BellaSugar

Easy Summer Hair Tips For Blondes

Annie Tomlin — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 16:31:28 PDT

Do blondes have more fun? That's up for debate, but Cameron Diaz makes it seem that way. We're loving her bright, bouncy, blond hairstyle, so we caught up with her colorist Tracey Cunningham, Redken creative consultant for color. She's known as one of the best in the business, and if there's a hair color heating up, you can safely assume that she's on it. If you're a blonde - or are thinking of lightening up for the season - get some of her tips, tricks, and trend updates when you read more.

Get Platinum Blond Hair For $10 Without Using Bleach

Miriam Lacey — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 08:00:07 PST

I'm no Marilyn, but for the past few months I've been tinkering with box hair color, and I think I've finally figured out a way to get baby blond for $10 without using any damaging bleach or ammonia. So to find out what I concocted, just keep reading.

5 of Our Favorite Beauty Features From the Ladies of Harry Potter

BellaSugar — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 10:00:00 PST

It's almost the end of the Harry Potter flicks, my friends. Or more accurately, the happily ever after. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I arrives in theaters on Nov. 19, so to gear up for the occasion, we'd like to pay tribute to the young women of Hogwarts - and Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, to be accurate. So here are five of the things we loved best about Hermione, Luna, Ginny, and the rest of the gang.

Best of Bella: Sexy Dark Lips, Sparkly Golden Eyes, and More

BellaSugar — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 06:00:51 PDT

Do these celebrities look better as “Betty” or “Veronica”? You decide.
Wear 24-karat eyeliner in two ways.
Nail it with this season's coolest enamel colors.
Guess who has a star tattoo.
Follow these easy tips on applying daytime blush.
Try this trendy ombré hair color for everyday wear.
Do you know your novels vs. perfumes?
Get in the October spirit with these must-have items.
Darken your lips with these simple steps.
Make your Marc with this DIY hair accessory.

Purple Hairs: Toning Shampoos For Blondes

BellaSugar — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 10:06:38 PDT

Being a bottle blonde is not for the dumb - or lazy, for that matter. You have to maintain roots all the time, and then there's the ultimate enemy of all blondes: brassiness. But how does one fight the creeping orange, besides frequent trips to the salon and/or Walgreens hair dye aisle? Purple shampoo. More specifically, shampoo with violet leaf extract, which is a deep and slightly staining shade of blue-purple.

To keep your hair from getting orange, put something that's on the opposite side of the color wheel on top of it, and bam! Brass neutralized. Blondie Bella uses purple shampoo every other day, and says it definitely helps you get the most wear out of your color. If you have any gray hair, these are also great to keep it from taking on a yellowish cast. There are also enough options to satisfy most people's needs, from drugstore bargains like One 'n Only Shiny Silver Conditioning Shampoo ($5) to more natural products like Lush Daddy-O ($9) and Unite Eurotherapy Blonda Shampoo, which is only available in salons. A brighter future (at least on top of your head) is a shampoo away.

Trend Alert: Light Roots

BellaSugar — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:00:09 PDT

We're used to seeing dark roots on all the chemically assisted blondes in Hollywood, but lately things are going the other way - women with naturally light hair are going dark and showing off their much lighter roots as their hair grows out. Kristen Stewart, Lindsay Lohan, and Agyness Deyn are all sporting the look. It's an interesting reversal that's sure to garner mixed reactions. What do you think? Do you like it when naturally light-haired people go dark, and are visible roots cool?

Love It or Hate It? Carey Mulligan's New Blond Locks

BellaSugar — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:00:00 PST

Perhaps you caught my slideshow of what's hot right now in hair color, in which celebrity colorist Johnny Ramirez described how he recently lightened Carey Mulligan's cropped pixie from a medium-toned red to a dark blond hue. On Friday, he paired up with Carey once again to create this much lighter shade, which we first got a glimpse of as she snuggled with boyfriend Shia LaBeouf on Valentine's Day, although she officially debuted her new look on the red carpet at a luncheon for the upcoming Academy Awards earlier today. "She just wants to have fun and be blonde," Ramirez told me of the actress's decision to lighten up. What do you think of the new look? Are you enlightened by this Mia Farrow-like style?

Definition: Eumelanin

BellaSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:00:21 PST

Simply put, melanin is pigment, but there are two types of melanins that give hair color its own distinctive coloring. I already gave you the scoop on pheomelanin, the pigment that produces red and yellowish strands, so let's move on to eumelanin. As you might have guessed, eumelanin gives skin and hair black and brown coloring. Therefore, people with darker skin tones will have more of this color-determining substance.

There are two different types of this pigment: black and brown. The smaller amount of brown one has, the lighter or more ashen blond the hair will be. In turn, the higher the amount of brown, the darker or more brown the hair will be. As for black eumelanin, in high quantities, it's what makes the hair black. But in lower levels, it's responsible for causing the hair to become gray. So now you can dazzle your friends, giving them their own custom "hair reading," all thanks to your expert hair color knowledge.

Definition: Pheomelanin

BellaSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:02:24 PST

Simply put, melanin is pigment, but there are two types of melanins that give hair and skin its distinctive coloring. Let's start with pheomelanin, which lends reddish tones to the body.

While pheomelanin can be found in light- and dark-skinned people, females tend to have more of this type of pigment in their skin than men do. Hence, you'll often notice a slightly more pink or reddish quality to a woman's body. Also note that pheomelanin is more concentrated on the lips, nipples, and girly parts.

Even though we all have at least some pheomelanin in our hair, if you're a redhead, you're loaded with it, as it's what is responsible for imparting those fiery reddish tones to your locks. But don't forget about blondes, however, as pheomelanin, thanks to its yellowish tones within, works to determine the pigmentation of golden-haired beauties, too.

How to Choose Eyeglasses by Your Hair Color

BellaSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:00:44 PDT

Recently, I made my yearly - OK, it's been more than a year - trip to the eye doctor. I've worn glasses for about 14 years now, and from one "trendy" frame to another, I've had lots of different looks. Since some were good, and others I'd prefer to forget, that was the inspiration behind this series of posts on choosing eyeglass frames. Since we've already looked at face shape, eye color, and skin tone, for the final installment of this series, let's look at how your hair color can help guide you when making a choice between those funky green shades or whimsical yellow specs. To check out some tips, just keep reading.