BellaSugar

New Product Alert: Peeka Bu

BellaSugar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:00:13 -0700

Is this a hair gadget? No. A magnifying mirror? Guess again. A pubic-grooming mirror? Ding ding ding, we have a winner.

Peeka Bu ($35) is a new flexible-necked tool designed to give you a better view for the tidying of your nether regions. Designed by former art director Sarah Nehamen, the mirror attaches to a solid surface via suction cup, then can be angled as necessary. It's biodegradable and made in the States, if that's important to you. The marketing materials promote it as a smart addition to your grooming arsenal, but it would be just as useful for getting to know parts of your anatomy. No doubt Betty Dodson would approve of that, but would you shell out $35 for this mirror?

New Product Alert: Lancôme Génifique

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

This month, Lancôme is launching its biggest skin care product of the year. Génifique ($78) is a "youth activating concentrate" with ten years of research backing up its anti-aging claims. It promises to rouse genes, making them produce more proteins associated with young skin.

The whole "gene-awakening" thing sounded vague to me, which automatically made me a bit skeptical. (So many beauty products promise to transform skin into perfection, but - as you probably have experienced - that doesn't happen very often.) Lancôme gave me an advance sample of Génifique, and I have been using it for the past six weeks. To find out whether my lazy-ass genes are now up and at 'em, read more.

Lancôme insists that Génifique is not a serum, but that's a bit of a tomato-tomahto thing to me; the lightweight liquid comes out in a dropper and feels like most serums I've tried. (I'm just sayin'.) Using it is easy, which is great if you're busy/lazy like me. I spread two drops of Génifique on my face every morning and evening; it sinks into skin almost immediately, so then I follow with my normal moisturizer. There's no tingling or stinging or stickiness, which is nice.

About a week into my Génifique trial, I noticed that my skin tone was a little bit brighter. And then I plotzed because the little frown line in between my brows wasn't quite as deep as it had been. I kept an eye on that stinker for the following month, and while it hasn't disappeared completely, it's definitely not as noticeable as it used to be. I'm not a scientist, nor do I play one on TV, but whatever's in that bottle of Génifique has indeed had a positive effect on my skin. Color this skeptic pleasantly surprised.

New Product Alert: Big Bang Illusion Gloss

BellaSugar — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:00:09 -0700

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.

New Product Alert: Benefit's "Hello, Flawless!"

BellaSugar — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:00:32 -0800

When opening the new Hello, Flawless! compact by Benefit, I got flashbacks from disasters of years past; that explains my higher-than-normal nervousness about powdery foundation. Since this product comes with both a sponge and a flat brush, I went for the sponge first and smeared some makeup on my skin: Way too powdery for my tastes, just as I'd expected. I'd yet to try the brush but, feeling far from open-minded, I set the product aside 'til the following day. The next morning I opened the two-tray, mirrored container and took out the brush to give it a whirl and, wow, was I pleased with the results.

For a sheer finish, use light quick strokes from the center of your face outward with the brush – it totally helped even out my skin tone with what a pal called a "magazine-ready finish," and it didn't look cakey. Word to the wise, it is on the messier side (as with any loose powder) so be careful to not get it on your clothing, too! Now, I'm just using a light daily dusting of this product over moisturizer. Four of the six shades are available online, and they should all be in stores within the next few weeks. I never thought I'd say this, but I love my powder makeup!

New Product Alert: MD Skincare Detox Duo

BellaSugar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:00:03 -0800

As fabulous as a trip to a yoga-and-detox center might sound at first, some people think otherwise. I tend to agree, because if I have a week of vacation, you can bet I'm not going to spend it doing a juice cleanse. But I would happily do a little at-home detox with MD Skincare's Detox Duo (on sale for $38.50). A preview of the brand's forthcoming line of natural skin care products, it provides just the right balance of luxury and earthiness. The two-piece package consists of bath crystals and an antioxidant enzyme buff; both are free of parabens, SLS, mineral oil, synthetic dyes, paraffins, and fragrances.

That appeals to the treehugger in me, but here's what's even better: Using these is like having a tiny spa treatment in my own bathroom. Taking a bath is always relaxing, but the star of the show is the enzyme buff. A little bit of this thick, heavenly scented stuff goes a long way toward scrubbing away dead skin cells, and the essential oils help lock in moisture. I use this in the shower, then gently pat my skin dry, and have soft, moisturized skin all day long. Even if toxins might not be able to be purged, it feels great and puts me in a happy mood. Reason enough for me.

New Product Alert: L'Occitane Anniversary Body Creams

BellaSugar — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:00:53 -0800

L'Occitane is known for its sumptuous shea butter cream, but what you may not know is that the cream is now 20 years old. What's more, the brand has a fair trade setup with workers in Burkina Faso, buying the shea butter from women to help them earn living wages. Two years ago, L'Occitane bought an astounding 75 percent of Burkina Faso's shea butter produced for the beauty industry, and that percentage is growing every year.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary, the brand has created five shea butter-laden creams featuring the scents of African flowers: Acacia, Frangipani, Vanilla, Rosebud, and Ylang Ylang. So if one of those is your favorite scents, you might want to check it out. (Confidential to C. Foster Kane: Rosebud smells like flowers, not sleds. Sorry.)

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New Product Alert: Too Faced Custom Palette

BellaSugar — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 06:01:04 -0800

In search of a last-minute gift? You can't go wrong with an IOU for Too Faced's customizable makeup palette ($35). It's a great gift for a hard-to-please friend because she'll be able to select exactly what she wants in this palette. Each one has room for a dual eye shadow, a blush, and your choice of a lip gloss, mascara, eyeliner, or eye shadow primer.

Although budding makeup designers can't choose from every one of Too Faced's products, they'll find a lot of flexibility. And since Too Faced allows you to choose other aspects of the box design, your finicky friend will be able to make everything juuuuuust the way she likes it.

New Product Alert: The Overnighter

BellaSugar — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:00:43 -0800

Benefit keeps rolling out the quirky and cheeky ideas, and The Overnighter ($38) is no exception. The "sleepover set" contains a set of miniature primping products and a Hanky Panky thong. If you've never worn a Hanky Panky thong, get your butt in gear - they straddle the divide, as it were, between comfort and sexiness. (And one size really does fit most.)

The makeup kit is pretty sweet, too: Justine Case is a little box to toss in your purse. Inside, it has California Kissin' lip gloss, Eyecon eye cream, the legendary cheek and lip stain Benetint, and Some Kind-a Gorgeous "foundation faker." (The last comes in the lighter of the two available shades, FYI.) I plan to keep this thing in my bag in case Mr. Gosling decides to ask me on a date sometime. You know, just in case.

New Product Alert: Marimekko for Avon

BellaSugar — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 07:00:49 -0700

I love beautifully designed makeup (witness Lancôme's elephant-adorned bronzer, for example). But you know what I don't love? After using the item once or twice, the colors blend together and the perfect design is over. In the grand scheme of things, it's not a big deal - but why shell out big bucks just for the design?

That is why I am excited about these Marimekko for Avon palettes, which feature the Finnish textile brand's iconic Unikko print. At $8 for the eye shadow palette and $10 for an all-over face palette, they won't make you too depressed when the design begins to look less crisp. Cute and cheap? CasaSugar will be thrilled.

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New Product Alert: Zeno Mini

BellaSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:00:32 -0700

Pimple-stopping devices are great - if you can afford to shell out the big bucks for them. In fact, in comparing Zeno to Thermaclear, one of my main complaints about the otherwise awesome Zeno was its price. Oh, but times have changed!

Zeno has recently released a smaller version of its zit-zapping device. The Zeno Mini ($89) is petite and portable, but it still helps stop pimples from forming. Aside from the lower price, it's great because it's powered by AAA batteries; the original Zeno needs to be charged, and there are times when it would be out of juice right when Krakatoa was about to erupt on my chin. Now all I have to do is pop in a battery and stop that bad mutha from getting any bigger. Plus, how much does the new design look like Eve from Wall-E? So cute, and much more budget-friendly!