BellaSugar

Cozy Into These Denim-Inspired Beauty Products

Jaime Richards — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 03:10:26 PDT

If you could capture the essence of denim, what would it smell like? For Esprit, it would include notes like pomegranate, tiaré flower, peony, vanilla bean, white patchouli, and crystal musk, as featured in its new scent, Esprit Jeans Style For Her. For Diesel, which plans to launch Fuel For Life Homme Denim in June, it would be a woody citrus juice featuring raspberry, citrus, lavender, and dry wood.

But the denim-inspired beauty trend is not just limited to fragrance. Brands from MAC to Bobbi Brown to Lipstick Queen all have products with jeans as the overlying theme. And for something truly fun, you can even wear your denim on your nails with Sally Hansen's Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips in Skinny Jeans ($10). As always, click on any of the images above for more details.

Cupcakes Dominate in the Beauty World

BellaSugar — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 04:00:27 PST

Cupcakes are (still) having a moment. And over the next week, beauty brands are embracing it - sprinkles and all. Beginning today at 9 a.m. EST, New Yorkers can swing by the CupcakeStop truck at Broadway and Spring Streets for a sweet deal. If you're one of the first 300 people to purchase a Valentine's Day-themed Sugarbomb cupcake, you'll receive a new box of Benefit's Sugarbomb powder as a bonus. (Talk about icing on the cake.)

Benefit isn't the only line with a sweet tooth, though. Manhattan's Sweet Jewels Bakery is whipping up a lip-smacking dessert with a beauty bent. This cute-as-can-be red velvet cupcake ball is inspired by Lipstick Queen's Fired Up lip gloss. The wee treat is sweet and spicy . . . just as a Valentine's nibble should be.

3 Tips on Choosing a Red Lipstick

BellaSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:00:36 PDT

Red lips are one of those things that will never go out of style, and they're universally flattering. Problem is, many women don't wear them because they can't find a shade that's flattering or worry that it will be too bright to be pretty. Well, worry no more, fair ladies. Lipstick impresario Poppy King is answering the eternal question: how do you choose a red lipstick? To find out how to get your red right, just keep reading

Reader Review of the Day: Lipstick Queen Saint by Poppy King

BellaSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:00:23 PDT

For me, that first breath of chill-tinged air is always a sign to start shopping for new lipstick, and while I've long been a fan of Lipstick Queen's Sinner and Medieval shades, I hadn't given much thought to Sinner's corollary line, Lipstick Queen Saint by Poppy King ($18). After seeing this review by reader Sabrina See , though, I think I'm ready to check them out, although I'm sad that the colors she wanted weren't in stock. She says:

"I tried this one in red and pink - what luxurious colors. They wore extremely well, and moreover, they look fabulous. Perhaps better than any other lipstick I have ever owned. Too bad they did not have the colors I wanted in stock, though. I'll have to go back or buy it online."

Fallen in love with something recently? Please tell us about by writing a review on our Product Reviews pages. It's a great way to spread a little knowledge, and there are tons of reviews for you to peruse as well. It's a win-win.

Black Lips Have Another Moment, Thanks to Twilight

BellaSugar — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:00:06 PDT

Last year, beauty brands hoped that black lips would be big. Unless I missed out on a convention of Bauhaus fans, the sooty-kiss look wasn't an enormous success - going dark just didn't work for most women. Will this season be different? From a sales standpoint, probably so, because Twilight Beauty has a black lip gloss. (The Cullen connection alone will mean they'll sell.) The Volturi Twilight Enrapture gloss ($12) in Arsenic is a licorice-scented sheer gloss with light gold shimmer - so your lips can sparkle like a vamp.

Of course, that's not the only place black is popping up. MAC is about to release an all-noir collection that includes three black lip glosses and two black lipsticks. Already on the market: Lipstick Queen in Black Tie Optional, Shu Uemura in Black 099, and NYX lipstick in Black Onyx. Want to take a baby step into this trend? Go for sheer washes over opaque colors, and consider using these sooty shades to darken your existing lip color.

Reader Review of the Day: Lipstick Queen Medieval Lipstick

BellaSugar — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:00:00 PDT

Reader Bailaoragaditana had plenty of positive things to say about Lipstick Queen Medieval Lipstick ($20), so I'll let her take it from here:

The name, the picture, the color, the backstory, and some rave reviews convinced me to buy it, but when I did, it was love at first try! Since Medieval is ostensibly a lip stain, it's quite sheer, but still very red - a confounding combination that I simply adore, as I can get away with wearing red and looking completely natural at the same time, which I never thought would be possible. It's actually much more balm-y than stain-y. It doesn't really properly stain, but it moisturizes the lips very nicely, and doesn't dry out too fast . . . All in all, [it's] super versatile and awesome.

Got a favorite lip product to opine about? Let us know all about it by heading to our Product Reviews website. We'd love to hear from you.

These Glosses Give You the Thrill(er) of the Chase

BellaSugar — Mon, 18 May 2009 13:00:11 PDT

Here's a new weapon for your beauty arsenal - Poppy King's pencils packing punchy hues for her Lipstick Queen collection. The Chinatown line was inspired both by the NYC neighborhood housing their offices and the Roman Polanski mystery of the same name.

Instead of a standard tube or pot, they're thick pencils ($20 each) with draw-on gloss. Choose your own fighting words - from left to right: Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Genre, and Chase - and use the included sharpener to keep things on point. Each offers a super-sheer shade (with moisturizing vitamin E, shea butter, and more) when you color within the lines. No matter what town you're in, pack this pretty ammunition in your makeup bag . . . even if the only crime you're battling is chapped, colorless lips!

New Product Alert: Big Bang Illusion Gloss

BellaSugar — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:00:09 PDT

When your reputation is built around lipstick, releasing lip gloss is a big deal. At least that's the case for Poppy King, whose Lipstick Queen collection features nothing but lip products. The latest addition is Big Bang, an "illusion gloss" that promises to create the appearance of fuller lips without the stinging associated with traditional lip plumpers.

While you won't confuse me for Angelina Jolie anytime soon, I do think my lips look fuller when I wear this gloss. That's mostly because it fills in the tiny lines in my lips and stays put. The texture is perfect: it's smooth, not sticky, and unscented. I wear Infinite, which is the kind of peachy nude shade that fools people into thinking you're just wearing lip balm over perfectly hued lips. I know some of you are Lipstick Queen fans - witness some reader raves here - and my guess is that you'll think this gloss is out of this world.

When It Comes to Red Lips, Are You a Saint or a Sinner?

BellaSugar — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 06:00:34 PST

Maybe you've noticed I've been a tad obsessed with red lipstick lately? So, when I told Space NK founder Nicky Kinnaird I was writing a series of posts on the hot shade, she took me directly to Poppy King's Lipstick Queen shades for inspiration.

"For someone who wants to wear red but doesn't feel as confident about it, you've got Saint Red ($18) with 10% pigment level so you can have the red without feeling as though your lips are walking in before you do," she said. "For someone who loves red lipstick, Red Sinner ($18) is your perfect color red - a 90% pigment level that says in place," she added.

This got me to thinking, even if you think you would never wear red - and by the way, what's stopping you? - are you naughty or are you nice when it comes to this bold shade?

Source

Bella Book: Lessons of a Lipstick Queen

BellaSugar — Fri, 30 May 2008 07:00:52 PDT

Over the long weekend, I hunkered down with a new book called Lessons of a Lipstick Queen ($15.64) written by Lipstick Queen creator, Poppy King. The book talks more about her becoming an entrepreneur than it does about makeup, as she takes you through the trials and tribulations of her journey from idea to inception.

Poppy's voice is genuine, and her story is interesting, heartfelt and uplifting. The thought of actually going through with a business plan, finding the right time, niche and the finances to back me has always scared me a little. However, once I finished reading the book I felt inspired.

I especially liked the set-up of the book. She talks about a lesson and then follows each lesson with a personal story and a conclusion at the end of each section. (One of my favorites is Manage your Inner Critic.)

I often let unwarranted negativity get in the way of a good idea and wind up not following through. Her book is a reminder that when you hear a critical voice in your head, ask questions to challenge the pessimism instead of automatically giving it validity. Not only is it a confidence booster, but it allows you to talk through any doubts you may have in your idea or plan.

I really liked this book. It's not a fluffy page-turner, so if you are looking to get swept away in a story about lipstick or royalty, this isn't for you. But, if you are someone with a dream (even if you aren't really into lipstick) you'll enjoy learning from Poppy's experiences about how to successfully develop your own ideas into something fruitful.