BellaSugar

Celerie Kemble's Brilliant Advice on Choosing Colors

Elka Karl — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:00:13 PST

I was so pleased to stumble upon a great interview that Bob Vila conducted with designer Celerie Kemble. The long interview is full of great advice, and topics range from color to showhouses to kids' rooms, as well as Kemble's book Black and White (and a Bit in Between).

Since so many people get stuck on the rules of decorating with color, I thought that this advice from the interview was particularly helpful:

Know Your Base Neutrals

I think that it's important to know your base non-color so that your whites or your creams are pretty consistent throughout the space, and people forget that. They concentrate on a color, and they miss that the most cohesive element might be having all of your whites (for trim and molding) be the same. The next thing is to look at the value of each color. I don’t believe you have to limit the number of colors or that there are bad color combinations, but you do need to consider the hues, tones, and shades of the colors.

There Are No Wrong Color Combinations

I think all colors could be made to work together, but what people need to do is be sure to vary the intensity and value. If you have five strong, bold colors in one room, it's just going to feel blocky, heavy, and dark. You need some colors that have a slight amount of opacity, transparency, a lightness, a feathering.

That's not all Celerie has to say - keep reading the interview with Celerie Kemble.

Beauty Products Worth Talking About

BellaSugar — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:07:00 PST

Beauty products you'll be surprised you ever lived without - Real Simple

Crimes of fashion, and the women who commit them - Glo

Try the five-minute faux bob - Stylelist

Joan Rivers hasn't actually had 739 plastic surgeries, people - Styleite

How the chic set readies for Fashion Week - The Cut

How important is cleaning your brushes, really? - Beautylish

Which long-lasting lip colors really kick butt? - Refinery 29

Rachel McAdams debuts new blunt bangs at The Vow premiere - Huffington Post

Who Had the Best Downton Abbey-Style Updo?

Jaime Richards — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 06:10:00 PST

Everything old is new again, and with the wildly popular success of Downton Abbey, there seems to be a rising interest in King George V-era beauty. Keira Knightley, a Brit herself, looked absolutely stunning earlier this week, donning a shiny, wavy chignon at the Dangerous Method premiere, while Ashley Greene did her own take on the century-old trend, sporting a voluminous, tossed-to-the side look. And although short styles weren't quite en vogue back in the 1910s, Katherine Heigl still managed to achieve a stylishly upper-crust coiffure by wearing her chin-length bob in a loose, twisted bun. All styles are swoon-worthy enough to bring out the smelling salts, but which one has you politely clapping the hardest?

Why Women Should Get Rid of Their Nodding Habit

Emily Co — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:51:10 PST

Women have distinctive body language that are very characteristic of their gender, but some habits may hinder their success. One habit in particular, the constant head nodding, is not necessarily a positive trait in the workforce. Throughout conversations, women have the tendency to keep nodding, which although makes one seem agreeable, may also come off as being too eager to please. Bobbing your head while the speaker is talking will make you seem more approachable and friendly, but it will also lessen your authority and leadership role.

We should take a page from men who tend to only nod when they agree or when they are about to express a point. Women are, at heart, great communicators with high EQ, but we shouldn't try so hard to be likable and a team player that we end up losing a bit of our authority. It's OK to nod, but try to keep it to a minimum and limit it to when it's necessary.

Dr. Bob Sears Shares His Best Advice on Calming a Colicky Baby

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:01:22 PST

When the witching hour becomes the witching days and nights, it's time to bring in the experts. Colic, defined as a condition in children between three weeks and three months old that causes them to cry for three hours a day at least three days a week, can be trying on new parents as well as their tot. While there's still no known cause of colic, doctors may be coming close to a remedy. I spoke with Dr. Bob Sears about techniques parents can use to calm a colicky baby, and he revealed a new treatment he's finding success with in his own patients. Check out our interview above!

SAG Awards: Rose Byrne

FabSugar — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:03:36 PST

Rose Byrne is no stranger to risk-taking looks, and her SAG Awards look was no different. The Bridesmaids actress hit the red carpet in a white embellished Elie Saab Couture jumpsuit covered in opaque sparkles. The deep V-neckline and draped bodice fits Rose perfectly, and her choice of accessories (a gold cuff and clutch) were simple and complementary. She wore her chestnut bob straight and sleek, and opted for a rosy pink blush and matching lips. We're loving that Rose shook things up in a jumpsuit rather than a dress - but what do you think of her look?

Vote on all of our SAG Awards polls here!

Trend Alert: Man Buns

BellaSugar — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:38:00 PST

Is it OK for dudes to wear buns and chignons? - Styleite
Couture Week's most eccentric looks - Stylelist
The brushes you actually need for a functioning makeup kit - Real Simple
Could conditioner be hurting your hair? - Beautylish
Winter nail polishes worth your money - Glo
See a list of model health guidelines for Fashion Week - The Cut
Would you use a turtleneck to make a fake bob? - Refinery 29

DVD Review: Bob Harper's Ultimate Cardio Body

Susi May — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 03:05:46 PST

Bob Harper has been reshaping bodies for 11 seasons now on The Biggest Loser, and now he's focusing his baby blues on you. His latest DVD, Ultimate Cardio Body ($15), subtitled "Extreme Weight Loss Workout," makes me think of the show, but Bob seems kinder in this video even though the workout is relentless.

Inside a brightly lit modern studio, Bob and a cast of four, with two women confusingly both named Leah (I kept thinking Bob was getting the gals mixed up), lead you through an hour-long workout combining old-school strength training with old-fashioned cardio moves. Get ready for high-knee marching, running in place, and jumping jacks. These bouts of cardio alternate with basic strength training moves for the lower and upper body, sometimes combining the two. Be prepared to do squats and and plenty of them. You will add a little jumping action to both squats and lunges, and making these moves air borne knocks your heart rate out of the fat burning zone straight into the cardio training. Bob does offer variations if you're not quite up to jumping, but if you're having knee troubles, this workout is not for you. It's heavy on the lunges, squats, hopping, and jumping.

Learn my likes and dislikes of the workout when you

read more. This is definitely a hard workout, and I appreciated the challenge. But the challenge comes from reps upon reps of the same exercises, so it can get a little dull. You do however, bring your quads and hamstrings to the point of exhaustion many times during the workout, which means your legs are only going to get stronger. I did love all the jumping and hoping. At the end of the workout, just when you start to believe you're on the home stretch, Bob has you start hopping. You're on one foot for what feels like a minute, then the other foot hopping for a minute, and then you keep alternating. The rest move is mimicking a jump shot, which means you're trying to defy gravity when you're really tired. I loved the intensity. I also appreciated that the only prop you need is a set of dumbbells. I used five pounders (although for some moves I could have used 8 pounders) and burned 460 calories in an hour - love that. Bob also begins the workout with some static stretching, it's not too deep, but I didn't feel ready to stretch my cold desk bound body after pressing play on the remote control. I wish the warm-up was slightly more dynamic, and that warm-up stretches were actually part of the cooldown, when my worked muscles were ready for the sweet relief of flexibility training. I must say, this is a total body workout, including your heart. This workout is perfect for small spaces, but if you live in an apartment, your downstairs neighbors might not appreciate all the jumping. You can buy the DVD directly from Bob's website or Amazon. Here's a taste of the workout:

Heidi and Seal's Split Shocks Even Their Closest Friends

Lauren Turner — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:25:07 PST

Heidi and Seal's friends comment on their shocking split - People
Rebecca Hall and Kate Bosworth show off their Sundance style - Lainey Gossip
Hollywood stars speak out against bad money-making movies - Huffington Post
Kevin Federline almost collapses after his Australian workout - D-Listed
What's your take on Cameron Diaz's new hairstyle? - Insider
All the famous faces that look amazing sans makeup - The Frisky
Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber share a sporty date night - JustJared
George Clooney on his worst job ever - The Daily Beast
Bruce Willis has a Sundance favorite on his hands - Hollywood Reporter
Whitney Port loses her bikini top - Hollywood Tuna
So many celebrities choose babies before marriage - Pink Is the New Blog
Listen to Miley Cyrus cover Bob Dylan - TooFab
Rihanna and Chris Brown spotted partying together - The Superficial
Tom and Gisele finally move into their LA mansion - cityrag

Adorable Bob Ross-Themed Gadget Skins For Happy Tree-Like Memories

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 11:55:22 PST

I may not have the "artsy" gene, and can't paint a barn to save my life, but I watched Bob Ross's The Joy of Painting every single week when I was a kid. Not only was he the king of creating "happy little trees," but his voice was so soothing I often fell asleep while watching him paint. If you don't know who Bob Ross is, then I feel old.

So imagine my excitement when I came across these Infectious The EarlYears ($14 and up) gadget skins from artist SteveORama. Fitting your BlackBerry, iPod, iPhone, iPad, and laptops, you can outfit your electronic essentials in happiness in Bob's familiar form and let them pose as daily conversation pieces as well. Bob Ross has quite the following, so be prepared for some "happy little tree" comments from your fellow commuters. Check out more images of the skins in the slideshow!