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Bella Quiz: Celebrity Infomercials, Part II

BellaSugar — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 07:00:41 -0800

A few weeks ago, I was sleepless in my hotel room. Normally, I'm not so tossy and turny, but I just couldn't seem to catch my heavy z's. Perhaps it was the article I had read earlier about the rise in bed bugs at hotels or perhaps it's because I was under the influence - of a bevy of mesmerizing late night infomercials, that is.

Maybe you've taken my first celebrity infomercial beauty quiz, so let's see what else you know when it comes to these cheesy delights. How much off-hours viewing keeps you glued to the TV late night?

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Bella Quiz: Celebrity Infomercials

BellaSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:00:22 -0700

Ever since I mentioned the bizarre yet fascinating Rejuvenique Electric Face Mask, I've had infomercials on the mind. Ack!

Like a fly attracted to the allure of a bug zapper's tempting bright lights, I find these ultra cheesy (and ultra long) product pitches rather captivating, mesmerizing - addicting. Now that we know that Linda Evans sure liked to get zapped by means of an electric face mask, this got me to thinking . . .

What other celebrities have touted the benefits of beauty products - infomercial style? Take my fun quiz to find out.

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Beauty Byte: Heidi Klum to Appear in Infomercial

BellaSugar — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 16:26:14 -0700

Bummed that Project Runway won't return until December? Don't worry-soon, you'll be able to get your Heidi Klum television fix in a different way. Everyone's favorite German supermodel is saying "guten tag" to Guthy-Renker, the company that owns Proactiv, Natural Advantage and Youthful Essence. This fall, she'll star in her own infomercial for In An Instant, a new skincare line. WWD reports that this move is likely to draw the in-demand, 18-to-40 female viewership that companies dream of:

"Heidi Klum is going to attract a very different target market in our opinion than Cindy Crawford, Susan Lucci, Jane Seymour or Victoria Principal," said Greg Renker, founding principal of Guthy-Renker, referring to spokeswomen for various brands in Guthy-Renker's portfolio. "Heidi Klum has a young, hip following that watches her show on Bravo."

I think Heidi is highly likeable, and I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I'd probably watch the infomercial because of her charm. Plus, she does have good skin, which is likely to entice viewers to buy In An Instant. What do you think? Would Heidi's involvement make you more likely to buy a product?
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Doc Bottoms Wants You to Spray Yourself

BellaSugar — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:05:35 -0700

The infomercial world has experienced a void since the untimely passing of Billy Mays, so now we have this guy with another fantastic product called Aspray. Lucky us. The A stands for ass, apparently, because one of its many merits is its ability to destroy butt odor. "I got odors in special places," reads an anonymous testimonial. Don't we all. Despite doing some sleuthing, I couldn't find out what's in the "100% natural, chemical-free, fragrance-free" formula. Not sure I want to find out.

Does a Celebrity Influence Your Shopping Decisions?

BellaSugar — Fri, 08 May 2009 06:00:11 -0700

Celebrity endorsements are one of the oldest marketing tricks in the book. Take, for instance, Jessica Szohr of Gossip Girl fame. The actress was spotted checking out fragrances like DKNY's DKNY Be Delicious Fresh Blossom EDP Spray ($55 to $70) and Island Michael Kors Bermuda EDP Spray ($62) in these totally candid and not-at-all-staged photos.

So whether it's an age-old celebrity endorsement or product of their own, like Jessica Simpson's cult-favorite Fancy, does any of that make an impact on your purchasing decisions? Let me know below, and then have some pure, unadulterated fun by testing what you know about star endorsements in parts one and two of my celebrity infomercial quizzes.

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This Snake Wants to Slither in Your Shower

BellaSugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:05:23 -0700

Help me, couch potatoes, because I don't watch enough TV to know if this commercial is running on the airwaves. This spot for the BodySnake has all of the corny parts of a regular infomercial, but I kinda refuse to believe that it's real. (I just find it hard to believe that there's that much demand for a step-in foot scrubber.) Then again, the BodySnake does let you "safely reach between your legs," although that sounds dirty to my prurient mind. I could see this product working for immobile people who have a hard time cleaning themselves, but I'm still not convinced that it's real. What do you think - does the BodySnake exist? And is it just for the spectacularly lazy, or is it a helpful tool?

Bella Quiz: Beauty Product or Soft Rock Song?

BellaSugar — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:00:00 -0800

There is something about the late '70s and early '80s that fascinates me. It's not only the hair and makeup, but it's also the catchy tunes. The other day while flipping through the channels, I discovered an infomercial highlighting a collection of songs from this classic rock genre - oh, not just any classic rock, but classic soft rock genre. What an enticing blend of smooth, emotion-laden tunage.

Take our quiz to see if you can determine if it's a makeup shade or soft rock song. Channel your inner Kenny Loggins and see if you know your Air Supply from your beauty supply.

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Republican Senator's Wife Wants You to Blow, Go

BellaSugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 07:00:00 -0700

Infomercials are always trying to sell us on gadgets we really don't need, and the latest to catch my eye is the Blo & Go ($29.99). Former model Laurie Coleman, who is married to Republican senator Norm Coleman, created the hair dryer holster to help her blow-drying go more quickly. The device, which attaches to flat surfaces, is meant to make blow-drying go faster while sparing your arms from the crippling tiredness that results from hairstyling. (In all fairness, this could be a legitimate concern for some older people with weak arms, but for most of us, is blow-drying that physically taxing?)

The Washington Post got a kick out of the name in an article about the Blo & Go, pointing out the sexual undertones of the name:

"I didn't think of that," she says. And then she goes further to point out that the name wasn't even her idea. It came out of a committee. It was all in the brainstorming, during which "Freedom Styler" was rejected. And so it went: You get your hair blown out. You need a blowout. You get blown . . . out. And then you go. Bingo: "Blo & Go!"

I think the Post is stretching a little bit with its innuendo findings - I'm more amused by the six-armed model in the infomercial - but maybe I'm a Pollyanna. This product isn't for me, and some consumers may be turned off (or turned on) by Colemans' conservative social values. But overall, I'm left wondering: Who would buy this? Would you?

InStyler Turns Hair Right Round, Baby, Right Round

BellaSugar — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:00:00 -0800

Another Saturday, another wild and crazy night for Bella. That's right, instead of heading out after dinner, a friend and I headed back to her place to test out this hair product – the InStyler. (There may have been a small amount of wine involved.) You see, I happened to mention it while we were eating and, since she'd seen the infomercial, she was willing to be my guinea pig. Perfect.

The point of this brush/flatiron/curling iron hybrid is to use less heat than traditional tools, with three adjustable settings providing fewer stresses on your tresses (ha). When you plug it in and clamp down on a chunk of hair, the barrel section rotates while you pull the bristles through the locks. We started with hair that had air-dried to its natural, wavy state seen here. I set up my "salon" (read: her living room) and got to straightening.

See the after photo and get our reactions when you read more.
As you can see, the InStyler did a good job with straightening and I only spent about 20 minutes covering her entire head. She felt the brush attachment made her hair more flyaway than with the normal flatiron and the ends were a touch more fried. (You could help that by applying a hair serum.) But, overall, it was super quick and easy.

My thoughts: This product will work best on people with wavy, fine hair but when I later tried it on a pal with thick, relaxed tresses it didn't get hers very straight at all. It's difficult to get to the roots, so you may need to pull hair away from your head and press the barrel against it if you're trying to get at a section close to your scalp. But, the website clearly states you can style without the stick-straight "flatness" of a flatiron so I guess super sleekness isn't its goal.

How much will it cost to get these results? Well, currently there's a $15 trial offer for two InStyler irons for 30 days. If you like it, then pay three more monthly payments of $40 and keep both. That breaks down to $67.50 each, before shipping and handling, if you're splitting with a friend. My pal and I opted not to go in on this offer, but would you (or did you) choose this over a traditional flatiron?

Bella Donna: Nancy Kwan

BellaSugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:01:29 -0800

Well into the 1960s, Caucasian actors often snagged the roles of Asian characters; Shirley MacLaine famously played a geisha in 1962. But things started to change, in part due to Nancy Kwan's rise to stardom. Born in Hong Kong to a Chinese architect and English fashion model, she trained as a ballet dancer during her youth. While visiting Hong Kong in her late teens, she was scouted and eventually cast in the lead role in The World of Suzie Wong. The film was controversial, as many people believe that the "hooker with the heart of gold" character created and reinforced negative stereotypes about "exotic" Asian women. Still, Kwan's performance earned her a Golden Globe (for Most Promising Newcomer) and turned her into an international icon.

See a gallery of photos and find out about her trendsetting style when you read more.

Kwan helped shape beauty trends in the '60s and beyond. After the famous hairstylist Vidal Sassoon gave Kwan a bob haircut, this iconic photograph appeared in Vogue. According to Sassoon, "My new style, which until then had been known as the Mary Quant cut, because it had been seen first at her collection, got a new name: the Nancy Kwan cut." Variations on this style continue to be popular today, and Kwan later appeared in the infomercial staple Pearl Cream. But her biggest influence may be off-screen. Along with starting her own film company, Kwan has been an advocate for homeless youth issues and has served as a spokesperson for the Asian-American Voters Coalition. Her most recent film appearance is in the 2007 documentary Hollywood Chinese.

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