BellaSugar

December Must-Haves

BellaSugar — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 14:55:41 -0800

Even though stores are filled with people seeking gifts for friends and family, let's be realistic: Most people pick up a little something for themselves, too. And why not? It's been a long year, and a bit of pampering won't hurt.

For this month's must-haves, I've found items that will help you primp and prepare for end-of-year festivities-along with a few that'll help you decompress from the stress of the holidays. To see my picks, read more

If there's any time to have shiny, shimmering hair, it's in December. I'm planning to pick up Fekkai Sparkling Shimmer Spray ($13.50), a mist that has microscopic diamond crystals to lend a subtle golden glimmer to your hair. Paired with good tools like this T3 mini flat iron ($119), it would provide a professional-quality hairstyle for New Year's and beyond.
Urban Decay's holiday kit is worth considering. Midnight Cowboy Rides Again ($32) is spot-on with the metallic trend. It includes a golden, shimmery beige eye shadow, Eyeshadow Primer Potion (so your color will stay put), an eye pencil in a deep coppery shade, and glittery gold eyeliner. Worn all at once, these items would be too much. But adding just one item to your regular look will be a gild-y pleasure.
If you're visiting family during the holiday season, you'll need portable, flight-friendly body care supplies. You may also need to de-stress. (Just sayin'.) This gorgeous Red Flower Hammam Set ($56) lets you do both. It contains travel sizes of these 100% natural goodies: Moroccan mint tea silt purifier, lemon coffee blossom olive stone scrub, jasmine rose rhassoul clay polish, orange quince steam room mist, cardamom amber oil, tangerine fig butter cream. Just reading about them makes me want to relax and unwind with a cup of tea.
Bonne Belle Smackers ($2.95) are a favorite from my childhood, and since 'tis the season for chapped lips, I figure it can't hurt to have a few extra lip balms on hand. I'm a fan of the Dr. Pepper flavor, which takes me way back to junior high.

Coming Soon: Marc Jacobs Lola

BellaSugar — Fri, 08 May 2009 12:00:11 -0700

Almost two years ago, Marc Jacobs launched Daisy to much success. And now, there's a new gal in town, named Lola ($65 to $85). "Where Daisy is more innocent and sweet, Lola is more sensual - the name conjures up a flirtatious, warm spirit," Jacobs told WWD. Think of Lola as the bolder, older sister, with a somewhat vampy feel.

The fragrance will contain top notes of pink peppercorn, ruby red grapefruit, and pear d’anjou, with fuchsia peony, rose, and geranium serving as the middle notes, and vanilla, tonka bean, and creamy musk as the bottom notes. It will be topped off with a cap of of violet, fuchsia, and red flowers in somewhat of a wild, helter-skelter design.

I can't help but wonder, could Jacobs's latest scent be a nod to muse Madonna's only daughter, Lourdes? Whatever the case, look for Lola to be sold exclusively by Bloomingdale's for the first month of its launch in August.

Photo courtesy of WWD

How-To: Freida Pinto's Hair at the 2009 Oscars

BellaSugar — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:59:02 -0800

Beautiful and gracious, most of us were loving Freida Pinto's look last night. She's absolutely stunning and, if you watched the Oscars' red carpet, you likely caught a glimpse of her intricate hairstyle.Celebrity stylist Jeffrey Paul, who created it, shared tips to replicate this architectural, feminine flower shape at home for your next fancy event. See step-by-step instructions on how he created the style when you read more.

Start with clean, blow-dried hair.
Create a left-side part and divide hair into three sections: The section on the right should have three quarters of hair with the remaining hair split between two smaller middle and left sections.
Pull the right section of hair back and secure into a low ponytail at the nape of the neck, just behind the right ear.
Twist the ponytail, working Aveda Light Elements Defining Whip into hair. Coil and loosely wrap the ponytail around the base, creating a flower shape. Secure in place with pins.
Add more product to the remaining two sections. For the middle section, add volume in the front before twisting back and pinning around the flower shape. Do the same twisting with the left section to create a layered rose-like effect.
Finish up with light hold hairspray (like Aveda Air Control). Shake head to loosen the look and offer natural movement.

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How-To: Scarlett's Sophisticated Dolce & Gabbana Chignon

BellaSugar — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:00:27 -0800

Back in December, it was announced that the design duo of Dolce & Gabbana would be coming out with a long-anticipated makeup line, with a mysterious "Hollywood starlet" to be the spokesmodel. That starlet just happened to turn out to be Scarlett Johansson. And yesterday, the young actress made an appearance at the Dolce & Gabbana Makeup event during Milan Fashion Week, undoubtedly wearing a palette of shades from the collection.
While her makeup was perfection on her flawless skin, I thought her shiny chignon, complete with black floral headband, gave her a sophisticated, youthful look. Is it me, or is her hair looking a little less brown, and a little more cherry red since the last time we saw her? Learn how to re-create Scarlett's chignon when you read more.

Separate the bang area of the front of your hair. Notice how Scarlett's stylist has taken a rather large chunk of hair from the fringe area.
Start by teasing the crown of your hair to create volume. This also gives bobby pins something more to cling onto for further hold. Lightly comb out to smooth.
Gather back of hair into a high-slung ponytail around the crown of your head. Secure with an elastic band. Roll hair in towards the elastic band, securing with several bobby pins. Use your fingers to lightly break up the roll. This will also bring your chignon to life.
Next, tease the separate bang area from the front and smooth out with a comb. Bring it back to the chignon and pin in sections, as needed. Spray with a high shine hairspray like Jonathan Product Finish Control High Shine ($22). Top off with a black floral headband to complete. I like Anthropologie's Twisted Taffy Headband ($32), Urban Outfitters' Floppy Flower Hard Headband ($18), or the Satin Headband With Bow ($4) from Forever 21.

Say "I Love You" to Your Skin With Rosewater

BellaSugar — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 10:00:04 -0800

In case you missed the red and pink explosions everywhere you turn, Valentine's Day is coming soon. Regardless of your opinion on the holiday, I'm betting we can all agree that roses are one of the most popular (perhaps read: clichéd) presents to receive. I've got nothing against the blossoms, but want to look a little further . . . to the essence.

I'm dropping major hints to Mr. Bella that he should save that flower money and give me some rosewater instead. A byproduct of the process that extracts an essential oil from rose petals, this liquid soothes and rejuvenates the skin and is commonly found in sprays and lotions with that accompanying sweet smell. Since I'm fairly certain these keep better than a bouquet, get a radiant glow that lasts with the selections below.

Rosewater by Caswell-Massey - $16.00	Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater Traveller - $16.00
Caswell-Massey Dr. Hunter Rosewater & Glycerine Hand Creme - $12.00	Chantecaille Pure Rosewater - 100ml - $50.00
A Ring of Roses Buttercream - $7.95	Rosewater Facial Freshener-Toner - $15.00
Jurlique Rosewater Freshener - $21.00	Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater Hand Therapy - $14.00

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Which Hills Star's Hair Do You Like Best?

BellaSugar — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:00:25 -0800

The stars of The Hills were all out in NYC last night to celebrate the fourth season finale of their dramatic show. OK, so maybe I shed a tear or two. Spencer did do the right thing and Heidi was teary most of the episode, so it's justifiable, right? As they walked the red carpet in their finest gear, Lauren fancied up her look with a tucked-under updo, Heidi and Audrina took a more classic approach, and Whitney - she went for a hippie-flower-girl kind of style. So tell me, which of these waved hairstyles is your favorite?

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Get Winked, Squeezed, and Beachy at Lilly Pulitzer

BellaSugar — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:00:25 -0800

If you've ever stepped into a Lilly Pulitzer boutique, you'll know you're in for a colorful, girly experience. So, it's no surprise that that the brand is launching a trio of colorful, girly fragrances.

Named Wink, Squeeze, and Beachy, each fragrance was developed with a theme in mind:

For the flirty, there's Wink - With top notes of freesia, pear and "lush gardens"; middle notes of rose, lilly, and violets; and base notes of amber and musk, this ultrafloral blend is a bit strong for me.
For the confident type who "squeezes the juice out of life," there's well, Squeeze - A blend of lychee, pink grapefruit, and candied red currant; middle notes of lotus blossom and rose petals; and base notes of woods and musk. While still a tad too floral for my liking, the grapefruit is the star here, and makes for a less froufrou scent.
For the sun lover, there's Beachy - A mix of citrus, watermelon, and marine air accord for top notes; jasmine, tiare flower, and frangipani for middle notes; topped off with sea crystals, golden amber, and sweet vanilla. While I like my beachy smell with a little more coconut and some earthy grit, this one's got an exotic quality with a sweet and pungent lingering finish.

Which one sounds like a keeper to you?

Flower Power Makeup Part II: Lips

BellaSugar — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 09:50:22 -0700

Welcome to Part II of Flower Power Makeup. This installment features floral inspired lip glosses. Spring is here and that means all things flowery. These three glosses are a bit cheeky but they make for great gifts with their bright colors and springtime cheer. Enjoy!

Fresh Gloss Absolute, $24, is a gloss with a sweet citrucy smell and taste that helps to keep your lips hydrated! It is made with pomegranate extract to plump and vitamin E to soothe. Available in: Rose Parfait (sheer red), Bellini (light, shimmery pink) and Dahlia (sparkly peachy/apricot color). This is a Fab favorite - she just adores the packaging and texture of this gloss!

For two more flower power lip glosses, read more

Claire's Flower Lip Gloss, $5.50, is a clear plastic set of 18 sparkly and super sheer lip glosses that are shaped in the form of a flower. Each gloss snaps open and the stem even holds a clear gloss as well as a mini lip brush. This is too cute!

Tropez Lip Gloss in Baby's Breath, $2, is a potted lip gloss that won't break the bank and is available in six different and fresh shades - all of which have cute, floral names.

Product Review: Victoria's Secret Heavenly Kiss Fragrance

BellaSugar — Wed, 21 May 2008 15:00:56 -0700

I'm usually not one to insult a product outright, but the new limited-edition Victoria's Secret Heavenly Kiss Eau de Parfum ($49) gets two thumbs down. I polled friends, neighbors, and family, and their reactions all included underwhelming words such as "ick, gross, too sweet, too strong, and really sugary."

I'd love to be able to defend the fragrance and explain that it's more than just sugar water, but as it turns out, it contains marshmallow and toffee notes. Has there ever been a time in your life that you've craved smelling like a candy store? I haven't.

The other notes in the scent are also edible ingredients coupled with sweet flowers. Among them are watermelon, red currant, berry, vanilla, freesia, guava, apricot, woods, musk, and jasmine. I'd be a little nervous wearing this in the dead of Summer knowing that I could be attacked by a swarm of wasps at any moment.

All kidding aside, I can't completely throw it under the bus. Because I like this brand, I've been able to find a few redeeming qualities, like the hopelessly romantic name and the gradated pink glass bottle. The packaging is cutesy too. It comes in a white box with a pink label and the word "kiss" written in varying fonts in gold lettering all over. Have you tried Heavenly Kiss? If so, I'd be interested in hearing what you think.

Trend Alert: Summertime Neon Nails

BellaSugar — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:00:04 -0700

Check out the neon nails on Diane Kruger! Ever since the Costume Institute Gala I've been dying to talk about how she matched her shoes to her nails.

Celebrities and especially teenagers are going bonanza over the new fun, pop-colored nail polish quads from Essie and Chanel. They contain four minisized bottles of pink, yellow, orange, and either a blue or purple high-shine varnish. I'll be the first to admit that these electric '80s-inspired shades are fresh, but I think I would only dare to wear them on my toes. Are you confident enough to cruise around in these colors?

Color Power from Essie ($15 for four) is a great way to brighten up your fingers or toes for summertime. The white box has bright flowers printed on it and houses a red, yellow, orange, and a shimmery opalescent, bright-blue lacquer with flirty names such as cool click, flirty girl, crush, and txt me.

The Chanel Robertson Collection ($25 for four) is set to launch online in July. This minirange is named after Robertson Boulevard, the young and hip shopping street in Los Angeles where Chanel has just opened a boutique.

The collection includes a pink, purple, yellow, and tangerine polish and each shade is named after other famous streets nearby like Melrose, Rodeo Drive, LA Sunrise, and LA Sunset. Ain't it grand when beauty and fashion can collaborate like this!

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