BellaSugar

Back to Basics: The Best Champagne Eye Shadows

BellaSugar — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 04:33:44 -0800

Since we are always writing about the next best thing premiering on the beauty market, we can't overlook that sometimes some of the best colors and products are the oldies but goodies. In this installment of Back to Basics: The Best Champagne Eye Shadows, we are going to take a trip down memory lane to see a few of my old time favorites. I can't wait to hear what you think!

Shroom, by MAC Cosmetics $14, is one of the most versatile eye shadows. This soft muted golden beige has a slight opalescent shimmer to it. You can use it all over your lid as a neutral shade, you can mix it with any of your other favorite shadows and you can use it right below your brow as a highlighter. I'm on my third Shroom already! It's a staple in my makeup bag that I have yet to find a replacement for.

Kitten by Stila, $14. This color is their number one best seller for a reason! It's something you can wear with anything. Although it's categorized as more of a shimmery nude pink, the shimmer is champagne colored on the pink of your eye. This color is as versatile as your LBD! It glides on smoothly and just a little bit goes a long way.

To see more of my fave champagne shadows, read more

Eye shadow in Smashing Champagne by Smashbox, $16, is a long-lasting shadow with excellent blend-ability. It can be worn alone or layered. This shade looks great on everyone.

ColorStay 12 Hour Single Eye Shadow in Champagne by Revlon, $4.29, is a rich color that will last for up to 12 hours straight. It has a patented ColorStay® technology that keeps your shadow crease-proof, fade-proof and smudge-proof. This color won't break the bank, but it will make you look and feel like a million bucks!

How-To: Instant Shimmer Lotion

BellaSugar — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:59:35 -0700

So let's say you are clumsy - not that I'd know anything about that. (Nope, not at all.) Perhaps you've knocked an eye shadow over and it's all crumbly. While you may be able to repair it with these instructions, you could always keep it on hand to create a shimmery lotion. Just take a tiny pinch of eye shadow - obviously, it's best if it's a champagne, bronze, or pink shade - and mix it into a few dollops of plain body lotion. Spread it on your shoulders, collarbone, and shins to create a light-capturing glow quickly and inexpensively. Easy!

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BellaSugar's Top Five Cream Eye Shadow Picks

BellaSugar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 09:00:44 -0700

The invention of cream eye shadows has had a time-saving impact on my life. Not only are they easy to apply (you don't even need to use a brush), but depending on the color, they can also double as a highlighter. They're a cinch to travel with since they can't spill, and they typically dry to a nice, powdery finish. You used to have to tend to the creases every few hours, but now they've evolved into long-wearing, crease-free, stay-put-all-day formulas that hardly require any maintenance at all! Below are my top choices for cream eye shadows; what are yours?

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow ($19) has a light and creamy consistency that dries to a silky texture within 30 seconds. My favorite color is RSVP, a versatile, pale shimmery pinky-champagne that looks great alone for daytime and as a highlighter in the evening.
Lola Cosmetics SocialEyes Gel Eye Colour ($20) are creamy, waterproof shadows that can be worn as eyeliners too. They have medium pigmentation so they can be layered together or worn alone. My color of choice is a pale green patina called Tahiti.
Just for Redheads Dream Eye Shadow Flavors (on sale for $18) are some of the best blending cream shadows I've ever used. A little bit goes a long way to create shimmery, and rich velvety soft color. The must-have color to seek out is Souffle, a taupey, purplish-brown that looks amazing on all skin tones.
Laura Mercier Metallic Crème Eye Colour ($22) is a waterproof, sheer and non-creasing cream shadow. My favorite color of the bunch is Rose Gold, a shimmery pinky brown that looks great alone, or blended with a deep brown or purple in the crease.
Nars Cream Eye Shadow ($21) has a soft cream-to-powder texture that dries quickly and blends easily. My favorite shade is Swing, a deep dark purple that looks great as a lid and crease shadow or as a liner.

CocoChic Tries Out Two Halloween Looks

BellaSugar — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 08:00:43 -0700

Last week, I showed you some Halloween looks from MAC. Well, TeamSugar member CocoChic has been one busy lady-she managed to do not one, but two of these looks. When I first saw these pictures, I thought she'd gone to the MAC counter to get them done. But nope, she did it herself. She called it a "feeble attempt," but I beg to differ! Check out the original diagrams and CocoChic's real-world interpretations here. (And if you have some Halloween makeup or hair of your own, message me and I might share it with readers!)

View 5 Photos ›

For CocoChic's details on how she created these looks, read more

"I started with Crackin Up. I covered my face in pearly white eyeshadow and covered my brows with concealer, my BE foundation, and clear brow gel. I lined my eyes with black pencil. Then, I used a dark brown and champagne colored eyeshadows on my lids and LOTS of mascara on top. I put some pearly pink eyeshadow on my cheeks and nude lipstick on my lips. Then, I took the black eye pencil and attempted to make the cracks the best I could.

"For the Zombie face, I started by covering my brows in concealer. I smudged dark purple shadow on my lids, then took a burgundy shadow and brushed it all over my eyes, my brows, the bridge of my nose, temples, and cheeks. I took the white shadow from the first look and covered the parts of my face that didn't alread have shadow on them. I covered my lips in concealer, put the white shadow on, and lined them lightly with black eye pencil. I smudged it all up so that my lips looked like the rest of the skin around them. I then took the black pencil and made the contour lines under my cheekbones. I smudged that and added some of the dark purple shadow on the sides of my nose, near my eyes. Finally, I took the black pencil and drew on cracks like I did in the first look."

PartySugar Dishes Out Beauty Tips

BellaSugar — Tue, 13 May 2008 10:00:57 -0700

Frequent readers of YumSugar are no doubt familiar with PartySugar. She really is the hostess with the mostest, and not only does she throw the best bashes, she always looks enviably polished while doing so. Read on to find out what's in her makeup bag.

Which beauty products are your must-haves?
Spanish Dove spray can deodorant. Yes, I purchase my deodorant in bulk while traveling in Spain. It never leaves any white residue and is simply my fave. St. Ives Oatmeal scented body wash, Dove tanning lotion, MAC and Nars eye shadows, Dior mascara, Lancome lip glosses. The Venus Vibrance razor in pink; I use two to make my shaving super fast.

What’s your favorite beauty ritual?
Painting my nails. I paint them once a week, almost always on Wednesday nights. I have been doing this for the past 10 years. Painting my nails is like therapy. The color I choose affects the outlook on the upcoming week.

To see what product PartySugar calls a "huge waste of money," read more.
What’s your go-to lip product?
Gloss, always lip gloss. I have 4 in my purse right now and about 10 colors that are in my current rotation. I like Lancome Juicy Tubes, MAC lipglass, and Dior lip gloss. I once won a contest at a party for being the girl with the most lip gloss in her purse. It was very exciting.

What is your morning beauty routine?
For being a beauty lover and a super girlie girl, I consider myself pretty low key. I always put on face cream with SPF, a neutral-colored shadow, and mascara. I sit in front of a computer all day so an overly glam look is a waste of makeup. My hair depends on if its curly, wavy, straight, or just washed.

What’s your signature fragrance?
Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb. Love it.

What’s the best beauty advice you’ve ever received?
A cold rinse. To make your hair shiny, wash out conditioner with cold water.

And the worst advice?
I bought one of those expensive treatments to help get rid of bikini waxing breakouts. Huge waste of money. Tried it once and wasn’t convinced.

Any tips or tricks you want to share with readers?
If you see a look you like in a picture or magazine, rip it out, take it home, and try to recreate it. Also, apparently for every six used eye shadows you bring into MAC, they’ll give you a free lip gloss. I’m not sure if they really do it, though, I have one more shadow to go until I have six. [Bella's note: It's true! Take six empty MAC containers to the store and you get a free lip gloss or lipstick.]

Your favorite drugstore beauty product?
Revlon nail polish and Lip Smackers Dr. Pepper lip gloss.

When do you feel the most beautiful?
After a day at the beach, when I’m sitting watching the sunset with fabulous company and a refreshing cocktail. Oh and when I leave the hair salon, of course - but who doesn’t feel gorgeous after Champagne and a great, styled haircut?

2007 Sugar Awards: Best Eye Shadow

BellaSugar — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 13:20:47 -0800

Wow, MAC certainly swept the Best Eye Shadow category. Its shadows garnered a full third of votes, probably due to its ability to, as Hemlyn puts it, "blend like a dream." I noticed a lot of write-in votes for Urban Decay, too, pointing out its amazing color choices.

My favorite shadow of the year is Stila Kitten. (That particular shade got a few write-in votes, too.) This shimmery pinky-champagne shadow is a cult favorite, and justly so. It's a great base color, it blends well, and it lasts all day. And if you dab a bit on the inner corner of your eye, it just makes you look more alert and awake. Just gorgeous!

Product Review: Scott Barnes Eye Ice

BellaSugar — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 06:00:22 -0800

Last week I told you about some of Scott Barnes' best bronzing products and this week I've been playing around with the jewel-toned, loose-powder eye shadow shades from the new Royals Eye Ice Collection. In particular, I've fallen hard for Empress, a deep aubergine and Imperial Gold, a medium gold.

When it comes to loose shadows, I'm used to saying that all you need is a little bit, but what I like about these is that you can really pile on the color for a deep and rich effect, or keep it light for a more subtle look. Unfortunately, this means that you need some extra time to apply and blend the shadows properly, but the results are worth it. And since the colors are soft at first, they can easily take you from day to night.

All of the shades are shimmery, buildable, and very wearable and the texture is also noteworthy. I rubbed them between my fingers to find a silky smooth powder - no wonder they blend so well. Also, I adore the packaging. It's cute how they come in square bottles to resemble ice cubes. For those of you looking for a more neutral shade, an older color I also love is sandstone; a pinky champagne reminiscent of Stila's bestselling kitten. When I have a little extra time to primp, eye ices are worth the effort. For the details on each of the five new shades, read more.

Empress: a rich and deep purple
Majesty: a silvery, chrome grey
Imperial Gold: a medium bodied gold
Serpentinea taupey-bronzey-beige
Versailles: an opalescent white diamond glitter

See reader reviews of this product and add your own here!

Vanessa Minnillo's FLIRT! Collection Is Here

BellaSugar — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 16:00:16 -0700

Finally, the new FLIRT! line of limited-edition cosmetics by Vanessa Minnillo is available to the masses! We've been waiting for this day ever since we heard the buzz back in March and saw the video of her FLIRT! photo shoot in April. The collection consists of two eye shadow palettes ($15) and two complementary lip gloss Duos ($13.50).

Vanessa chose her 'go-to' favorite color families-bronze and purple-as the two color options for her collection. The first eye shadow palette, Chic Bronze includes four shimmery and creamy shadows in the brown/nuetral family. This goes best with her Squeeze Me Lip Gloss Duo in Mulberry Marvel/Sweet Soiree.

The second eyeshadow palette, Party Purple is made up of four warm pink and plum shadows which look super flirty with Squeeze Me Lip Gloss Duo in Berry/Pink Champagne!

I'm a sucker for purples, so I can't wait to check these out. Do you think you'll try Vanessa's makeup?

View 5 Photos ›

Bella Interview: Chad Hayduk, Co-Founder of Three Custom Color Specialists

BellaSugar — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:00:01 -0700

Now that you've taken my quiz to determine if your undertones are warm or cool, I thought it would be, er, cool to delve into the topic a bit deeper. In my three-part series, I'll be featuring tips and tricks from Chad Hayduk, co-founder of Three Custom Color Specialists.

Perhaps one of the best services offered by this nifty cosmetics company (see a tour!) is its adeptness in customizing blends - whether to help you recreate a beloved discontinued shade, or whip up a batch of your own perfect hue.

Another one of its specialties? Taking the guesswork out of the oft-posed question, "Am I a warm or a cool?" Look for more color-specific lip, cheek, and eyeshadow choices from Chad later this week. In the meantime, check out some helpful tips from Hayduk below. read more

On determining your undertone

The easiest way to tell is by taking a gold and silver lipstick or eye shadow to see which one melts into your skin. If the gold disappears and the silver is icy, you are a warm. If the silver melts and the gold is dramatic, you are a cool.
Also, ask yourself what happens when you are in the sun. If you burn and/or get a rosy-red tan, you're a cool. If you get a golden tone, you are a warm. Eighty-five percent of the population is warm.

On mixing and matching warm and cool colors

There is no reason why you can't mix warms and cools. Cools can look really dramatic on warm tones and vice versa.
To look the most natural, choose colors that are more appropriate for your tone.

About how neutrals fit into the mix

Just because it's taupe, camel, or brown, that doesn't mean it's a neutral. "Neutral colors have equal parts warm and cool," Chad says. "Think of true red and champagne, which is equal parts of gold and silver."

On color selection choices

For cools, "Think of the colors of ice - silvers, whites, and blues," Chad advises. Look for jewel tones like sapphire, ruby, emerald, and amethyst.
For warms, Chad says, "Think of the colors of fire - golds, bronzes, coppers, russets, khaki green, and chocolate brown."
Once you get the knack, you can then start using these guidelines to pick out optimal colors in other areas such as clothing and even your house paint choices, so you'll look best in many aspects (and lighting) of your life!

Beauty Tips and Tricks For Redheads

BellaSugar — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:00:18 -0700

Since it's St. Patrick's Day, I've been thinking about classic Irish beauty. Being that so many Irish women are fair-skinned redheads, I thought I'd suggest a few friendly tips and tricks on how to enhance your specific type of beauty. And, of course you don't have to be Irish for this advice to pertain to you, silly - these red-headed celebs aren't!

Protect Your Hair Color: Whether or not you enhance your hair color, you'll want to give it shelter in the sun so that it doesn't turn orange or brassy. Try misting your hair with an SPF shine spray and use color-enhancing hair products to replenish and maintain your color in between salon visits.

For three more makeup and skin-care tips and tricks for redheads, read more.

Makeup Colors: When looking for a foundation and/or a powder, it's best to steer away from anything too pink or yellow. In particular, products targeted for those with olive skin will be too harsh. Generally, it's best to choose a neutral, light-beige shade. Additionally, when possible, avoid orangey-red, orange, and overly strong coral shades of lipstick. However, gold makeup is gorgeous on redheads, as are champagne, taupe, and brown eye shadows - so go crazy!
Eyebrows: Frame your fair skin by filling in your eyebrows. Depending on how dark or light your hair is, you'll want to match your brows one shade darker. Going too dark is going to look unnatural, so choose a soft, auburn, or taupe powder.
Skin Care SPF is a must. Since your skin is fair, it will burn easily and can cause wrinkles, redness, peeling, premature aging, and cancer. Be sure to wear a moisturizer with SPF 30, and when possible consider buying cosmetics with SPF in the formula for extra protection from harmful UVA and UVB rays.

Source and Pacific Coast News