BellaSugar

Oh Happy Day: Customize Your Own Bottle of Fragrance

BellaSugar — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:00:50 -0800

If you haven't yet heard the word, Clinique has a super-cute gimmick for the 2007 holiday season. Right now, you can customize a bottle of Happy eau de parfum ($52) with a picture of your choice.

Happy is an upbeat citrus and floral fragrance with notes of of grapefruit, boysenberry bush flower and Hawaiian wedding flower. I know a lot of women who love it (and quite a few guys who do, too). Plus, early-bird holiday shoppers will like this: door-to-door delivery only takes ten business days. I think this would be a sweet gift for someone you want to make very happy-and besides, you know it won't be returned!

Bella Book: Being Simply Beautiful

BellaSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:01:41 -0800

Lymphatic drainage massage tutorials, correct lipstick application, a seven-minute workout, an explanation of the body's glandular systems, even Kegels - author Helen Noble's new book Being Simply Beautiful packs a lot of info into its slender 128 pages. Noble, the founder of luxe skincare line Belacrema and a big believer in natural beauty and traditional medicines, seems to have put her entire life philosophy into this book, and a lot of it's very useful. This is one woman's approach to beauty, and it reads like a knowledgeable friend who really wants to help you, even if her ideas are sometimes a little kooky.

As a reader, I was inclined to cherry-pick the bits of most use to me, because although Noble's explanations are elegant and accessible, there's a profusion of "hippie mom" talk that I, ever the cynic, would have been happy to skip over. Overall, if you're looking for a real woman's perspective on natural beauty, and especially if you don't mind a heaping dose of Chinese traditional medicine lite, Being Simply Beautiful (which comes out in stores Dec. 1) is a good one to pick up.

Doing Drugstore: Clairol Natural Instincts Shine Happy

BellaSugar — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 13:00:57 -0700

YumSugar and I went to Walgreens during our lunch break last week, and we did what we do best: Yum went to the snack aisle to see what was new, and I headed to the cosmetics aisle. (Typical.) Excited by this review at Shake Your Beauty, I looked for the Herbal Essences shine treatment. I didn't see it, so I picked up Clairol Natural Instincts Shine Happy ($9.89) instead. It's a clear glossing treatment that's supposed to leave your hair uber-shiny without changing the color. Now, not to brag, but because I haven't colored my hair in years, it's healthy and shiny on its own. But of course, I imagined I would have hair-commercial shine if I used this stuff, so into the basket it went.

Like a good girl, I thoroughly read the instructions before getting started. The application process is a lot like that of home hair color: You put on gloves, mix up the chemicals, and apply it to your hair. Ten minutes later, you wash it out. So that's what I did. Afterward, I was lounging on my bed, when Mama Bella (who was visiting) said, "I think it changed the color of your hair." To find out what happened, read more

Truthfully, I thought the color looked different because my hair was still wet. But the next morning, when my hair was dry, it was slightly lighter. This discovery did not please me. Swears were uttered.

Additionally, my normally soft hair felt a little rough-not like straw, but not as soft as it used to be. My hair was shiny, but not moreso than before (but again, my hair is already pretty glossy). So now my hair is shiny, but it's also rougher and lighter-and I definitely did not want lighter hair. You can see the before-and-after photos below. To be fair, the lighting is better in the "before" picture, and the fluorescent lighting is harsher in the "after" pic. Regardless, you can definitely tell that the color is different-even though the box promises that Shine Happy won't affect the color. I am not a happy Bella!

Have any of you tried this treatment? I'm curious to know if I'm the only one who isn't thrilled, or if maybe it worked wonders for some of you.

Product Review: Lush Happy Hippy Hair and Body Gel

BellaSugar — Wed, 16 May 2007 15:52:15 -0700

I get a lot of questions and comments from readers who love Lush, the British bath and body brand that incorporates fresh fruits and natural ingredients into its handmade products. I run hot and cold on Lush - I like the concept, but some of its soaps are just too fragrant.

However, I recently tried some Lush Happy Hippy Hair and Body Gel, and it will be a very handy addition to my beauty arsenal. The Happy Hippy bottle calls this a "hair and body" gel, which intrigued me, so read more

I thought: If I can find a soap that works as a shampoo too, that's one less bottle to pack on vacation. And Happy Hippy really does do double duty. The gel works into an incredibly thick lather that fills your shower with an invigorating grapefruit scent that's neither too overpowering nor too girly. Using it didn't feel like bathing in shampoo, and my hair got just a clean as it normally would with a proper hair product.

I wouldn't say the Happy Hippy totally wowed me, but it's a wonderfully scented and very serviceable product. The gel is available in a 3.3-ounce bottle ($8.50), an 8.4-ounce bottle ($15.95), and a 16.9-ounce bottle ($24.95).

Do You Have the Right Fit?

Sponsor — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:00:45 -0800

Did you know that 80 percent of women wear the wrong bra size? Bras aren’t meant to be uncomfortable, so Macy’s is launching a national event, Fit Matters to help you get the right fit for your body.

The right bra will not only have you tugging less throughout the day, but it can also make you look slimmer! Don’t you want the right fit? Head into any Macy’s for a free, yes free, fitting and they will have you fixed up in no time! The process only takes 15 minutes, and you’ll be happy you did it! Click here for more information on why Fit Matters.

Doing Drugstore: L'Oreal Infallible Never Fail Eyeliner

BellaSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:00:10 -0700

As far as waterproof eyeliner goes, my current loves are the Bourbon and Zero Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On pencils ($17). But 24/7s are expensive, and they do smudge after a few hours, so I set out to find something a little less movable.

The best of the pencils I've tried so far has been L'Oreal Infallible eyeliner ($8). I tried the Black 511 shade, and although it wasn't the prettiest or most pigmented color by a long shot, the stuff sure did stay in place. Even after I washed my face before bed, it didn't move, which is impressive (if a little annoying). And I was very happy not to have little dark creases under my eyes. It's also got a built-in sharpener and a smudger, which just seems kind of tacked on. I also tried the Cinnabar shade, but I can't give it the same thumbs up because it was too light for me and the shade just made my eyes look irritated. Overall, I'd say for work or days you know you need to look nice but aren't going to be doing touch-ups, this is a good option. Have you had an experience with any of the other shades in this line? If so, what did you think?

Win Bare Escentuals Happiness Collection, Radiance Rocks, Buxom Babes About Town, and Extreme Glimmers From Sephora!

BellaSugar — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:30:00 -0700

San Francisco-based brand Bare Escentuals is known for makeup "so pure you could sleep in it," and this week, thanks to our friends at Sephora, somebody is going to be sleeping really well, with lots of goodies from the brand's bareMinerals and Buxom lines. This week's lucky winner will receive the following:

Buxom Babes About Town - A heaping helping of Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Sticks and Lip Polishes in eight gorgeous shades that promise to keep lips healthy, soft, and tingly fresh.
Extreme Glimmers - Three prismatic eyecolors that sparkle like nobody's business, along with a primer and beautiful shadow brush.
Radiance Rocks - Three sheer washes of color that make skin glimmer, all while giving you a cool, tingling sensation. Also included? The heavenly kabuki brush.
bareMinerals Happiness Collection - A nine piece set, including eyecolor, face color, mascara, and eye shadow, infused with Bare Escentuals Happybelle complex, a plant extract designed to mimic the effects of endorphins to get you glowing.

To enter, just take the quiz by 5 p.m. Sunday and one winner will be selected at random. Your eligibility is not based on getting the answers correct, just on taking the quiz after you are logged in. You do, however, need to be a PopSugar Community member to enter. So if you're not already one, register now. One quiz entry per person; all repeat quizzes will be ignored. Prizes can be shipped to US destinations only. Remember: You must be logged in to the PopSugar Community for your entry to count. For the complete rules, click here. Good luck!

Take the quiz

Bare Escentuals Happiness Collection, Radiance Rocks, Buxom Babes About Town, and Extreme Glimmers Sweepstakes Rules

BellaSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:21:28 -0700

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. MAKING A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. This giveaway is sponsored by Sugar Publishing, Inc. (owner and operator of BellaSugar.com), having an address of 111 Sutter Street, 15th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104.

ELIGIBILITY:  Open only to permanent legal U.S. residents physically residing in the fifty (50) United States of America and the District of Columbia. Employees of Sponsor and its respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, and advertising and promotion agencies and any other entity involved in the development or administration of this Contest, and their immediate family members or household members are not eligible to participate in or win the Contest. All prizes won by minors will be awarded to their parents or legal guardians on their behalf. Winners may be required to sign an Affidavit of Eligibility and complete relevant tax forms as a condition to the delivery of the applicable prize. Void where prohibited by law. All applicable federal, state and local laws apply.

HOW TO ENTER:  No purchase is necessary to participate in the Contest. To enter, you must log into your profile at BellaSugar.com or any PopSugar Network site (or register for a profile at http://www.onsugar.com/user/register), navigate to bellasugar.com and take and complete the quiz as described on the entry page between 11:30 p.m. on October 11, 2009 and 5 p.m. on October 18, 2009 (the “Entry Period”). Entries generated by script, macro or other automated means are void. Normal time, toll, connection and usage rates, if any, charged by your Internet service provider will apply. All entries become the property of the Sponsor.

By registering and taking the quiz, you will be agreeing that your registration and any other information collected in connection with the Contest may be used by Sponsor in accordance with Sugar Publishing, Inc.’s Privacy Policy and may be shared with Sponsor’s affiliated business entities, and that you automatically opt-in to receive email, text messages or other communications from Sponsor. You may subsequently opt-out of the receipt of such email or communications by following the directions in the email, communications or by contacting Sponsor directly.

All registrations must include entrant's valid email address. The email address provided by online entrants will be the identity of the entrant and, if selected for a prize, the identity of the winner. We expressly reserve the right to disqualify any entries that we believe in good faith are generated by an automated program or via scripts. By participating, all entrants agree to abide by these Official Contest Rules.

PRIZES:  At the end of the Entry Period, there will be one (1) drawing in which one (1) potential Grand Prize winner shall be selected from all eligible entries received during the Entry Period by employees or representatives of the Sponsor to receive the Grand Prize of Bare Escentuals Happiness Collection, Radiance Rocks, Buxom Babes About Town, and Extreme Glimmers Sweepstakes Rules (retail value = $160). In no event shall the Sponsor be obligated to award more prizes than the number of prizes stated in these Official Contest Rules. No substitutions (including for cash) are permitted, except that Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater monetary value for any prize. All prizes won by minors will be awarded to their parents or legal guardians on their behalf. Winners shall be responsible and liable for all federal, state and local taxes on the value of their prize. To receive a complete list of winners or a copy of the Official Contest Rules, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Prize Fulfillment, Sugar Inc., 111 Sutter Street, 15th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104. Specify winner's list or rules on your request.
Please allow 6-8 weeks for prize delivery.

SELECTION : The winning entry will be chosen at random. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. In the event of a dispute regarding the identity of the person submitting the entry, the entry will be deemed to be submitted by the person in whose name the e-mail account is registered. The Contest will be conducted under the supervision of the Sponsor. The decisions of the Sponsor are final and binding in all matters relating to this Contest. The winners will be notified by email and/or by private message through the winner’s teamsugar.com account; Sponsor reserves the right to determine the method of notification. Winners must claim their prize within three (3) business days after the date of notification of such prize. A Contest winner's failure to respond to the prize notification within the specified three (3) business days will be considered such Contest winner's forfeiture of the prize and an alternate winner may be selected from the pool of eligible entries. If an entrant is found to be ineligible, an alternate winner may also be selected from the pool of eligible entries. Sponsor reserves the right to ship prizes directly to the email and/or mailing address provided by winners during their entry to the Contest. Each entry submitted in response to the Contest and in accordance with the rules will constitute an official entry. One entry per person. Duplicate entries will be void. All entrants agree to abide by these Official Contest Rules. All entries become the property of the Sponsor.

GENERAL CONDITIONS AND RELEASES:  An entrant or winner may be disqualified from the Contest if he or she fails to comply with each provision of these Official Contest Rules, as determined in the sole discretion of the Sponsor. Participation in the Contest is at entrant’s own risk. Sponsor shall not be liable for 1) failed, returned or misdirected notifications based on inaccurate information provided by the winner on the contest entry form, 2) entries and responses to winner notifications which are lost, late, incomplete, illegible, unintelligible, postage-due, misdirected, damaged or otherwise not received by the intended recipient in whole or in part or for computer or technical error of any kind, 3) any electronic miscommunications or failures, technical hardware or software failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions which may limit an entrant's ability to participate in the Contest, 4) any technical malfunctions of the telephone network, computer on-line system, computer equipment, software, program malfunctions or other failures, delayed computer transactions or network connections that are human, mechanical or technical in nature, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to entrant's or any other person's computer related to or resulting from downloading any part of this Contest or 5) any warranty of fitness or merchantability of any prize or the function or operation thereof, which shall be the sole responsibility of the manufacturer of the prize. Sponsor does not make any, and hereby disclaim any and all, representations or warranties of any kind regarding any prize. Unless prohibited by applicable law, your entry constitutes your permission to use your name, photograph, likeness, voice, address (city and state) and testimonials in all media, in perpetuity, in any manner Sponsor deems appropriate for publicity purposes without any further compensation to such entrant. By entering or accepting a prize in the Contest, winners agree to be bound by these Official Contest Rules and to conform to all federal, state and local laws and regulations. When applicable, the winner (or, if the winner is a minor, the winner's parent or legal guardian) may be required to execute and return to Sponsor within five (5) business days an Affidavit of Eligibility and a Liability and Publicity Release to be eligible for the prize or an alternate winner will be selected. Winner may be required to furnish proof of identity, address and birth date in order to receive a prize. 

By entering, an entrant agrees to release and hold harmless Sponsor and its respective parents, subsidiaries and affiliated entities, directors, officers, employees, attorneys, agents, and representatives from any damage, injury, death, loss, claim, action, demand, or other liability (collectively, “Claims”) that may arise from their acceptance, possession and/or use of any prize or their participation in this promotion, or from any misuse or malfunction of any prize awarded, regardless of whether such Claims, or knowledge of the facts constituting such Claims, exist at the time of entry or arise at any time thereafter. Any person attempting to defraud or in any way tamper with this Contest will be ineligible for prizes and may be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Sponsor reserves the right to modify these Official Contest Rules in any way or at any time. Sponsor reserves the right, in their sole discretion, to cancel or suspend this Contest should viruses, bugs or other causes beyond their control corrupt the administration, security or proper play of the Contest. In the event of cancellation or suspension, Sugar shall promptly post a notice on the Contest entry page to such effect. This Contest shall be governed by California law. By participating in this contest, entrants agree that California courts shall have jurisdiction over any dispute or litigation arising from or relating to this Contest and that venue shall be only in San Francisco, California.  Please allow 6-8 weeks for prize delivery.

What Are Your Favorite Makeup "Dupes?"

BellaSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:00:04 -0700

The economy might (might) be on its way to recovery, but that doesn't mean I'll stop saving my pennies as much as possible. I'm always in the pursuit of looks for less, and over the weekend, I picked up Milani Blush Compact in Luminous ($3.50) - a pretty decent lookalike of the classic gold-toned peachy pink Nars blush in Orgasm ($25). While Milani's Luminous is not an exact replica of the famous afterglow shade, as it's not quite as pigmented, since it's about $20 less, I'm a happy lady.

Now I need your help. Whether it's a trendy new nail polish shade or an old-school lipstick favorite, share your favorite affordable alternative in the Beauty Dupes group.

Get Even More Kawaii With...Guess the Japanese Beauty Invention!

BellaSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:00:43 -0700

There's plenty of adorable beauty here stateside, but the Japanese market continues to roll out charming, quirky products that are as useful as they are funny. Can you guess what these Japanese beauty innovations do? Take my quiz and see how Honshu-happy you are.

Question 1 of 5

What does this pacifier-like mouth insert actually do?