BellaSugar

Untie Your Luxurious Side With YSL's Bow Collection

BellaSugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 07:00:56 -0700

Just in time for the upcoming holiday season, YSL has just unleashed a new beauty collection featuring the bow. And since YSL often incorporated bows throughout his collections, what better way to celebrate the end of 2008 than with this tribute to such an elegant, sensual, and demure little knot? As the late Monsieur Saint Laurent once said, "One should always be tempted to untie a woman's clothes." Oh, behave!

The Bow Collection is luxury at its finest. While the prices may be steep ($19 to $90), do you think you'll treat yourself to a little splurge around the holidays?

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For the price list, read more.

Limited-edition products:

New Shades:

La Laque Long Lasting Nail Lacquer in Dark Blue or Moonlight White ($19).
Golden Gloss Shimmering Lip Gloss in Golden Burgundy ($28).
Fard À Lèvres Rouge Pur Pure Lipstick in Honey Beige ($29).

Charming Summer Beauty Accessories

BellaSugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:00:11 -0700

These fabulously fashionable charm necklaces from designer brands are the new "It" items of the season. Not only do they look pretty, but they're fully functioning cosmetic cases, too. Inside of these baubles by Dior, Missoni, and YSL are actual beauty products such as bronzer, creamy highlighter, and perfume. This is a second go-around from Missoni - last season they launched this limited-edition necklace, and it was so popular that they decided to bring it back for Summer 2008. These items make for great gifts and fun accessories - which is your favorite?

Missoni Solid Perfume Charm Necklace ($50) contains gold charms, rust-colored beads, and a large gold orb filled with .05 oz of Missoni perfume in a solid form.
The amber cabochon pendant in the Dior 'Golden Dior' Necklace ($55) contains a gold highlighter for the lips, eyes, and cheeks - and it hangs from a delicate satin ribbon.
Yves Saint Laurent 'Soleil D'Afrique' Collector Bronzing Powder ($72) celebrates the 30th anniversary of YSL makeup. Inside of the wooden charm lies a rich golden-sand bronzer.

Back to Basics: The Best Peach Lip Glosses

BellaSugar — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:00:55 -0700

There's something about peach lip gloss that is universally flattering (but especially on blue-eyed beauties). The challenge is to find the right balance between coral and pink tones.

Kate Hudson wore a frosty coral-peach-colored lipstick to the London premiere of Fool's Gold and just look at how it warms up her skin. Below are my top picks for peach glosses.

Bobbi Brown Brightening Lip Gloss in Peach ($19) is more of a pale, icy shade than a deep creamy color. The shine is incredible, and every time that I pair it with a little bit of bronzer and a champagne eye shadow, it makes my entire face light up. I wish they made the formula a little less tacky, because the only drawback is that I usually have to wear my hair up or else I find that I'm always picking my hair out of my mouth.

For two other pretty peach lip glosses, read more.

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Brilliance #05 ($29) is my all-time favorite coral-peach gloss. It has a very thin texture, a fabulously sweet and floral smell, it's not sticky at all and the shine is topnotch. It contains little glitter and mother of pearl particles that seem to catch the light even in a dark room! The clicky-pen applicator also makes it a lot of fun to use.

Benefit Her Glossiness in You Didn't Hear It From Me ($16) is an ultra-shiny, nudish-peach, shimmer-free shade. The sweet smell is alluring, the color is long lasting, and although this gloss is also really sticky, it's gorgeous on your lips.

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Pastel Products, Part IV: Cheerful Cheeks

BellaSugar — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:00:29 -0700

Welcome back to my series on pretty pastel beauty products. I hope that checking out these flirty finds is getting you excited for Spring. Below are three different pastel blushes that are best worn on the apples of your cheeks and then blended outwards (to your hairline) and upwards (towards the top of your ear). Remember to start off with a gentle touch and layer until you reach your desired shade. Tip: these blushes look especially hot with a little bit of highlighter on top.

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Darphin Blush in Raisin Delicieux ($40) is a finely-milled powder blush that will create a healthy and vibrant flush on your face. This color in particular is especially warming if paired with a bronzer. A little bit goes a long way, so apply with caution.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Blends Sheer Highlighting Blush in Fresh ($12.49) imparts a fresh, outdoorsy-looking and slightly shimmery flush to your skin. I like to sweep an angled contour brush over all of the shades and apply it to the lower part of my cheekbones for a more dramatic effect. Also, I appreciate that you don't have to be quite as careful with this powder because the formula is much more sheer than the others.

To check out a cheery cheek stamp, read more.

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Blush in Rose comes in a standard size ($42) or travel version ($27.50). This bright loose-powder blush has a controlled application because of the sponge on top, but I suggest tapping it on your hand to shed some of the excess before you apply it to your cheeks.

Trend Alert: Bronze Nail Polish

BellaSugar — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 09:00:06 -0800

Ok, I realize that there are many, many things wrong with Britney Spears' manicure-not to mention with her family's latest news-but if you can look past the stubby length, the lack of filing, and the chipping, the color is actually really cool.

Bronze nails happen to be yet another version of the hot metallic nail trend that has hit Hollywood this season. Since I know it's hard to keep staring at this picture, especially since the lit cigarette is such a focal point, I've featured two pretty and pale bronze colors on the following page. So read more.

Shu Uemura Nail Enamel Supplement Mineral in Shade 434 ($16) is a light and sheer coppery-bronze shade that is formulated to dry quickly, evenly and leave your fingers looking dainty and pearlescent. The lacquers in this range are also formaldehyde-free and toluene-free, so they actually don't smell quite as strong as other polishes.

Yves Saint Laurent La Laque Long-Lasting Nail Lacquer in Golden Touch ($18 top row, second from the left) is also a light bronze shade that can be worn alone or as a top coat over any of your other favorite matte nail polishes for added shimmer and lots of shine. This polish dries quickly and claims to be chip-resistant - although I have yet to find anything that lasts longer than a week. You be the judge!

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Yves Saint Laurent End-of-Year Collection

BellaSugar — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 14:00:35 -0800

You've seen a little bit of Yves Saint Laurent's End-of-Year Collection already (namely the Palette Pour Les Levres and Limited Edition Multi-Usage Palette) but here's the entirety of it.

I don't know about you, but ever since YSL came out with Lip Twins Duos, I've been on pins and needles awaiting its next round of goodies. The rest of this collection is comprised of six products, including a Compact Powder/Blush ($52), a Holiday Eye Shadow Quad ($50), Limited-Edition Rouge Pure Lipsticks in two shades ($28 each), and two matching shades of La Laque Nail Enamel ($18 each).

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For a detailed description of each of the products, read more

Poudre Compacte Pour Le Teint ($52) is a matte compact powder and blush with an adorable embellished heart design. Inside you'll find a Pink Beige (background color) powder and a Rose Whisper (heart) blush that looks great on most skin tones.
Fards À Paupières Four Colors ($50) is a metallic, pastel-colored eye shadow quad that creates a soft and sexy smoky eye. The shadows contain mother-of-pearl and mica particles that result in a smooth, shiny, and easily blendable texture. The colors in the quad are Silver Green, Steel Pink, Gold Platinum, and Bronze. Each shade can be worn wet or dry, and Gold Platinum can also double as a highlighter.
Rouge Pure Shine Lipstick ($28) is an already existing product that is now available in two new limited-edition colors: Red Desire (garnet red) and Starry Dream (sparkling and pale gold). Both of these colors can be worn alone or blended together.
La Laque Nail Enamel ($18) is also an addition to a preexisting product. Two new shades, Red Desire and Starry Dream, have been added to complement the lipsticks. The polishes are very shiny and have a quick-dry formula.

Beauty Companies Celebrate With Vintage Packaging

BellaSugar — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 06:40:20 -0800

This year marks the 70th birthday of Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream, the 40th birthday of Dr. Hauschka's Rose Day Cream, and the 30th birthday of Yves Saint Laurent's Opium fragrance. To celebrate these products, the companies have re-created the original packaging for a limited time. Here are the details on these three retro-cool items.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Gift Set ($25) contains a lip protectant and the famous cream that treats different ailments on the hands, legs, elbows, and cuticles.

The set isn't available online at the moment, but you can pick it up at Elizabeth Arden counters in Macy's stores.

For two more vintagey beauty products, read more

Yves Saint Laurent Limited-Edition Opium Luxury Anniversary Palette ($57) comes in a red lacquered case decorated with a gold phoenix and gold flowers.

Dr. Hauschka's 40th Anniversary Kit ($59.95) includes a one-ounce cleansing cream, a one-ounce facial toner, and a one-ounce tube of its famous and rose day facial cream. It all comes in a replica the original 1967 packaging inside a gold-tinted tin. The products are suitable for all skin types, but it's especially good for sensitive skin since roses help calm and soothe irritation.

Here's a fun fact: Did you know that 30 roses go into each tube of cream? I hear Madonna is a big fan, and considering this cute packaging, I may need to become a "material girl" myself.

New Product Alert: YSL Palette Pour Les Levres

BellaSugar — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 11:02:03 -0700

Yves Saint Laurent is on a hot streak this holiday season with cute and sassy products from their Love Collection. This silver charm was inspired by an old piece of jewelry that Yves Saint Laurent loved. The original heart is made of white gold and is embellished with garnet-colored Swarovski crystals.

The replica is just as cute, it's a fraction of the cost, and it also contains garnet crystals. What's inside is just as delightful: a true red lipstick and a natural-colored, ultra-shiny lip gloss. This is the perfect combo to create the lips for your Simply Irresistible Halloween look.

The coolest part of the package is that the applicator is hidden in the top ring. YSL featured this same kind of awesome secret lip brush in their Lip Twins Duo. Let me tell you, it is really convenient!

This palette-charm makes a great holiday gift for your best friend, sister... or just as a special splurge for yourself. It sells for $62 and is available for a limited time, so if this is up your alley, pick it up before the seasonal rush starts!

Bellissima! YSL Limited-Edition Multi-Usage Makeup Palette

BellaSugar — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:00:57 -0700

"Wow" is all I have to say about this new glamorous and rich-toned, holiday 2007 limited-edition Multi-Usage Makeup Palette ($67) from the Yves Saint Laurent Love Collection. Leave it to the big guns to create such an aesthetically pretty and make-you-feel-loved makeup palette. And for once-I do have to be fair here-the price really isn't all that outrageous for what you're getting.

Inside of the silver palette you'll find three eye shadows in Heavenly Beige, Magic Copper and Moonlit Burgundy, three lipsticks in Pure Garnet, Natural Beige and Bohemia Rose, one of their best-selling lip glosses in Golden Gloss, one highlighter in Starry Rose and one medium rose-colored blush (Tender Rose) that has been created in the shape of a giant heart. Do you love this palette as much as I do?

Product Review: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat

BellaSugar — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 07:00:00 -0700

By now I'm sure you've all heard about Yves Saint Laurent Touché Éclat highlighter ($39.50). This cult beauty product has legions of celebrities who use it, and it's received a load of press in magazines. But does it live up to the hype?

After using this for a few months, I can tell you that it does! But it all depends on what your expectations are. For those of you anticipating a concealer, this will disappoint. A lot of people think it's a concealer, but Touche Eclat is actually a highlighter. It's meant to reflect light off the skin, making under-eye circles and nose creases less visible.

For more about Touche Eclat, read more

The Touche Eclat formula comes in a pen, and to push up the product, you just twist it once until it clicks. The highlighter then oozes onto a brush, which I use to dab onto my dark circles. Then I gently press and pad the highlighter (rather than brushing it on).

The thing I like about this product is that it doesn't look makeuppy at all, but the skin looks brighter and more luminous. Layered on top of concealer, it keeps makeup from looking cakey or masklike. It brightens up the face just a little, just enough to perk me up when I look worn out. For that alone, I think it's worth the price.

See reader reviews of this product and add your own here!