Last year’s obsession with polka dots was a nod to a retro Italian summer (limoncello included), while this year it’s all about taking the design into the future. Stars including Joey King and Vanessa Hudgens have been keeping the trend alive, modernizing it by adding cat-eye shimmer and cute bug details.

Polka dots are also being wrapped in metallic finishes, layered atop shimmery cat-eye bases, and embossed with jelly polishes. “These subtle details are what make short nails feel polished and refined,” says Slynko.

For summer 2026, Miss Pop, a nail artist in New York City, adds that polka dots are getting even smaller. “I used to place macro-dots in the corner of the nail, but now we’re seeing teeny-tiny micro-dots,” says Miss Pop. “On short nails, you can cover the full surface, and it’s minimal, but also maximalist in the sense that it’s all over the nail.”

Jelly micro-French nails

Some natural nail lovers are true minimalists, and for that crowd, the prettiest and simplest design you can get is a micro-French. It’s an especially good option for those with very short nails since it requires so little space. If you have even a sliver of a white edge on your nails, a micro-French manicure will look good. “I’m so sad when I do a micro-French on a long nail because it looks so much better on short nails,” says Miss Pop.

Micro-French tips are popular year-round, but this summer there’s an added wash of color, thanks to semitranslucent jelly polish. It’s “such a beautiful little treat,” says Miss Pop. Whether it’s at the center of the nail or all over, it adds an extra layer of dimension.

The simplest way to create a micro-French tip is with a tool like the Le Mini Macaron Le Frenchie Nail Stamper. Just brush your polish onto the silicone stamper and press the very tip of your nail into the stamper. (The brand recommends doing so at a 45-degree angle to achieve that slightly rounded arch.) Add that layer of sheer color (we recommend the Essie Nail Art Studio Jelly collection for an array of color options), then finish with an extra-glossy topcoat.

Update, June 2026: Eight years ago, Carrieanne Reichardt, then 25, got a rhinoplasty with Adam Kolker, a board-certified plastic surgeon based in New York City. She allowed an Allure photographer to document the procedure (warning: graphic images ahead) and shared her experience with contributor Jolene Edgar. Here is her story in her own words, followed by an update on how she feels about her results today, eight years later.

I love so many of my features. For instance, the green eyes I got from my mom, my naturally full lips, and smile, but my nose has been a source of insecurity. Around 15, as puberty hit, my nose just…changed. One day, it suddenly looked large and awkward, with a pronounced bump and protruding tip that I simply didn’t identify with. I’d catch my profile in the mirror and be uncomfortable with the face staring back.

I felt particularly insecure about my nose when starting college, as I was presenting myself to the world, independently, for the first time. Whenever I met anyone new, I’d be very careful to talk to them only head-on, so they couldn’t glimpse my profile. By 19, I was researching rhinoplasty surgery, and my dad even took me for a nose-job consultation, but I didn’t feel the surgeon was a good fit, so we decided to table the idea.

Hannah Choi/Allure

When I moved to New York City after graduation, and began establishing myself and building a career, I suddenly felt the time was right to revisit the procedure. I met with Adam Kolker, MD, a board-certified and well-known plastic surgeon here in New York City, and immediately felt safe and heard. I respected his delicate, conservative approach and appreciated how he spent real time listening to my concerns and making sure I felt comfortable.

Once I firmly made the decision to move ahead with the rhinoplasty surgery, I told my family. With four siblings, there’s never a shortage of opinions, but they were all extremely supportive. I inherited my nose from my mother, and when I told her the news, she revealed for the first time that she had once considered getting a nose job, too, which was majorly shocking, because my mom is very reserved and rarely criticizes, or even talks about, her appearance. She’s just always seemed so comfortable in her skin. I really admire that about her.

If you didn’t live through the ‘90s in your teens or twenties, I’m not sure I can convey in a glorifying enough way the ubiquity, the importance, the power of a single bobby pin positioned just above eyebrow height in the hair. Whether or not you were using it to keep bangs off your face, it was a must-have hair accessory. Sure, we wore cute clips, too, but there was something about a lazy bobby pin that so perfectly captured a cross-section of the era’s styles. And while Olivia Rodrigo wasn’t even born yet, she absolutely nailed the look on her current trip to London.

The singer-songwriter is promoting her new album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, and on June 4, she made a stop at BBC Radio One. Rodrigo was spotted wearing a cropped, lime-green, knit vest over a black and white polka dot mini dress, as well as thigh-high white socks and black heels. The fit perfectly nailed influence 1960s mod style had on 1990s trends, worn in a 2026 way.

Photo: Getty Images

But what really brought it all together was one tiny detail: a bobby pin. Rodrigo’s signature long hair was side-parted, with the thicker side held ever so slightly back by a little, folded piece of metal that cost maybe a few cents.

Photo: Getty Images

This year, I finally decided to do something I’d spent more than a decade writing about as a beauty editor: laser hair removal. For nearly 12 years, I’ve waxed almost every part of my body, with regular appointments for my bikini, Brazilian, and underarm areas. But that didn’t mean I enjoyed the treatment. Each time, I’d brace myself as hot, melted wax was smeared across my skin.

The catalyst for my decision to get laser treatment was my first wax after giving birth. I’d gone through the most physically intense experience of my life, so I assumed going back to waxing would be a breeze. It wasn’t. The anticipation of ripping off hard wax didn’t magically disappear, and for my first few waxes post-birth, my skin felt more sensitive than usual. In other words: It still hurt like hell.

Hyperpigmentation was also a huge concern for me following all the hormonal changes I was experiencing. Lasers have long had a reputation for being a risky treatment for melanin-rich skin due to the heightened risk of burns or discoloration. That’s because laser hair removal literally targets melanin. “It works through a process called selective photothermolysis,” says Naana Boakye, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Hackensack, New Jersey. That’s just a fancy way of saying that melanin in the hair follicle absorbs the laser energy. “That energy converts to heat and damages the follicle so it can no longer grow.”

For decades, lasers were designed for lighter skin tones, and there are still technicians who are inexperienced in treating melanin-rich skin. As a Black woman who has dealt with post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation from acne on my face and body, the idea of triggering more discoloration by way of laser treatments has always made me nervous. Despite that, I’ve understood laser hair removal to be a gold-standard treatment for anyone who wants to remove body hair more permanently. So I decided to take the leap, but not without advice from board-certified dermatologists as I go through the multi-week process. The first areas I’m zapping are my underarms and Brazilian area.

What are the risks of laser hair removal for melanin-rich skin?

Laser hair removal on all skin types poses risks—especially if you undergo the treatment without the supervision of a board-certified dermatologist. You are aiming beams of heat energy at your skin, after all. Dr. Boakye says common side effects include temporary redness and swelling around the hair follicles and mild discomfort during treatment. “Less common complications include blistering, crusting, erosions, and, very rarely, scarring,” Dr. Boakye says.

For people with melanin-rich skin, hyperpigmentation and burns are among the most common concerns and typically occur when an inexperienced provider uses a device incorrectly. “When the laser wavelength, settings, or technique are not appropriate for the patient’s skin tone, the energy can be absorbed by the skin instead of the follicle, increasing the risk of injury,” Dr. Boakye explains. “In melanin-rich skin, there is more pigment in the epidermis, which means the laser energy can be absorbed earlier than intended.”

Jeanine Downie, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Montclair, New Jersey, says melanin-rich skin has “melanocytes that are larger and generally have higher baseline activity levels.” She adds that these pigment-producing cells “release more inflammatory ‘mediators’ faster than in those [in lighter skin tones] in response to heat or other trauma.”

Signs of a poor reaction to laser hair removal would be “pretty immediate” during treatment. “All lasers elicit a skin response,” Dr. Downie says, pointing to mild inflammation. “Pigmentary changes, like dramatic darkening rather than transient redness, are immediate signs that something isn’t right.”

A personalized mRNA vaccine may help reduce the risk of melanoma recurrence, a promising new study finds.

Melanoma is, of course, the deadliest form of skin cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 112,000 new melanomas are likely to be diagnosed in 2026, and 8,510 people are expected to die from the skin cancer variant. It can also be tricky to treat; if you’ve had one, you are at a higher risk for another, notes the American Academy of Dermatology Association. If melanoma does recur, it typically shows up within five years. Cancerous cells may remain after treatment and can spread to other parts of the body, though it most commonly recurs in the same area.

However, results of the latest clinical trial of a specialized vaccine produced by Moderna and Merck, recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, showed that when combined with traditional melanoma treatment (surgery to remove the cancerous tumors, paired with immunotherapy), the personalized mRNA vaccine could reduce the risk of recurring melanoma.

The trial included 157 people in the United States and Australia with stage 3 melanoma who had a high risk of recurrence. All of the participants were treated with surgery and the immunotherapy medication pembrolizumab, also known as Keytruda, used in certain cancer treatments to help the immune system destroy cancerous cells. A portion of that group—107 patients—was also treated with the vaccine. Known clinically as intismeran autogene, the mRNA-based vaccine is personalized to each patient’s tumor using their own DNA, helping to identify and target any possible additional or new cancer cells. Results showed that 68.8% of the patients who received the vaccine stayed skin cancer-free after five years. This is compared to the other group, who were treated with surgery and Keytruda, but no personalized vaccine; 49% of those patients were skin cancer-free after five years.

According to Deborah S. Sarnoff, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and president of the Skin Cancer Foundation, pembrolizumab/Keytruda has been the go-to treatment for patients with resected melanoma, or melanoma that has been surgically removed. “This treatment has been very effective for some patients, but for others, further treatment options are needed,” she says. “If confirmed in larger phase 3 studies, this [immunotherapy plus mRNA vaccine] approach could provide a more personalized treatment option tailored to each patient’s tumor mutations.”

Dr. Sarnoff also notes that it could improve long-term outcomes for patients who are at a high risk of recurrence, and even “expand the role of mRNA technology beyond infectious diseases into cancer treatment,” possibly becoming a model for personalized vaccines in other cancers. “The results are highly encouraging because the benefits appear durable over five years, which is a meaningful benchmark in melanoma treatment,” she adds.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does lactic acid compare to other exfoliating acids?

Compared with other chemical exfoliants, lactic acid “is generally considered one of the gentler exfoliating acids, which is why I often like it for people with dry, sensitive, or more reactive skin,” says Dr. Turegano. While glycolic acid penetrates deeper and is often more effective for tackling stubborn texture and discoloration, it can also be more irritating. Salicylic acid, a BHA, is oil-soluble, meaning it can penetrate pores to dissolve excess oil and debris, making it especially useful for acne-prone or oily skin. Lactic acid strikes a happy medium, offering noticeable brightening and smoothing benefits while also helping skin retain moisture. That said, if a product combines lactic acid with stronger exfoliants—or multiple acids in general—it may be better suited for those who already have experience using chemical exfoliants and know their skin tolerates them well.

Is lactic acid good for sensitive skin?

Lactic acid products are often “ideal for a sensitive skin-care routine because they’re generally gentler and more hydrating than stronger AHAs like glycolic acid,” says Dr. Turegano. Part of that comes down to its larger molecular size, which means it penetrates the skin more slowly and is therefore less likely to irritate. That gentler profile is one reason lactic acid is often recommended for dry, reactive, or easily irritated skin types. However, Dr. Turegano notes that “sensitive skin” can mean many things, so she still recommends starting slowly and avoiding overdoing it, especially if your skin barrier is already irritated or compromised.

What percentage of lactic acid is best for beginners?

For beginners, skin-care products with a lactic acid concentration of around 5% is typically a good place to start, says Dr. Turegano. Once your skin has adjusted, you can work your way up to stronger formulas. “More experienced users who tolerate exfoliating acids well may use formulations around 10 to 12%, but higher isn’t always better or faster,” she says. In fact, over-exfoliation—think redness, irritation, flaking, and a compromised skin barrier—is one of the most common mistakes dermatologists see.

Meet the experts

• Sean Alemi, MD, a double board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon based in New York City
• Anetta Reszko, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City
• Mamina Turegano, MD, a board-certified dermatologist, internist, and dermatopathologist based in New Orleans
• Carlos Vieira, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at The Dermatology Specialists based in Philadelphia

How we test and review products

When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that’s included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.

For our list of the best lactic acid serums, we considered each product’s performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from board-certified dermatologists. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.

Our staff and testers

A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.

After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the “best” for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We’re proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.

Highlights are never just highlights. There are seemingly countless ways to lighten and brighten hair without dyeing your whole head. And while you know what you like when you see it, it can feel impossible to put it into words once you’re seated in the salon chair. Balayage? Foilayage? Babylights? Midlights? How are you supposed to know what to ask for when the differences are so subtle, and the looks keep getting rebranded with trendy new words?

Thankfully, as a client, you don’t need to take a Duolingo course in highlight terminology to get what you want. An experienced and talented colorist can get you where you want to go if you come equipped with a few photos and a general understanding of the process.

“It’s the stylist’s job to translate what the client wants into the right approach, which is why consultations and asking the right questions are so important,” says Sean Michael, owner of Salon Beau in Andover, Massachusetts. “Bringing in photos is especially helpful. It gives us a clear visual so we can align on the end result and choose the best technique to get there.”

But if you want to give yourself a vocabulary advantage, that’s where we come in. First things first: There are technical terms and there are visual terms. Let’s talk technique first. Jess Gonzalez, lead colorist at Flore Los Angeles, says “classic foil work applied from root to ends with clean, consistent sectioning” is used to achieve traditional highlights. She continues, “Balayage, by contrast, is hand-painted to create a softer, more sun-kissed effect, while foilayage combines the two: hand-painted placement inside foils to achieve that diffused look with added lift.”

These techniques are used to achieve some of the other effects, like midlights, babylights, chunky highlights, and ombré, that refer more to the visual outcome. “They give clients a language to describe how blended, dimensional, or high-contrast they want their color to feel,” says Gonzalez. “At the end of the day, it’s all a variation of placement, saturation, and how lived-in or refined the result is.”

Read on for how to interpret what different highlight lingo means.

Traditional highlights

“Traditional highlights create brightness from root to ends throughout the head,” says Alexis Thurston, founder and chief product officer of Danger Jones hair color. Think: the classic, polished dimension we see on Jennifer Aniston.

Another great example is Jennifer Garner, on whom Tracey Cunningham, colorist and Schwarzkopf Professional US creative director of color and technique, used ultrafine, controlled sections of foils paired with thoughtful toning to create a result that feels soft, seamless, and elevated. “Traditional highlights have really made a return, especially with a focus on precision foiling,” Cunningham tells Allure. “It’s one of the most effective ways to brighten the hair while still maintaining contrast and dimension.”

Jennifer Lopez has been out and about in New York City over the last few days, promoting her upcoming romantic comedy Office Romance, and it seems dating rumors and the chemistry between her and costar Brett Goldstein have been getting most of the attention. But that’s crazy, you guys. It’s her highlights that we should really be talking about.

Stepping out in a sharply tailored black double-breasted blazer layered over a tiered, white dress by Elisabetta Franchi on June 1 (I’m getting Prince vibes—are you getting Prince vibes?), Lopez delivered one of several polished, high-fashion fits she’s been seen in over the course of mere hours. But while I could easily rave about the ruffles for several paragraphs, what I really want to talk about is what was framing that frilly collar: her hair. More specifically, the high-contrast color.

You know how sometimes you might be made to feel like if people can actually see your highlights, you’ve somehow done it wrong? Jennifer Lopez is not hearing that. Her hair is laced with bold ribbons of honey-blonde and caramel that are intentionally noticeable against a brunette base. They’re not chunky in the frosted, 2002 mall salon kind of way. Instead, they’re strategic, with the kind of thickness that creates dimension and brightness in a way that looks especially gorgeous on so much length.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 01: Jennifer Lopez arrives to “Watch What Happens Live” in Lower Manhattan on June 1, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by James Devaney/GC Images)James Devaney

Not even 24 hours later, Lopez had hidden away all of that variegation in a super-sleek bun (see above). And I’m sorry, but as beautiful as said bun may be, it’s practically a crime to keep these chonky highlights out of view.

Hopefully, as she continues her press tour, we’ll get to see those rays of hair sunshine a few more times before she gets the itch to make a change—if only so we have more inspo photos for our own chunky summer highlights.

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On the heels of the announcement that Margo’s Got Money Troubles has been renewed for season two on Apple, reporter Kirbie Johnson interviewed hair department head Jaime Leigh McIntosh about the realistic and fantastical wigs showcased in the series for her column The Scenario.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles follows new mom Margo (played by Elle Fanning) and her quest to provide for her child in what many still consider an unorthodox fashion: creating content on OnlyFans. The series was acclaimed by critics, while viewers enjoyed it because it was simply a delight to watch. The show—based on the book by Rufi Thorpe—is also chock-full of fun and fantastical hairstyles, all of which give more context to the characters wearing them. From the mountain of wigs created for Margo’s alter ego, Hungry Ghost, to Rico Nasty’s mullet and glow-in-the-dark braids for her role as KC, there are also wigs hidden in plain sight, like the one worn by Michelle Pfeiffer, who plays Margo’s well-meaning but somewhat superficial mother, Shyanne. As the series wrapped, department head Jaime Leigh McIntosh reflected on her and her team’s hard work, and shared details from behind the scenes.

Hungry Ghost’s Gargantuan Galactic Wig

For Hungry Ghost’s fantasy hair, stylist Celeste Gonzalez not only sewed “three and a half wigs” together, but she also added zip-ties to help with weight distribution and structural support, a trick that Gonzalez credits to drag artists. Overall, it took several weeks to create the wig because McIntosh and Gonzalez were working on it as the series was being filmed.

The wigs they used were synthetic and ordered online, which helped keep costs down from a custom-designed wig (for reference, just the extensions and hair color used in Love Story cost over $10,000). “I think they each were maybe around $50 each, so really it was just the expenses, the time of the stylist going into it [that drove up the cost] that you’d need to factor in.” To finish off the look and make it shimmer, the wig was topped with glitter body spray. Gonzalez estimates the wig itself weighed five pounds; Fanning was “a trooper” for wearing it, adds McIntosh

McIntosh said she got inspiration for the shape of the fantasy wig from the Instagram account Chaos Dreamland. “It’s an Instagram page where someone creates AI images, but the hair is always adorable.” The hair lead scrolled through the account with Fanning and landed on a pink hairstyle with bumper bangs and a Barbie-esque ponytail. “I would say [ours] is better than the image that we were inspired by. It’s a little controversial, I suppose, using AI, but I didn’t create the AI image, and I like to draw inspiration from all sorts of places. I don’t want to limit myself on that side of things.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the best way to apply or fit lashes to the eye?

We have an editor guide on how to apply falsies, but of course, our makeup artists are obviously pros. “Line up the inner corner, but don’t line it up perfectly. You want to stop slightly before you get to the inner corner so it blends seamlessly,” says Hernandez, and then trim any excess from the outer corner. She recommends dispensing a generous amount of glue onto a box or palette so it becomes tacky as you work, and specifically reaches for black glue because it hides into the liner and lash line more seamlessly. Apply it thinly with the back of a brush or Q-tip, with extra glue on both corners to prevent lifting. For placement, angle your mirror under your chin with your eyes looking down to stretch the eyelid and keep an unobstructed view, then apply the lash at the center first before working outward. Once you’re satisfied with the fit, Hernandez has one final tip: “After about 30 seconds to a minute, I like to pinch my lashes together—this will make a huge difference in making them look more natural.”

How do you clean and store lashes for reuse?

To ensure your false lashes last as long as possible, “dispense micellar water on a spoolie and comb out the lashes,” avoiding anything oil-based, says Hernandez. “The weight of the oil will remove the curl of strip lashes.” She also recommends going light on mascara, applying it to your natural lashes before putting falsies on to keep them as clean as possible. Before storing, she “gently removes the glue so the lash band can go back to its original shape,” and keeps the original packaging.

What’s the best way to remove lashes to prevent damage?

Always err on the side of caution with removal. Hernandez suggests using “tiny Q-tips with a little bit of eye cream or micellar water, and maybe a tiny bit of oil,” and work it along the lash line, massaging with a Q-tip until the glue loosens enough to release cleanly. The cardinal rule: Never rip them off, especially on dry skin. If reuse isn’t a concern, she suggests using “a cleansing oil or balm with the lashes on [because] individual lashes will just slip off.”

Meet the experts

How we test and review products

Before reviewing any makeup, we ask questions about a number of factors: What ingredients are in it? Does the brand offer a wide shade range inclusive of consumers with all skin tones and undertones? Is it safe for readers who have sensitive skin or wear contact lenses? Is it on the affordable side or more of a splurge? Is its packaging consciously designed or needlessly wasteful?

For our review of the best false lashes, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, and professional makeup artists to review the products. This ensures our testing base spans different skin tones, genders, and dermatological conditions. We considered each product’s performance across four primary categories: wear, longevity, color variety, and ease of use. For more on what’s involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.

Our staff and testers

A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.

After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the “best” for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We’re proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.