BellaSugar

What's Your Weirdest Beauty or Grooming Habit?

BellaSugar — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:00:59 -0700

I just did a sneaky thing when nobody was looking, and it's so bonkers and embarrassing that I've never told anybody about this habit. This is a practice I'm not proud of, and it's a little gross, and I'm sure some psychoanalyst would have a field day dissecting it. But somehow I have a feeling that I'm not the only one with a weird grooming or beauty habit. I bet a lot of us do goofy things. (Note Bella trying to justify her weirdness.) So if I tell you my secret, will you share yours?

To find out my embarrassing habit-because I can't bear to have it all over the front page-read more

Okay, so a lot of you know that I'm a little obsessive about skin care. But you don't know how detail-oriented I am about it. When I was a kid, my parents gave me a microscope, which I used to examine all sorts of things. I became fascinated by the ability to see the minutia of everyday life. This interest remains to this day, which is why-ugh, I can't believe I'm going to tell you this-sometimes I set my camera on its macro setting. Then I zoom in on blackheads and blemishes to take high-resolution photos of the clogged pores. Finally, I open the document in Photoshop and zoom in to see what clogs are there, which ones are barely visible with the naked eye, and which ones are yearning to liberate themselves from my skin. I can't stop staring at this stuff.

I know. It's weird. It's a sickness!

But surely I'm not the only one who does weird stuff, right? Anyone else willing to share her oddball beauty quirks? (Bueller? Bueller?)

Some Beauty Rituals Are Best Kept Private

BellaSugar — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 17:05:27 -0700

After the wedding and the honeymoon, it's now The Honeymoon's Over week! I'm sharing all kinds of ideas to keep your married life as beautiful as your courtship.

When you're married (or just in a committed relationship), there are some grooming and beauty rituals you just can't hide from your sweetheart. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since sharing the mundane details of our lives can be healthy. At the same time, though, there's something to be said for keeping the romance alive, right? I always say, "If you wouldn't do it in front of your boss or best friend, don't do it in front of the person you love." Here's my advice on a few beauty secrets you may want to keep to yourself (while keeping yourself as pretty as ever).

The home bikini wax Just trust me on this one: Wait until Hubby is out of the house before getting started. Nobody looks or feels her best while hopping around naked, waving hot wax in the air and ripping out hair from delicate areas. Unless your "sexy time" involves wincing in pain and pulling tiny dried bits of wax off your skin (and hey, if it does, more power to you) it's probably easier to do this routine solo.

For three more beauty secrets best left unshared, read more

Zit popping Everyone gets blackheads and acne, but enlisting your man to help you conquer the Krakatoa-sized pimple on your nose is not the best way to keep the romance alive. (The one exception is if you can turn it into a fun spa treatment; Mr. Bella and I occasionally give each other facials, but I still don't let him pop my pustules).

Preparation H Models have claimed that using Preparation H on puffy eyes can reduce swelling. More women have heard about this unusual treatment than men, which means your husband is more likely to ask how your hemorrhoids are doing than to marvel at your puff-free eyes. Not sexy.

Nipple hair removal Oh, come on. Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about! Most women have some nipple hair, and if you're okay with yours, leave it and love it. If you don't like it, though, you could find better ways to bond than by bleaching your nipple hair with your newlywed love.

What do you think? Are there any grooming or beauty rituals you'd rather not share with your beloved, or is it open game?

The Secrets Behind Pretty Private Parts

BellaSugar — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 13:44:44 -0800

Say it isn't so. We've shared some red carpet secrets with you to prevent catastrophes, but it never occurred to me that some people actually prepare and look forward to a nipple slip or a picture of them bending over while going commando. Whoa! Some gals actually enjoy a 'lil scandal. Duh: that's why we're so addicted to PopSugar!

How about a show of hands for all of you that bleach your anus. Yep - it's true. There is a desirable shade of ass. There's even a Salon in Sherman Oaks, CA, dedicated to it.

Esoterica Nighttime Fade Cream, $9.99, is an at home product that you can use to help lighten up your load (ha!). It's made with 2% hydroquinone formula (bleaching agent) that is safe and gentle enough for most people to use in the sensitive areas of their body.

*Note: If you are irritated by this product, discontinue use immediately. Do not use on broken or irritated skin.

Now I've only used cheek tints to give a healthy glow to my face cheeks and lips. It has been brought to my attention that others like to use Benefit's benetint, $28, to tint their breast areola a perfect blush color.

So if you've wondered how celebs, strippers, dancers and porn stars get such succulent nips - now you know!

To read what Benefit has to say about this usage of their product, read more

"Women want nipples to be pert and fresh-looking, and this shade makes them appear that way. For a long time, the idea of a ripe, rosy nipple has been considered appealing and alluring. Even if you don’t show it off, you know they’re rosier and more perky."

Can You Guess the Beauty Secrets of the A-List?

BellaSugar — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 10:00:38 -0700

I just picked up The Black Book of Hollywood Beauty Secrets, whose authors track down celebrities to find out what they do to look so good. While we've heard some of the tips before (drink water!) other tidbits surprised me. Think you can get the A-listers' trivia right?

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New Product Alert: Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Collection

BellaSugar — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 07:04:44 -0700

New from Victoria's Secret is the Beauty Rush Body Care Collection. The scented bath and body line was inspired from the enormously popular Beauty Rush Lip Gloss that made mouths water all over the world. Not only is the gloss juicy and ridiculously shiny (I mean that in the best possible way, of course) but the catalog photos definitely helped to put the rush in Beauty Rush!

The new collection consists of six fruity scents and flavors: Appletini, Grapefruit Blast, Strawberry Fizz, Passion Fruit Pop, Grapesicle and Slice of Heaven. Each flavor has its own Body Mist, Body Drink Lotion, Body Zing Moisturizer Gel and Body Glimmer Wash. Currently, you can purchase any two products within a flavor line for $18. Get ready to spritz, slather, smooth and lather up for a sexy and delicious summer!

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You Can Look Pretty in Purple Shadow, Too

BellaSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:22 -0800

Emma Stone sure knows how to glam it up, doesn't she? At last night's GQ Men of the Year event in LA, the actress wowed in this subtle lavender shadow. Encircling the eyes with makeup can look raccoon-like, but Emma manages to pull it off, thanks to a light touch and a soft-toned shade. The great thing about this cooler-toned shade is that it looks great during all seasons, and it just happens to be very of-the-moment. You can look pretty in purple shadow, too. To get some tips on wearing it without looking Grimace-y, just keep reading.

Link Time!

BellaSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:00:44 -0800

Pupa cosmetics makes palettes that look like geisha - FabSugar UK
Bobbi Brown's new mascara promises an extreme party - Temptalia
Nice eye shadows, shame about the lip gloss - Makeup and Beauty Blog
Victoria's Secret hires its first Asian model for its show - The Cut
Hand creams for big and small budgets - Beauty Snob
This scale tweets your weight to the world. - Lemondrop
Don't call the return of Scott Barnes a comeback. He's been here for years. - Stylelist
Kellie Pickler has drastically changed her hair color - People Style Watch
Bobby pins can be very fashionable - Fashionista

Say Hello to Our New Beauty Video Channel, BellaTV!

BellaSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:00:29 -0800

If you're a fan of our daily PopSugar Rush, you'll love this news. We're so excited about the launch of BellaTV, the ultimate video channel for beauty junkies everywhere. A lineup of original shows - three fresh episodes weekly - covers the wide world of beauty, including the latest hair, makeup, skin, and nail trends, celebrity how-tos, tips and tricks, and more!

In today's show, we reveal the secrets to achieving Sienna Miller's beachy hair with the help of her stylist Daniel Erdman. Check out his easy step-by-step instructions for creating these sexy tousled waves at home. Watch now!

Why Won't This $85 Treatment Work For Me? Let's Find Out.

BellaSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:00:45 -0800

Julia Coney of All About the Pretty has the most beautiful complexion. If I didn't know better, I'd think she has a secret entourage of Photoshoppers touching up her skin as she walks around all day. It's just that flawless and glowing. Once, I asked her what her secret was, and - along with overall healthy livin' and good genes - she raves about Kate Somerville's ExfoliKate ($85).

Formerly known as Kate in a Jar, it uses lactic acid and fruit enzymes to exfoliate dead skin. But before I dropped a hefty $85 on it, I headed to Sephora to request a sample. At home, I applied it and waited for the magic to happen. Except it didn't. Don't get me wrong, it made my skin look a bit better, but not in that stupendous, I-have-found-the-holy-grail-of-skin way. I wanted Julia skin, not just-slightly-nicer Bella skin. So I asked Julia what her secret was. Yep, I messed something up. For her expertise, read more.

The Hills Beauty Quiz: Episode 6, "I’m Done With You"

BellaSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:00:23 -0800

After getting into a tiff with Audrina at Heidi’s 23rd birthday party on last night's episode of The Hills, Kristin discovers that Justin and Audrina had a secret meeting. That burns. As a result, Kristin declares she is both done with Miss Patridge, along with good old Justin Bobby. In the meantime, Heidi gets two puppies from Spencer as a birthday gift, in hopes that his wife might be distracted from all that baby talk. Pups and girl fights aside, how closely were you paying attention to the beauty details in this episode? Take my quiz now to find out, and be sure to check out Geek for her tech quiz, along with CelebStyle for some fashion looks.

Photos courtesy of MTV

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