BellaSugar

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: Your Gorgeous Grandma

BellaSugar — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:01:34 -0800

Today's BellaSugar Holiday 2007 Gift Guide is all about your grandmother. When shopping for a mature woman, keep in mind that a timeless, classic, and thoughtful present is always a safe bet. Here are a few suggestions that I think any grandma would be lucky to receive this holiday season. My favorite is the adorable Benefit Bathina Shower Cap ($16). It's sturdy, pretty, and it will protect her delicate 'do from getting ruined in the bath or shower!

Quelques Fleurs Royale Fragrance Set ($200)	Benefit Cosmetics Bathina Shower Cap ($16)
Sephora Brand Deluxe Antibacterial Brush Set ($60)	Cornelia Essentials Hand Recovery Cream ($60)
Chanel Classic Red Nail Polish ($16)	Dior Beauty L'Or DeVie Eye Cream ($175)
Chantecaille Eye Shadows - La Palette de Sylvie ($130)	Bliss The Youth As We Know It Facial Moisturizer ($79)

Reese Witherspoon Talks About Her New Fragrance

BellaSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:00:18 -0700

What do you get when one of Hollywood's most popular and powerful A-listers releases a fragrance? In Bloom ($34), the new Avon scent from Reese Witherspoon. Over the course of two years, the self-proclaimed girly-girl was involved in practically all aspects of the perfume-making experience, from helping to select the fragrance's notes to providing input on her inaugural scent's packaging, bottle design, and name. During a phone call earlier this week, Reese shared her thoughts on creating In Bloom. For the scoop, just keep reading.

Have You Inherited Any Family Beauty Quirks?

BellaSugar — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 06:00:58 -0700

For generations, the women of my family, otherwise avowed makeup fiends, have been refusing to wear eye shadow. My grandmother always insists that "it simply doesn't flatter us, unless you want to look like a hussy," at which point my mother shushes her but agrees.

Incipient hussiness hasn't stopped me from using shadow altogether, but sometimes I do find myself issuing similarly laconic warnings about its dangers to my younger sister and niece. It might be more than a little silly, but there's something sweet about a little shared weirdness. Does your family have any beauty quirks of its own? And have you inherited them, or did you leave 'em in the proverbial scrap heap?

Victorian Secrets: How Your Great-Great-Grandmother Got Pretty

BellaSugar — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 08:00:19 -0700

Did you take yesterday's beauty history quiz? If you haven't, be forewarned: I'm about to reveal all the answers, along with some other oddball facts about the lengths to which Victorians went to look pretty. Are you sure you can handle reading about the lard-based beauty treatment? If so, then read more

First of all, here are the answers to the quiz.

What did women rinse their hair with to make it soft and shiny?
Rum and rosewater, my friends. Victorians used to wash their hair with a frothy mixture of egg whites, then rinsed it with a blend of rum and rosewater.

What was the name of the first commercial deodorant?
Mum's the word. Invented in 1888 in Philadelphia, Mum was the first commercial anti-stink product. Although its popularity decreased in the States, Mum continues to be sold in the UK.

When were women not supposed to wear cosmetics?
That would be when they were menstruating. Unfortunately, the idea of women being tainted or "unclean" during their monthly cycle meant that Victorian women were told to keep their faces free of any sort of cosmetics. (How cruel it would be if this were still the case, as I need concealer most when I get those monthly chin zits!)

What did some Victorian women consume in an attempt to lighten their complexions?
Yum, yum! Guess what's for your dinner, ladies? Chalk! Yep, chalk. Is the popularity of indigestion tonics during the Victorian era mere coincidence?

To make their eyes bright, what did some women do?
It hurts my eyes to even think about it, but they washed their eyes with lemon juice or orange juice.

How did women create rosy cheeks?
They pinched them, essentially. And to get red lips, they'd gently bite them.

Finally, here's a bit more trivia from the Victorian era:

Rimmel was founded in 1834 in London; it specialized in products such as violet water, ylang-ylang perfume and Aquadentine, "to Whiten the Teeth and refresh the Mouth."
Vaseline was around back in the day, offering a soap with this catchy slogan: "The best emollient in the world must be the best basis for toilet soap."
A men's hair oil called Macassar Oil was very popular. Its tendency to rub off led to the development of the antimacassar, which is basically a cloth to guard sofas and chaises from oil blots.
Cucumber-infused lard was used as a hair treatment. This made-at-home concoction involved several steps, including heating six pounds of lard and mashing cucumbers into it with a mortar.

Source

Product Review: Maria Galland Gentle Soothing Cream

BellaSugar — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 10:00:08 -0800

I had never heard of Maria Galland skin-care products until I went to the Thalazur Thallasothèrapie & Spa in France. It was there where I was introduced to her Gentle Soothing Cream that has significantly changed the overall tone of my skin. For those of you with sensitive skin, I know you can relate to having redness and irritation on your face from just about anything. Having sensitive skin means that the natural defense that your skin has is in a weakened condition and if it's not cared for properly, it will continue to become more reactive.

I love that this cream is quite light in texture, and it absorbs quickly. As soon as I apply it to my face, I feel like it's working to soothe, soften, and protect (yes, it contains SPF)!

Also, it has really light, kind of old-school pharmacy scent to it that I don't have much of an adversity toward, although my special someone told me that I smelled like his grandmother and I don't think that's a compliment. Barring the old-fogey smell and the cost (it's $126 for 50ml), I think this sensitive skin cream is aces.

Gossip Girl Beauty Quiz, Episode 13: "O Brother, Where Bart Thou?"

BellaSugar — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 10:00:11 -0800

I've gotta give them credit 'cause Gossip Girl always keeps me guessing. This week's episode packed in such a punch – a wedding and a funeral! – that I'm not sure how I can last until the new year to see the plot ends all tied up. With the return of Serena's grandmother (groan) and the change of heart in Chuck (swoon), I was busy oohing, ahhing, . . . and taking note of those beauty details. Take my quiz and see how you do.

When you're done be sure to take geek's gadget quiz and Fab's fashion quiz while you're at it.

Photo courtesy of The CW

Take the quiz

Beauty Flashback: Mr. Bubble

BellaSugar — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:40:48 -0800

There's something innocent and sweet about this old Mr. Bubble commercial, which features a screechy grandmother trying to get little Hubert to take a bath. Granny needs some new spectacles (check out where she hangs up the phone) and Hubert seems a handful.

The spot was created in the 1960s by former Disney animators Art Babbitt and John Hubley. Fun fact: The latter was known for featuring his children's voices in his work, and it paid off - his daughter, Georgia, is the frontwoman for indie-rock group Yo La Tengo.

Beauty Gifts For a Foodie Grandma

BellaSugar — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:00:49 -0800

One of the only things better than ma's cooking is grandma's cooking. If you've got a grandmother that loves to cook (or loves to eat), here's an interesting way to let her treat herself.

Plenty of traditional foods show up in our beauty products, not just as scents but as actual ingredients, essences, and extracts. I've made a shopping list of some great gift items in the widget below, starting off with this sea salt body scrub with a fresh blend of mango, lime, pineapple, and tangerine.

Fill an eco-friendly, reusable totebag with a couple of these luscious beauty products, add other "food-themed" items like a magnetic shopping list notepad, gift card for a local grocer . . . you get the idea. Yummy!

Pangea Organics Facial Mask -Japanese Matcha Tea with Acai & Goji Berry - $34.00	adara Organic Virgin Coconut Oil - Unscented (Manufacturer Backorder - Shipping 12/1) - $30.00
Pomegranate Super Anti-Oxidant Cream - $32.50	Ginger Float™ - $26.50
Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado - $24.50	The Face Shop Nature's Recipe Hydrating Milk Facial Mask - $12.99
Burt's Bees Carrot Nutritive Day Creme - $14.99	Carol's Daughter Mango Melange Sea Salt Body Scrub, .5 ltr. - $28.00

Oh, and don't forget to check out HolidaySugar for all of our holiday coverage and gift guides.

Meet the 99-Cent Go-Anywhere Hand Cream

BellaSugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:00:22 -0700

I know my obsession with hand creams borders on the ridiculous. (You don't even know how hard it was to choose my five favorites.) But look, when Ryan Gosling and I inevitably meet, I'll be well-prepared. "My, that Bella has soft and smooth skin," he'll think as we shake hands. "I must ask her on a date and uncover her secret." So to be ready for this highly plausible scenario, I like to keep my paws soft.

I've just found the perfect purse-friendly way to keep my addiction going: Nivea Soft. It comes in a small plastic jar with less than an ounce of product in it, so unlike creams that come in tubes, it runs no risk of being punctured by an errant pen. The whipped texture sinks into skin pretty quickly, and the classic Nivea scent reminds me of my grandmother. And at just 99 cents for this little container, it's a steal. I picked mine up at Walgreens, and now it's in my bag. You know, just in case I run into you-know-who.

BellaSugar's Guide to Mother's Day Beauty Gifts

BellaSugar — Sat, 10 May 2008 10:00:07 -0700

Hopefully you've found my Mother's Day gift guide inspiring. I've chosen a variety of bath and beauty products to suit all different types of moms and gathered them below in a six-post roundup. Keep in mind that a gift certificate to a spa or even a hair treatment at a salon will make your mother, aunt, sister, mother-in-law, grandmother, partner, or friend feel pampered and special.

There's a reason why people say motherhood is the toughest job in the world. It takes unrelenting patience, sacrifice and selflessness - and all most moms really want is to feel appreciated. So whatever you select, be sure to choose it with love.