BellaSugar

Do You Bite Your Cuticles?

BellaSugar — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 06:00:00 -0700

I have previously determined that the majority of you claim pimple picking as your worst beauty habit. While I'm uncertain of how many of you actually bite your nails, I've never explored the topic of biting your cuticles and/or skin around the nails. So, now it's time.

While having my iPhone checked out at the Apple store the other day, I noticed that the friendly gal who helped me out was guilty of a little cuticle nibbling. I thought, "I have been there myself, sister." It's a bad habit that's hard to break. Now it's your turn to dish. Do your cuticles not get the love they deserve?

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Do You Have a Beauty Bad Habit?

BellaSugar — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 06:00:11 -0700

A bad habit is an undesirable behavior pattern, like whipping out the credit card a bit too often during those late night infomercials or spending a mind boggling amount of time on the Wii. But what about beauty - do you have any bad habits you'd like to break? Whether it's pimple popping or nail biting, what's your worst vice? Such a delightful topic, no?

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Nail Nibblers Get a New Treatment

BellaSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 11:00:30 -0700

I used to have a boyfriend who, because he was so stressed from law school, couldn't stop biting his nails. So then he moved on to nibbling his knuckles. By the end of his first year, he had barely any nails left and puffy, swollen joints. Sound vaguely familiar? Lots of people bite their nails, whether absentmindedly or actively, and most chompers have told me that they just can't stop the habit.

That could change, though, if a Dutch business manages to sell its idea. Alain-Raymond van Abbe, a former cosmetics marketer, has created a barely-visible tooth guard for nail biters. The mouthpiece makes it impossible for people to bite their nails, but it can be removed for eating. After four weeks, van Abbe says, the impulse to gnaw goes away.

Van Abbe's treatment fee can climb as high as $670, which seems awfully expensive for what basically amounts to a clear retainer. But for that kind of fee, I think I'd try to win with will power first.

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Once Bitten, Twice Shy: Five Ways to Stop Nibbling Your Nails

BellaSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:00:24 -0700

Every nail biter knows that it's a bad habit: you get bacteria from the environment into your mouth, age your hands, wear down your teeth, and generally end up feeling pretty bad about yourself and your willpower (or apparent lack thereof). But biting your nails isn't about pulling yourself up by your bootstraps for a lot of people. Instead, it's an automatic reaction that has to be overcome by other means, because will alone doesn't work when you don't notice you're doing something or have no other means of release. To help those of us for whom nail nibbling is all too natural, I've put together five smart tips that promise quick results - just keep reading

Deborah Lippmann Talks Nail Trends, Part Two

BellaSugar — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 07:00:22 -0700

Deborah Lippmann, founder of Lippmann Collection, had a busy New York Fashion Week. After giving Mariah Carey not one but two manicures during Fashion Rocks (she wore Fashion during the Stand Up To Cancer performance and then Rhapsody in White for her solo) she did the nails at Rodarte, Zac Posen and Zegna (which, if you read my post on nail techs at FW, you know is no small feat). Still, she took a minute to talk to me backstage about a multitude of nail topics, the first being trends.

For today's installation of my interview with Lippmann, I got a genius tip for choosing a neutral nail polish and I discovered a secret from her past, read more.

How do you choose a neutral?
Deborah Lippmann: It’s sort of the same as finding a foundation or finding a lip color. You need to find out if you’re warm or cool. I have two colors in my collection, one is warm and one is more blue based. If you put on the wrong color and your cuticle looks red, it’s not the right color. The warm is called Fashion, the one called You Can Leave Your Hat On has more blue undertones. Even if you’re wearing the wrong red, your cuticle will look red when it dries down.

When switching from a darker nail to a neutral, why do nails sometimes turn yellow?
Deborah Lippmann: Yellowing nails don’t mean you are unhealthy. You may be wearing a lot of pigment in your nail polish. Try a thicker, ridge filling base coat if you are wearing really pigmented colors. It could also be from sunscreen. Or, of course, if you're using acrylics on your nails. Fake nails are how I stopped biting.

I can’t believe you bit your nails.
Deborah Lippmann: That’s how I got into the business! When I was younger, I bit my nails. I started performing – singing, I'm a jazz singer – and when I got on stage, I was holding the microphone and the director was like "No, no, no. Put on a set of nails," and I was like, "[gasps]." I felt so comfortable. It was a really life changing thing.

For how to perfectly polish, check back on Friday!

Tea Tree Oil Will Cure What (N)ails You

BellaSugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 08:00:38 -0700

Earlier this year, nearly 70 percent of you told me that you bite your cuticles. I have a confession. During particularly nervous moments, I sometimes do a little chomping myself. Ack! Recently, a manicurist gave me a little talking to after discovering my dirty little secret. Her solution? Tea tree oil, an antiseptic essential oil with antibacterial benefits.

Not only does this product help heal cuts and tears when rubbed into the delicate nail bed area, it provides hydrating effects, and carries with it a clean, uplifting aroma. Added bonus? Because of its strong, slightly camphor-like smell, it won't taste all that appetizing, and that just might inhibit you from biting. Try Beauty Secrets Tea Tree Oil ($5.99) to get started on your way to obtaining those soon-to-be-gorgeous hands.

Photo by Jon Fravel

Be Safe With Your Pedi, or You Could Regret It

BellaSugar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:00:18 -0700

Here's a horror story for you: After getting a pedicure, a St. Louis woman developed a foot infection. She developed small red bumps that mutated into boils - one of which was as big as a baseball. An oozing, gross baseball. Her woes were due to a mycobacterium infection that she picked up from the pedicure station. Even if salons look clean, the bacteria are too small for the human eye to see. You don't have to give up pedicures, but if you go to the nail salon, follow these tips:

Don't use the whirlpool foot bath. The jets are hard to clean, and bacteria thrive in their dark recesses. Choose a still foot bath instead.
Don't get a pedicure until 24 hours after you've shaved/waxed/Nair-ed your legs.
Don't get a pedicure if you have scratches, wounds, or bug bites on your feet or legs.
Be sure that the salon is properly accredited and licensed.
Consider bringing your own pedicure tools.

And, of course, you can always go the DIY route by doing your pedicure at home. That's what I did last night, with no risk of oozing sores. Shudder.

How Does Cuticle Remover Work? The Mystery Revealed!

BellaSugar — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:00:04 -0700

Cuticle biting may be one of your bad beauty habits, and I have to admit I have a sick fascination with cuticle remover. After running out of my supply recently, I tried using a body oil to push away my overgrown cuticles, but it just wasn't cutting it. I needed the good stuff. This got me to thinking about how my "fix" works.

Sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide are two common ingredients contained in many cuticle removers. With a pH of over 12, these substances work to soften and break down dead skin around the nail bed. Since these exfoliating ingredients are so aggressive, it's essential to wash thoroughly after use. If you're looking for a less harsh approach, try Cuccio Natural Apple Cuticle Remover, ($8) which uses fruit alpha hydroxy acids to gently break down skin around the nails. Happy nipping.

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Coming Soon: Estée Lauder Vivid Garden Summer Color Collection

BellaSugar — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 13:00:18 -0800

I can't say that I've been to a real, official afternoon tea in the garden. I can't say that I've even officially been to an afternoon tea - that is, unless you count my friend's baby shower in Ohio, where it was snowing outside, but we still enjoyed bite-sized treats like mini cucumber sandwiches and clotted cream in the comfort of indoors. Regardless, a garden-side afternoon tea sounds quite nice, don't you think? And that's exactly what inspired Estée Lauder in its Vivid Garden Summer Color Collection for '09.
While there will also be a warm Bronze Goddess Collection for the rising temperatures ahead, the limited-edition Vivid Garden palette focuses on whimsical, floral-inspired vibrant shades such as pinks, purples, teal, aquamarine, and lime. Creamy textures and sheer glazes provide the finishes.

View 3 Photos ›

Find out what's new when you read more.

Base look for face:

Vivid Garden Illuminating Powder ($32): Includes three slightly shimmery, floral-inspired shades with a dusting of gold.
Duo-Tone Eye Pencil ($18.50): Comes in contrasting tones of Onyx and Pearl.

For a Jasmine Garden Look (Available at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Bloomingdale's):

Signature Eyeshadow Quad in Jasmine Garden ($35)
Pure Color Illuminating Gloss in Lotus Blossom ($18)
Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Sweet Lychee ($22)
Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Lotus Blossom ($18)

For an Orchid Garden Look (Exclusive to Nordstrom):

Signature Eyeshadow Quad in Orchid Garden ($35)
Pure Color Illuminating Gloss in Peach Blossom ($18)
Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Crystal Coral ($22)
Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Peach Blossom ($18)

Lovely Links

BellaSugar — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:00:13 -0700

Do Sienna and Brit bite their nails? - FabSugarUK
Model Daul Kim goes from black to blond - I Like to Fork Myself
Is a cat-food facial really all that? - Babyassface
Beauty on a budget - The New York Times
Horses in wigs - Lemondrop
ICYMI, a cute girl is basically told she's a heifer by Top Model judges - Jezebel
Michelle Obama lashes out - The Cut
The reveal on peels - Beauty Snob
Solid perfume: a love story - Fashionista