BellaSugar

Burn Victims Become Beauticians in Pakistan

BellaSugar — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:00:58 -0700

Imagine being permanently disfigured because someone disapproved of your clothing. For some women that's not just a hypothetical thought. In South Asia, some women have acid thrown on them, or are set on fire, by men seeking revenge. The women haven't committed any wrongdoings; they've simply asserted their rights as people by refusing marriage proposals, rejecting sexual advances, or simply dressing immodestly.

While there's still a lot of work to be done to stop these crimes, some groups focus on helping the victims. This article describes a beauty-parlor chain in Pakistan that's staffed by burn victims. Surprisingly, the women showed an interest in working in beauty, so after professional training, they're now supporting themselves - no small feat in a culture that treats them as outcasts. "Every person wishes that he or she is beautiful," says Saira Liaqat, who works at the salon. "But in my view, your face is not everything. Real beauty lies inside a person, not outside."

The project came together thanks to help from the Depilex Smileagain Foundation, a nonprofit that provides medical and job-placement services to burn victims. If you'd like to help support these women, donations can go to Smileagain USA, Bank of America, Account number: 005180666518, Routing number: 101100045. The Smileagain USA Federal Tax ID number, to be used for tax-exempt donations within the US, is 20-5826673.

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Coming Soon: The Balm Kiss MS Goodbye Lip Gloss

BellaSugar — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 13:00:42 -0800

March 10th marks National Multiple Sclerosis Education and Awareness Week, and makeup maven Marissa Shipman has created yet another charitable beauty product for the occasion. Kiss MS Goodbye Lip Gloss is her best-selling shimmery, sheer peach Balm Shelter Lip Gloss called Girly Girl, but throughout the month of March it has new packaging and 20% of sales will go to the New York City chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

The gloss contains SPF 17, it has a banana-strawberry scent (you guessed it, I'm a big fan) and it costs $18. During Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, we saw a wide variety of beauty brands create products whose proceeds helped fund cancer research and outreach programs. I only hope this trend will catch on and we start to see charitable creations within the industry more frequently.

New Product Alert: The Body Shop Pink Hi-Shine Lip Treatment

BellaSugar — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 14:00:37 -0700

Generally, I get frustrated when "charity" products wind up giving only a miniscule percentage of profits to the causes they supposedly benefit. Maybe I'm a cynic, but it seems tacky for a company to bring out a charity product, then donate only 5% or so to the charity while keeping 95% as profits. So I'm really happy that through sales of its new limited-edition Hi-Shine Lip Treatment ($11.50), The Body Shop is giving at least 75% of proceeds to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

In the tube, this limited-edition gloss looks like it might be too disco. It's a bubblegum pink with tiny pink sparkles, which-let's face it-has the potential to be a little more Barbie-at-Studio-54 than you'd ever want. Fortunately, when it's on lips, it's subtle enough for daytime wear. The translucent color provides shine without adding color, making it a good choice for a layering gloss. It's slightly sticky, which I'm not crazy about because I keep smacking my lips. Then again, I wouldn't be smacking my lips so much if it weren't for the delightful scent of the gloss. The Body Shop says it's scented with passion fruit, but to me it smells exactly like Kasugai litchi gummies. Yum.

New Product Alert: Lush Charity Pot

BellaSugar — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 13:00:10 -0700

This week, Lush is introducing Charity Pot ($19.95), a hand and body lotion. I'm going to buy it not just because it's new, but because every penny of proceeds is going to a selection of worthy causes including Clean Ocean Action, International Fund for Animal Welfare, and UNICEF's United for Children, Unite for AIDS program. What's more, it's made with fairly traded cocoa butter from the Ivory Coast and the Dominican Republic. And like all of Lush's products, there's no animal testing involved.

Along with the cocoa butter, Charity Pot contains natural ingredients such as gardenia extract and oils of geranium, ylang ylang, and almond oil. I'm definitely planning to check this out, but I might wait a week or two because there's another new product coming soon. To find out what it is, read more

Boo! Scaaaaaaary! Just in time for Halloween comes Ghost, a shimmering white, lily-scented shower gel. It's a limited-edition product, though, so when it comes out later this month, hop on it-before it makes like Casper and disappears.

Kylie Minogue's Painting Medium of Choice Is Nail Polish

BellaSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:00:11 -0800

Kylie Minogue is unquestionably a pop music icon, but now she's trying her hand at being a visual artist, too - and nail polish is her paint of choice. It's an interesting choice, and totally in keeping with Kylie's girly persona. This piece, a photograph of her by the artist Rankin that she covered in abstracted swirls, is being auctioned off this Saturday for the UK charity Youth Music. Since nail polish and car paint have very similar formulas, I can see it being a legit medium. But what do you think? Is nail polish art like Kylie's meant to be taken seriously?

Bella Brand: Luscious Cosmetics

BellaSugar — Tue, 29 May 2007 10:32:46 -0700

I've just discovered this flirty and fabulous line of makeup and nail polish called Luscious Cosmetics. Founded three years ago, the collection is best known for its Crystal Nail Lacquers, 11 beach-inspired polishes that come with color-coordinated Swarovski crystals in the cap.

Owner and creator Charity Vance developed the line of multi-use products for modern girls on the go who want to keep their makeup simple but sexy. Not surprisingly, the entrepreneur has always had a passion for beauty. She began inventing products as a child in her family's kitchen, adding mint and vanilla to lip balms and giving them away as presents. She believes in indulging yourself with quality products that have luxurious textures, colors, smells, and tastes. To read about the products in the line, read more

Luscious now has six product lines with more expected to be released this year. In addition to the Crystal Nail Lacquers and the accompanying Crystal Sealant and Top Coat, Vance has created GlossSticks, three shades of lip gloss in a stick form that are flavored with mint and vanilla, as well as 10 shades of plumping glosses called Lip Delites.

The brand's Luscious Blooms (three powder blushes) and Social Butterfly Eye Velvets (three neutral-toned but shimmery eye shadows) come in beautifully feminine garden-inspired packaging. To find out where to buy Luscious products, visit the store locator.

Nars Celebrates 15 Years With 15 Stars and a Book

BellaSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:00:26 -0700

When couples celebrate their 15-year anniversary, the traditional gift they might give their mate is crystal. But when François Nars celebrates his company's 15th anniversary, he makes a book, with all proceeds going straight to charities. And as you might expect, it's not your ordinary coffee-table publication. To commemorate the company's quindecennial anniversary, Nars plans to release 15x15 ($80) in mid-November, with only 1,500 copies hitting the presses.

The book, which will be available for 30 days at 15x15project.com, will feature photos of 15 celebrities, from Marc Jacobs to Amber Valletta to Naomi Campbell. "Basically, I wanted people who reflected my taste, friends, and people I admired for their look and talent," Nars told WWD. Inside the book, you'll find two inspirations behind each photo, along with a featured makeup product. Nars promises, "You don’t get bored." And after looking through some of the photos below, I couldn't agree more.

To see more images from 15x15, just keep reading.

How-To: Wear a Raspberry Lip Like Gwyneth

BellaSugar — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:00:16 -0800

Gwyneth Paltrow was recently out and about in London attending a children's charity event. Singer Pink just wore a similar shade, too. Do I sense a trend here?

Of her Spring 2008 raspberry collection, Bobbi Brown said, “Raspberry is a brilliant way to wear color. It brings out the natural flush of pink on cheeks. There’s a shade of raspberry for every complexion - from pink to deep raspberry."

Looking for tips on how to make this flattering look work? Check out some of my razzley-dazzley suggestions when you read more.

For a radiant evening look, try a shimmery light gray or silvery-blue shadow such as, Bare Escentuals Glimmer in 2000 ($13), a silver blue or Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Vapor ($16), a very light shimmery gray.
For a more daytime look, try a matte gray or light lavender shadow. I like Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Revolver ($16), a stone gray or Aveda Petal Essence Eye Color in Aura ($12), a soft purple taupe shade with just a whisper of glimmer.
Coordinate cheek color with a soft raspberry blush. Try Almay Touchpad Blush in Raspberry ($9.26).
To make your raspberry lipstick or lip gloss last, first line your lips in a similar hue, such as Almay Ideal Lipliner Pencil in Raspberry ($7.49).

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Fab Flash: Julianne Supports Charity at Fashion Week

BellaSugar — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 12:46:33 -0800

Although the lovely Julianne Moore was not planning on going to any shows for Fall 2007 Fashion Week, she did make one exception.

Both the brand and the creative head of the French fashion company Lacoste, Christophe Lemaire, support her charity Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance. On February 3rd, decked out in cute Lacoste gear, Julianne made her way to the Bryant Park tents to support the cause which she so strongly believes in.

She says,

“Lacoste is a major corporate sponsor of the Giant Steps to the Cure gala I’m co-chairing with Tiki Barber on April 12. Attending their show was the least I could do. My kids wear Lacoste-I never did when I was young because I didn’t have enough money-and now I can go home and tell them what will be in for fall. But if anyone wants to buy a table for April, call me!”

To see pictures of Julianne in the front row, read more

View 4 Photos ›

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Link Time!

BellaSugar — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:02:40 -0700

Peep Essie's newest nail polish colors - Makeup and Beauty Blog
Mrs. Obama's hairstylist talks chop - W
Angus Young would approve of MAC's upcoming black-makeup collection - Temptalia
Confessions of a tanner - Huffington Post
How to straighten curly hair - Stylelist
Bobbi Brown is releasing a FEED bag for charity - Beauty Snob
Jil Sander is launching a new scent - Fashionista
Which hair color is best on Jessica Biel? - FabSugar UK