BellaSugar

Definition: Henna

BellaSugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:00:17 -0700

Henna is a natural orange, burnt-reddish nonpermanent dye. The tannin, or staining pigment, comes from the dried leaves and stems of the henna (aka lawsonia inermis) plant found in India, North Africa and various parts of the Middle East.

Henna is commonly used in body art (usually on the hands, face, and feet) and it can also be used as a hair dye. Since it's gentle and doesn't contain chemicals, it is a safe and wonderful hair-coloring alternative for pregnant women, or just anyone who doesn't want to run the risk of potential toxins permeating their scalp and blood stream.

Henna typically lasts about a week on the skin, but it has been known to last as long as six weeks on the hair. Mehndi, a popular henna skin-painting ritual, is used for weddings and special occasions in Hindu and Muslim cultures.

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BellaSugar's Gift Guide: The Mommy-To-Be

BellaSugar — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 14:00:25 -0800

Welcome to the first post of my 2007 Holiday Gift Guide! Every weekday, I'll share a new set of ideas for gifts for your mom, dad, sib, boss, pals, special guy in your life and just about anyone else gift-worthy this season.

To kick off the guide, and to support our dear friend LilSugar, let's celebrate the mommies-to-be. Here are three great ideas for pregnant women who are carrying around those little ones. Since two of my best friends are about to become mommies, this was a lot of fun to put together!

My favorite item of the group is this Wonder-Full Balm from Mama Mio ($25). It's great for itchy and flaky belly skin, and it works quickly to relieve dryness and discomfort. If that's not something you think she'd like, there's also this Mustela Stretch Marks Double Action Cream ($34.49), which will help strengthen skin's elasticity around the belly, breasts abdomen, hips, and thighs to help reduce stretch marks during pregnancy.

Lastly, I love this Henna Vegetable Hair Dye ($1.99) for ladies who prefer to err on the side of caution and steer clear of chemical substances during their first trimester. While hair dying chemicals aren't highly toxic, vegetable dyes are all-natural, safe alternatives. Put it in a basket with some hair accessories, and you've got a great gift.

Got a few great ideas of your own? If so, I encourage you to please share them in a comment below!

Mustela Double Action Stretch Mark Cream ($34.99)

Lustrous Henna Pure Henna ($1.99)

Mama Mio Wonder-Full Balm ($25)

You'll Always Have a Placenta in My Heart

BellaSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:00:21 -0800

Gross (but useful!) Hask Henna 'n' Placenta ($2) for hair has been around forever, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that now there are placenta facials.

Placentas, also known as afterbirth, are full of protein, iron, and tons of vitamins and minerals, which, I will allow, make them excellent for the health of hair, skin, and nails. People have been using the placentas of sheep and horses as beauty aids for time immemorial, in fact. But guess what? We have a lot of nice ways to synthesize this stuff now, and you could also just use wheat protein and run-of-the-mill vitamins to get the same effect. I guess treatments like this are more natural, but to me, they're also gross. I used a placenta hair treatment once, and although it worked well, it was no better than some hot oil and a deep conditioner, and it smelled pretty funky. If you were offered a placenta facial, would you take it in all its "natural" glory?

Models Get Inked at Rodarte

BellaSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:00:00 -0700

When I first saw the photos from Rodarte's runway show, I couldn't help but be immediately drawn to the swirly, geometric arm tattoos worn by the models on the runway. It was a little bit Xena: Warrior Princess and Kat Von D combined. Fab was on the fence about the clothing, inspired by California condors, but as for that well-thought-out tribalesque arm makeup, I was definitely impressed. MAC Senior Artist Chantel Miller, who designed the look, was influenced by the Māori people, an indigenous group in New Zealand. "The idea for the tattoos stemmed from [designers] Kate and Laura’s desire to celebrate makeup as art not only for the face, but also for the body in a similar way that Indian culture uses henna. They want women to look at makeup as an accessory for an outfit the way you would a bracelet or a necklace," said Miller.

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To find out more about the tattoos, just keep reading.

Best of Bella

BellaSugar — Sun, 03 May 2009 07:00:42 -0700

The top 10 most iconic movie hairstyles

Eleven great glosses under $15

Which lipstick looks best on Emily Deschanel?

Oprah shares about her hair

Fake a sun-kissed glow with these five steps

Three tips to keep beauty bridezilla at bay

Would you wear the human hair necklace?

Check out a lace braid tutorial

Leighton Meester as a blonde?!

Spot beautiful bridal henna designs

Can you pick beauty facts from beauty fiction?

My must-have items for May

Create a Gossip Girl-inspired headband

What do you know about cosmetic crimes?

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Marvelous Mehndi: Beautiful Bridal Henna Designs

BellaSugar — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 07:00:09 -0700

If you've ever been to an Indian, Moroccan, or Pakistani wedding ceremony, you've probably seen - or worn - mehndi. Many brides, both abroad and in the United States, wear these henna "tattoos" on their hands and feet for wedding celebrations; look closely and you might spot their loved one's name worked into the design. Read on to see some strikingly beautiful examples of this decorative art form. Gorgeous!

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Beth Ditto Gossips About Eco-Friendly Beauty Advice

BellaSugar — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 08:05:04 -0700

Beth Ditto is the lead singer of The Gossip, a Portland-based band that fuses punk and soul. (The girl can sing.) In Britain, she's so popular that she has her own column in The Guardian called What Would Beth Ditto Do? She's an outspoken feminist who happens to love hair and makeup. "To me, a day without makeup and a bouffant to match is a day wasted," she's said.

In a recent column, she tackled the dilemma of being a huge beauty junkie who wants to be eco-conscious. Her straightforward tips are easy to incorporate into your shopping routine. Take a look:

Find out which companies have a recycling program. Ditto points out MAC's excellent one, which gives you a free lipstick or lip gloss if you return six containers. I agree with her when she says it's a good time to try an unusual color. "If you are anything like me-unwilling to take risks and spend £10 on a crazy bright orange or electric pink-it's all gravy," she says.

For more of Beth's advice, read more

Buy soap rather than body wash that comes in bottles. Less packaging means less waste.
Beth makes her own perfume formulations using essential oils. "Granny Ditto always referred to perfume as 'smell good' and for me it's an essential," she says.
"When it comes to hair colour, I have just three words for you: henna, henna and henna."
This one won't appeal to design fans, but it does make sense: Reuse plastic containers. Beth mixes her essential oils with water, then puts them in a spray bottle-making it a low-cost "atomiser."

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Bella Donna: Clara Bow

BellaSugar — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 08:00:36 -0700

Legendary film star Clara Bow first gained notice as a 16-year-old, winning Motion Picture Magazine's "Fame and Fortune" beauty contest in 1921. The va va voom knock-out with the free_spirited personality was selected for her "genuine spark of the divine fire."

This genuine spark would forever be her trademark, and the fiery-haired silent film star became known as the first "it" girl, due to her role in the 1927 film called - well, It. The now-common phrase defines that certain unequivocal charm and magnetic charisma possessed by a young woman - and in Clara's case, it also meant an undeniable sex appeal.

From a beauty perspective, the wide eyed actress was the trendsetter of her time. Women tweezed and tweezed (and tweezed) some more, penciling in their sparse eyebrows to a highly arched fine line in attempt to copy her style. Bow's tousled bob was one of her most distinguishable features, and when fans discovered she used henna to color it red, sales of the dye practically tripled. Now that's loyalty.

And then there are those lips - perhaps one of the most duplicated features of all time. To this day, accentuating one's lips into a heart shaped, cupid's bow style with a dash of red lipstick is called "putting on a Clara Bow." I've even attempted this one myself. What do you think? To see a photo gallery of Bow, and to get a few tips on how you can create her 20s era look, read more.

To try out Bow's legendary style:

Lips First, create a blank palette on your lips by lightly applying foundation or concealer. Next, draw on a heart shape, focusing on the center of your pout, all while sharply defining the cupid's bow on your upper lip. Try a red liner such as Nars Lipliner Pencil in Jungle Red ($20), a classic red. For longevity and shine, add Urban Decay Lipstick in Revolution ($22), a true red.
Hair If your hair is wavy or curly, try René Furterer Anti-Dehydrating Volumizing Mousse - Strong Hold ($23). For a tousled scrunchy look, apply mousse to damp hair and diffuse or air dry. For straight hair, apply mousse, blow dry, and curl.

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Brand-New Brand: Just for Redheads

BellaSugar — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 10:55:44 -0700

Just for Reheads has just been brought to my attention, although it has been around for over 14 years. It was created by Paula Pennypacker, (a redhead), who felt that fair skinned women with red hair and freckles needed special attention. She invented a line of products that include: cosmetics, nail polish, hair care products, sun and skin care products - all for redheads!

Their star product is also their newest product. Mascara Ultresse, $15, in GingerHenna, is a rich more natural looking color mascara than black or navy. It is a reddish–brownish shade that looks fantastic on auburn, orangey red, or strawberry blond redheads.

It adds warmth to the eye, without making them look too dark and harsh. It also adds volume to thin lashes, it is waterproof, smudge proof and contains panethol and vitamin E to soften and keep lashes clump free.

There are also two companion products available for the mascara. A brow tint gel in GingerHenna, $15, and a tinted Brow Stick in GingerAuburn for $11. For those of you out there who don’t have red hair and are wondering if you can use it, the answer is yes. I have medium brown hair and it looks great on for a daytime look! Have fun!

Hot In The City: Prescriptives Urban Heat Summer Collection

BellaSugar — Thu, 15 May 2008 09:00:23 -0700

The new Urban Heat Collection from Prescriptives is a beautiful summer product range. It contains a total of 14 items in five categories. They include two limited-edition kohl eye pencils (which have been formulated extra soft for smudging), eight vivid Colorscope lip glosses, one new Colorscope creamy eye shadow, two Colorscope eye colors and one neutral-colored Colorscope lipstick.

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Overall, it is a sexy, but clean and vibrant line. It contains pale metallics and bright accent shades that can be worn in the daytime and then darkened for a more sultry evening effect. I've got all of the info on each of the new products, so if you are interested in the prices and a brief color description, read more.

Colorscope Lipcolor in Majorcan Sand ($17.50) is a natural looking cool, creamy brown that looks amazing under the new Sporty lip gloss.
Kohl Eye Pencil in Blue Grotto ($18.50) is a long-wearing, water-resistant deep teal eye liner.
Kohl Eye Pencil in Purple Rain ($18.50) is a brown, aubergine eye liner.
Colorscope Creamy Eye Color in Lychee ($18.00) is a sparkling, crease-resistant eye shadow in a pale gold shade.
Colorscope Eye Color in Plum Noir ($18.50) is a long-wearing, silky powder eye shadow in a new, dark, purple shade that can be worn in the crease or used as an eye liner.
Colorscope Eye Color in Aegean ($18.50) is a bright, sheer and shimmery turquoise accent shadow.

Colorscope Lip Glosses

Trendy is a soft, muted beige.
Sporty is a sparkling bronzed copper.
Gutsy is a bright, sheer coral.
Giggly is an opaque, poppy pink.
Feisty is a deep rosy, henna brown.
Sassy is a dense, dusty rose.
Stylish is a lighter, lilac rosy shade.
Edgy is a deep, glossy wine.