BellaSugar

BellaSugar's Top Five Mascara Picks

BellaSugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 09:00:18 PDT

Over the past year, I've talked in great detail about many different types of volumizing, lengthening, curling, separating, and glossing mascaras. There's even a new one from Besame that smells just like gingerbread. I've tried them all, and while most of them are great at the beginning, I find that they generally don't live up to the hype about remaining clump and flake-free for more than a month.

That's why I'm partial to these five mascaras. I know that I can always turn to them to separate, define, and darken my lashes and make them look flirty and fluttery in the most natural-yet-enhanced possible way. What's your tried and true mascara?

Lancome Courbe Virtuose ($23) helps gives lashes that extra curl they need to look longer and sexier. The brush is amazing, it never clumps, and the color isn't too light nor too dark.
Lash Blast by Cover Girl ($6.99) is awesome. It's inexpensive and it effectively gives you a sexy, false-lash look.
The Balm Two-Timer ($19) is great because you can use the fine brush for a natural daytime look and the thick brush for a dramatic, curled, and elongated evening look.
Mirenesse Secret Weapon ($27, but deals abound) separates and lengthens lashes like crazy. It doesn't look too over-the-top, and although it stays all day, it comes off with just a bit of warm water.
Beauty Addicts Lash Galore ($22) is silky, rich, conditioning, and volumizing. It creates full, separated, long lashes with a touch of glamorous shine.

Valentine's Day Beauty Part II: Bedroom Eyes

BellaSugar — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 11:00:14 PST

My, what beautiful eyes you have. Welcome back to my series on Valentine's Day beauty. This post should help you create sexy, sultry bedroom eyes for the big night. Keep in mind that if you plan to wear a bold lip, then you'll want to play down your eyes with neutral colors. But if you want your eyes to fully captivate your beau during dinner conversation, here are three great products to lock in eye contact all night long.

Beauty Addicts SolutionEYES in Seduce ($35) is four-pan shadow palette of blendable black, white and grayish-silver matte and shimmery shades to help create a sensual, smoky eye. The black shade can also double as a liner, and the white shade can be used to create a glamorous glow in the inner V area of your eyes.

For more eye makeup products perfect for Valentine's Day

read more. Bare Escentuals PussyCat Eyes ($39) is a playful way to awaken your inner sex kitten. Without having to say too much, the name of this mineral eye shadow trio and shadow brush makes me blush. The set includes three deep shades of loose-powder eye shadows in black, yellow amber, and khaki - all of which can be blended together or worn separately.
Senna Cosmetics Foxy Five Eyes ($42) is an eye shadow palette that contains four fabulous shades of velvety-soft powder shadows, a light and creamy shadow base to ensure staying power and an applicator. Senna shadows blend really well and this palette is perfect for a lady on the prowl, since it's so versatile.

Must-Have of the Moment: HydraSUNRays Bronzer by Beauty Addicts

BellaSugar — Wed, 23 May 2007 16:00:00 PDT

I am a huge fan of Beauty Addicts cosmetics. After meeting the owner, Maria Ashe, at the Jackie Rogers fashion show last season, I knew I'd found someone who was just as passionate about makeup as I am. I was delighted to receive a package from her a couple of days later, and I've been addicted to Addicts products ever since.

The latest launch from Beauty Addicts is the HydraSUNRays Bronzer ($32). It has a lightweight formula and sheer color that delivers an extremely neutral glow to the skin. What sets this bronzer apart is that it contains no shimmer and has build-able coverage, meaning that the color gets darker the more you apply. And since it's matte, it will never streak, no matter how much you pile on!

HydraSUNRays contain pure freshwater pearl powder. Since we know that pearls are great for healthy skin cell growth, this just makes the product even more attractive. It also contains green tea and vitamins A, C, D and B5. HydraSUNRays, which can also be used as an eyeshadow or blush, is available in one neutral color intended for all skin tones.

Spring Lip Glosses, Part II: Beautiful Berries

BellaSugar — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 09:31:33 PDT

Welcome to part two of a five part series of Spring lip glosses! To see Part I, for violet lip glosses, click here. Berries, bright pinks and flirty fuchsias are a hot beauty trend that have been seen on the runways and at the cosmetics counters for Spring! Here are three of my favorite beautiful berry lip glosses:

Aveda Lip Glaze in RubiSparks, $15, is a succulent rich translucent color. It has intense shine and is made from ripe berry anti-oxidants and plant derived moisturizing ingredients. It is also flavored with yummy and organic peppermint and ginger.

I love the brush on this gloss. It has an angled-tip to ensure smooth application. The tube is made of 50% post-consumer recycled materials and the packaging comes from 100% recycled newsprint shell so it's good for the environment too!

For two more berry lip glosses,

read more Nars Lip Gloss in Boogie Nights, $23, has crazy shine! This is a bold berry color that goes on smooth, creamy and semi-sheer. You can wear Boogie Nights alone or layered on top of your favorite lipstick. This gloss has an instant warming effect on your face due to its hint of iridescence and its deep berry color. Try it out and see what I mean.
Bobbi Brown Lip Tint SPF 15 in Black Cherry , $17, is a sheer plum red color that enhances lips and also protects them from sun damage. Just a little of this stuff goes a long way. The best part about this gloss is the peppermint scent. Available in nine colors.

Eye Palettes To Enhance Your Eye Color: Hazel Eyes

BellaSugar — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 12:30:22 PST

Welcome to my first installment of Eye Shadow Palettes To Enhance Your Eye Color. If you have light green or hazel eyes, then you know that purple shadows make them pop. I've tried at least a dozen shades recently, and what I've discovered is you really need more than just one color to make your hazel cat eyes glow. The perfect palette is hard to come by, but I've found a few that get the job done well.

Each of these include three to four shades of just the right pinks, purples and sables to perfectly enhance your eyes. The lightest shade is the accent color that should go just beneath your brow-bone, the medium color purple goes across your lid and the darkest shade should be applied to the crease. Stay tuned for more palettes later this week to suit your eye color!

Beauty Addicts Eyeshadow Palette in Motivate, $34, is a collection of four beautiful and rich colors from the purple family; they are: heather, berry, plum and pale pink. The beauty of this palette is that you can skip the darker crease color for day (just use as a liner) and then add plum for a more dramatic effect at night.

To see a couple more purple palettes,

read more gloEye Shadow Trio in Amethyst by GloMinerals, $29.50, is a three color collection of eye shadows for hazel eyes. I've been using this palette for a long time and I still can't find a sable color quite like this one (the reddish color). This high quality brand makes shadows that last. It won't crease, the colors blend easily and the palette is small enough to carry with you anywhere.
Wet n Wild Mega Eyes in Mojave Mauves, $2.99, is an easy to use palette because the colors go in order of use. Start from the bottom and apply that shade from your lid to the crease. Next apply the darkest shadow in your crease and blend well. Lastly, apply the light pink from your crease to your brow and dab just a little bit with the applicator in the inner corners of your eye. If you want, wet the crease color and use it as a liner, or else line your eyes (top and bottom) in black. These pretty shades are long lasting, silky smooth and they won't break the bank.

Brand-New Brand: beauty ADDICTS

BellaSugar — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 12:13:44 PST

ToOfficially become a beauty ADDICT! The philosophy behind this brand is based around four different moods. They have created colors that come in fun and lightweight silver and pink compact palettes called beauty ADDICTS Gems in: Seduce, Motivate, Express and Glow. Each of these moods then has its own correlating collection of lip, eye, sun, cheek and highlighter palettes.

As of now, the line also includes a mineral sheer tint with SPF 20 as well as three other super cute gifts: a holiday faux croc clutch with three lip glosses inside, brush sets, and an adorable beauty ADDICTS tank that comes in white and grey. Ideas for a cream foundation, dual-pad concealer and mascara are also in the works.

Their idea is also to de-clutter and de-stress your makeup process. Having multiple colors in one compact allows you to do that since you can create many looks within each of these versatile palettes.

They are also good for your skin since they are packed with: minerals, natural extracts, shea butter, aloe vera, vitamins and antioxidants. Prices range from $26 for lip palettes to $30 for eye palettes. Play away and have fun! Read more about new makeup alerts here.

5 Reasons You Need More Sleep

Shape — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:14:00 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Whether you admit you need help nodding off or are still in denial about the major suitcases under your eyes, chances are you could use an intervention: a full two-thirds of Americans say they have trouble getting enough shut-eye at least once a week. That’s pretty harrowing, considering that sleep is absolutely essential for health and normal functioning. If you need a reason to hit the sack early read on. You’ll be surprised how much skipped sleep impacts your well-being.

You'll Live Longer
Chronic insomniacs are more likely to suffer a heart attack than those who sleep well, according to new research in the journal Circulation. Other studies have linked lack of sleep to a higher risk of dying from a stroke and developing breast cancer.

See even more benefits of sleep after the break!

Charlize Snaps Up Another Award and Thanks Her "Sexy" Young Adult Costar Patton

Lindsay Miller — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:10:16 PST

Charlize Theron was presented with her second award of the weekend yesterday at Variety's annual brunch during the Palm Springs International Film Festival. The Young Adult star looked lovely in a bold Reed Krakoff dress as she accepted her Indie Impact Award. Her leading man in the film, Patton Oswalt, was on hand to present her with the honor and gushed about the time he spent working with her. When Charlize tried to hide behind her napkin, he joked, "Don't hide that beautiful face. It's keeping the bees alive with its beautiful sunshine!"

The duo formed a close friendship on the set of their Diablo Cody-penned film. Charlize, Diablo, and Patton all joined director Jason Reitman on Saturday night to accept their shared accolade for best creative ensemble at the Palm Springs annual gala. Yesterday, Charlize took the podium alone to pick up her individual honor, and gave a thoughtful and funny speech from the podium. Here are some highlights:

On being humbled by her Indie Impact Award: "I know I've had an impact on donuts, wine, and vodka - and designer handbags - but I know that indie world has definitely had an impact on me, and so maybe I can talk a little bit about that. I think my career could have been very different, and I feel 100 percent sure that I have the career I have today because of independent film making . . . And I'm pointing at all of you who are here today who had the balls to believe in me. I'm speaking particularly of Patty Jenkins who wrote and directed Monster."
On being addicted to great producers: "When you work with a good producer it's, I guess, like that first hit of crystal meth. I don't know, I haven't done that one yet. But you chase it."
On taking chances: "I want to thank all of those filmmakers - even the bad ones - for giving me jobs and for letting me fall on my face. But mostly just letting me be brave to do things that I don't think naturally would have come my way. I'm not naïve to think that those things would have been handed to me, and so I'm very grateful that I've had those opportunities.
On her costar Patton Oswalt: "I've been naked with [Patton]. There's a sexy man under that suit."

Send a Quick Greeting With One of These 19 Ecard Sites and Card Apps

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 08:47:13 PST

Handwritten cards are always appreciated, but if you've forgotten to pick up a batch for the holidays, sending an ecard today might be your last hope for sending well wishes this season. Let your friends and family know you're thinking about them by shooting off a few ecards today (or whenever you get the urge to say hello).

GroupCard - Want to personalize a thank-you card from your whole family? This site features an electronic pass-around that's accomplished by just emailing the card to the people who need to sign it. Easy as pie.
MushyGushy - Upload photos and cut and place your heads onto awesome video animations! It's like Elf Yourself without the hats.
Postcard.FM - Lets you put together any picture and any song (just upload each file), slap in a message and an email address, and your recipients get a custom card!
Someecards - It's hard not to get addicted to this hilarious site with wacky, cheeky ecards. The site is known for juxtaposing vintage-y images with witty and racy messages. Not your grandma's ecard site.

For the rest of my ecard suggestions (there are lots!), after the break.

Can Diet Soda Make You Fat?

Shape — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 04:34:20 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to nutritional consultant Mike Roussell, PhD, for some help!

Q: I'm a Diet Coke junkie. Despite having 0 calories, could this habit be sabotaging my weight-loss efforts?

A: In a word: no. While drinking diet soda every day isn't exactly good for your health, the chances of it sabotaging your weight-loss efforts are slim. The common misconception regarding the role of diet soda and weight gain comes from a couple of studies that received a lot of media attention. One such study looked at more 6,500 participants and found that diet soda drinkers were 67 percent more likely to have diabetes and 37 percent more likely to have metabolic syndrome (a combo of symptoms that is basically where pre-diabetes meets heart disease). What's more, data from the Framingham Heart Study, the longest running heart disease study in the US, found a 56-percent increase in metabolic syndrome when people drank one or more diet sodas per day!

Find out how diet soda affects weight gain after the break!