BellaSugar

Beauty Mark It! Cool Stocking Stuffers Under $10

BellaSugar — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 16:00:55 -0800

Along with the holiday gift guides I've been putting together, I thought it would be fun to come up with a few inexpensive stocking stuffers. This set from C.O. Bigelow is my pick because it's cute, retro, and affordable. The Soda Fountain Mini Mentha Lip Shine Trio ($10) contains three milkshake-flavored lip shines in Vanilla Malt, Double Chocolate and Strawberry Shake. (Double Chocolate smells the best.) They're a little tingly, and they moisturize while adding sheer shine. On its own, it's already a budget buy-but if you divvy up the three lip shines, it's downright cheap.

So that's my suggestion for a beauty stocking stuffer that costs less than a ten-spot. I'm sure you have tons of ideas, too. So for this week's Beauty Mark It challenge, let's all band together to come up with cheap, cool stocking stuffer that costs $10 or less. Share your favorites by tagging your choices with the phrase "under 10." I'll feature the readers' favorites on BellaSugar next Tuesday, December 5.

To learn about Beauty Mark It challenges and to see how to add your picks, check out this how-to. To see some of my favorite online beauty stores, read more

Saks Beauty Place
Sephora
Drugstore.com
Fred Segal Beauty
Folica
Amazon.com Beauty
Strawberrynet.com
Nordstrom
Bergdorf Goodman
Beauty.com

Bella Bargain: Goldie's Bag of Tricks

BellaSugar — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 13:00:04 -0700

I just ran across this velvet tote bag from Goldie, and as cute as it is on the outside, what's inside is even better. It's packed with 15 travel-sized beauty samples from Bath and Body Works, so you can try new treats. I'm squinting to see what's in there, but it looks like (among other things) you'll get aromatherapy body lotion, C.O. Bigelow Mentha body wash, Sea Island Cotton body lotion, foot lotion, and lip balm. But I've saved the best for last: Regularly $50, this made-in-the-USA tote is now just twenty bucks. Not a bad price for two accessories and a haul of beauty booty! Want more bargains? Check out deals and steals at InStyle.com.

Beauty Marked! Lip Plumpers

BellaSugar — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 11:00:40 -0700

Okay, so we may not all be able to have Brad on our arm like Angelina, but her plump pout is completely attainable. I asked all of you to share your favorite lip plumpers, and the results are in!

Lintilla raves about C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine. She says that even though it isn't technically a lip plumper per se, the peppermint oil in it it "tingles just enough to increase the circulation to my lips and do the job." And Tnkrbelli loves Philosophy Chicken Lips. "I always get turned off by plumping glosses because they are so sticky," she says. "But these are extremely natural-looking and natural-feeling glosses."

Want more? Check out everyone's choices below, and for an added effect, cue up Big Mouth Strikes Again by the Smiths.

New Product Alert: C.O. Bigelow Mentha Body Collection

BellaSugar — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 12:27:35 -0700

One of C.O. Bigelow's most popular products is its Mentha Lip Shine (and since Fab is a fan, you know it's good stuff). This week, the apothecary is introducing Mentha Body, a collection of mint-infused soaps, creams and lotions. I got a sneak peek at the products and I like them quite a bit. The fresh, invigorating scent is reminiscent of a candy cane, but it's not so overwhelming that you'll walk around smelling like one of Santa's little helpers. For a rundown of my favorite products, and to find out why guys will like them too, read more

I tried a few items from this line, and I would recommend them for anyone who likes to "wake up" in the shower rather than wind down. My favorite was the exfoliating soap ($7.50), a bar soap with crushed walnut shells to exfoliate dead skin. (If you're not a fan of bar soaps, you might like the Smoothing Body Buffer ($14), which uses sugar crystals to slough away flakes and dull skin.) I also liked Vitamin Body Lotion ($14). It's a good moisturizer for average skin; I keep it at my desk so I can keep my paws soft throughout the day. And then there's the Vitamin Body Wash. I had mixed feelings on this one. The scent is wonderful and it's a big pick-me-up when I'm sleepily showering in the morning. But, like so many minty products, you really don't want to use this stuff on the, er, sensitive body parts. So just be careful with it around your nether regions.

Overall, the Mentha Body line is great to stock in the shower-especially if you live with a guy roommate, a boyfriend or a husband. The fragrance is minty, and in my completely unscientific test, it pleases the male beast. After I quietly put this in the shower, a freshly washed Mr. Bella specifically mentioned that he liked the body wash. The body wash is launching with a special promotional price of $5, which is reasonable, so why not give it a whirl?

C.O. Bigelow

Intern — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:44:04 -0800

C.O. Bigelow

Intern — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:20:37 -0700

Cancer Vixen Raises Cash For BCA Month

BellaSugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:00:29 -0700

It's Breast Cancer Awareness month, as you probably know from the thousands of pink products in stores right now. But I've got a bone to pick: What's with so many BCA items being stingy with the donations? A $30 product that gives only $1 to charity is no great shakes. So that's why I'll only be highlighting items that give good amounts of cash to a great cause.

This pick fits the bill. C.O. Bigelow teamed with cartoonist Marisa Acocella Marchetto, a breast cancer survivor, to create Cancer Vixen bath and body products ($7.50–$29.50). Based on Marchetto's graphic novel of the same name, the lip shine, hand wash, body lotion, body cleanser and travel kit are imbued with a berry scent (and the cute packaging isn't bad, either.) C.O. Bigelow is donating $250,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which means this endeavor is Bella-approved!

Skip Lines and Meddling Salespeople With This Luxury Vending Machine

BellaSugar — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:00:46 -0700

You can get just about anything out of a vending machine these days. There's iPods, selections of DVDs, and even hot dogs (ick). I've seen my fair share of beauty vending machines throughout the past few years, but a new type of automated shopping is about to class things up with U*tique Shop, the a luxury beauty product machine that recently hit the market.

While the company has plans to launch the upscale shopping device worldwide, they've just unveiled the first one at Fred Segal in Santa Monica. Playing up the interactive factor of a touch-screen surface sans salesperson, the colorful machine uses a lighted display to appeal to your inner geek girl. Among some of the 50 frequently changing spots in the machine's cubby holes are Bliss, Lancome, Bliss, Chantecaille, C.O. Bigelow, Lancaster, ZIRH, Lipstick Queen, and Zelens. Are you dazzled or indifferent?

Photo courtesy of U*tique

PetSugar's Groovy Grooming Goods

BellaSugar — Wed, 07 May 2008 09:00:30 -0700

All week long, we're celebrating the anniversary of BellaSugar by profiling the beauty routines of the Sugar girls. (If you missed some, check them out.) This morning, it's all about PetSugar, who tells us about the beauty product she uses while taking the cable car to Sugar HQ each morning.

Which beauty products are your must-haves?
Sticking with the traditional five must-haves, I’d say: bareMinerals foundation in medium tan, Revlon ColorStay liquid liner in black shimmer, Dior Diorshow mascara in black, Bourjois multishimmer loose eye shadow in Ambre, and Lancome Juicy Tubes in Toffee Pop. I have mostly eye makeup – tons of shimmery shadows (with a couple of matte ones thrown in), all different brands. Like I commented on that sparkly poll, I like sparkles/shimmer a lot, but less than glitter though. But I’ve got Urban Decay shimmer glitter, and a sparkly MAC eyeliner pencil. My last beauty purchase was Lancome Cils Booster over the weekend.

For the full interview, read more.
What’s your favorite beauty ritual?
Ritual sounds like something that takes lots of patience . . . Much more than I have. I like bubble baths - does that count? I’m obsessed with this bath care store Sabon from New York. Every time I visit, I ship stuff back to myself. So I’ve got quite the collection of bath mineral powders and scrubs. I learned it’s bad to use those exfoliators every day, so whenever I use those, that’s a good day. I think North likes it when I take bubble baths too so he can be naughty and jump on the couch while I’m not around to tell him off. Every once in a while, I’ll shout “off” and I hear him jump down. But that’s the best I can do.

What’s your go-to lip product?
Aruba Aloe lip balm: Pure Aruba aloe, vitamin E, cocoa butter, and beeswax. The cocoa butter gives it a slight chocolatey flavor . . . Yum. I haven't been back in a couple years but my parents go several times a year and always send me tubes each time ‘cause I like to scatter them all over in my desk drawer, gym bag, car, several purses, etc.

What is your morning beauty routine?
Um, I like sleep A LOT (and I have to walk North, too) so very, very low-key. I love eye makeup so the only variation between day and night is the amount of sparkles! Off the top of my head, all the “beauty” things I do in the morning: wash face with Philosophy Purity Made Simple, add moisturizer, sometimes some foundation primer (but I usually forget), then the five products I mentioned above with a darker eye color shade on top which varies from day to day (today it’s bareMinerals pussycat) and then Urban Decay Urban Cowgirl on inner eyes and under brows. Lip stuff I put on during my cable car ride because I keep those in my purse (usually some combination of the Aruba Aloe, Juicy Tubes, and C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine).

What’s your signature fragrance?
It doesn’t count if you got it free or as a gift, right? In college I was obsessed with Bath and Body Works freesia. Obsessed. I grew out of that before they discontinued it, thankfully! I think that killed my love for anything too flowery (and nothing that smells too fruity either). I prefer tropical or earthy scents like coconut, eucalyptus, verbena, amber, tea, etc.

What’s the best beauty advice you’ve ever received?
Definitely when the employees at Sabon told me keep my body sorbet in the fridge. It feels so much better after a hot shower to put on this coooool lightweight gel. I guess the advice would work with any lotion, but the consistency of this product is super-smooth and non-greasy and chills nicely.

And the worst advice?
The lady at Sephora telling me that I would be able to figure out how to put on fake eyelashes in 10 minutes before the LA party! I still have flashbacks and it took a couple days before I felt like all the glue was out of my lashes!

Any tips or tricks you want to share with readers?
OK, I am beginning to get a complex about this. I don’t have any tips or tricks. Don’t pick up your dog if you have flavored lip gloss on ‘cause he’ll probably try to give you a taste. If you don’t have the patience to paint your own nails, you probably shouldn’t be painting your dog’s either. Also dogs can’t tell the difference between fruity lip gloss tubes . . . and actual fruit so keep them out of paws’ reach. On a more practical level I always want to tell people to have a blast/ drink enough when you go out to not care about rushing to the bathroom to reapply makeup every hour. Oh, and everything's better with a touch of shimmer.

What's your favorite drugstore beauty product?
Revlon ColorStay liquid liner – I've used it since junior high and no pricey brand ever comes close! Hands down, if I could only take one product to a desert island, it would be this liner . . . but for the island, I’d take the waterproof one!

When do you feel the most beautiful?
My hair is the trickiest thing for me to handle and usually the source of my frustration. So I’d have to say after getting a blowout and flat iron.

BuzzSugar's Beauty Secrets Are Entertaining

BellaSugar — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:00:59 -0700

Continuing on with the Sugar girls' beauty routines - check out Giggle's fave products and Fab's favorite tips if you missed them - I've checked in with Buzz. She always looks fresh and healthy with her minimal-makeup look, but when she gets dressed up for a special occasion, she's a classic beauty. Read on to see how she primps in between the movie premieres and CD release parties.

Which beauty products are your must-haves?
H2O+ Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment, gel blush, foundation primer, and Clean & Clear facial wipes - they're excellent for traveling, especially with the liquids ban on airlines.

What’s your favorite beauty ritual?
Getting a haircut. It’s so refreshing and there’s usually a neck massage involved. It’s such a great way to feel beautiful and make a brand new start.

For the rest of Buzz's answers, read more.

What’s your go-to lip product?
Dr. Pepper LipSmackers! Also, C.O. Bigelow Lip Care products (specifically the Mentha Lip Shine).

What is your morning beauty routine like?
SUPER low-key! Basically wash-n-go.

What’s your signature fragrance?
Hmm... I’m kind of all over the place with fragrances. I used to use Clinique’s Happy, though not so much anymore. Probably my go-to fragrance is the eau de toilette from Banana Republic called Classic.

What’s the best beauty advice you’ve ever received?
Well, my mom always refused to let me get my hair permed when I begged her to let me do that, and I’m eternally grateful to her for never relenting! Also, BellaSugar’s advice about putting on moisturizer with SPF is some of the most important beauty advice I think I’ve ever gotten.

And the worst advice?
I used to hear that tanning beds were “better for you” than the actual sun, which now seems slightly preposterous. Tanning advice in general often seems just wrong to me, like the advice that people should get “a base tan.” Hey, for some of us, there IS no base tan! It’s just ivory to scarlet in 15 minutes.

Any tips or tricks you want to share with readers?
Save the blow-drying, hair irons, curling irons, what-have-you for special occasions or else your hair will live to regret it. There’s really no need to use those things if you’re just going to be sitting in your cubicle all day! Also: Avoid using mineral products when you know there’ll be photo opportunities in the near future.

Your favorite drugstore beauty product?
I really like most Dove products (deodorant, moisturizer, etc.). It’s just a reliable brand.

When do you feel the most beautiful?
I feel the most beautiful in those first few minutes right when I get out of the shower. It’s just such a wonderful feeling of refreshment and rejuvenation, and my face is often a little flushed from the steam. My skin looks great, and I feel clean and lovely!