BellaSugar

Definition: Ferrule

BellaSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:00:26 -0800

It wasn't until I purchased my first professional-quality makeup brush set that I first heard the word ferrule. "Make sure you take care of your ferrules," said the saleslady. Say what? That's when I got my lesson in the anatomy of a makeup brush. There are three parts to the brush: the hair; the handle; and the ferrule - aka the metal part that holds it all together.

To keep your brushes from falling apart, take great care to prevent water from settling into the ferrule, as water can cause the glue to loosen in the brush's internal structure, which can lead to a broken brush. To keep your brushes happy, hold the hairs of the brush downward toward the flow of water while washing, so that the H2O trickles away from the ferrule. Once you've finished cleansing your brushes, lightly squeeze off the water with your fingers and lay the brushes flat on a clean towel. Tip: Allow the ends of the brushes to overhang to allow for faster, more complete drying.

Definition: Snood

BellaSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:00:48 -0800

A snood is a netted or solid cloth hairpiece that's gone in and out of fashion over the years. This hairnet-like cap, which is placed onto the back of a hairstyle, like a chignon or braid, is often knitted, crocheted, or made from silk or lace. The odd-sounding word was first recorded in Old English around the year 725. During the Middle Ages, women wore versions of the snood, and these hair "sacks" have also been used throughout history for hair-covering purposes for religious reasons, and even to indicate married status.
During World War II, snoods regained popularity once again. While we don't see too many women wearing these types of netted hair accessories these days, for modern options, you might find snoods that are closer in appearance to closed scarves, resembling neck protectors. Or, you might also recall Amy Adams's hairstyle at the 2009 Oscars, for which her hairstylist used this super old-timey hairnet for the inspiration behind the actress's tousled chignon.

Definition: Eumelanin

BellaSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:00:21 -0800

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 -0800

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.

Definition: Tint-Back

BellaSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:02:37 -0800

Have you ever colored your hair, been displeased with the results, and immediately had the desire to revert your hair back to its original color? I hear you. Or, perhaps you have been coloring your hair so long, you don't even know the true tones of your natural locks any longer. Yes, I hear you once again. Like the name implies, a tint-back is a service in which color, bleach, and/or pigment fillers are applied to the hair to bring the hair back to the color that Mother Nature intended.
If you're going lighter, bleach, a softer color, and toner might be used. If you're going darker, a filler is often applied before the hair dye in order to restore pigment and ensure that the color remains uniform. Getting a tint-back service is also a great option if you merely want to take a break from highlighting, lowlighting, or any other coloring services. Have you ever had one?

Definition: Occipital Bone

BellaSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:00:31 -0700

Place your hand on the back of your head. Do you feel that distinctive bone between your skull and your neck? That's called the occipital bone, a curved protrusion that makes up the back of the skull, right above the nape. Hairstylists use the positioning of the occipital bone as a guideline for sectioning hair in a haircut. Certain styles, like the wedge or graduated layers, are typically achieved by closely following the angles around this bone. By using the occipital bone as a measuring point, stylists can also balance out the overall head shape. For instance, through skilled styling, large facial features can be balanced out, creating volume in the back of the style for those needing extra lift. To relieve tension, stress, and headache pain, just give yourself a massage directly below the occipital bone, a key pressure point on the head. Place a thumb about one-half inch to an inch under the bone. Apply pressure, and massage in circular motions. And there's today's lesson in osteology.

Source: Flickr User bobcat rock

Definition: Ylang Ylang

BellaSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:00:47 -0700

Ylang ylang is the sweet smelling oil obtained from the yellow flowers of the Asian cananga tree. Pronounced "EE-lang EE-lang," this distinctively repetitive name comes from Tagalog, most likely from "ilang," meaning wilderness, or "ilang-ilan," meaning rare. With notes of custard, rubber, neroli, and jasmine, the spicy, ethereal scent is often found in floral and oriental fragrance classifications. Used frequently in aromatherapy to calm the nerves, help alleviate high blood pressure, and balance the skin and scalp, ylang ylang is also known to have aphrodisiac qualities. Yeah, baby. For the ylang ylang experience, try Aveda Ylang Ylang Essential Oil ($17), Jean Paul Gaultier Classique Eau de Toilette ($38-$89), or Décleor Aromessence Ylang Ylang Night Balm ($69).

Source: Flickr User belgianchocolate

Definition: Attar

BellaSugar — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Attars are the world’s oldest perfumes, incredibly concentrated elixirs extracted from the juices of flowers, spices, and barks. They can contain anything from hundreds of ingredients to a simple, single note, sometimes distilled over years. Rose attar is probably the best known, but there are as many attars as there are fragrant herbs. While they’ve remained popular in India and the Middle East, attars had fallen out of favor among mainstream Western perfumeries, only to be found in niche, "natural" perfume boutiques, and among those allergic to the synthetic bases used in most modern perfumes. But recently there’s been a resurgence in the popularity of this type of fragrance.

Distilled in naturally derived oils, not the lab-synthesized compounds many perfume companies have become reliant on, attars are a lot more green, and much more skin-friendly, than their chemical counterparts. Aveda's certified organic scent, Ancient Attar ($70), is a romantic, long-lasting blend of rose, neroli, and sandalwood. You can try the attar experience without investing big bucks as well. C.O. Bigelow has been using attars in its apothecary products for 168 years, and it has a huge line of singular notes like Magnolia Perfume Oil ($15), a heady, unabashedly floral scent.

Definition: Kohl

BellaSugar — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Used across the Middle East (where it's called kohl), South Asia (where it's kajal or surma), and West Africa (where it's kwalli), this ubiquitous eyeliner made of soot has been used for thousands of years with little change in its formulation. In fact, the smoky eye is older than the pyramids, and there are recipes for it dating back to the Bronze Age. Traditional kohl preparations still popular in many other countries are banned by the FDA because they're made with lead. (You might see these in specialty stores. Don't buy them; they're illegal.) But there are plenty of lead sulphide-free kohls out there that can give you the sexy eyes of the ancients. Real kohl comes as a loose powder that you moisten before application; Guerlain's Terracotta Loose Kohl Eyeliner ($34) is a nice traditional kohl formulation that's been updated with a little shimmer. L'Oréal's HIP Kohl Eyeliner ($13) is another traditionally packaged kohl, and having used it I have to say that it's a steal.

Definition: Lunula

BellaSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Look at the base of your thumbnails. You probably have a crescent-shaped white marking at the end, scientifically known as the lunula. While most people possess this half-moon shape on their thumbs and big toenails, it's less common to have lunulas on your other fingers and toes.

The shape of the lunula varies by person and even by finger. In fact, the whitish color and formation is a result of the process of developing and maturing nail cells. Also, the shape of the lunula determines the eventual shape of the free edge, aka the part of the nail that grows past the finger.

Fun facts about lunulas:

The appearance of these crescent shapes often fades as we get older.
Lunulas start forming around the 14th week of gestation.
Lunulas can often be an indicator of health and well-being.