BellaSugar

Coming Soon: Lush Styling Products

BellaSugar — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 08:00:25 -0700

Lush, the British beauty brand known for its handmade cosmetics, is branching out with a new hair care range. While it's had shampoo and conditioner for years, this soon-to-launch line of products focuses on styling.

Lush has created three vegan styling gels, all of which have cheeky names. Big Tease features cocoa butter, lemon oil, orange flower absolute and Cupuacu butter. (I've been sent a sample, so I'll let give you my full review as soon as I've had time to work with it a bit more.)

Then there's Goth Juice, a medium-hold gel with hemp oil, fresh lemon infusion, glycerine and oakmoss. It has a spooky-cool ultraviolet hue that makes me want to listen to Bauhaus. Finally, there's King of the Mods, which promises to add lift, shine and control whether you're a Quadrophenia or not.

To find out what else Lush has up its sleeve, read more

Curly-haired lasses will be very happy to hear about Curly Wurly, Lush's new coconut shampoo for thick, curly hair. Along with emollients such as cocoa butter and shea butter, it has 15% coconut, which softens hair and helps it shine without weighing things down. Lush says that washing out the dessicated coconut is tricky, but "definitely worth the bother."

Finally, two other products round out this launch: Jasmin and Henna Fluff-Eaze (a treatment for hair that goes fluffy after shampooing), as well as Hair Doctor, a pre-shampoo treatment for oily hair.

Get Your Bronzing Gel On!

BellaSugar — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:41:22 -0700

If you are looking for a safe and sunless deep tan, bronzing gels are one of your many options. These cool gels are tinted to give your skin a natural-looking glow. To apply, use a sponge or your fingers to blend and dab them on the same areas as you would brush on a bronzer. To see four more bronzing gels click here.

Chanel Soleil Lame Bronzing Gel, $40, is a limited edition product new from Channel's Summer 2007 Collection. This cool gel looks smokin' hot when applied to your face.

It absorbs into your skin quickly, yet blends well to create a beachy, warm, golden glow. It will be available in Chanel boutiques and counters nationwide this April.

For two more bronzing gels, read more

Bobbi Brown All Over Bronzing Gel, $25, offers your skin a sheer, instant, natural glow with the added protection of SPF 15. This tinted bronzing gel is great for oily skin and will leave your face looking like you are glowing from the inside out!

Blend the gel on the areas of your face where the sun would normally hit and deepen the color until you reach your desired shade. Oh, and don't forget to wash your hands immediately after use!

BonneBell Gel Bronze, $3.99, is a lightweight tinted gel that gives you a safe and inexpensive sun-kissed glow. To use dampen a make-up wedge and lightly pat Gel Bronze to your face. Then use the other side of the wedge for blending. Available in two shades: golden tan and luminous glow.

Stay Tan for Fall with Bronzing Gels

BellaSugar — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 15:31:22 -0700

Bronzing gel is a fantastic way to get a hint of sun-kissed color without the damaging effects of the sun's rays. You can wear them alone or mix them into your favorite foundation or body lotion, and the color can be as subtle or as intense as you like. To give yourself a sunny glow going into autum, just dot a small amount of the gel onto your cheeks, forehead, chin, and nose, then blend with your fingertips in an outward motion. Here are some of my favorite bronzing gels.

Clarins Sheer Bronze Self Tanning Hydrating Gel For Face is satiny soft, with a magnificent caramel color and iridescent highlights. It has a combined effect of giving you instant color like a bronzer and within two hours working its self-tanning magic to create a natural looking tan. Buy it here for $28.

Becca Translucent Bronzing Gel is a very sheer and lightweight water-based gel which also helps hydrate the skin. It's not greasy, and it can be used on both the body and face. Buy it here for $34.

To see more gel bronzers, read more

Laura Mercier Bronzing Gel blends quickly and easily while leaving the skin refreshed. The sheer formulation enhances a tan, adds a warm glow, and works for all skin types and shades. Buy it here for $30.

Smooth and delightful, Stila Sun Gel is streakless and very easy to apply to the face and body. It's available in one richly bronze color with golden sheen. Buy it here for $24.

Hair Gel: It's Now For Babies, Too

BellaSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:00:10 -0700

It makes sense for certain beauty products to be made for babies. Gentle baby shampoos, fragrance-free lotions, and paraben-free soaps all seem like reasons to infantilize grownup products. But Le Baby Hair Gel is pushing the limits. Free of parabens, fragrance, and sulfates, the $9.95 formula was developed for babies, toddlers, and anybody else who has sensitive skin.

Founder Tami Dimmerman came up with the concept while attempting to find a gel to tame her daughter's flyaways. Le Baby promises to "thicken baby-fine hair," among other things. But is a hair gel for babies even necessary? I've never looked into a designer stroller and thought, "Cute kid. If only he had a fauxhawk." Would you use this on a child, or do you prefer to let little ones' hair run wild?

Clearly Fabulous Brow Gels

BellaSugar — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 10:12:29 -0800

After you've perfected your arch and filled in your wow brows, you've got to set your eyebrows so that they don't become unruly and wild. To apply, use the same motion as you would when putting on mascara. Here are some fabulous, crystal clear brow gels that act in the same sort of way that a light hold hair hair gel would act on your hair.

Lola Brow Gel will put your rebellious brows in their place. This gel goes on extremely smoothly and it won't clump or flake. Your brows will simply feel set and secure, but never stiff or gooey. Buy it here for $16 in clear only.

Paula Dorf Brow Gel is another crystal clear get that acts as a brow groomer. I love Paula's stuff because it's professional quality without costing a fortune. Buy it here for $16.

Amazing Brow Gel is a real underdog in the cosmetics world. I think that their products are truly amazing. You only need one coat of their clear brow gel to reach your desired effect. Buy it here for $12.

Doing Drugstore: Red Water Hydrating Shower Gel with Olive

BellaSugar — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 05:00:00 -0700

When Walgreens began carrying European beauty lines, I was thrilled. Sure, I'm always happy to browse the aisles for the old standby brands, but who doesn't like a little bit of Continental cosmetics when they pick up their prescriptions?

One of my favorite products is by Red Water Laboratories, a Greek brand that uses thermal spring water from the birthplace of Alexander the Great. Its Hydrating Shower Gel with Olive ($14) is more expensive than your average Calgon soak, but it provides qualities of premium products at a much smaller price. To find out why this green gel has found a home in my shower, read more

The olive oil helps moisturize skin, and the fresh, clean scent is refreshing. It's a little outdoorsy, which makes it guy-friendly for those of us who share a bathroom with a man. Plus, the modern packaging reminds me of another Greek brand, Korres, so it looks as good in your shower as it makes you feel. Has anyone else tried this gel? What do you think about Walgreens' foray into international beauty?

Oh Man: Medium-Hold Hair Gels for Dapper Dudes

BellaSugar — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 11:00:47 -0700

Just look at Leonardo DiCaprio, all smart and dapper. His dirty blond hair is brushed back and firmly held back in place, yet it still looks soft enough to run your fingers through ... wake up Bella! (Sorry about that little daydream, I was long gone in Leo-land for a sec.)

This photo from the 11th Hour premiere last week got me thinking of all my favorite medium-hold hair gels for men. Take a peek at this post so that the next time your guy asks you what to buy, you'll be prepared!

Frederic Fekkai Hair Gel for Men ($18.50) is a medium-hold hair gel that also provides texture, definition and shape to long or short hair. It smells great (I actually love it too, even though it's for guys) and it leaves hair shiny, soft and manageable.

For two more medium-hold hair gels for men, read more

Aveda Brilliant Retexturizing Gel ($5.50) is a great product for guys with medium to coarse hair who want some help with styling, but are also looking for something that allows hair to stay soft and shiny. It's made from nourishing plant proteins like aloe, calendula and chamomile-but no alcohol, so it won't have any kind of a drying effect. Love it!

Kiehl's Just-Out-Of-The-Shower Hair Gel ($13.50) is a unisex gel for all hair types that creates a wet look. It leaves hair shiny and manageable, and it won't ever dry and leave little white flakes in your hair. It is enriched with sunflower, sesame, and soy, so it smells wonderful!

Source

Sunday Giveaway! Perfekt Beauty Eye Perfection Gel

BellaSugar — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:30:08 -0800

Has pre-holiday stress left your peepers less than perky? Our friends at Sephora want to help you with that, so today they're giving away a prize from Perfekt Beauty designed to keep your eyes looking fresh and bright no matter how long your week might feel. Today's lucky winner will receive:

Perfekt Beauty Eye Perfection Gel - A cooling gel that relieves puffiness and smooths the eye area to make it soft and perfect for concealer application.

To enter, just take the quiz by 5 p.m. PST today and one winner will be selected at random. Your eligibility is not based on getting the answers correct, just on taking the quiz after you are logged in. You do, however, need to be a PopSugar Community member to enter. So if you're not already one, register now. One quiz entry per person; all repeat quizzes will be ignored. Prizes can be shipped to US destinations only. Remember: You must be logged in to the PopSugar Community for your entry to count. For the complete rules, click here. Good luck!

Take the quiz

Product Review: Philosophy Amazing Grace Shower Gel

BellaSugar — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 07:00:23 -0700

To smell Amazing Grace shower gel is to love the scent. It's soft, slightly sweet, and it somehow reminds me of that wonderful clean-baby smell. (Oprah loves it so much that she named it one of her favorite things in 2005!) But as much as I love the scent, I don't love this shower gel. It's supposed to be a three-in-one body cleanser, shampoo and bubble bath. Unfortunately, it's a good bubble bath, only an adequate shower gel, and a lousy shampoo.

First, I tried Amazing Grace as a shower gel. I was so excited about smelling good afterward, and I happily lathered myself up. During the shower, everything was great, but the scent didn't linger. A few days later, I used it as a bubble bath and was happy with the bubbles, but found that my skin got a little dried-out. Until this point, it was no big deal. But then I made the mistake of using the gel as a shampoo. Quelle horreur! Despite thoroughly rinsing my hair, it was left with a dirty, greasy feeling. Amazing Grace smells wonderful and I'd like to try it in a different form, but as a shampoo, it's just amazingly yech.

See reader reviews of this product and add your own here!

Doing Drugstore: Aveeno Positively Smooth Shave Gel

BellaSugar — Tue, 22 May 2007 07:00:20 -0700

When it comes to shaving my legs, I tend to switch between high-end shaving potions and drugstore brands, since the latter are just easier to buy on short notice. But while Gillette Satin Care doesn't totally suck, the Walgreen's offering does, and in general, drugstore brands don't give me the silky-smooth shave I want.

The exception, I've just discovered, is Aveeno Positively Smooth Shaving Gel ($3.99). This product gave me one of the closest, most moisturizing shaves I've ever gotten from a drugstore gel, so read more

It would be unfair to compare Aveeno Positively Smooth Shave Gel only to its drugstore cousins, because it also holds its own against the higher-end stuff. You need just a small amount of gel to produce a substantially velvety lather, and its light scent is cleanly pleasant, unlike offerings from Gillette or Skintimate.

But while the shaving process is the same as with other drugstore gels, the results are leaps and bounds away. Afterwards, my legs were as silky as the soft Aveeno lather, and even on my sensitive skin, there wasn't a hint of irritation or stubble. This may be my new standby.