BellaSugar

Product Review: Borghese Nail Lacquer

BellaSugar — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 07:00:25 -0700

Earlier this year, Borghese launched a nail care division, and they have created a collection of amazing products. Without going into each and every item, the main event is their nail lacquer ($7.59). The creamy and self-leveling polish (this means that it manages to somehow side-step streaking) comes in 48 shades that range from pale pink to deep melons and browns.

What's great is that they are free of DBP, toluene and formaldehyde, but what makes them stand apart in a crowd is the coolest brush I've ever encountered.

They call it duale curve tip, because it contains two brushes that are fitted side by side in the handle so that it covers your entire nail bed in one fell swoop. OK, so I'm exaggerating a little bit - it covers all of my nails besides my wide thumbnail all at once.

The polishes contain proteins (to hydrate and strengthen), olive leaf extract (to seal in moisture), ground up semi-precious jewels (for intense shine) and Vitamin E (for a silky texture). The lacquer is creamy, brilliant and dries fairly quickly. For the large bottles, I also think the price is fair. Think you'd be interested in trying out a new Borghese nail polish?

Back to Basics: The Best Base Coats

BellaSugar — Tue, 13 May 2008 07:00:10 -0700

Finding the right base coat is a critical first step in creating the perfect at-home manicure. If you use one that doesn't have a decent adhesive quality, then the color you've just applied is likely to peel off quickly.

An instant peel or chip on your freshly manicured hands feels like a big waste of time. Here are three brilliant base coats that I've been using for years - and as always, if you have a favorite of your own, please tell me what it is in a comment below.

As far as base coats go, I've always considered Nailtiques Nail Protein Formula 2 ($9.50) a treat because it's fairly expensive. Also, I think it's nothing short of a miracle worker on weak, peeling nails, so if I can muster up the self-control to let some actual white tips grow in, I reward myself with a coat of this keratin enriched base coat. If you're a first-time user, it is recommended to apply one coat every other day for a week without color, and then apply it as a base coat and a top coat to your next manicure.

Borghese Brilliante Base & Top Coat ($6.74) dries quickly while providing a thin, yet adequate base for your manicure. It contains granules of gemstones for added shine, proteins to help your nails grow stronger and it seals in moisture for healthier nails. Also, it's toluene, DBP and formaldehyde free.

For one more drugstore base coat option, read more.

Sally Hansen Hard As Nails ($2.75) is a product that I've been using since high school. It's always worked well to help strengthen my weak, bitten nails and it's so shiny that I often wear it alone. After continued use, my nails feel harder and they have less ridges. You can't beat the price or the super-long brush. If you've never tried this base coat before, I highly recommend it.

A Little Slice of the Italian Riviera Right Here at Home

BellaSugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:00:11 -0700

Recently, I introduced you to the new world of Borghese nail lacquers and their awesome double brushes. Since I'm such a fan, I thought you'd like to hear about the most recent Summer 2008 launch called Portofino Del Sole. The collection includes six shimmery shades that were inspired by the breathtaking landscape in Portofino, Italy - a Mediterranean port and destination for the rich and lavish.

I'm not much of a shimmer fan when it comes to my nails (especially reds or lavenders), but I'll rock just about anything on my toes. After trying out Florentine Gold, I'm smitten. Not only do I love the authentic, yellowy pale gold color, but I gave myself a quickie pedicure last night and was pleased that it didn't streak at all and that the polish dried relatively quickly. Also, I'll remind you again that the lacquers are free of DBPs, toluene, and formaldehyde - and they leave you with a long-lasting shine. What else is there to say besides, bellissima!

To read a description of each of the shades in the collection, read more.

Florentine Gold is a medium-toned, frosty gold.
Portofino Gold is a shimmery pinky-gold.
Bronzatta Gold is a pale bronze.
Siena Gold is a gingery, pink-copper.
Rubioso Gold is an icy, frosted ruby shade.
Amethysta Gold is a mauvey-lilac.

Lovely Links, 5/15

BellaSugar — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:00:26 -0700

Want to get soused in the shower? Beauty and the Blog finds a PBR-infused soap.
Beauty Snob lets us in on an affordable professional cosmetics collection.
I hung out with Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog the other night. Check out her fierce aquatic eye makeup, with tutorial!
Fashionologie previews the new Elle mag reality show. It makes Top Model look subtle and unstaged in comparison.
Product Fiend test drives a pricey celluite cream.
Product Girl finds a Borghese cream at Costco. Well, sort of.
Raging Rouge chats up makeup artist Jake Bailey.
Check out Kiss and Makeup's preview of a gorgeously dark MAC collection.
Off the Rack reports on Josh Hott-nett's new fragrance gig.
Jezebel's video of a "too-fat" model is worth a watch.

Beauty Byte: Gwen Stefani Creates A Perfume

BellaSugar — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 16:44:33 -0700

On Monday afternoon, Gwen Stefani detached herself from Kingston for a short time to unveil her very first fragrance called L (the L stands for love). She and Coty Prestige collaborated to create this scent, and together, they had a launch party at the Soho House in NYC where two Olympian swimmers performed water ballet.

The perfume is made from water hyacinth, white freesia, pear leaves, violet leaves, jasmine petals, rose, lily of the valley, sweet pea, orange blossom, frangipani blossom, peach skin, heliotrope flower and musk.

It will be available at Nordstrom in July and in other retail doors in September in two sizes: 1.7 oz for $55 and 3.4 oz for $70. There will also be a body lotion for $32, a shower gel for $30, and a solid perfume for $42.

The focal point of the bottle is a large gold cap of interlocking Ls, which pulls off to reveal an aqua interior. The underbelly of the cap has Rastafarian colors, red, yellow and green and the perfume has an aqua actuator.

The packaging of the box is a cheetah print cartoon with a black stripe and a stylized L. The inside of the box contains the tag line from the fragrance: "I want you all over me." This is a lyric from her song, "Crash."

It is said that she is working on five fragrances, but L will be the classic scent.

To read about L and what Gwen has to say about her fragrance, read more

Both print and TV ads are in the works and they will both star Gwen. Apparently the TV shoot was quite chilly, which took place in a cold swimming pool from 9:00am to 7:00pm and made the taping a bit difficult. The print ads were shot in Ibiza and will begin running in magazines in September.

According to Gwen,

"It's sort of amazing to go from selling fragrances (that's what she did before she became a musician) to having one of my own. I certainly never expected it when I was selling Borghese and Ultima II at the Broadway!

I wanted this fragrance to be light, fresh and clean. I want people to say, 'I want to smell like that.' I'm kind of embarrassed by how much I enjoyed creating this fragrance. It's another way to say who I am. I love this one so much I'm not sure what I'm going to come up with for the next one."

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