BellaSugar

Beauty Tips and Tricks For Redheads

BellaSugar — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:00:18 -0700

Since it's St. Patrick's Day, I've been thinking about classic Irish beauty. Being that so many Irish women are fair-skinned redheads, I thought I'd suggest a few friendly tips and tricks on how to enhance your specific type of beauty. And, of course you don't have to be Irish for this advice to pertain to you, silly - these red-headed celebs aren't!

Protect Your Hair Color: Whether or not you enhance your hair color, you'll want to give it shelter in the sun so that it doesn't turn orange or brassy. Try misting your hair with an SPF shine spray and use color-enhancing hair products to replenish and maintain your color in between salon visits.

For three more makeup and skin-care tips and tricks for redheads, read more.

Makeup Colors: When looking for a foundation and/or a powder, it's best to steer away from anything too pink or yellow. In particular, products targeted for those with olive skin will be too harsh. Generally, it's best to choose a neutral, light-beige shade. Additionally, when possible, avoid orangey-red, orange, and overly strong coral shades of lipstick. However, gold makeup is gorgeous on redheads, as are champagne, taupe, and brown eye shadows - so go crazy!
Eyebrows: Frame your fair skin by filling in your eyebrows. Depending on how dark or light your hair is, you'll want to match your brows one shade darker. Going too dark is going to look unnatural, so choose a soft, auburn, or taupe powder.
Skin Care SPF is a must. Since your skin is fair, it will burn easily and can cause wrinkles, redness, peeling, premature aging, and cancer. Be sure to wear a moisturizer with SPF 30, and when possible consider buying cosmetics with SPF in the formula for extra protection from harmful UVA and UVB rays.

Source and Pacific Coast News

The Best Blusher For Your Skin Tone: Fair Skin

BellaSugar — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:00:40 -0700

Thanks to the help of Jane Richardson, an expert makeup artist for Nars, I've created another great BellaSugar series on the various shades of blush that are best suited for fair, medium, yellow-toned, olive and ebony skin.

The first thing to consider when choosing a blush is to try and match it with your natural flush. So after you've gotten out of the shower, or after you've just exercised, take a long look at your face. Next, look at the undertones of your skin. If they are rosy or pink, you'll want to err on the side of neutrals so that your blush isn't too overpowering.

Nars Blush in Amour ($25) is made from very sheer pigments that create a soft look. The blush can be layered for depth and contouring. Amour is a a peachy-pink hue that will give skin an innocent flush. It creates a warm and healthy glow that won't look too heavy or cakey on your cheeks.

For two more blushes for fair skin, read more

Aloette Cheek Color Powder & Compact in Stardust ($18.50) is a pink hue with a matte finish to control shine for a polished result. The long-lasting formula comes in a deep compact for added protection from breakage!

Clinique Blushing Blush Powder Blush in Cupid ($18.50) is a silky soft formula that blends well and creates a really natural finish. It's oil-free, the color is true to the packaging and it even comes with a mini brush for quick and easy application. Cupid is a soft pinky brown-a terrific neutral for those with a light complexion with rosy undertones.

Beauty Byte: Skin-Lightening Market Booms in India

BellaSugar — Wed, 30 May 2007 16:00:44 -0700

I don't know how I missed this yesterday, but The New York Times just ran a pretty unsettling article about the Indian beauty market - specifically, the proliferation of skin-lightening products. A Unilever brand called Fair & Lovely has been selling skin lighteners for decades, but now an increasing number of cosmetics companies - including Avon, L’Oréal, Ponds, Garnier, the Body Shop, and Jolen - are marketing their own products designed to alter dark skin.

Though this sounds offensive to those of us who believe that diversity is an inherent party of beauty, the makers of these products say that reaction is just the result of cultural differences and bias, so read more

Writes the NYT:

Global cosmetics companies - which also sell skin-lightening products throughout Asia and in the United States, where they are marketed as spot or blemish removers - argue that they are just giving Indian women what they want.

Taking offense at the products is “a very Western way of looking at the world,” said Ashok Venkatramani, who is in charge of the skin care category at Unilever’s Indian unit, Hindustan Lever. “The definition of beauty in the Western world is linked to anti-aging,” he said. “In Asia, it’s all about being two shades lighter.”

So-called "fairness creams" are one of the most booming categories in India's fast-growing beauty market. The products are also sold in Asia and the U.S., so this may just be a case of Western journalists discovering something that's already very ingrained overseas. What do you guys think?

Source

Hair Color Dos and Don'ts: Must-Have Tips For Perfect Results

Sponsor — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:30:01 -0700

When it comes to at-home hair color, all products are NOT created equal. Knowing what to look for can make the difference between so-so and stunning. Here are some secrets, including special tips from celebrity hair colorist and L’Oréal Paris expert Christophe Robin, for achieving beautiful, professional-looking results on your own.

DO choose a shade that complements your skin tone and eyes. “If you have fair skin and blue, green or gray eyes, your complementary shades will have ash or beige tones,” Christophe advises. “If your skin tone is golden, olive or dark and you have dark eyes, your complementary shades will have gold or red hues.” Have characteristics of both warm and cool tones? “Go with whichever is your preference.”

DO stick close to your own hair color if you want a subtle change. “If you’re not sure which shade to choose, go just 1 or 2 levels lighter or darker than your natural color,” says Christophe. “This will give you a noticeable change that’s not too dramatic and is easy to maintain.”

DO pick a product that’s specifically formulated to cover gray hair, which can resist coloring.

DO use products specifically designed to preserve your color, like Vive Pro Color Vive Shampoo and Conditioner for Color-Treated Hair.

DO choose a gentle formulation and indulge in regular deep-conditioning treatments.

DON’T be afraid to take a risk. Hair color offers a fun way to express your personality and experiment with a new style or attitude. “When a woman goes darker with her color, she’ll feel stronger,” Christophe notes. “When she goes lighter, she’ll feel more sexy and sensual.”

DON’T skimp on time. You might be tempted to cut corners to save a few minutes, but resist the urge. It’s crucial to allow the proper amount of time for each step - especially when you are going for a dramatic color change “You can’t rush hair color,” Christophe cautions.

DON’T judge a box by its cover. Although it’s a common misconception, you shouldn’t expect your hair color to turn out exactly like the model’s on the box. “Your personal result will be determined by the condition of your hair, your current hair color and the shade you’ve selected,” says Christophe.

DON’T overdo it. Coloring too often can compromise hair’s health and yield uneven results. A touch-up every four to six weeks is all that’s required to keep your shade looking fresh and vibrant.

DON’T forget the SPF. You protect your skin from the damaging effects of the sun, so why let your hair take the heat? “The sun is the number one enemy of color-treated hair,” says Christophe. Use shampoos and conditioners that contain UV filters to block damaging rays and prevent fade-out.

3 Tips on Choosing a Red Lipstick

BellaSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:00:36 -0700

Red lips are one of those things that will never go out of style, and they're universally flattering. Problem is, many women don't wear them because they can't find a shade that's flattering or worry that it will be too bright to be pretty. Well, worry no more, fair ladies. Lipstick impresario Poppy King is answering the eternal question: how do you choose a red lipstick? To find out how to get your red right, just keep reading

Reader Review of the Day: Burt's Bees Facial Cleanser

BellaSugar — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 08:00:35 -0700

I love Burt's Bees, but given how essential oils like orange can affect my skin, I was hesitant to try its Burt's Bees Facial Cleanser ($8). Reader a million suns, however, actually saw her skin irritation go down when she used the product. She says:

"My skin has been extremely sensitive and reactive lately-and always fairly dry, since I live in Nevada-and every time I'd use my Neutrogena cleanser, my face would look red and blotchy. Then I picked up this cleanser at the store and gave it a try. No redness, no blotchiness, nada. Plus, my skin felt totally refreshed. It is a little bit thick, but all I have to do is mix it with water (squeeze a nickel-sized amount onto your hand, run it under the faucet, rub your hands together) to get it to spread easily. Plus, I love the orange scent!"

New cleanser you're crazy about? Thinking about making a switch and want to know what other people think? Then our Product Reviews pages are the place to be! You can see reviews of more than 50,000 products, and write some of your own.

Four Trends for Fall That You Won't Want To Miss

BellaSugar — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:00:58 -0700

What's your favorite part about a change of season? Is it the variance in temperature from warm-weathered days to cooler, crisper afternoons? Perhaps it's the release of a new fashion accessory that gets you going. For me, it's all of the above. Plus, I really look forward to what products, colors, and application techniques will be released by the various makeup companies. Recently, I talked with makeup artist Brett Freedman, on that very topic. Will we be seeing black lip gloss again? To find out what did make his list of hot items, 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.

Reader Review of the Day: Maybelline Mineral Power Natural Perfecting Foundation

BellaSugar — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:00:39 -0700

Everybody loves finding a foundation that matches their skin tone to a T, and it's even more satisfying when that faultless shade is just under the $10 mark. Recently reader Autumns_Elegy reviewed Maybelline Mineral Power Natural Perfecting Foundation ($10) with a SPF of 18. Here's why she liked it:

It matches my skin tone almost perfectly so I don't need to wear a lot to even out my skin. Being perfume-free means I don't get the midday itchies when I wear it for long periods of time, which is awesome when I'm at work. The only downside is that sometimes the foundation erupts out of the bottle when you open it. It's fairly wasteful, as I don't want to wear quite that much.

Do you have a shade of makeup that is stunning for your complexion? Tell us more about it on our Product Reviews pages.

The Glows and Cons of Airbrush Makeup

BellaSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 08:00:59 -0700

Despite the obvious jokes about state fairs and unicorn T-shirts, people have been using airbrush machines to apply red-carpet makeup for years, and they're a given on film and television sets. But most women outside Hollywood don't know much about them, and they've traditionally been prohibitively expensive. Recently, though, there have been a couple of less pricey (though still far from cheap) entries to the market, so I decided to take a look at them. If you're curious about what it takes to get made up like a celebrity, just keep reading