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Salma Hayek Launches Nuance to Honor Her Grandmother and Every Woman

Allie Merriam — Mon, 09 May 2011 12:32:00 PDT

Salma Hayek unveiled the long-awaited products from her eponymous line for CVS last week in NYC. The effort, which has been a three-year-long labor of love for the actress, will finally arrive at outlets of the retail chain this August. Salma revealed that the items are en route to stores in a February interview with T Magazine, saying that her grandmother, who passed down beauty secrets during Salma's youth in Mexico, served as inspiration for the cosmetics, skin care, and hair care collection. She presented a range of merchandise including hydrating and toning cleansers, gels, and towelettes as well as shampoos, conditioners, masks, and volumizers. Her makeup includes brighteners, "eye pods" with four eye shades, and lots more - Salma and CVS also plan to introduce additional goods as the partnership grows. Salma said:

On her grandmother being her inspiration: "There is another woman in my life, and I almost want to stop and not talk about her because I'm afraid I might cry . . . which is my grandmother, who was so important to me . . . I can say she was my inspiration, but I can never explain to you in how many ways. But I can say to you that she lived in a time, in a country, when being a woman was even a lot harder than it is today. And that, even though she did not go to college and study medicine . . . she was so smart. And, in many ways, life did not do justice to her genius. She was very close to me because I was her hope. And through this line, I feel I do a little bit of justice to her."
On being actively involved in creating her products: "I wasn't willing to say, 'Why don't you put a little aloe vera in the creams? I hear it's good for you.' I wanted to go into the lab and work with the people, which by the way I'll tell you, once we picked the lab, some of them were like, 'What?!' Some of them were not happy to have me in there. Even though some of them were very impressed when I sent a list of ingredients . . . they said, 'Does she have a background in chemistry?' or 'Where did she find this stuff?' In the witchcraft stand of the Mexican markets, that's where I found some of it!"

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To see what else Salma said about the line, just keep reading.

A Totally Unsexy but Very Comforting Thing We Love

Annie Tomlin — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:00:13 PST

OK, so this is really not the sexiest item we've found lately, but hear me out. Sometimes, function is more important than fashion, and though CVS's neck heat pack ($8-$13) won't win any design awards, it is a nice little sybaritic goody to have at home. The sturdy vinyl pack is filled with a nontoxic liquid and a small metal disc; bend the disc back and forth, and the liquid turns into a warm crystalline gel. It stays heated for about 45 minutes before hardening, at which point it can be dropped into boiling water for about 10 minutes. Then, it's ready to be used again and again. Placing the heat pack on tired shoulders is relaxing, and you can always rest it on your abdomen the next time you're ready to claw someone's eyes out due to cramps. Like I said, it isn't all razzle-dazzle, but it feels so good.

Jessica Szohr Shares Her Beauty Tips at Fashion Week

BellaSugar — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 16:38:44 PDT

Jessica Szohr of Gossip Girl fame always looks gorgeous both on screen and off, and now she's sharing her beauty advice. Watch Jessica, who's currently making the rounds at New York Fashion Week, to find out how she stays so fresh-faced during her hectic schedule, along with what products she counts as her favorites.

Store-Brand Products We Love (and One We Don't)

BellaSugar — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:00:46 PDT

When it comes to products, sometimes the generic options don't live up to the original. Have you ever actually tried off-brand ketchup? Blech. At team Bella, we're always looking for a bargain, and that's why we've gathered together a few of our favorite generic beauty items - along with one option that just doesn't make the cut. Find out what they are now.

Doing Drugstore: Focus on Lips Has Applicators Like Whoa

BellaSugar — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:00:00 PST

Did you know that CVS is producing its own makeup now? Yup, it's true, and its latest endeavor is a passel of lip treatments called, logically, Focus on Lips. I'm always on the hunt for good, inexpensive drugstore products, so I decided to give the line a trial run. They make everything from a peppermint lip gloss (almost exactly like C.O. Bigelow's) to a scuffer to primer. Want to know how the store brand stacks up? Just keep reading.

The Snuggliest Bed Six Bucks Can Buy!

PetSugar — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 06:00:03 PST

Do you recognize this furry face? It's FabSugar's fab Frenchie, Annabelle. The pup helped test out a bed so see it for yourself when you start this slideshow!

Bella Bargain: 20 Percent Off on CVS Pharmacy's Website

BellaSugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:00:33 PDT

If you love a good drugstore run, then you'll be pleased to hear that, from Aug. 15 through Sept. 11, almost every beauty product on CVS.com will be marked down 20 percent. Sales like this are great for stocking up on long-lasting basics. I know I'm gonna get some makeup sponges, cotton balls, and nail polish remover, at the very least.

Supermarkets Shrinking

YumSugar — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:00:11 PDT

In a world of oversize food - genetically modified apples, super-size fries, and venti coffees - one thing may be coming up smaller: grocery stores.

According to the New York Times, grocers across the country from Safeway to Wal-Mart are turning to stores with smaller square footage. Supermarket retailers, like Jewel-Osco, who is building a smaller-format store in Chicago, are hoping to capitalize on an untapped segment of time-starved shoppers who are looking for an affordable meal to go without menu prices, or who just want to pick up a handful of grocery items.

These chains aren't shuttering the warehouse-sized predecessors, but hoping to gain market share as competition grows cutthroat. Both convenience stores and drugstores such as CVS are selling more groceries and fresher prepared foods, and British retail giant Tesco began stateside expansion last Fall.

Source

CVS Is Movin' On Up to the Prestige Side

BellaSugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:00:47 PDT

If you notice construction going on at your local CVS in the near future, it might be more than just a pharmacy drive-thru remodel. You probably shop at CVS for wide variety of inexpensive beauty delights - but soon, you'll be able to pop in for fancy items as well.

White-tiled flooring, brushed steel fixtures, seafoam green walls at CVS? Yep - according to WWD, the drugstore chain is ready to unveil Sephora-sized, high-end beauty emporiums called Beauty 360. The first concept store is set to open by year's end in a major city on the East Coast. You won't have to go searching far, as Beauty 360 stores will pop up in adjacent areas to CVS's pre-existing locations or in a separate store within CVS.

Although the exact brands to be carried at this high-end store remain a mystery, “department store or specialty store brands" will be available. There's also talk of including "express services" like massages and manicures. Since subsequent plans include opening 500-1000 Beauty 360s and the majority of women live within 5 miles of a CVS, I'm sure you'll be moving on up yourself very soon.

Source

This Acne Cream Is Only $3.84. And It Works!

BellaSugar — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 09:00:05 PST

Lately I've been battling a bit of chin acne, and it's been driving me bonkers. The rest of my skin has been great, but my chin has been sporting a robust crop of pimples. Nothing I tried-masks, Differin, exfoliation, glycolic acid lotion, leaving it alone-worked.

Then I remembered a tip I'd picked up from a friend whose roommate uses only high-end skin care-with one exception. "She and I swear by CVS benzoyl peroxide cream," my pimple-free pal said. "I swear, it works better than any of the expensive things we've tried."

Sure enough, she was right. I picked up a tube for less than four dollars and put it on before bed. The next morning, all of the volcanic little pustules had vanished. The only side effect is a bit of dry skin, but a little moisturizer fixed that problem within a day. Now my complexion is smooth as buttah. I'm telling you, this is good stuff.