BellaSugar

2007 Sugar Awards: Best Acne Fighter

BellaSugar — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 11:03:46 -0800

Well, this "best of" skin care category was a wash. (Get it?) There wasn't a clear winner for Best Acne Fighter, but I'm loving some of the comments you made. DejaVecu has been using the Body Shop's tea tree oil system, and it's been great for her. "My skin is soft and bright, no more big embarassing break-outs, barely a blackhead in sight, no more dry patches," she says. Proactiv got a few write-in votes, too, but many of you were concerned about its drying side effects.

For what it's worth, my favorite skin care product of the year is Differin. It's available by prescription only, but it has dramatically improved my complexion. You can read about my Differin experiences to see what some of the side effects and benefits are, and if you think it might help you, make an appointment with your dermatologist. Okay, I know this sounds like a plug, but honestly, it's made a world of difference in my skin! Any similar miracle product for you and your pores?

Source

2007 Sugar Awards: Best Body Moisturizer

BellaSugar — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 10:00:35 -0800

Wowsers! The tallies of this year's best body moisturizer were close. At 12 percent was The Body Shop Body Butter, at 11 percent was Vaseline Cocoa Butter, and at 10 percent was Nivea Body Original Moisture Daily Lotion.

My favorite body lotion of all time is Kiehl's Creme de Corps, but I really trust you guys, so perhaps it's time I ditch my luxurious-but-expensive designer cream for a drugstore brand. Walgreens, here I come.

2007 Sugar Awards: Best Mascara

BellaSugar — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 11:00:14 -0800

I must say that I'm pretty surprised about this year's mascara winner considering that Mirenesse Secret Weapon is an Australian brand which isn't easily accessible here in the States. Not only did it win, but it blew all of the other choices out of the water.

In second place was Dior Diorshow Black Out, and Lancôme Courbe Virtuose came in third. You also talked passionately about various Chanel, Lancôme, Blinc, MAC, Clinique, and Fresh brands in your comments, so now I'm pretty torn about what to try next.

Thanks so much for voting and commenting. Please report back with any additional opinions you may have about mascaras below!

2007 Sugar Awards: Best Beauty Tool

BellaSugar — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 11:00:45 -0800

You've voted, and once again, the results were very close. Squeezing past Shu Uemura eyelash curlers by a margin of less than 10 votes, Tweezerman tweezers garnered first place. I confess that years ago, I didn't understand the hype, but after you use a good pair of tweezers, you'll never want to go back to the two-dollar version again.

Speaking of pricier products that really perform better, my can't-live-without tool this year is my T3 dryer. Again, you always read the hype about T3 tools, and in this case, the praise is earned. The dryer cuts my drying time in half, leaves my hair bouncy and shiny, and never overheats. It's not cheap by any means, but if you go for frequent blow-dries, it's definitely something to save up for.

2007 Sugar Awards: Best Beauty Breakthrough

BellaSugar — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 11:00:17 -0800

It looks like affordable at-home microdermabrasion kits were the big winners of the beauty breakthrough category for 2007. I am surprised about this one since I thought for sure that Botox and zit-zapping gadgets like Zeno and ThermaClear were far more popular - but the stats don't lie.

I actually just received Nature's Gate Organics Microdermabrasion Skin Refining Kit $38.50 as a gift and you guys have just really pumped me up to try it out. Since at-home microdermabrasion kits have won 26% of you over, can you tell me what your favorite brands are?

2007 Sugar Awards: Best Eye Shadow

BellaSugar — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 13:20:47 -0800

Wow, MAC certainly swept the Best Eye Shadow category. Its shadows garnered a full third of votes, probably due to its ability to, as Hemlyn puts it, "blend like a dream." I noticed a lot of write-in votes for Urban Decay, too, pointing out its amazing color choices.

My favorite shadow of the year is Stila Kitten. (That particular shade got a few write-in votes, too.) This shimmery pinky-champagne shadow is a cult favorite, and justly so. It's a great base color, it blends well, and it lasts all day. And if you dab a bit on the inner corner of your eye, it just makes you look more alert and awake. Just gorgeous!

2007 Sugar Awards: Best Concealer

BellaSugar — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 15:00:00 -0800

This year's best concealer is actually an oldie but goodie. You voted Laura Mercier's Secret Camouflage foundation as your favorite. I couldn't be happier since it's a product that I've really grown to love myself.

Its best quality is that you can blend the two shades together to create your own personal match. This is especially nice since your skin tends to slightly change color through the seasons. The coverage is great and the creamy consistency is easily blendable.

In case you're wondering, Cover Girl Invisible Concealer came in second place, and judging from your comments, a lot of you favored good ol' MAC, Bobbi Brown, and Benefit cream concealers as well. Thanks for all of your participation!

2007 Sugar Awards: Best Nail Polish

BellaSugar — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 16:08:35 -0800

I can't say that I'm shocked by the results of this year's winner for best nail polish. While one brand in particular didn't win, it looks like black stole the show with total of 19 percent of the votes. Dark purple came in second place, and navy, and other inky blue hues came in at close third. Looks like goth-colored nails rocked 2007.

My personal black fave is OPI's nail lacquer in Black Onyx. It's a really shiny and opaque shade, and the formula can last up to eight days on my nails - which is a record high for a manicure for me! Now that we know that black polish rules, do you have a favorite brand, too?

2007 Sugar Awards: Best Foundation

BellaSugar — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 15:00:25 -0800

Drum roll, please! The winner of 2007's best foundation is Bare Escentuals bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation. A whopping 30 percent of you chose this product, and based on your comments, you like the fact that this natural-looking foundation makes your skin look really even in photos. It actually took this poll by storm and it seems like mineral makeup is really taking off this year. My personal fave is the La Bella Donna mineral foundation for all of the same reasons!

The runner-up winner is Clinique Super-Balanced Makeup, and L'Oreal True Match came in at third place. Thanks for voting, everyone!

2007 Sugar Awards: Best All-in-One Palette

BellaSugar — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:02:20 -0800

You've voted for your favorite makeup palette of 2007, and the winner is thiiiiis close to being a tie. While the Sephora Blockbuster palette came in first place, it beat the I Love Dior palette by only three points. What's more, 22 percent of you had write-in votes ranging from the Tarte We Wish You Wealth palette to the pricey, but gorgeous, Laura Mercier Beauty Library.

All great suggestions, and here's one more. My favorite palette of the year, the Nars Phillip Lim palette, has gorgeous colors used on the Fall 2007 runway. They're wearable in real life, and because I had such a great time at that fashion show, it's my choice for sentimental reasons as well.