BellaSugar

What We're Sweet On: A Purse-Sized Holiday Makeup Palette

Jaime Richards — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:05:00 PST

If high-glitter and high-pigment makeup aren't quite your thing for the holidays, Benefit Cosmetics' I'm Glam . . . Therefore I Am ($36) is a great option for you, then. The seven-piece kit contains the universally flattering rosy- and peachy-pink Glamming Face Powder, along with the brand's always-crowd-pleasing highlighter, Girl Meets Pearl.

A four-piece eye shadow palette of pale pink, icy purple, muted plum, and steely gray allows you to create looks ranging from just a kiss of color to something a little more mod to something more alluring and smoky. Bubble-gum pink gloss and mini BadGal mascara top it all off, but will also serve you well while you travel throughout the year. These teeny-tiny products can be easily tossed in your one-gallon clear plastic bag, without the TSA having to step in and confiscate them from you.

And while the palette is too big to fit into a small bag, it's still bitty enough to hold in a medium-sized purse or clutch - one that's sequined for all your upcoming festivities, of course.

A Rimbaud Poem in Sheepskin Adds to DIFFA Table's Wow Factor

Elka Karl — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 06:00:00 PDT

I was thrilled to attend the San Francisco DIFFA Dining by Design benefit, which was brimming over with the most inspiring tablescapes (check them out here). New York recently hosted its DIFFA Dining by Design event, and it captivated attendees with its fantastical tablescapes. The MMPI table was designed by the Belgian-born, New York-based architect and designer Francis D'haene and his team from D'apostrophe Design.

One of the most impressive elements of the design was the wall element. Lines from Arthur Rimbaud's poem "Hunger" were shaved into sheepskin - which took a barber from the Bronx 15 hours to create! The installation was meant to be both meaningful and thought-provoking, and to serve as reminder of the foundation’s fight against AIDS/HIV. Check out some close-up shots of the table.

Best of Bella: Black Swan Makeup Details, Back-to-Basics Beauty Gifts and More

BellaSugar — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 03:52:36 PST

Check out our newest BellaTV update, then read some of our top stories from the week that was:

Journey to Iceland's world-famous Blue Lagoon Spa.
Get a behind-the-scenes peek at the makeup looks in Black Swan.
Stumped on what gifts to give this holiday? Try these back-to-basics beauty items.
Find out how Olay's new advanced cleansing system measures up.
Ring in the holidays with Bella's December must haves.
Did you know that Natalie Portman has naturally curly hair?
Touching up your makeup at work is easy with this kit from Benefit.
Nine cute gift ideas for bearded guys.
Simple tips for alleviating puffy eyes.
Guess which stars love the skin they're in?
Which hair color suits Anne Hathaway best?

The Tiny Makeup Kit That Makes Office Touch-Ups Easy

Miriam Lacey — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 06:00:25 PST

If you, like myself, sometimes come into work barefaced and then engage in a mad scramble to get made up, I have just the thing to make the whole thing easier. Benefit's Her Name Was Glowla ($36) makeup kit comes with everything you need in a little box that tucks away in a desk drawer. It has a ton of eye shadow shades, a universally flattering (and trendy) coral blush, mini mascara, lip gloss, and even two luminizers. Best of all, it has tiny brushes, so you aren't fumbling around or carrying a bag-load of stuff to the powder room. I've been using it for months now, and it really cuts down on prep time. Plus, I'm never rummaging around in my purse looking for gloss or trying to carry some enormous blush brush around discreetly. It makes me feel much more adult, even if I'm not actually responsible enough to wake up early and put on makeup.

Holiday Survival Guide: Go From Day to Night in 5 Easy Steps

Jaime Richards — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 10:00:31 PST

Do you feel it in the air? It's party season, and that means you probably have more than just one festive social function marked in your calendar. But it also probably means you have very little time to actually get ready for said soirées. That's why I've devised this quick and simple multitasking guide for going from work to holiday gatherings in a flash. To see the step-by-step list, just keep reading.

Strike the Perfect Balance Between Matte and Shimmery Makeup

Jaime Richards — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 10:00:28 PDT

Some years matte is in, and sometimes it's shimmer. This year, just which finish is it, anyway? Makeup artist Brett Freedman says it's a little bit of both. "We're going into a matte/sort of satiny vibe," he says. And here's how to do it up right:

Instant Iuminesce: "It's shimmer in certain spots," says Brett. To give your makeup look a little more punch, he recommends Benefit's Girl Meets Pearl ($30). The champagne-toned luminizer, which gives a healthy, subtle pink glow to most skin tones, can be used on the top of the cheeks, brow bone, eyes, and lips.
The eyes have it: "I've been doing a lot of really velvet lids [lately], like taking a pressed powder or just a really light matte [shade] and just doing the lids super matte," he says. Adding a little shimmer on the brow bone or around the tear ducts keeps it from looking too flat. Brett's tip: Drugstore brand Prestige makes some great colors, like teal and slate gray.

Six Ways to Eyeliner Nirvana

Jaime Richards — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 06:00:00 PDT

Applying eyeliner can be tricky for even the most adept of us, and that's why I turned to celebrity makeup artist Brett Freedman for guidance. Brett's had lots of advice to share with us in recent weeks, from the perfect shades to wear right now to how to pick a daytime blush. Today, it's all about the eyes - liner, that is. Discover six tips to eyeliner Nirvana when you read more.

A Super-Easy Liquid Liner Tip

Daily Makeover — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 11:00:00 PDT

We're happy to present this article from one of our favorite sites, Daily Makeover!

Love the sexy look of liquid liner but hate how hard it is to achieve? If your hands are shaky or you just can't seem to keep that line straight, take a hint from Benefit co-founder Jean Ford - she swears by an oh-so-simple eyeliner technique that she's been using faithfully since the '70s. In honor of the launch of the brand's new Magic Ink Jet-Black Liquid Eyeliner, Ford shared this patented trick with us to help you achieve a flawless line like Lauren Conrad's here.

First, take your liquid liner brush and place it at the inner corner of your eyes. Say the phrase "Jimmy Jimmy dot" out loud, moving the brush over the upper lashline, but not touching the skin. Every time you say "dot," make a dot of black liner in between your lashes. When you've gotten to the outer corner of the eye, take the brush and connect the dots along your lashline. Space out the dots for natural-looking volume, or place them close together for a sleek line. No more shaky, broken lines!

More stories from Daily Makeover:
Hot trend: funky, chunky hair color
How to fake sexy bedhead hair

Prime Time: Benefit the POREfessional

BellaSugar — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 10:00:00 PDT

In the final installment of my prime time series, here's a look at Benefit's the POREfessional ($28), a recently-released balm that's supposed to minimize the appearance of pores. But for all intents and purposes, it's a primer. Unlike the brand's That Gal ($28), which is luminescent and pink, this primer is matte and beige in color.

Right away, I was concerned about the chemically floral notes I got from the creamy gel. Also, getting used to that slippery feel silicone-based primers possess, is always a challenge. However, within seconds, the scent dissipated, and the oil-free product dried almost instantly into something smooth and translucent. As a test, I applied the POREfessional to just one side of my face in the morning. At the end of the day, I asked colleagues which side looked better. While it was unanimous that the primed side looked more even and fresh, it did wear a bit dry by end of day. Find out more when you keep reading.

Dual It Out With Two-in-One Makeup

BellaSugar — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:00:00 PDT

If you're a longtime reader of Bella, then you'll know that I'm a big fan of multitaskers. And one of the greatest things about a multitasking makeup duo is that you can easily customize your own shade by blending the two colors together. In turn, some of these coupled cosmetics come with a preapplication product (like a primer), along with the makeup item itself. Even better, they take up little space. Check out the widget below for inspiration, and tell us: what's your favorite doubled-up product?