BellaSugar

DIY Spa Treatment: Coffee Clove Body Scrub

BellaSugar — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 08:00:41 -0700

Does it say something about my lifestyle that in all of these DIYs, the only thing I am apprehensive about is wasting coffee? Luckily, what I came up with is not wasteful at all but instead a delicious body scrub that works as well as it smells. Also, instead of mixing it up in a bowl like I have in the past, I washed out a tub of Kerastase Masquintense. So much environmental responsibility in one post!

For ingredients and instructions, read more.

Here's what you'll need:

3/4 cup coffee beans

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cloves

Step 1: Put coffee beans, powdered clove and brown sugar in a coffee grinder.
Step 2: Grind coarsely, put in empty tub or Tupperware container and mix a little more.
Step 3: Add vanilla and oil and mix. Feel free to add more olive oil, but do it slowly, as it's easy to go overboard!

By being able to control the sizes of the particles in the scrub, you decide how rough you want it. The oil really does the trick in terms of keeping your limbs smooth. I shaved after using it, and my legs are super-smooth and soft, so don't be afraid to keep it a little chunky.

Source

How to Choose Eyeglasses by Your Hair Color

BellaSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:00:44 -0700

Recently, I made my yearly - OK, it's been more than a year - trip to the eye doctor. I've worn glasses for about 14 years now, and from one "trendy" frame to another, I've had lots of different looks. Since some were good, and others I'd prefer to forget, that was the inspiration behind this series of posts on choosing eyeglass frames. Since we've already looked at face shape, eye color, and skin tone, for the final installment of this series, let's look at how your hair color can help guide you when making a choice between those funky green shades or whimsical yellow specs. To check out some tips, just keep reading.

How Do You Feel About Hairy Hunks?

BellaSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0700

This month author Lucy Porter is coming out with what looks like a hilarious look at hirsute members of the opposite sex entitled Hairy Hunks: A Celebration of Shaggy Stallions. I love Mr. Bella's fuzzy-wuzziness, but before I met him I would never have thought I'd be as attracted to a hairy guy. I think this book would make a funny gift for anybody in your life who's got a weakness for Tom Selleck, and an awesome thing to have on your coffee table. But how do you feel about shaggy men? Are they cuddly and warm, or too scratchy for your liking?

5 Ways to Use Coffee Filters For Beauty

BellaSugar — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:00:44 -0700

You heard me right. Sure they help provide you with a daily dose of caffeine, but did you know that coffee filters can give you more than just a java jolt? I never thought of these everyday household items as more than just a basic way to assist in the preparation of drip coffee, so I was happy to discover other uses, particularly because they involve beauty. Here are a few:

Blot it out: Oil slicks be damned. Simply use a filter to blot excess shininess on the face.
Wax on: Cut into small rectangles, filters make a great substitute for waxing strips.
Nick of time: Got a bleeding nick from shaving? A little dab of the coffee filter will do ya.
Fogged up: Clean up a vanity or bathroom mirror with lint-free results.
Freshen up: Create a makeshift deodorizer by placing baking soda in a filter. Secure with a rubber band or twist tie. Simply place anywhere odor control is needed, like a drawer, trash bin, or pile of bathroom towels.

How to Choose Eyeglasses by Your Eye Color

BellaSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:00:08 -0700

There are many factors that go into choosing the right eyeglass frames. You can look to your face shape, skin tone, hair color, and of course - personality. Like I've said before, there is no magic formula. But if you're looking for some help in choosing your frames, you've come to the right place. Much like there are eye palettes to enhance your eye color, you could try employing the same technique with your glasses, choosing either a complementary or coordinating color to make your lovely eyes stand out even more. It's a fun option, considering you can always keep the old standard black, tortoise, or wire frames as well. To see some suggestions, with help from LensCrafters, just keep reading.

Get Halle Berry's Warm and Glowing Makeup Look

BellaSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:00:33 -0700

Someone get me Halle Berry's phone number, because I want to know all of her fountain-of-youth secrets. At the Keep a Child Alive Black Ball in NYC, she had heads turning to get a glimpse of her in that super-sexy cutout cocktail dress. I love how her mismatched earrings play off of her short, tousled pixie cut, and the warm brown and salmon-pink tones of her makeup create a glowing effect. To get tips on re-creating her makeup at home, read more.

Why Do We Smell Coffee Beans Between Fragrances?

BellaSugar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:00:58 -0800

It seems almost routine to be put on the beauty spot, yet it's rare that I'm asked a question I know the answer to, but can't explain why. But it happens. Recently, while shopping at Sephora, one of my friends asked why they had coffee beans in the fragrance section. "Well," I said in my most professor-ish voice, "Smelling coffee beans between perfumes is like eating sorbet between courses. Both help distinguish the latest flavor (or scent) from the original one." She looked at me, and pushed: "Says who?"

I pointed at myself but couldn't get this question out of my head. I returned home and located a Sense of Smell Institute that clarifies the original experiment. Answer the "says who?" for yourself when you read more.

The lab of UC Berkeley scientist, Noam Sobel, found when examining the "Influence of Smelling Coffee on Olfactory Habituation":

Smelling coffee aroma between perfume samples, as compared to smelling unscented air, actually works. The perceived odor intensity of the perfume from sample to sample stayed the same after smelling coffee aroma while it decreased when smelling air between samples. The pleasantness of the perfume, however, was similar after smelling coffee or air.

This isn't the only way to clear the nose and increase sensitivity for the next evaluation. Other popular nose-clearing techniques employ smelling a swatch of wool or smelling an unfragranced forearm. Now, I'm not the only smarty pants in town. Go forth and impress your pals about the coffee beans at perfume counters nationwide . . . and it helps to toss in "olfactory habituation" a few times while you're at it.

Source

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: Get the Pretty, Peachy Look From Chris Benz's Fashion Week Show

BellaSugar — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:00:00 -0700

People can't get enough of Chris Benz, and I have to say: his collection this season is dead sexy. I loved the soft, tousled curls he brought down the runway and the perfect peach (the color is everywhere for Spring, so watch out) lip on all his models. I've been dying to know how to get this look, especially the lipstick, and I was able to snag the scoop on the colors from the people over at Lancôme, who created this "refined '60s party girl" effect. It's actually really simple to do, and it's a runway style that definitely translates to everyday wear.

View 5 Photos ›

To find out how to re-create the look, just keep reading

Castle's Makeup Artist Debbie Zoller Gets Gory At Work

BellaSugar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 07:00:00 -0700

As the head makeup artist on ABC's crime dramedy Castle, Debbie Zoller creates everyday makeup looks for the show's main characters. But, seeing that the program is not without its fair share of murder mysteries, Zoller must also create blood spatters, prosthetic detached fingers, and mangled body parts, often working in the most unusual of situations. "Last season we had [to create] a frozen girl dumped out of a freezer," she said. Yikes.

Recently, I caught up with Zoller, who is up for an Emmy for her previous work on Mad Men (more here), to find out more about what a typical workday is like onset at Castle.

View 5 Photos ›

To find out more about Zoller's work, read more.