BellaSugar

Cute Paws For a Good Cause

BellaSugar — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 09:00:04 PDT

If you're in the market for some new tweezers or nail files, now you can get both in an adorable motif and support the Humane Society. Tweezerman is selling Paw Print Mini Slant Tweezers ($15) and Matchbox Itty Bitty Paw Print Files ($4). A portion of the sales will go to help the Humane Society care for pets in need of homes. So while Fido and Fluffy might not like visiting the pet groomer, you can help them out while grooming yourself.

File This One Away...

BellaSugar — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 07:03:30 PST

I love my glass nail file, but there is a ton of options on the market for DIY filing these days, from banana-shaped numbers to ceramic files to minis that can hide in the tiniest of purses just in case you get a snag or chip. I've put together a few of the most interesting, for a variety of filing needs. So whether you never want to have to buy another file or need one that you can use once and then throw away, one of the options from the widget below is sure to please.

Polish on Skin? No Problem.

BellaSugar — Mon, 18 May 2009 06:00:22 PDT

Call me butterfingers. Earlier today, while getting dressed, I actually split a pair of my favorite jeans in the crotch. A squirt of tinted moisturizer on the front of my ruffled plaid blouse, and I was off to a great start.

Recently, I found the perfect shade of coral polish in Revlon's Nail Enamel in Red Hot Tamale ($5), but unfortunately, the color also spilled from toenails to skin, all due to my klutzy ways.

Of course, you can always dunk a Q-tip in polish remover to remove the unwanted polish, but my neighbor came to the rescue with this ingenious tip. After the polish has set on your skin, simply take an emery board ($1.60) and gently sand off the spillage until those smudges magically disappear. Why didn't I think of that?

Is Filing Your Nails in Public a Do or a Don't?

BellaSugar — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 06:00:41 PST

The other day on the bus, I noticed a lady focusing all (and I mean all) of her attention to her nails. She filed them for what seemed like the entire twenty-minute ride, and I have to admit - it kind of grossed me out as the nail dust floated all around. Last year I asked you what you thought about putting on makeup in public, and most of you thought that a little touchup is OK, but doing a full-blown routine is tacky. What about filing nails? Do you think it's uncouth to groom them in public, or is it acceptable?

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An Easy Way to File Nails

BellaSugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:00:40 PDT

I will be the first to admit that keeping my nails in tip-top (sorry, bad pun) shape is a difficult goal for me. A few years ago as I was doing a little shaping action of my own, my friend, who supplements her income by working as a part-time manicurist, laughed out loud. "It's called an emery board, not a saw," she said.

So, apparently, I was doing it wrong. She told me all about the "short, short, long" technique, and I've never looked back to my overly aggressive tree-logging ways.

In order to achieve smoothly filed nails, it's best to start off by using a fine grit emery board, which is very gentle for natural nails. Starting on one corner of your nail, moving towards the center. File in a "short, short, long" motion, using the "long" motion to blend, smooth, and help mold your nails into the shape you desire. Then, repeat this step on the other corner.

Just remember to always file in one direction, otherwise you'll get jagged results. It's pretty simple once you get the hang of it - and your polish will last longer, too.

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File This Under Nail Care

BellaSugar — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 09:00:00 PDT

After discovering my first glass nail file, I've been hooked. Unlike emery boards, glass nail files never go dull; they need only a quick rinse under the tap to be good as new. My Sephora file is a grid of teeny, tiny upraised rough glass nodules. Think frosted glass, but maybe a tad rougher. The file is thin, but sturdy enough for me to feel confident that it won't break when my klutzy self inevitably drops it on the floor.

You use it just like any other nail file, but it feels significantly less abrasive. There is no pulling or snagging on the nail tip, which prevents cracking, peeling, and splitting of the nails. In fact, it is so gentle that you can use it safely on acrylics or on damaged or fragile nails. The only drawback? Using it reminds some people of nails on the chalkboard. But if you're interested in checking out a glass file, it's a relatively inexpensive investment. A company called 95° and Sunny makes hand-painted ones - or you can always start out with my $8 special from Sephora.

13 Really Ridiculous Beauty Products

BellaSugar — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:08:12 PST

A lot of us dabble with out-of-the-ordinary beauty products, and some of them even work. But there are some items that are so over-the-top, so unnecessary, that you have to wonder who buys them. So here are the 13 of the silliest beauty products, gadgets, and treatments you could possibly encounter. Take a peek!

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The World's Glitziest Nail File

BellaSugar — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 07:00:59 PST

Talk about sparkles and glitter for the 2007 holiday season! New from London's famous chain of neighborhood nail spas, nails inc., comes the most dazzling and decadent nail file you've ever laid your eyes on. Each Diamond File contains 20 diamonds and is set on a glass emery board with a textured surface that is renewable by soaking it in warm water (which won't damage the bling).

The best part is that each file is custom made, so you get to design it yourself. The file was inspired by Bella Donna Marilyn Monroe's song "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend." For the woman who's got it all, this would make the most magnificent gift - that is, if you are in the market to throw down £1000 (which, at the current exchange rate, is approximately $2.000)!

While it comes packaged in a luxurious velvet box lined with black satin, still, that's a hefty price tag. If you had the money, would you spend two grand on a nail-shaping tool?

Will You Watch a Reality Show About a Nail Salon?

Jaime Richards — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 06:00:47 PDT

What happens when the creators of Jersey Shore are put in touch with a Hollywood nail salon owner? You get Nail Files, a new reality show set to premiere Tuesday, June 21 (at 10:00 p.m. EDT) on the TV Guide Network. The program follows the high-spirited Katie Cazorla, owner of The Painted Nail salon in LA, as she runs her business, as well as the social circles. It sounds like it has potential to be an entertaining program, but will you be tuning in?

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How To Tell If a Gel Manicure Is Phony

Miriam Lacey — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 04:01:13 PST

As gel manicures become more popular, so do knockoff products and shady application techniques. It's not unusual now to hear that someone's gone in for a gel manicure only to find out later that what's on their nails isn't Shellac, Gelish, or any reputable gel for that matter. To help consumers avoid nail damage and the risk of having weird chemicals affixed to their digits, CND Shellac has come out with its own salon certification system, and we've assembled tips for discerning whether your salon uses authentic application and removal methods. See the guidelines below.

Bourjois Glass Nail File - Sold Out	Beauty Secrets Black Banana Nail File - $0.79
All Season Professional All Season Sanding Sticks - $0.39	Flowery File Catty Nail File Compact - $4.49
Tweezerman SPA File, Buff & Shine - Sold Out	Tweezerman SPA Pedro Fina Ceramic Nail File - Sold Out
SpaRitual Black Board File 5 pack - Sold Out	Nail Block by Tweezerman - Sold Out
Tropical Shine Zebra Contour File - Medium - Sold Out	Tweezerman Matchbox Files - Sold Out
Tropical Shine Tropic Shine Trendy Nail Files Orange Purse/Flamingo - $1.39	Kiss Washable Nail File Medium Fine - Sold Out
Sally Hansen Ceramic Nail File - Sold Out	Essie Crystal File - Sold Out
Essie Mini Crystal File - Sold Out	Flowery Ultra Tapered File - $0.79
Les Mirages Sand Turtle File Super Fine - $1.99