BellaSugar

Bella Quiz: What Does Your Hair Say About You?

BellaSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:00:26 -0700

From a biological perspective, hair is like a little diary giving clues about your personality, from where you live to what you smoke to what you tend to eat. But from a social perspective, hair can give clues about you in a whole other way. It might be stereotyping, but it is human nature for people to form impressions about other people within mere seconds. "Hair and identity are inseparable - whether you're consciously making a statement or not, your hairstyle does express something about you," anthropology professor David Coplan of Wits University in South Africa told True Love magazine. When it comes to hair, can you guess what general impressions people make based on the length and appearance of other women's hair? You be the judge.

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Trend Alert: New Year, Long Waves

BellaSugar — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:00:22 -0800

OK, I know it's nothing all that earth-shattering since long waves have been in fashion long before the Farrah Fawcett days. But this New Year's Eve, it was all about the soft cascading curl. Whether it was a more-refined look like Ashlee Simpson and Eva Longoria Parker or tousled and undone à la Molly Sims and Chloë Sevigny, the look was still sexy - and a little more inspired than pin-straight locks. Want some loose waves? Keep a large-barreled (at least one inch or larger) curling iron open and wrap your hair around the barrel for a few seconds and release. Is this the iconic hairstyle of the 2000s? We have one more year to find out, but I'm betting yes.

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Relaxed vs. Natural Hair vs. Weaves vs. Dreads

OnSugar Blog — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:02:21 -0800

Here are highlights from OnSugar blog Krissy's One Stop Beauty Spot.

Women, especially black women, have the ability to change hairstyles like underwear. I support you ladies no matter what you do - just do it right and take care of your hair. For the most part we all practice the same principles when it comes to proper hair care (co-washing, ACV rinse, trims, deep conditioning, etc.). I'm always willing to help people with hair questions and concerns, or at least point them in the right direction. I know plenty of people in that area.

Where I stand on a lot of hair issues:

I'm anti kiddie perms and kiddie dreadlocks on children if they're at an age where they can't make that choice for themselves (unless, of course, it's part of your religion). It's not about the chemicals, it's about the fact that it's a permanent hairstyle on a child. What if your child decides they want to wear their natural hair? You'll have to either cut their hair to transition them to natural hair. Yes, you can remove dreads but unless someone can find me a "safe" method that doesn't damage the hair, then I won't be changing my mind about this.
I'm pro weaves and braids as long as it's done right and your hair is still being kept healthy. If your hair is being done too tight and coming out, it's time to find a new stylist.
I'm pro curly and natural hairstyles within corporate America. I hear a lot of natural haired beauties bragging about self-acceptance and mainstreaming natural hair, but they still search for corporate hairstyles because of their natural hair. A bun will always be conservative no matter what type of hair you have.
I've always encouraged hair dialogue among women of different nationalities. You'll be surprised by the things we all have in common. If your non-black friend is telling you about a great hair balm that she pays $15 for, take her on a trip to a local beauty supply store and show her where to buy it for $5.

Read the entire post here. Want to see more? Start following OnSugar blog Krissy's One Stop Beauty Spot or start your own OnSugar blog. Maybe your stories will be featured on BellaSugar.

2009 American Music Awards: Nicole Kidman

BellaSugar — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:46:52 -0800

It's a rockin' night, and Nicole Kidman is dressed for it. She arrived on the arm of her crooner husband, Keith Urban, wearing her hair very differently than what we're used to seeing. Instead of an elegant updo or worn long and center-parted, tonight she let her hair cover half her face, a la Veronica Lake. Do you think the style worked as well on Nicole as it did on Veronica, or do you wish she hadn't gone for a remake?

Vote on all of my American Music Awards polls here!

2009 American Music Awards: Toni Braxton

BellaSugar — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:44:29 -0800

Over the past few years, Toni Braxton's hair has gotten both longer and a lot lighter. Here, she's tossed her caramel-toned locks into a loose updo, letting her flawless skin shine through. As for her makeup, it's all about creating a dewy finish, with the emphasis on the eyes. What do you think about Toni's style this evening? Is it perfection or are you longing for more?

Vote on all of my American Music Awards polls here!

Easy Tip: Go to Bed, Wake Up With Curls

Bella Community — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:02:57 -0800

Check out what reader blondeyy had to say in the Do-it-Yourself Beauty group:

Wake up with gorgeous curls - seriously, fast and easy! Spend the morning making a nice cup of tea and watching CNN rather than working on your hair.

Wash your hair at night.
Put your favorite styling cream in damp hair.
Flip your head over (bending at the waist) and pull all hair into a scrunchie on the top of your head.
Section by section, roll hair into curlers and pin. ( I have very long hair and I only need about 6-7 curlers).
Everything stays on the top of your head so you don't feel a thing when you are sleeping.

In the morning: magic! Remove the curlers and scrunchie; either brush hair or finger tousle and you're done! Beautiful hair! I read this somewhere and do it all the time. It is a REAL time saver with fab results!

Have tips and tricks you'd like to share with others? There's a bevy of groups in BellaSugar Community, so join in the fun!

How-To: Kristen Stewart's Rocking New Moon Hair

BellaSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:43:58 -0800

I know what you might be thinking: "Kristen Stewart's hair is too wild for me to pull off." Not so! On the New Moon red carpet tonight, Kristen manages to turn this curly hairstyle, which could easily go more the route of high school-prom, into a funky 'do with plenty of edge. The great thing is, this look is not only wearable for all hair types, but it's both modern and fresh, too. Try it out. You might just surprise yourself.

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To get my tips on recreating this sophisticated style with a twist, just keep reading.

Celebrity Hair: Can You Guess Who Said What?

BellaSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:00:43 -0800

From long to short to platinum to black, celebrities are notorious for changing their hairstyles - and talking about their appearances in general. Over the past week or so, it seems that stars have had lots to say about their locks. Can you guess which celebrity recently said what quote when it comes to their own strands? Take my quiz to check your hair awareness.

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Haircuts To Flatter Your Face Shape: Part III, Long and Oval Faces

BellaSugar — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 10:56:16 -0700

You may covet your favorite celeb's hairstyle, but if the 'do doesn't fit your face shape, you're likely to be disappointed. Hence, Fabsugar's four-part series on the haircuts that best flatter your face. Welcome back for our third installment: oval faces. To read last week's advice on round faces, click here.

If you were born with an oblong or oval-shaped face, you share your facial structure with Sarah Jessica Parker, Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, and Jada Pinkett Smith. This extremely versatile face shape allows you to pull off almost any look: short, long, straight or wavy. It's not so much the length you choose that matters; it's more about the feature you want to emphasize. If it's your cheekbones, for instance, try layering chin-length hair so that it falls right at your cheeks and chin, like SJP's at left. This will create the illusion of width, which waves and curls will only emphasize.

If you want to draw attention to your lips and chin, try a choppy bob or a shoulder-skimming straight shag. For other styling ideas, read more

To emphasize your shoulders and neck, you'll want longer hair that falls below your collarbone. Make sure to cut your hair in long layers, especially around your face.

Long bangs are also great for you because they create more width to your longer face.

The only style that you'll really want to avoid is super-short layers on the top of your head. This style isn't the most flattering and will make your face appear too long. If your hair is really thick and curly, try to stay away from a blunt bob or you may end up looking like a pyramid.

Beautiful Bangs for Your Face Shape, Part III: Oval

BellaSugar — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 07:00:13 -0700

Welcome to the third installment of Beautiful Bangs for Your Face Shape. Celebrities such as Sarah Michelle Gellar, Beyonce, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Garner, Hillary Swank and Sarah Jessica Parker all have oval/long shaped faces. The best types of bang styles for them-or for you-are longer bangs that fall a little bit below the eyebrows.

Yet perhaps one special celeb whose bangs have evolved dramatically over the years is Halle Berry. Curious about what I mean? Check out some of her past hairstyles here.

If you have an oval face shape, you are lucky, since you can play around with many different bang options. For example, if your hair is thick, try a blunt-cut short bang. If your hair is thin, then a billowy fringe or long wisps will look great too!

The goal is to add some width and fullness at the sides so that your face looks more symmetrical. Avoid creating too much volume at the top, or you will only make your face look too drawn-out and oblong. (My mom calls this the "egghead.")

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