BellaSugar

Vincent Longo Cosmetics Set to Make a Big Comeback

Jaime Richards — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 10:54:41 PDT

Due in part to a failing economy back in 2008, Vincent Longo Cosmetics was eventually forced to pull its products from the shelves of retail giants such as Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Fred Segal, and Nordstrom. Space NK, however, still kept the indie brand's stock in supply. But now, Vincent Longo is set to make a big comeback.

Last year, the company began selling its products in CVS Pharmacy's Beauty 360. And with a new investor in place, Vincent Longo himself is now again able to work on what he's known for: creating innovative, stand-out formulations.

He'll completely revamp everything except for complexion products. New items will include Liquid Concealer ($28), formulated with arnica and peptides to reduce dark circles and puffiness; Pearl X Eyeshadows ($25), baked shadows with speckled colors; and Perfect Shine V Gloss ($22), glimmery pearl lip colors that add temporary volume. To see what other brand is also making moves to rise from the ashes, just keep reading.

5 Fun Ways to Get Into the Mardi Gras Spirit

Jaime Richards — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 PST

Mardi Gras is one of the few times of the year where excess reigns supreme. Besides Halloween, there's never a more perfect time than now to show off your adventurous spirit. From some beautifully tame options to some wilder, glimmery finds, here are five ways you can get your Mardi Gras on right now:

With a royal purple eye shadow: The best part about Paula Dorf's Eye Color in Mardi Gras ($20) is that its flattering plum color will also look gorgeous the other 364 days of the year.
With some flashy lashes: They're a bit kitschy, but once these metallic Mardi Gras false lashes ($13) hit your eyes, it'll feel so good.
With sequined masks: Nothing screams Mardi Gras quite like a mask of green, gold, and purple, and these cat-eye masks ($3) fit the bill nicely.
With a pleasing perfume holder: Dale Tiffany's swirly Mardi Gras perfume bottle ($63) is not just pretty to look at, but it would make an excellent gift/temporary booze container, too.
With the a trifecta of New Orleans-inspired makeup: Bare Escentuals' Leslie Blodgett was inspired to create BareMinerals Where It's at: The Royal Treatment ($28) after visiting the Big Easy. The three-piece makeup kit comes with: King Eye Color, a peachy sheen; Crown Eye Color, a deep sea teal; and Lip Gloss in Beignet, and opal peach.

Reader Review of the Day: Paula Dorf Lip Slides

BellaSugar — Fri, 01 May 2009 09:00:34 PDT

Earlier this week, I shared with you eleven great lip glosses. While Paula Dorf's Lip Slides ($20) didn't meet the under $15 criteria, reader Ineedcaffeine, who is not really a gloss kind of girl, found one that works for her.

Ever since MAC Lipglass made my hair stick to my mouth, I have been turned off by lip gloss, and instead I went for lipsticks with some lip balm over it, or just chapstick. However, I stole this from my sister's makeup bag one night and am obsessed. It's such a nice raspberry color, and although it looks glittery in the tube, it gives just the right amount of shine. The color and shine last for so long that each tube lasts for a very long time.
Like Ineedcaffeine, have you been doing any "stealing" of beauty products from your friends and/or relatives? Tell us about it by heading over to our Product Reviews. Who knows? Perhaps you'll be featured here on my daily post.

Vitamin C Skin Care Part V: Facial Cleansers

BellaSugar — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 09:59:58 PDT

Welcome to the final installment in my five-part series about vitamin C skin care products. Today we're talking about cleansers. Facial cleansers that contain high concentrations of vitamin C are jam-packed with antioxidants that help fight signs of aging. They also leave skin looking refreshed, calm and brilliant. Here are three of my top picks.

N.V. Perricone M.D. Vitamin C Ester Citrus Facial Wash ($30) is a gentle, non-detergent facial cleanser that nourishes, soothes and calms so that you don't wind up with red, blotchy, or uneven-looking skin.

It's suitable for all skin types but is best for those with normal to oily skin.

For two more vitamin C facial cleansers,

read more Jason Natural Gentle Facial Wash ($9.59) is formulated with vitamin C, ester-C, and beta-hydroxy acids to help firm, tighten and tone your skin. This rich cleanser is safe for everyday use and will help to rid your skin of excess oils-yet it won't leave it feeling dry and flaky.
Paula Dorf Vitamin C + Chamomile Foaming Cleanser ($30) is a gentle balancing cleanser that leaves skin looking radiant and bright and feeling calm and soothed. It is gentle enough for everyday use, but strong enough to remove makeup and impurities.

Marvelous Tinted Moisturizers With SPF, Part II

BellaSugar — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 15:50:33 PDT

Tinted moisturizers with SPF are all the rage. You guys are always writing in and asking me if I think they really work and my answer is that I think they do! That's why these are great! The following three tinted moisturizes are new to the market and are making a big splash for summer. To see the three that I posted yesterday, click here.

Dior Bronze Tinted Moisturizer SPF 10, $35, is a quick and easy way to apply sunscreen and add a little bit of warmth to your Spring skin. This tinted moisturizer is a cream gel that keeps skin hydrated for up to 24 hours.

It is currently only available online for purchase, but will be hitting Dior beauty counters nationwide by the beginning of April in three shades: Blond, Peach and Golden.

To see two more tinted moisturizers with SPF,

read more Paula Dorf Face Tint SPF 15, $18, is a lightweight, tinted face cream that provides natural looking sheer coverage to your face that can be used in place of a powder or a liquid foundation. It contains SPF 15 to help protect your precious skin from environmental and sun damage and is gentle, paba-free and dermatologist tested. Available in three shades.
Sorry gals, I am on a Laura Mercier kick. I love her stuff, and I've just spent quite some time at Sephora (which carries her now). This is actually a fairly old product of hers called Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizer, $40, but it's a goodie! This tinted face moisturizer has the highest SPF out of any of the others that I've featured. It's a really smooth moisturizer that hydrates your skin and adds a little bit of color to your face too. Simply wash your face and apply all over for a satiny finish that will leave your skin evenly toned and feeling healthy. This month it won InStyle's Best of Beauty Buys so as you can see - I am not the only fan. Available in seven shades.

Clearly Fabulous Brow Gels

BellaSugar — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 10:12:29 PST

After you've perfected your arch and filled in your wow brows, you've got to set your eyebrows so that they don't become unruly and wild. To apply, use the same motion as you would when putting on mascara. Here are some fabulous, crystal clear brow gels that act in the same sort of way that a light hold hair hair gel would act on your hair.

Lola Brow Gel will put your rebellious brows in their place. This gel goes on extremely smoothly and it won't clump or flake. Your brows will simply feel set and secure, but never stiff or gooey. Buy it here for $16 in clear only.

Paula Dorf Brow Gel is another crystal clear get that acts as a brow groomer. I love Paula's stuff because it's professional quality without costing a fortune. Buy it here for $16.

Amazing Brow Gel is a real underdog in the cosmetics world. I think that their products are truly amazing. You only need one coat of their clear brow gel to reach your desired effect. Buy it here for $12.

Makeup Brushes, Part IV: Angled Eye Shadow Brushes

BellaSugar — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 12:00:25 PDT

Welcome back to BellaSugar's detailed look at make-up brushes. Today's installment: angled eye shadow brushes. (To read the other installments, click here.) Angled eye brushes are favored by many makeup artists, because they help achieve depth, definition, precision, and blend-ability in your crease area. When shopping for this type of brush, I find that natural-hair bristles work best.

To use, gently dipping your bush into the color and tap off the extra color. Then, in a windshield-wiping motion, blend back and forth. For more eye shadow tips, check out our Eyeshadow 101 series with tips for green , brown and blue eyes. Here are my picks for the best angled eye shadow brushes.

The Trish McEvoy #23 Angled Contour Brush may be the best brush I've ever used. Never before have I noticed such precision and comfort in a brush. This tool is designed to help guide you into just the right crease area of your eye. Buy it here for $32.

The Laura Mercier Angled Eye Colour Brush is a 100 percent natural brush designed for blending. The bristle surface is cut at an angle that allows you to hold the brush in such a way that you can see exactly what you are doing. Buy it here for $29.

To see the rest,

read more The Paula Dorf Eye Contour Brush is perfectly angled to fit naturally above the crease of your eye, making application easy and mistake-proof. Buy it here for $28.
Tarte Angled Brush is made out of soft pony bristles. Its handle is just a little bit shorter than the traditional makeup brush, making it great for travel. Buy it here for $26.

Goodnight Wimpy Lashes

FabSugar — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 09:25:20 PDT

For those of you looking for a good nighttime eyelash treatment to keep your lashes lush and moist, try Paula Dorf's Perfect Lash Eyelash Conditioner and Thickener. It's available for $16 here.

This creamy lash conditioner goes on with a mascara wand and washes off easily with soap and water. It helps define and separate each lash while also strengthening and conditioning.

You can also try Longcils Boncza's Tonicils Actif Eyelash Strengthening Treatment Gel You can buy it here for $25.

This french brand made famous for their cake mascara which Marilyn Monroe wore, nourishes the eyelashes making them stronger, thicker and more brilliant.

Because of it's natural and rich ingredients such as: Tri-Vitamin complex based on D-Panthénol, Vitamin F, silk proteins, and oligo proteins, this product helps eyelashes to grow. It is a clear gel that should be applied before mascara since it enables the mascara to stick better.

Fun Weekend Find - A Magic Makeup Eraser

Community Manager — Sun, 30 Jul 2006 23:30:14 PDT

Just about every morning I am in front of my mirror with a Q-Tip that has been dipped in makeup remover trying to carefully and strategically fix my little makeup application slip-ups. Well good news for me because this weekend I discovered this great little tool from Paula Dorf called the Sweep Away Clean-Up Stick. It works like an eraser on your skin to "sweep away" makeup mistakes on your eyes and lips.

This fun little tool is fragrance free, Hypo-allergenic and not tested on animals. You can buy is here for $10.00.