BellaSugar

A Sense For Beauty, Part III: Sight

BellaSugar — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:00:11 PDT

Your sense of sight probably plays the biggest role in the beauty products that you purchase. For example, when you look in the mirror, you might not realize it, but you're deciding which features you want to play down or accentuate on that particular day.

Studies show that if you feel confident on the inside that you actually look more confident on the outside - so don't forget to smile or wink at yourself once in a while when you're primping!

Also, if you find yourself drawn to particular makeup colors because they are more aesthetically pleasing to your eyes than others, its no coincidence. These shades probably look better on your skin tone and eye color and you are making a subconscious decision to wear them.

For a few ideas about how to make yourself look better without having to apply tons of makeup,

Glee-ful Highlights From Episode "Yes/No"

Lizzie Fuhr — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 07:41:04 PST

Glee is back from Winter hiatus and makes a big splash this week with a genuinely awesome episode. It's super cheesy and full of multiple dance numbers and guest stars, which is essentially the recipe for Glee success, and I'll admit it gave me goose bumps more than once.

Nearly everyone's emotions and relationships are challenged in this episode: Mercedes is torn between two guys, Will contemplates taking the next step with Emma, and Finn's got big ideas for his future with Rachel. I can't believe how much happened! To get all the details on "Yes/No," just keep reading.

8 Ways to Motivate and Get Off Your Cold Weather Butt

Self — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:08:54 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar!

I got chills. They're multiplying. But they're not of the Grease Lightening variety. It's getting cold (nearly 75 degrees in LA) and I'm starting to see visions of couches, heavy meals, hot chocolate and layered clothing (to hide the blubber!).

What? You need fat for warmth . . . supposedly.

Okay, fine. Better nip this cold weather slump in the bud before I settle down for a five-month Snuggie hibernation. Luckily, I have certified trainer and owner of new BIA Strong Body Studio Rebecca Black (not that Rebecca Black) to motivate me. And now so do you.

And Black knows a thing or two about weight loss. Not only does the Columbus, Ohio-based trainer help other people get in shape (while participating in bikini fitness competitions), but she also experienced her own weight loss transformation. "I lost about 40lbs," she explains. "But it took longer than it should have because I didn't know what I was doing and neither did my trainer."

As we all know, it's easy to fall into bad habits, especially as the winter months approach. "This is when people pack on the pounds, especially in the Midwest and on the East Coast," laments the trainer. "As soon as the temperature starts to drop, people become hermits: Instead of going to the gym, they watch TV. They're back to school and super busy. And it's football season, so there's tailgating. I even fall into that rut and I'm a trainer. If I don't want to get up at 5am and train people, why would my clients?"

Luckily, Black has certain tricks for getting people up and ready to exercise. Here are her top eight motivational tips after the break.

Before Trail Running Alone, Read This

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 01:19:28 PDT

Running in the woods by yourself sounds a little dangerous - especially to your mom - but depending on where you live, your running ability, and your personalty, a solo run in the woods is the perfect idea. Here are some ways to ensure your safety when hitting the trails on your own.

Bring your dog: OK, so technically you're not alone if you bring your pooch, but if you're nervous about hitting the trails by yourself, a furry friend will offer you company and protection. Put a bell on the collar so the noisy jingle can help scare away critters.
Tell someone where you're going: If you saw the movie 127 hours, you know that the whole ordeal might have been prevented if he just told one person where he went. Pick up the phone on your way out the door and tell a close friend or relative where you're running and what time you should be back. Make a deal that you'll call, text, or email them once you return, and if you don't and they can't get in touch with you, they should seek out help. If you're heading out before anyone is up, leave a note with your route and ETA.

Keep reading for more solo trail running safety tips.

10 Things to Do in 10 Minutes (to Improve Your Finances)

LearnVest — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:15:10 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

You’re busy. We’re busy. And we’ve all got stuff to do.

It’s that feeling that gets to us: The longer we put something off, the more we continue to put it off. And those small tasks that will help our financial lives can sometimes be the ones that we put off the most.

The key is to keep moving, and pick the low-hanging fruit. To that end, we bring you a few quick wins to get you started.

If you have a spare ten minutes and wonder what you can accomplish in them, stop wondering–here are ten things you can get done.

Clean Out Your Wallet

A clean wallet leads to a clean mind . . . in a manner of speaking. Spend a few minutes emptying your wallet of old receipts and other junk. Here’s what you should keep in your wallet. And here’s what you shouldn’t.

Set Up a $5 Jar

We actually got this idea from one of our readers: From now on, stop spending $5 bills. Instead, store all of the fivers you receive as change, and let them accumulate. After a few months or a year, you could easily have hundreds of extra dollars. (You could do this with spare change, too, but the sums will be smaller and the coins will be a pain to count out.)

For now, pull out a jar or other container, put it on the counter, paste a photo of your dream goal on it (house, family, vacation) and start saving.

Read on for more things to do to improve your finances.

What to TiVo: Sunday

BuzzSugar — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 23:59:12 PDT

8:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (repeat)
9:00 Sunday 20/20: The Sixth Sense (new)

8:00 The Good Wife (repeat)
9:00 The Good Wife (repeat)
10:00 CSI: Miami (repeat)
8:00 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards

8:15 Saturday Night Football: Eagles at Falcons

11 Celebrities Who've Settled For City Apartments

Julia Walsh — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:50:00 PDT

Sometimes gawking at celebrity homes gives me an altered sense of reality. And when the realization that a $20 million home with a 13-car garage is not in my future sets in, it can be a downer. That said, these starlets and style-setters who invest so heavily in real estate often do have great taste in interior design. In the effort of bringing myself back to my senses, while still eyeing some real estate porn, I thought I'd take a look back at city apartments owned by celebrities. One-thousand square feet. Two bedrooms with one and one-half baths. The rich and the famous don't always live on sprawling Hollywood Hills estates. Sometimes they settle for small units - rentals, even! - just like the rest of us . . . with nary a 13-car garage in sight.

Freshen Up Old Exercises by Closing Your Eyes

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:10:47 PDT

We rely on our eyes so much when we exercise that if you take your sight away briefly, it forces your body to tap into its senses of hearing and touch, which can help you become more aware of your body and how it's moving. Doing certain exercises with your eyes closed is also more difficult when it comes to balance, not to mention a little scary, so it can bring new life to boring exercises you've been doing for years. While certain types of exercise are too dangerous to try blindfolded, here are three you should try "in the dark."

Yoga
Since yoga is very visually driven, it's easy to get caught up in what a pose is supposed to look like. Closing your eyes allows you to ignore your preconceptions of how straight your leg should be or how much you can arch your back, and it helps you tap into the true meaning of yoga, which is to connect your breath with your movements.

Try this: Step onto your mat and move through one Sun Salutation A with your eyes open. Then close your eyes and try moving through the same series. Focus on grounding your feet and moving slow enough to keep your balance. Become aware of each breath you take, linking your inhales and exhalations with each controlled movement. At first you'll feel extremely unstable and stressed at not being able to see what your body is doing since you're used to your drishti (focal point) helping you stay balanced. After becoming comfortable with this technique, you might prefer practicing yoga with closed eyelids. I find it has such a calming effect on my mind and really helps me connect to my strong and even breath.

Keep reading to see the other two exercises to try with your eyes closed.

Buzz Blabber: You're Happy to See Haley Reinhart Go

BuzzSugar — Sun, 22 May 2011 03:05:00 PDT

It was an eventful week in TV since so many shows had their season finales, and as usual, you guys had a ton to say about them. And though American Idol didn't have its finale yet, this week's episode still brought about some heated chatter.

American Idol viewers were unimpressed with Haley's image

"Both Haley and Jacob overstayed their welcomes in my opinion. Their arrogance kinda ticked me off. I wish James or Casey were in the top two, but I'll be rooting for Scotty here on out." - ramenpancakes
"I've said it before. When Hayley isn't growling and hiding behind other accents her voice isn't very good. Her arrogance is too much." - GucciGuilty
"I am rooting for Scotty now since James is gone now. I have also noticed Haley's poor attitude." - nessa17

To find out what other TV shows got commenters all riled up, just

"Maybe it's old news to complain about the lack of Dair but wahhh. I'm really confused about the whole Charlie story, but I guess her being a fake makes more sense than her going crazy in a matter of hours after missing one pill. Anyway, is it bad that I'm glad that actress is returning just because I like her voice? Oh and I forgot that everyone went to Columbia in the midst of nobody seeming to attend school for the spring semester. It's not worth showing up to class unless an evil sorority chick is trying to destroy your life and your professor is a sexy womanizer." - genesisrocks
"I am optimistic, delusionally so, I am sure, about Dan and Blair next season. Eric's knowing comments and facial expressions give me hope he is going to push Dan in her direction while they hang in the Hamptons together. Also, Vanessa said that someone would like their depiction in his novel and it wasn't Serena, so that leads me to believe it is Blair. I really hope they do something with them next season. That coupling was the reason I watched this horrible season. Also, there is no way that pregnancy test is either Serena's or Blair's. I bet Eleanor is having a miracle baby with Cy." - bethany0403
"Not as amazing as I expected. I thought the whole Russell/Blair/let's light this place on fire drama was going to take at least 45 minutes (not 20), so I was a little disappointed. I was uber surprised about the Ivy/Charlie twist. I did NOT see that coming at all. As for Blair and Chuck, I'm happy/sad their relationship is over, but I have a strong feeling Blair and Louis aren't going to last (enter a new and improved C Bass). I can't wait for next season!" - Mandi Villa

Nora and Barney (pretty much) get your blessing on How I Met Your Mother

"I really don't want Barney and Robin to end up together again. Been there, done that! I really like him with Nora, she's such a cute girl and would be good for him. And I had heard too that Robin goes out with her crush guy. Am I the only one who thought this wedding scene (that they've showed before, just never the Barney part) was going to be Ted's high school buddy's wedding? Isn't Ted best man in that one too?" - gingirl
"I think Nora would be good for Barney. He and Robin really lost sight of who they were when they dated each other. It's probably not in the script, but I'd like Robin to marry Ted." - bryseana
"Robin. No question. Nora is too boring and turned Barney into someone he's not. Barney just needs practice being a boyfriend and then what happened to him and Robin the first time around won't happen again. Robin and Barney are amazing together! Nora makes Barney a sappy, slobbering shadow of his true, awesome self, and I don't think she'd fit well in the group." - Anonymous

Photo courtesy of Fox

Midnight in Paris: A Dreamy Love Letter to the City of Light

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 20 May 2011 00:11:52 PDT

You don't need to be a Francophile to appreciate all that Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris has to offer. The film is immersed in gorgeous French scenery, bathed in the kind of soft lighting that just makes you sigh with a sense of satisfaction. It's easy to see why Gil (Owen Wilson) wants to hunker down in Paris's quaint coffee shops to focus on his novel, an idea that his shallow wife Inez (Rachel McAdams) scoffs at. During a trip to France, the couple embodies the two stereotypical sides of spending time abroad: he's filled with appreciation and seeking inspiration while she's seeing the sights but not really experiencing them.

It's obvious from the start that Gil and Inez are incredibly wrong for each other, but it takes a few separate adventures in Paris to illustrate their fundamental differences. Inez is unabashedly attracted to her former professor, Paul (Michael Sheen), whom she and Gil bump into at a restaurant. When she splits off to go dancing, Gil gets the chance to wander the streets alone - and he gets a lot more than he bargained for when a car comes by to pick him up at midnight.

To see why Midnight in Paris is another hit from Allen (warning: some spoilers ahead), just

read more. Midnight in Paris is an exposition in nostalgia and self-acceptance. Gil's convinced he was born in the wrong time, and when the buggy that picks him up transports him to the Bohemian '20s, he turns into a kid in a candy shop. Rubbing elbows with the likes of Hemingway and Picasso, Gil is in his own personal heaven of artist worship - but he's blind to how unhappy his new BFFs are (and the fact that they don't share Gil's fascination with their time). I wasn't exactly expecting the film to take a turn into time-traveling, but Allen makes it work. Inez wonders where Gil is disappearing off to at night, but it really requires no realistic explanation; the movie is more of a fairy tale than a romantic comedy. The '20s setting provides plenty of opportunities for more beautiful scenery (and amazing costumes), and an array of historical figures paves the way for an endless amount of dramatic irony. The juxtaposition of Gil's two worlds keeps the story afloat; when Allen veers too far into the '20s, he snaps us back to a reality that's even more interesting now that Gil has a huge secret to keep. Gil's a fish out of water in both of his lives, and Wilson carries his conundrum to naive perfection. The beauty of Midnight in Paris (aside from its obvious aesthetics) is that it's enticing to both dreamers and cynics. It's packed with literary references and art-world jokes that intellectuals will snicker at, but is wrapped in a fantasy that's easy to get swept up in. Like many works of art, sometimes it's best to just enjoy it and not overthink it.