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

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,

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,

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.

Teach Your Mom Tech: Pinterest

Anna Monette Roberts — Thu, 10 May 2012 06:01:00 PDT

If Mom floods your email on the daily with her favorite links, help her organize the chaos by introducing her to Pinterest. The virtual pinboard site lets Mom bookmark and share items she loves, but give her fair warning that this will be an addictive hobby. It's a win-win situation - Mom has a new way of sharing beautiful Internet finds, and your inbox lightens its load.

Here's how to set up Pinterest for Mom:

Set up an account: Pinterest makes it really easy to connect via Facebook or Twitter, so preferably sign Mom in with an account she already has.
Check out interest streams: Before explaining the pinning process, let Mom explore her interests to develop a better understanding of what she should pin. Architecture, Art, Design, DIY & Crafts, Food & Drink, Gardening, Home Decor, Pets, and Travel & Places are good starting places for Mom.
Repin, like, and comment: Pinterest has a very active social community, so Mom can and should engage with no limit! Show her how to hover over photos to repin or like. If something really catches her eye, then show her how to comment.
Follow awesome pinners: Visit the pages of active pinners to view and follow their board collections.
Add pins and create boards: After your mom has the hang of Pinterest, help her add new pins to her user page and organize them into boards.
Pin It browser bar: Lastly, drag the "Pin It" button to your mom's browser, and show her how she can pin anything across the web with a single click.

Follow YumSugar on Pinterest!

Camilla Salem — Sun, 06 May 2012 06:00:30 PDT

Are you as addicted to pinning tasty recipes and beautiful food photos as we are? If so, join the party and follow us on Pinterest. We've got several boards with amazing recipes, fast and easy meal ideas, great kitchen inspiration, and so much more. Not only is it totally inspiring, but it's a great way to bookmark and organize your favorite recipes. We're big fans. Can't wait to see you around the boards!

Not sure what Pinterest is? Not to worry, GeekSugar will tell you all about it.

Danny Seo Celebrates Earth Day With a One Kings Lane Tastemaker Sale to Benefit Charity

Guest Writer — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:00:00 PDT

We're excited to present a post from guest writer, eco lifestyle expert, and all-around awesome guy Danny Seo.

Late last year, I had the privilege to sit down with one of the co-founders of One Kings Lane, Ali Pincus, and talk about our favorite places to shop, how I'm addicted to the home shopping site, and to talk about ways I could get involved with One Kings Lane. We came up with the idea for me to do a TasteMaker tag sale where I could collect some of my favorite vintage and antique items from my home and put them up for sale on the site. I agreed under one condition: if we could donate the proceeds to my favorite charity, Baby Buggy.

Baby Buggy, in case you aren't familiar, is the wonderful nonprofit founded by Jessica Seinfeld that has the motto "Love, Recycled." It's so appropriate because they accept lightly used baby gear, clothes, and new baby and children essentials to help families in the greatest need. They are a clearinghouse of sorts that works with a network of nonprofits who call Baby Buggy with a wish list of goods they desperately need. And like a fairy godmother, Baby Buggy always comes to the rescue. With the proceeds from this sale, Baby Buggy will be able to buy the most needed essentials to help families in need. In the spirit of Earth Day, selling vintage and antique items is green for Mother Earth since it's reusing what already exists; the sale proceeds will coincidentally help many mothers here on Earth.

In this special CasaSugar post, I'm excited to give you a sneak peek at three items for sale and the unique story behind them. I've traveled the world for work and always found time to visit out-of-the-way antique stores, flea markets, and galleries to search for beautiful things. I hope whoever buys these goodies will cherish them as much as I have over the years.

Indian ArrowHead Collection When I was filming my TV show "Simply Green with Danny Seo" (all episodes on Hulu now), I made a point to visit a small antique store in the sleepy town of Point Pleasent, PN. Down an alley and past a blacksmith shop (of all things!), I found a little antiques store that was going out of business. Rummaging through box after box, I came across a collection of mounted arrowheads, all hand mounted on colorful felt with a hand pounded metal backing in glossy black frames. What I loved about these pieces is that clearly someone had scavenged the woods of Pennsylvania for each arrowhead, cleaned them, and displayed them in a very beautiful and interesting pattern. I also love the pop of color in the background.

Keep reading to learn about two more special items from the sale

Celebrity Makeup Artist Mally Roncal's Top 5 Beauty Staples

Guest Writer — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:32:00 PDT

We're excited to present the following post from our guest writer, celebrity makeup artist and founder of Mally Beauty, Mally Roncal.

Hello again, my BellaSugar beauties! A lot of you are curious about my daily routine, and what must-have products I keep in my makeup bag 24-7. When it comes to creating an effortless, glowing daytime look without juggling 101 foundations, creams, powders, shadows, and pencils, these are my top five face-savers.