Beauty confessions.(Brief Article)

no-duh dilemma

How do you use a curling iron to make soft waves? I've never tried because I'm scared that I'll look permed!

To score the loosely curled, anything-but-'80s coif that's hot right now, first apply a volumizer all over your hair, then blow-dry, says Peter Butler, an NYC stylist for celebs like Kate Hudson. Try Bumble and Bumble Thickening Spray, $17. Next, mist a one-inch section with a setting solution, then twirl the lock with your finger until it's twisted almost all the way to the ends. We like Redken Spray Starch, $9.95. Holding the ends of that twisted section, wrap it around a medium-size curling iron without clamping down. Hold for a count of three, release, and repeat all over your head. When finished curling, rub a dab of smoothing serum between your hands and finger-comb the twirled locks apart from roots to ends. Try Kim Lepine #9 Finisher, $18.

icky inquiry

I have whiteheads around my eyes. How can I get rid of them?

Warning: Your eye area is extremely sensitive, so taking action against any pimple in the proximity could be dangerous. If it's around the lash line or on the lid, see your ophthalmologist right away because you could have a cold sore or infection. If the whiteheads are around the temples and upper cheeks, they may be just regular pimples (if the white tip is filled with pus) or a blocked oil gland below the skin's surface (which feels very hard), says Harvey Jay, M.D., clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College. You can try putting a warm compress on it to help the pimple drain, and swipe the area with a gentle alcohol- and acid-free toner to keep it clean and soothed. We like Chanel Precision Soothing Toner, $30. Don't use an acne solution since the acids could burn your eyes' fragile skin. To be rid of the bumps for good, see your dermatologist.

couple conundrum