBO's hit series True Blood. The tarte team represented the line of gorgeous cheek stains and color with a makeover station and served up TruBlood cocktails at a replica of Fangtasia Bar.

Doesn't Candace resemble another sunny blond on True Blood?

We asked Candace to snap a few pictures of her Comic-Con adventures. She found the gorgeous Janina Gavanka (see below), who plays Luna, Sam Merlott's love interest, getting "glamour-ed" by the tarte artistry team. You can check out Janina's sexy smoky eye from tarte for true blood's limited-edition palette here. Thanks, Candace, for the dispatch, and we hope you got a glimpse of a shirtless vampire or werewolf while you were there.

Spotlight On: Allure Beauty Editor Palette

We're calling it the ultimate makeup addict's palette. Last week, Sephora revealed its new, limited-edition Allure Beauty Editor Palette. But this isn't just any palette—it houses five limited-edition color collections created by the editors at Allure. Editor in chief Linda Wells and her team of top beauty editors paired up with Sephora to create fully wearable shades that would work beautifully together. It's designed to take the guesswork out of color matching, and provides the perfect shades for five classic looks: bronzy, shimmery, neutral, colorful and smoky. Plus, you can mix and match the hues from each palette for tons of combinations. Each palette contains six powder eye shadows along with a complementary blush and lip gloss. The best part: each palette can pop out and click into a travel case (included) so you can easily carry the one you're using that day in your bag.

Want to see the colors in action? Check out the YouTube videos to see makeup artists apply each look.



Live in NYC? Join us at our Sephora on Fifth Avenue from 6 to 8 pm this Wednesday, July 27. The first 100 people to buy the palette can have it signed by Allure editor in chief Linda Wells (aka the celebrity of the editor world).

- Jessica White

Day 5 of Nail Art Week (cont.): Lynn Goes For a Dip

In this weather, our Photoshop whiz, Lynn C., kept her cool with a dip. That is - in glitter.

Your name: Lynn C.

Your title: Image Production Manager

Your usual go-to color: Pomegranate Red

Neon or neutral: which do you like more? Neutral on hands, neon on toes

I own 20 (number) bottles of nail polish.

Going anywhere special tonight or this weekend? Los Angeles

Give us one word to describe your nail art: Diamonds and pearls

Learn how to create the Glitter Dip design here, and browse our full album on Facebook.

Day 5 of Nail Art Week: Gold Lady Talons

Name: Erin F.

Title: Social Media Marketing Manager



Your usual go-to color: Well, a week ago I’d say red or bare, but Nail Art Week has changed me.



Neon or neutral: which do you like more? Bring on the neon!



Fill in the blank: I own 12 bottles of nail polish.



Going anywhere special tonight? The Red Vic Movie House



One word to describe your nail art: Easy 



Any tips? I started taking Phyto's Dietary Supplements and they have completely changed my nails. I used to have 10 sad little nubs, but now I have full-on lady talons that are strong and fun to paint.

How did you create the look? I painted on two thin coats of SEPHORA by OPI's Caliente Coral, then swiped on gold diagonally along the tips and down the middle. I could have duplicated the design on both hands, but that’s too matchy matchy. I’m also terribly uncoordinated and can’t paint my right hand very well, so a stripe down the side or middle was the fancy thing to do.

Day 4 of Nail Art Week: Bling on a Bias

Channeling Sophy Robson's piled-on Glitterati design, Susanna freestyled this cool, embellished look herself.

Name: Susanna S.

Title: Graphic Designer

Your usual go-to color: Black!

Neon or neutral: which do you like more? Can I say both?

Fill in the blank: I own 15 (number) bottles of nail polish.

Going anywhere special tonight? Hanging out with friends

One word to describe your nail art: Sequins

Love Susanna's manicure? She designed it herself! Here's how to create your own at home: One coat of SEPHORA by OPI's Caught with My Khakis Down, one coat of Blasted Silver drawn diagonally across, followed by Flurry Up Top Coat. Let each coat dry before going onto the next. And voila, you've got graphic sequined nails.

Day 4 of Nail Art Week: Metal Mania

Name: Christine N.

Title: Product Manager

Your usual go-to color: Navy blue for now

Fill in the blank: I own 30 (number) bottles of nails polish.

Going anywhere tonight? Friend's birthday party at a "Western" bar with a mechanical bull

One word to describe your nail art: '80s

Christine rocks the "Distressed Metal" look designed by Sophy Robson. Try it at home here.

Day 3 of Nail Art Week: Candace Goes Camo

Our Assistant Manager of Social Media, Candace S., opted for the trendy Urban Camo design found in our Nail Art Gallery exclusively on Facebook. Known and respected as the hands-down manicure expert at Sephora headquarters, Candace gives this insider tip, "You want to prevent the colors from blending together, so make sure each color is dry before you apply the next one. Use the thinnest eyeliner brush you can find, and dip it in nail polish remover to clean it off before applying the next color."

Name: Candace S.

Title: Assistant Marketing Manager, Social Media

Your usual go-to color: I am absolutely schizophrenic when it comes to nail polish. (I wear pretty much every color, and will try anything once). But, I suppose it would be varying shades of deep pinks and purples. Anything hot pink, fuchsia, or plum.

Neon or neutral: which do you like more? NEON, but I do like grays (and “greiges”) and camel colors, which could be considered neutral. What I don’t understand is the point of “natural” nails. Why use polish at all?

I own 80 (last time I counted) bottles of nail polish.

Going anywhere special tonight or this weekend? No plans yet, but now that you mention it I should go out and show these babies off. “I love your nails!” is one of my favorite compliments to get.

Give us one word to describe your nail art: Experimental, I suppose. I’m always down to try something new.

Get the full how-to here, and check out our extensive Nail Art gallery on Facebook.