BellaSugar

The Sweetest Nails of All: Try This Wild, Sugar-Coated Manicure

Miriam Lacey — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 05:00:00 PST

Wild, chunky "junk" manicures have been all over runways, fashion spreads, and Lady Gaga's fingernails lately, but you don't have to be a pop star or model to wear the look. In fact, you can get a truly textured manicure with nothing but some sugar and nail glue. The results are definitely not for the faint of heart, but for your next girls' night out, they could be a pretty fun project, and they are very easy to remove. So check out how I created this crazy nail look in a flash.

Try It: Dashing Diva Virtual Nails

BellaSugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:00:11 PDT

Fashion Week is one of those times, like someone else's wedding, where you feel pressured to look amazing even though no one is paying attention to you. So when I realized my nails were a cracked, bitten mess, I decided to go for a complete overhaul. Enter Dashing Diva. DD is a nail salon that offers a service called Virtual Nails (click through for a list of locations all over the world), during which your nubs are lightly filed and falsies are glued on.

Diva differs from a typical nail salon because of its superior hygiene and sanitation regulations. My favorite being that they give you a set of tools to bring back on your next visit. That and they don't use acrylics that smell like chemicals, you know the ones which often require technicians to wear surgical masks.

At the NY salon, the service costs $35 but that's a small price to pay for nails that are neither toxic nor cause the same kind of damage I'm trying to hide. To find out more about my visit,

My technician, Maria, started by rubbing sanitizer on both of our hands. She then trimmed my cuticles and filed my nail beds. Next, she had me wash my hands and then spent a lot of time meticulously choosing the perfect size nail for each of my fingers, writing down what she settled on for next time. Once the nails were glued on, we settled on a length and shape and she trimmed and filed them. As for the color, I chose a modest rosy shade, thinking that I may as well not call attention to my fake nails, but changed my mind and went for a bright yellow called Anna Banana. After all, when someone asks me if they're real, I can always respond, "real cool!"

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California Inspection Finds Toxins in Nail Polish Labeled Toxic-Free

BellaSugar — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:44:00 PDT

California is throwing down the gauntlet on toxic beauty once again. First it was Brazilian blowouts, and now it's nail polish. The state's Department of Toxic Substances Control announced that some of the lacquers used in California salons are guilty of false advertising. In fact, of the 25 products gathered in the group's recent investigation, 12 claimed to be free of toluene. Ten of these, however, were found to contain the toxic ingredient. In addition, of the seven products that claimed to be completely three-free (void of toluene, dibutyl phthalate, and formaldehyde), five were discovered to have one or more of these dangerous substances.

The problem is, these ingredients have been linked to birth defects, asthma, and developmental disorders when inhaled. "We know there are exposures at salons, both to workers and customers, and we're concerned about potential harm," Karl Palmer of the DTSC told the AP. "Our strategy first and foremost is to shed light on the reality of what's in these products and put this information out to everyone."

The list of culprits includes salon-only brands Sation, Dare to Wear (for which the owner refutes the claim), Chelsea Nail Lacquer, New York Nail Polish, Sunshine Nail Lacquer, Cacie, and Golden Girl. The decision to take legal action against the offenders is up to the California attorney general. The companies would be in violation of Proposition 65, which states that all harmful chemicals must be revealed by the manufacturer with warning signs.

BellaSugar Beauty Awards, The Hunger Games Hair, and More

BellaSugar — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 03:17:48 PDT

Check out our latest BellaTV episode and some of our favorite stories from the week:

On the go? See these tricks to dry nail polish fast.
See close-ups of hair and makeup from The Hunger Games premiere.
The secret to perfect beach waves.
Get a look at Sephora and Pantone's latest collaboration.
Makeup cases that make traveling a breeze.
Copy this smoky eye trend from the runway.
Try individual false eyelashes with these tips.
Discover five scents that will lift your mood.
Try this DIY French manicure with a twist.
Do crease-free headbands really work that well?

This Week: Downton Abbey, Fake Eyelashes, and The Hunger Games

BellaSugar — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 03:39:49 PST

Check out our latest BellaTV episode and some of our favorite stories from the week:

The secrets of Downton Abbey style.
Our editors' must-have new products for February.
Stop washing your hair so much!
Rachel Weisz's latest L'Oreal ad gets banned.
The easy way to find perfume.
The nail polishes you need now.
All the SAG Awards star beauty secrets.
The best products for applying false lashes with ease.

Kate Bosworth Styles Her Way Through Morocco

FabSugar — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:00:55 PST

Week in Review: New Year's Makeup, 2011's Biggest News, and More

BellaSugar — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 06:00:29 PST

Check out our latest BellaTV episode and some of our favorite stories from the week:

Beauty Must Reads From the BellaSugar Community

BellaSugar — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 05:23:01 PST

Glitter polka-dot nails - A Hoarder's Blog

Holiday must haves - At First Blush

A guide to customizing your false lashes - The Makeup Blogette

Tips for easier at-home waxing - Beauty Starlet

The dragon's breath manicure - Lesley Kat

Halloween Costume Idea: Katy Perry

Miriam Lacey — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:26:38 PDT

The costume: Katy Perry
Katy herself loves costumes, so she could hardly object to you dressing up in homage. Plus, it's a great excuse to have pink hair and wear hot shorts.

Hair and makeup: Katy's current mauve shade is easy to get either with temporary hair dye or an inexpensive wig, and you should complement it with equally bright pink lipstick, sparkly eye shadow, and some major false lashes.

What to wear: Something short, tight, and bright, preferably with sequins and sky-high heels. A sequin dress or a crop top with Daisy Dukes are both surefire wins.

Take it to the next level: Katy always has the wildest nails out there, so go crazy with the nail art or add some long, colorful press-on nails.

Week in Review: October's Best Nail Polishes, Cartoon-Inspired Costumes, and More

BellaSugar — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 04:12:46 PDT

Check out our latest BellaTV episode and some of our favorite stories from the week:

See our roundup of the best new nail polish for October.
Jennifer Aniston's mane man explains the dos and don'ts of hair color.
We think these Paperself laser-cut lashes are cut out for big things.
Get inspired for Halloween with these 15 iconic cartoon character costumes.
We chatted with up-and-coming runway model Hereith Paul.
Would you take your beauty advice from 1938?
L'Oréal created a pill to prevent gray hair; will you use it?
Need nail inspiration? See our global Fashion Week manicure roundup!
Electro group Ladytron inspires a line of false lashes.
This designer teamed up with Minx to create clothing made out of faux nails.

Splat Glow Glow-in-the-Dark Temporary Hair Color Cosmic Pink $6 - Walgreens	Nail Fraud Do It Yourself Nail Decals, Red/White Hearts $9 - Beauty.com
Sparkling Press-On Nails $9 - Charlotte Russe	Urban Decay Cosmetics Urban Lash Instaglam Technicolor $15 - Ulta
Ulta Lipstick $8 - Ulta	Too Faced Glamour Dust Glitter Pigment $17 - Dillard's
Crisace Hair2go Bang, 6 $19 - Beauty.com	Poly Canvas Bow Hair Clip $14 - American Apparel
Tasha 'Dreamy Bird' Fascinator Headband $68 - Nordstrom	French Connection Moondust Sequins Dress $35 - 6pm.com
Women's Joey Cut Off Short - Hot Pink $150 - True Religion	Free people Teeny Floral Longline Bustier $38 - Planet Blue