BellaSugar

How-To: AnnaLynne McCord's Red-Hot Lips

BellaSugar — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:00:56 -0800

Red lips will undoubtedly always be in style, and on Saturday, newcomer AnnaLynne McCord got in on the action. Puckering up for the "Kiss For a Cause" event, the 90210 actress helped raise money for the National AIDS Fund at the Armani Exchange in Santa Monica by handing out sweet snacks and greeting shoppers in a kissing booth.

"I was inspired to create a look between old-school Michelle Pfeiffer, Olivia Newton-John from her days in Grease, and classic Marilyn," said celebrity makeup artist Napoleon Perdis. Like this classic shade? Perdis used DéVine Goddess Lipstick in Aphrodite ($22) from his collection. Get tips for choosing a cool-toned red shade, then give a bright, bold lip a try.

Go From Day to Night With Napoleon Perdis

BellaSugar — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:00:10 -0800

It doesn't take a lot of effort to go from the office to a postwork party or date. Just ask Napoleon Perdis, who recently showed my friend Heather how she can quickly and easily shift her look to a more glamorous one. Read on to see how he created this look, and find out how you can do it at home.

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Beauty Byte: Napoleon Perdis's Reality Show Debuts Monday Morning

BellaSugar — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 12:05:11 -0800

Charismatic makeup artist to the stars, Napoleon Perdis, is everywhere these days. He's got a training academy in LA and his products can be found at ULTA, Target, Napoleon Perdis Stores, and select boutiques. Oh, and that's just in the United States.

The Australian native's next venture? A 10-episode reality program called Get Your Face On, where the now Hollywood-based Perdis is out to find his protégé amongst 12 contenders. “I’m going to be fair, but I’m going to be tough,” he said.

The show, which will run in a marathon-style format, starts Monday, Dec. 8 at - 7 a.m.?! Zoikes, that's early. Each hour-long episode will air throughout 10 consecutive weekdays, with the finale on Friday, Dec. 19 So, tell me - will you be up and alert with your morning joe to watch, or is it going to be TiVo all the way?

Photo courtesy of NapoleonPerdis.com

Bella's Saturday Night Nightmare at Target

BellaSugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:01:59 -0800

Wild 'n' crazy Bella had a wild 'n' crazy Saturday night - at Target. Woot! Isn't having the store practically all to yourself the best? Making my customary beauty aisle pit stop, I was disturbed by what I saw. While I don't mean to nitpick one of my favorite stores, the new designer makeup collection was a big ol' hot mess, as I'm sure you'll agree. To see what I'm talking about, read more.

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What's odd is that at most other stores where sampling is allowed - think Sephora - the testers are nowhere near this nasty. I don't think that's the fault of Target's employees; it seems like people think "big-box store" and take puerile glee in sticking their fingers in the testers. Good thing Purell is sold just a few aisles over, no?

Designer Makeup Now at Target

BellaSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:20:45 -0700

Testers at Target - yes! After popping in the megastore during on a weekend of errand running, I checked out the latest addition to their newly boosted cosmetics section.

Just as Target's GO International line features lower-priced designer fashions, three new collections from top names in the makeup world now line the aisles. Touted as more affordable than the fancy designer counterparts, the designers include JK Jemma Kidd ($14–$36), Napoleon Perdis' NP Set ($12-$30), and Pixi Cosmetics' Pixi ($12-$39).

I'm all for one-stop shopping and bringing designers to the masses. But in this rough economy, will shoppers pay 17 bucks for mascara at Target? To see all of the loot, read more.

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Beauty Byte: Three Cosmetic Brands Are the Latest Target

BellaSugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:00:35 -0700

Coming this August to a Target store near you are three, more affordable versions of designer cosmetics collections by Jemma Kidd, Pixi Cosmetics, and Napoleon Perdis. The reason for the push, according to consultant Allan Mottus, is that "Target is not doing well in mass beauty." Aside from Sonia Kashuk, a brand that they have a financial relationship with, the beauty department is not being properly maintained.

Prepare yourself to see TV, print, and online ads promoting the new brands along with in-store testers to encourage shopper interaction with the products. Each of the brands have modified their collections for the mass appeal, however they claim to remain similar to the coveted designer products.

Jemma Kidd's line, JK Jemma Kidd has a heavy fashion inspiration with products ranging from $14 to $36.
Napoleon Perdis' line, NP Set will consist of 85 products housed in white packaging with the phrase "What's in it for me?"
Pixi Cosmetics' line, Pixi by Petra (Petra is the name of one of the founding sisters) stands by its good-for-your-skin angle and will sell products ranging in price from $12 to $39.

Great Foundation, Not-So-Great Discovery

BellaSugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 08:00:17 -0700

Today's foundations are so much better than what was available even five years ago. The days of masklike foundation are pretty much over, and now you can actually score shades that look like skin rather than makeup. Napoleon Perdis Light-Diffusing Makeup ($42) is one of my recent finds; it contains particles that reflect light, which helps mask imperfections. It makes my skin look eerily perfect, but it looks so natural that an esthetician recently assumed I wasn't wearing makeup. All in all, it's great for those days when you want to look a little more polished than usual.

And yet, after digging around a bit, I'm terribly disappointed at the same time. To find out why you'd be overpaying for this product, read more.

I genuinely do like this foundation, but as it turns out, Napoleon Perdis doesn't formulate its own makeup. This is common in the cosmetics industry; many of the same brands are created and packaged at the same factories. In the case of Napoleon Perdis, it looks like the entire line is from Your Name, a business that creates makeup and allows buyers to slap their own name on the package. After browsing Your Name's online catalog, it's pretty clear that everything from the shade names to the packaging just has the brand name slapped on it. I did a little sleuthing, and found the same foundation at many small, independent online shops - for about half the price. For instance, at DermUs, the same foundation is $20 instead of $42.

This isn't shocking, but it is disappointing. While the product is good, unsuspecting women will be paying so much more for it than they need to. And unless it's on sale, Napoleon Perdis is quite pricey. So while I wholeheartedly recommend this foundation, I can't recommend paying twice as much simply for the brand name.

Bella Bargain: Napoleon Perdis on Sale

BellaSugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 07:00:50 -0700

After visiting the Napoleon Perdis Academy in Los Angeles, I found a few items I really liked. But the line is not cheap (more on this to come later this week), so I'd been holding off on the writeup. However, while beauty shopping last night, I ran across an unpublicized sale on the brand at Sephora. I'm not sure if this means that Napoleon is about to be exiled from Sephora or what, but I do know the prices are shaved by at least 50%.

To see my product picks and mini-reviews, read more.

The French Riviera Pack, an $80 value, is delightfully affordable at just $16. It includes a warm bronzer, a light coral gloss, and Curl Curl mascara (which gets the thumbs up from my mama, so you know it's good).

I've been meaning to tell you about Barely Blushing ($9.50). It's a great gel blush that blends into skin beautifully to give you a natural-looking rosy flush. What I like about it is that it doesn't look like makeup on skin, it just looks like you're healthy.

If you're reading this site, chances are you need another lip gloss as much as you need a staph infection. But I'd just like to point out that the Lip Couture Set gives you five lip glosses for $12.50. That's not $12.50 each, that's $12.50 total. One for you, four for your friends...?

Tour of Beauty: Napoleon Perdis Makeup Academy

BellaSugar — Tue, 06 May 2008 07:00:08 -0700

Makeup artist Napoleon Perdis is already a star in his native Australia, but now he's making a mark in the States. His cosmetics line is stocked in Sephora, he's opening up more of his own boutiques, he has a training academy in Los Angeles, and he's about to star in his own reality TV show. Busy guy! I recently popped down to LA for a weekend and enjoyed a tour of the Napoleon Perdis Makeup Academy. Read on to see the facilities, including a shot of the VIP room where celebrities primp and prepare for red-carpet events.

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Beauty Byte: Napoleon Perdis to Sponsor the Emmy Awards

BellaSugar — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 10:58:00 -0700

The Emmy Awards are less than a month away, and of course I'll be glued to the television to spot all of the A-listers' hair and makeup. I just found out that Napoleon Perdis is the official makeup sponsor of the awards. Already enormously popular in Australia, the color cosmetics line is gaining buzz Stateside. Winona Ryder is a fan, and with the Emmy exposure, don't be surprised if more celebrities start singing its praises.

Napoleon Perdis-the man behind the line-had this to say about the sponsorship: "I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to bring out the artists' most beautiful selves. My brand philosophy of bringing red carpet to reality will truly be realized through this partnership." Sure, it's a staid press-releasey thing to say, but I can't wait to see what he comes up with. Thanks to Beauty and the Blog for the scoop!