BellaSugar

Reader Review of the Day: Chanel Rouge Allure Laque Luminous Satin Lip Lacquer

BellaSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:02:29 -0800

You all know how much I love a good Chanel lip gloss, but I hadn't tried Chanel Rouge Allure Laque Luminous Satin Lip Lacquer ($32), so I was excited to see that reader gooz1231 had. Her review, though, makes me want to head down to the store and try one right now. She says:

"This lip product from Chanel (think a hybrid between a lipstick and gloss) is absolutely amazing. It is moisturizing and highly pigmented with a nice gloss. In addition, it wears pretty well. While at $32 it is a little pricey, the quality is unlike any other lip product I've tried, both high-end and low-end. I highly recommend this and suggest anyone to splurge on one of these babies."

Had a love-at-first-application moment? Want to know what other readers are going wild for? Just visit our Product Reviews pages, then. We've got a wealth of reviews (50,000+) and we're writing new ones every day.

Can't Get Your Hands on Chanel Jade Green? You've Still Got Options.

BellaSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:00:24 -0700

Every year, there seems to be a highly coveted nail polish shade or two that hits the market with a frenzy. One example is last year's Metro Chic ($8) from Sephora by OPI, a perfectly muted smoky purple. Another example is Chanel's Le Vernis Nail Color in Vamp, so popular, in fact, it even has its own Wikipedia entry.

This year, there's a big to-do with another Chanel shade. The brand's Jade ($25), a green with a slightly hazy undertone, sold out almost immediately after it launched in September. In fact, it's now going for some pretty crazy prices on eBay - upwards of $117. Wowza. But that doesn't have to stop you from wearing an almost-identical match. While some of the options below might not be exact replicas, they're pretty close. Have you tried any of these Jade Green dupes yourself? Which ones are your favorites?

For more options, keep reading.

How-To: Get January Jones's Divine Emmy Makeup

BellaSugar — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:00:00 -0700

You all absolutely adored January's sexy, soft look last night, and I did, too, so I got the scoop on how her makeup artist, Rachel Goodwin, did it. Goodwin says, "January's Emmy makeup was all about sleek, modern shapes. The overall look was meant to feel strong but refined." To complement the futuristic, classic look of January's dress, Goodwin used lots of texture to mimic the design. To find out how to get the how-to just keep reading.

Lipstick Packaging Doesn't Matter - Except When It Does

BellaSugar — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 07:00:47 -0700

When you buy a beauty product, much of your money goes to the costs of marketing and fancy packaging. It's just how it is, which is why I don't go for design alone in most cases. For some items, I don't care about aesthetics - it's not like my eye makeup remover has to be in a stunning bottle. And I don't care as much about eye shadow containers as I do about the product inside. But lipstick - lipstick is different. There's something pleasing about pulling out a well-designed tube, feeling the lipstick swivel up smoothly, and applying it like a sultry dame in a film noir.

So when I want to splurge on a lipstick, I go for either Lancome L'Absolu Rouge ($29) or Chanel Rouge Allure ($30). Both are softly scented, both go on like buttah, and both have packaging that is a pleasure to play with. Lancome's lipstick closes with a gentle magnetic click, and Chanel's sleek case has a cool push-button open/close mechanism. And while technically, these packaging details shouldn't matter, they make lipstick application a lot more fun. Do you have a favorite kind of tube?

Take a Peek at the Trendiest Nail Polish Collections For Fall

BellaSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:00:00 -0700

As far as Fall nail polish trends are concerned, I foresee lots of hot pinks, mushroom tones, smoky metallics, burnt oranges, deep, intense greens, and the return of purple - but with a little less smoke and a little more attitude. As far as textures go, think mattes, creams, and brushed, velvety finishes. But, if you're a fan of the shimmer, don't fret. There's plenty of sparkle to go around. Like most makeup collections, nail polish colors take inspiration straight from the runways, and since nails are a fashion accessory, after all, many of these recently launched polish shades come straight to us from the Fall catwalks. Let's just say I'm not bored.

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Michelle Trachtenberg Nails the Gossip Girl Look

BellaSugar — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:59:07 -0700

At last night's Guess boutique party, Michelle Trachtenberg dished on the relationship drama we'll come to see on the next season of Gossip Girl. But that's not all she revealed; turns out, M.T. has a nearly photographic memory when it comes to her character's manicures.

"Not a lot of people know this, but I like to change Georgina’s nail polish color," Michelle told us. "It’s very reflective of the season. When I first came on I was wearing the Chanel that was crazy limited [Blue Satin]. In the second season, I wore Essie Wicked on my fingers. At the very end, when I was enrolling into NYU, I had a cobalt blue. For this season, we start out at first with Essie Berry Hard and now this is the OPI That's Hot! Pink. I’m really serious about her nail polish!"

We'll keep you spoiler-free, but if you're dying to get a glimpse of what her character's manicure will look like, Michelle is sporting OPI That's Hot! Pink in this picture. Now you know.

When in Paris . . .

BellaSugar — Fri, 22 May 2009 08:00:15 -0700

Paris is my favorite place in the world. Delicious food, wonderful cafes, dreamy Frenchmen, and an inimitable sense of style make it the city I return to as often as finances permit. Thanks to a super-cheap round-trip ticket, I had a nice sojourn there last week. And because I am an unrepentant Francophile, I try to look as French as possible while gallivanting around the Marais.

Most French women wear very little makeup each day, and the makeup they do wear tends to look effortless and natural. (Think Charlotte Gainsbourg.) And since I like to travel light, I'd already been planning a low-maintenance look: a bit of concealer, lip balm, and maybe lipstick. This time around, I found the right shade of lipstick to provide that not-trying-too-hard-yet-still-polished look. Of course, it's French: Chanel's Rouge Allure lipstick ($30) in Naive. It has just a hint of shine, wears beautifully, and feels suitably Continental - especially when you're making goofy faces at the Louvre.

Audrey Tautou Hops the Night Train With Chanel

BellaSugar — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:00:33 -0700

As the best-selling perfume in the world, Chanel N°5 is a true classic. And in a bit of French serendipity, the new face of the fragrance, Audrey Tautou, stars in the forthcoming film Coco Avant Chanel. While the film hasn't opened, here's a taste of Audrey and Chanel together. Train De Nuit is an extended commercial directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who directed the actress in her famous role as Amélie Poulain. In it, Audrey and a dreamy stranger take the night train to Istanbul (not Constantinople), where romance is in the air. Check out the spot - it's more like a beautiful short film than a promo-heavy commercial - and flip through this collection of storyboard sketches for a fun look into the filmmaker's creative process.

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Coming Soon: Chanel Côte D'Azur Collection

BellaSugar — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:30:41 -0700

Tanning wasn't always popular, but then Coco Chanel decided to go on vacation. The rest is history: After returning from holiday with a sun-kissed glow, people put away their sun-shelter umbrellas and basked in the UV rays. Mademoiselle Chanel created a suncare cosmetic line in 1929, and 80 years later, it has inspired the summer Côte D'Azur makeup collection.

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Available online now and on counters in April, this makeup is all about bronze beauty - but being Chanel, it's a glamorous interpretation of the look. I've previewed a few of the items, so for a sneak peek, read more.

The standout product is a loose powder, Soleil Tan de Chanel Poudre Précieuse Libre Effet Hâlé. It has golden shimmer and sparkle, but it's not a bronzer. Meant to be dusted on the face, shoulders, and décolleté, it has just the right amount of light-catching shimmer to be sexy without making you look like a Solid Gold dancer. What's more, you don't need to have a tan to wear this right now - both pale and dark-skinned women can wear this well.

I'm also into Aqualumière lipshine, and not just because it goes on smoothly and has SPF 15. Porto Rotondo is the perfect shade of casual red. When you don't want Dita Von Teese-style glamour but still want something flirty and punchy, this is the lipstick for you, trust. It has enough pigment to make an impact, but it's sheer enough to look youthful and fresh. Definitely worth a try if you're wanting to take a baby step into red lipstick - or if you just want to show off a tan.

How-To: Jennifer Aniston's Makeup at the He's Just Not That Into You Premiere

BellaSugar — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:05:28 -0800

He's Just Not That Into You opens this Friday, and at last night's LA premiere, the stars of the film looked red carpet fabulous - particularly Jennifer Aniston.

Inspired by Jennifer's stylish black tuxedo suit and loose ponytail, makeup artist Angela Levin created a fresh makeup palette for the actress. "Jen gave me the inspiration of a sexy, powerful California business woman, the kind of girl I think we all want to be," said Levin. To get the details on achieving Jennifer's glowing makeup, check out the straight-from-the-source how-to when you read more.

Complexion: Levin prepared Jennifer's skin with Chanel Hydramax + Active Moisture Crème ($70) on her face and neck. Next, she applied Cle de Peau Beaute Refining Fluid Foundation in 030 ($115).
Eyes In order to create a shiny surface on the lids, Levin applied Shu Uemura Cream Eye Shadow ($25) in the beige shade. Next, Levin used Chanel Soft Touch Eye Shadow in Le Bronze ($28.50) on the outer half of Jennifer's lids and Tina Earnshaw Eye Shadow in Bitter Sweet ($20) on the creases. To finish off, Levin used Chanel Intense Eye Pencil in Ambre ($27), a sweep of Chanel Soft Touch Eye Shadow in Platine ($28.50) under the brow bown, and Chanel Inimitable Mascara in Noir ($30).
Cheeks A small amount of Chanel Hydrabase Lipstick in Fire ($28.50) was applied to the apples of her cheeks. To set the makeup, Levin used a large brush and Sephora Double Compact Mineral in D35 ($22). A touch of bronzer was applied to create a sun-kissed glow.
Lips A sweep of Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Lipstick in PK322 ($23) was applied to the lips and Chanel Glossimer in Jaipur ($27) added some extra shine.

Source