BellaSugar

Trend Alert: Gray Nail Polish

BellaSugar — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 10:00:18 -0800

Usually the color gray is reserved for cashmere, not cosmetics. But as it turns out, gray is continuing the transition into beauty products, and it can be a chic and versatile color for nails. Leading the way is the always-innovative Rescue Beauty Lounge with its dove-gray shade Concrete Jungle ($18).

A great and inexpensive alternative is Revlon's Steel-Etto from its Dark Pleasures line. It's a little darker, incorporating a beautiful shimmery silver tone into the hue. If you're still unsure about gray nails, try out Wet N Wild in Sparked. At only $1.99 a bottle, it's a risk you can afford to take!

Have Scientists Found a Way to Turn Back the Gray?

BellaSugar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:00:00 -0700

Did you ever think it might be possible to actually reverse gray hair, turning it back into the natural color it once was? It does sound rather outlandish - even fantastical - but according to scientists at L'Oréal's research and development center near Paris, the treatment could be just about 10 years away from coming to fruition.

"When hair goes gray, there is a progressive disappearance of the melanocytes (pigment-producing cells) from the hair. While there are still melanocytes in the hair, there is still hope that it could be re-pigmented," L'Oréal's Patricia Pineau told the Daily Mail. Supposedly, the process would involve some type of oral component, along the use of specially formulated haircare products. What do you think of this treatment in the works? Is it just messing with Mother Nature, or do you welcome what science has to offer when it comes to antiaging developments?

Young and Gray? You Might Just Want To Stick With it

BellaSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:00:09 -0700

No matter your age, I'm sure you remember the first time you spotted a gray hair on your head. For me, I was 24. A random occurrence, I thought, although my dad was pretty much completely silver-haired by his late twenties, so I couldn't be too sure. The majority of you said you have already found your first gray hair, and since my initial unearthing, I've detected several more "natural highlights," as my hairdresser likes to say. But would it be so bad to be a young gray-haired lady, after all? Vogue writer Sarah Harris doesn't think so, recalling her early discovery of gray strands as a teenager.

"I was 16 and mortified," Harris tells The Times. By her twenties, she truly started to embrace her light locks, saying, "I slowly grew fond of the way my silver flickered when it caught the light." While she realizes that she's lucky to have a soft, silken texture to her hair, Harris acknowledges it's a lot of work. "Gray hair, unless styled and conditioned, can look washed-out and neglected. Grooming is crucial," she says. Therefore, she spends more time on her strands, protecting her hair from the sunlight to reduce yellowing, all while investing in good shampoos specifically designed for silver tones. To find out why she'll probably stay with the gray for a while, just keep reading.

A Gray Lady's Dating Experiment

BellaSugar — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 07:00:47 -0700

The September issue of More magazine has a clever story that examines the role of gray hair. Writer Anne Kreamer, who let her hair turn a silvery gray three years ago, was curious about the perception of gray hair in our culture. So she experimented by setting up two online-dating profiles. Everything was identical, except for the hair color: One profile Photoshopped Kreamer's hair brown, while the other left it naturally gray.

I know what you're thinking: Nobody wanted to date the gray lady. Au contraire, my friends: The gray-haired profile earned more responses than the brown-haired one did. Kreamer thought it could be a fluke, so she "moved" to difference cities online, trying the experiment in places around the country. Over and over, the gray-haired profile trounced the brunette profile.

Kreamer's experiences are further outlined in her new book, Going Gray, in which she examines the effects of gray hair. "We have been brainwashed to think hair dye looks good,” she told the other Gray Lady. “I wanted to open up the conversation and get people to ask themselves why they are doing it.

The story in More does just that, and I'm hoping to pick up Kreamer's book this weekend. I know we're all supposed to think of gray hair as something that needs to be hidden, but I like the idea of flipping that idea over. What might things look like if we started making gray okay?

Why Gray Hair Goes Gray

BellaSugar — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 09:01:01 -0700

There's no fighting it: We're all destined to become gray ladies in time. Thanks to Tara Parker-Pope's blog, here's a bit more about what makes that so.

We know that hair turns gray as we age, but scientists are beginning to understand exactly how it happens. Our hair cells produce hydrogen peroxide, and over time, it builds up, blocking the synthesis of melanin (which provides the natural color to our hair). So when our hair turns gray, it's like a bleaching process from the inside out. That's only one part of the process, though. Researchers are using this discovery to examine whether stress can cause accelerated graying, which may sound like a vain pursuit - but that's not the case. By studying the stem cells involved in graying, scientists hope to discover treatments for melanoma. Think of that the next time a silver hair surfaces on your head.

Source

Have You Found Your First Gray Hair Yet?

BellaSugar — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:00:23 -0700

I found my first gray at the age of 24. It was pretty exciting, so much so that I snipped it and saved it in my journal. (Dorky, I know.) So far, there haven't been too many more grays, but I don't think about it much one way or the other. Have you found your first gray yet? And if so, what was your reaction?

Source

How Much Do You Know About Gray Hair?

BellaSugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:00:10 -0800

Perhaps you've found your first gray hair - or you already have a head full of them. Many women begin to spot gray hairs around age 30, but others start becoming silver foxes as early as their teens or as late as their forties. Think you know all there is to say about gray? Take this quiz to find out.

Source

Take the quiz

Gray Hair - Pluck It or Leave It?

BellaSugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:00:02 -0700

Whenever a pesky gray pops up here and there, a not-so-nice phrase sounding quite similar to pluck it comes to mind. Ah, those gray hairs. We all get them - they're just an inevitable part of the aging process. Mr. Bella in particular gets them now and then, and when I reach for the tweezers, he never seems too pleased. What do you do about the occasional gray hair?

Source

Love It or Hate It? Gray Is the New Pink

BellaSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 06:00:22 -0700

Some of my favorite gray ladies include Betty White, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Barbara Walters. I didn't think I'd ever be adding Pink to that list, but this weekend, the singer showed off a new hair hue (or. . .absence thereof?). While it may not be super flattering with her coloring, I think the color is daring and kind of awesome. Of course, Pink probably isn't actually going gray, but would she be Pink if she sported a hair color that occurred in nature?

Source

Get Hot (Pink Lips) Like Eva Mendes

BellaSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:00:27 -0800

We here at Sugar HQ have decided that Eva Mendes never looks anything but absolutely beautiful. At a recent Calvin Klein event in Milan, Eva proved that the rules are meant to be broken. While her skin and hair coloring are more in the warm-toned family, the actress still managed to pull off a traditionally cooler-toned hot pink lip that had just the slightest glimpse of a coral undertone. Call it a bright poppy shade of sorts. What I like most about this look is that it's decidedly not a just-stepped-out-of-the-mall circa 1984 kind of effect. It's fresh, alluring, and very flirtatious.

To get my tips on pulling off a hot pink lip, just keep reading.