BellaSugar

Eureka! I've Finally Discovered the Easiest, Fastest Brow-Filler Regimen

Jaime Richards — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 01:09:00 PDT

I've tried many brow-filling products as a result of a decade-old mishap involving an overly zealous tweezing experience, but recently I've struck gold (uh, taupe) with It Cosmetics' Brow Power Universal Eyebrow Pencil ($24). Lots of eyebrow pencils look harsh, but this one, thanks to its smooth, glide-on texture and natural-looking hue, appears faint and realistic on the skin.

Even better, the pencil needs no sharpening, and since its formulation is not overly emollient, it settles to a semimatte finish, staying put all day long. A soft spooly brush on the opposite end of the stick helps even out any harsh lines without erasing any of your work. The only unfortunate thing I have to say about the product is that Miriam, aka blond-haired Bella, is unable to use it because it's just too dark for her coloring. To see what other essential tool I now use for getting the perfect brows, just keep reading.

The Look For Less: Brilliant Brow Pencils

BellaSugar — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 12:00:55 PST

Over the past decade or so, Anastasia Soare has established herself as the expert in eyebrow grooming. Her company, Anastasia Beverly Hills, has a Go Brow Brow Pencil & Highlighter ($21). It's a dual-ended chunky pencil that features a universal brow color on one end and a highlighter on the other. For just half the cost, Soap & Glory Arch de Triumph ($10) is an excellent alternative.

While Soap & Glory's version isn't as creamy as Anastasia's, with its soft brown and champagne-toned shades, I had no problem using this lower-priced pencil to give my brows definition. I applied the soft pink portion under my eyes as an instant pick-me-up, yet another way to use a flesh-toned liner. I have even used the darker side as liner and shadow in a pinch. Have any lookalike products for less that you might like to recommend? Head over to the Beauty Dupes group in our BellaSugar Community and tell us all about them.

How Eyebrows Made Millions For Anastasia Soare

BellaSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:01:41 PST

Anastasia Soare is arguably the world's most famous eyebrow shaper - and she's built a multimillion dollar business through knowing how to make an already pretty face look stunning. But getting to the top wasn't an easy journey, as she explains in The Huffington Post. A Romanian immigrant, she worked 12-hour shifts at Beverly Hills beauty salons, taking only one day off each week. During those days off, she went to the library, where she studied da Vinci's sketches as her daughter did her homework. Her interest in understanding perceptions of beauty inspired her to begin her own business.

Like most entrepreneurs, Soare experienced quite a few setbacks and challenges. But she adapted quickly and didn't give up, even when an investor backed out at the last minute. "Early days were very tough, but when you choose to do something that you love doing you just don't feel it," she writes. "Rather, it's immensely satisfying knowing you're on your life's journey." This piece is definitely worth a read if you need a little inspiration for reaching your own goals - or just a kick in the pants to break out the tweezers, which is on today's to-do list.

Reader Review of the Day: Anastasia Beverly Hills Tweezers

BellaSugar — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 08:00:06 PDT

Sometimes readers don't agree with what I think, and that's why our Reader Reviews section is so invaluable. Take Sabisf, for instance. While I loved Anastasia Beverly Hills Tweezers ($28), she wasn't as pleased. Here's what she had to say:

When I first got these they worked great, but quickly lost their sharpness. After a few months they did not work at all. At the price they should last a lot longer. I went back to Tweezerman and I'm very happy. Anastasia has some other nice products, though.

Have you disagreed with some of my Product Reviews or Doing Drugstore opinions? Here's the perfect opportunity to tell us why. Just head to the Product Reviews website and give us the scoop.

Getting Your Brows Done in Public: Pretty Good, Actually

BellaSugar — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:00:20 PDT

My eyebrows were a pair of unruly beasts, and no at-home tweezing could tame them. And unfortunately, my regular brow-maintenance person has raised her prices to a not-so-affordable $50 a pop. So last night, I trekked to Nordstrom to try out the Anastasia Brow Studio in the beauty department. There are many locations nationwide, but I'd never thought of going to one because, well, you're getting your brows done in the middle of a cosmetics department. (I like a little privacy.) Still, the $30 price was much easier to swallow, and there's a reason that Anastasia is known as the brow expert - so why not take a chance, live a little?

First thing's first: Yes, it is a little awkward to have your eyebrows shaped while shoppers mill about. (Someone's sad-looking boyfriend, stranded while his lady shopped, looked very confused by the brow-waxing process.) But after I got over that, it was smooth sailing. My esthetician expertly waxed, plucked, shaped, and highlighted my brows until they looked magazine perfect. I was mildly surprised that she, a pro, used Anastasia's brow stencils to guide her, but they worked so well that I am now going to use them to maintain the arch at home. Score one for Nordstrom.

If you want to see the end result,

There's no "before" shot, but suffice it to say that I sported the eyebrow equivalent of Daniel Higgs's beard.

Buzz In: What Soundtracks Are Lingering in Your CD Collection?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:30:20 PST

Even though it's all MP3s all the time these days, I still have tons of old CDs from the prehistoric era of music and I can't bear to toss them out. I was flipping through them the other day and stumbled across all the awesome soundtracks I happen to own.

Do you remember the animated Anastasia, voiced by Meg Ryan and John Cusack? Yeah, I have that soundtrack. And for whatever reason, the soulful Waiting to Exhale soundtrack (featuring artists like Brandy and Whitney Houston) will never get old for me. I pulled that puppy out the other day and gave it a listen. Sent me back in time . . .

So what funny/wonderful/potentially embarrassing soundtracks do you have in your collection?

Source

Color Inside the Lines With Eyebrow Stencils

BellaSugar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:00:28 PDT

In case you haven't quite mastered the art of eyebrow shaping, there's another solution. You've probably been coloring inside the lines now since you were about five, and celebrity eyebrow guru Anastasia makes it easy to achieve eyebrow perfection with her fool-proof reusable Stencils ($20). Using a brow pencil or brow powder with brush, ﬁll in as needed and let the stencils guide you as you go. It’s as easy as that! The packet includes four shapes: High Arch, Petite Arch, Medium Arch, and Slim High Arch for a customized ﬁt.

For a more affordable version, try Ardell Brow Perfection Stencils ($3.19), which come in four varieties as well: Delicate, Elegant, Glamorous, and Classic. Well-cared for eyebrows really do make an impact on framing your eyes to create a completely reﬁned look. Oh, how I wish I had had these templates during those overly zealous tweezing days.

BellaSugar’s Top Picks For Eyebrow Kits

BellaSugar — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:00:21 PDT

Is it just me, or did eyebrows suddenly become the big beauty thing? It used to be that you'd use your favorite brown or taupe shadow to fill in thin or light hairs and add structure to your face. Now, kits are available in all sizes and prices. Some include tweezers, brushes, stay-proof waxes and multi-color shadows, while others have fewer bells and whistles but still get the job done. Below are my personal favorite eyebrow kits; what are yours?

Anastasia Brow Ex-press in Brunette ($38) is one of my favorites. Her tweezers are amazingly precise and I really like being able to blend all of these colors without having to spend a fortune.
Le Sourcil de Chanel ($46.60) has a thick, waxy texture that blends surprisingly well, and leave it Chanel to choose just the right combo of colors to suit just about any brow color.
Too Faced Brow Envy Brow Shaping & Defining Kit ($35) has an unbelievable price for all it includes. Inside of the pink polka-dot box comes two powder shades, molding wax, stencil, mini-tweezers, mirror, brown pencil with a blending tip and an angled brush.
Ramy Beauty Therapy Miracle Brow ($28) is near and dear to my heart because it's the first brow kit I ever used. The creamy gel texture blends like silk and leaves your brows not only darker but also well groomed - this is a winner!
DuWop Browwow in Darker ($34) is small, but it does the trick every time. Inside of the pink compact lies a colored powder, a shimmery highlighter and a tinted gloss to use when you're finished and a double sided brush for precise application and flawless blending.

Anastasia Breaks World Balloon Popping Record!

PetSugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 03:00:44 PDT

Every animal has a talent! Some can walk on two legs, some seem to talk to us, and others just want to pop some balloons. Obvi. On Live! With Regis and Kelly last week, Anastasia, the Jack Russell, showed her unique talent by popping 100 balloons in 44.8 seconds, beating the previous world record by almost ten seconds! My favorite part of this video isn't Anastasia's crazy high pitched whining as she's waiting to attack the pack of balloons – it's the part where Regis says, "Let's get it on!" So hilarious. Check out the video of Anastasia in action below.

Source

Tour of Beauty: Los Angeles Primping Spots

BellaSugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 07:00:44 PDT

This weekend, I joined dozens of lovely ladies in LA for Total Beauty's beauty blog summit. One of the highlights was a day-long tour of some of the city's poshest primping places, including the top places where the A-list get gorgeous. Read on to see some of the best sites from the day.