BellaSugar

Airplane-Approved Hair Tricks from Louis Licari

BellaSugar — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 16:00:32 -0700

Who knew? Hair colorist Louis Licari has a blog! Although he has high-profile celebrity clients such as Susan Sarandon, his down-to-earth blog has a lot of surprisingly easy suggestions for low-maintenance women, too. I like his ideas for sporting pretty hair after a long plane ride because they're things you'd actually find time to do while traveling. Take a look:

Brush it and leave it alone. I know that you don't change the style of your hair on a plane but don't touch it at all. I don't think women are aware of how much they play with their hair. Touching your hair will make it dirty faster.

Ponies work! Long-hair girls can put their hair back in a loose ponytail. This keeps your hair up and off your face, and will look amazingly fresh when you take it down upon landing.

For three other ideas, read more

Hats can protect you from more than the sun. A loose fitting hat, something that won't give you "hat hair", will act like a barrier to keep your hair fresh.

Plane time is the perfect time to sport a twist or a braid. They always look good, on the plane and after you land, and usually look better when hair is a bit dirty.

Go to the restroom just before the "fasten seat belts, we are preparing to land" announcement. This is the perfect time to make yourself "land ready". This is when you fluff or brush your hair. Women with fine or oily hair should keep a pinch of baby powder in their bags. Brush it through your hair and it will absorb oils and give your hair a bit of extra body.

I like how simple these tips are, because they don't rely on messing around with lots of products (most of which you probably can't bring on board due to travel regulations). I'm off to find a cute travel hat for my next trip!

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Coming Soon: Kérastase Ciment Thermique

BellaSugar — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 12:00:41 -0700

If you're already a fan of Kérastase shampoos and conditioners, you'll be excited about the line's forthcoming styling product. Ciment Thermique, debuting in October, is a heat-activated "reconstructor" styling product. Meant for weak, fine and aging hair, it promises to leave hair shiny, smooth and stronger.

According to Kevin Scerbo, national training director for Kérastase, Ciment Thermique is designed to last up to five shampoos. It's more effective if you apply heat in the form of a hot iron or blast of blow-dryer. Priced at $34, it'll be rolling out to stylists and salons over the next month-a move intended to build buzz and get clients excited about the treatment.

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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.

New Product Alert: Yarok Green with Envy Shampoo and Conditioner

BellaSugar — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 08:00:50 -0700

Mordechai Alvow is an editorial stylist, which is a simple way of saying that he creates the unbelievably beautiful hairstyles you see in magazines such as Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Allure and Vogue. He's also created looks for Alexander McQueen, Anna Sui and Yohji Yamamoto. Yet despite his background in high-profile, edgy styles, his eco-friendly product line, Yarok, would get the thumbs-up from the biggest earth child you can imagine.

Yarok is a collection of hair care products made from organically and sustainably grown ingredients. This method of cultivation means the essential oils are as pure as they can be when they finally touch your hair. Yarok is mostly known for its collection of personal serums, but I'm really excited about Green With Envy, a volumizing shampoo/conditioner duo. Infused with lavender, cedar atlas, red mandarin, sweet orange, rosemary and grapefruit essences, the shampoo ($22) cleans without stripping hair of its natural oils. Ths conditioner ($25) uses jojoba seed oil, macadamia nut oil and organic aloe vera to condition, soften and protect hair. I haven't tried either yet, but I'm planning to soon as a very special, very earth-friendly splurge.

Cancer Patients Can Look Good, Feel Better

BellaSugar — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:00:50 -0700

Cancer treatments are often accompanied by unpleasant changes in hair, nails, and/or skin, and that's why over the past 20 years, Look Good . . . Feel Better has been there to provide support. The organization, which also offers special programs for teenagers and men, focuses on providing free customized beauty workshops led by cosmetologists and volunteers. The idea is to help people maintain their self-esteem while battling the disease, giving them a chance to be pampered during a difficult time.

In the two-hour group classes, which take place at hospitals, treatment centers, and other community locales across the country, participants are taught makeup, skin care, nail care, and hairstyling techniques. Bonus: Those in attendance leave with a complimentary cosmetic kit customized for skin tone. But, if a patient is unable to make it, no worries. The website is loaded with an abundance of information, including step-by-step guides, videos, and a hotline.

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Doing Drugstore: Palmer's Dark Chocolate Peppermint Lip Butter

BellaSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:00:59 -0800

I have a hard time going into Walgreens without picking up some sort of lip thing or other, and my initial purchase of Palmer's lip butter ($2) was no exception. I've always loved Palmer's cocoa butter - my dear mama swears by the stuff, and even sometimes sends me care packages with sticks of it - but I've only used it as a hair and elbow/knee moisturizer.

I assumed anything made with cocoa butter would be creamy and need a little heat to deliquesce, so I was pleasantly surprised by the lip butter's moist, gel texture (I think the result of added vitamin E). It's clear and not sticky, but gives you a little more shine than a Blistex or Lip Smacker, the dark chocolate peppermint flavor isn't at all artificial, and I didn't need to reapply all the time, which is a boon when you're trying not to look like a crazy lip balm obsessive. If you want a traditional gloss shine, this isn't the product for you, but at $2 it's a total steal, and it's made in the US, so you can feel good about its origins, too. My overall verdict: Yum!

5 Tips For Getting Kristen Stewart's New Moon Shine

BellaSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:00:07 -0800

At the New Moon cast tour event this weekend, Kristen Stewart showed off a newly sleek version of her short haircut. It was dazzling in its shininess without looking gelled or greasy. Glossy hair like that doesn't just happen on its own, so I though I'd hunt up some tips to help all of us get similarly healthy, reflective tresses. I put together five of the best, so to find out how to get Kristen's shine, just read more.

Beauty Byte: Self's 2007 Healthy Beauty Awards

BellaSugar — Fri, 04 May 2007 16:14:02 -0700

Self magazine just announced the winners of its 2007 Healthy Beauty Awards, which recognize skin-care, makeup, and hair products that are both good and good for you. I love lists like this, because they always give me ideas about new products to try (as if I needed more, but whatever).

The Self awards are a great mix of drugstore treasures and high-end brands. (Thanks to Beauty and the Blog for the tip!) To see the list of winners, read more

FACE

Best Normal-Skin Cleanser
Plank Cor Soap, $125

Best Oily-Skin Cleanser
Care by Stella McCartney Purifying Foaming Cleanser, $35

Best Dry-Skin Cleanser
NIA 24 Gentle Cleansing Cream, $30

Best Sensitive-Skin Cleanser
Skin Effects Redness Control Calming Gel Cleanser, $13

Best Normal-Skin Moisturizer
Skingenic Regenerating Moisturizer, $110

Best Dry-Skin Moisturizer
Lierac Hydra-Chrono, $45

Best Sensitive-Skin Moisturizer
Kinerase Cream With SPF 30, $135

Best Antiaging Moisturizer
Lancôme High Résolution With Fibrelastine Intensive Recovery Anti-Wrinkle Cream, $74

Best Night Cream
Roc Protient Fortify Lift and Define Night Cream, $20

Best Serum
Aveeno Positively Ageless Rejuvenating Serum, $18

Best At-Home Peel
Avon Anew Clinical Advanced Retexturizing Peel, $25

Best Face Scrub
C.O. Bigelow Brown Sugar Crystal Face Polish, $20

Best Acne Treatment
Sephora Face Concealing Blemish Pen, $14

Best Mask
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Plump Perfect Firming Facial Mask, $58

Best Eye Cream
Guerlain Orchidée Impériale Eye and Lip Cream, $155

Best Antiaging Eye Cream
Clarins Advanced Extra-Firming Eye Contour Cream, $54

Best Eye-Brightening Cream
Burt's Bees Radiance Eye Creme, $15

BODY

Best Bar Soap
Dove Pro-Age, $4

Best Shower Gel
Boscia Jujube Rejuvenist Amino Body Wash, $22

Best Moisturizing Shower Gel
Caress Cashmere Luxury Silkening Body Wash, $3

Best Body Scrub
Murad Activating Body Scrub, $48

Best Body Treatment
Ahava Pure Spa Energizing Body Mud Mask, $18

Best Body Moisturizer
St. Ives Mineral Therapy Advanced Body Moisturizer, $5

Best Nighttime Body Moisturizer
Johnson's Softlotion Melt Away Stress Moisturizing Lotion, $5

Best Spray Moisturizer
The Healing Garden Sensual Therapy Passion Rose Body Mist, $7

Best Body Cream
Jergens Shea Butter Cream, $7

Best Body Cream for Irritated Skin
Eucerin Calming Itch-Relief Treatment, $9

Best Hand Scrub
Mary Kay Satin Smoothie Hand Scrub, $15

Best Hand Lotion
OPI Avoplex High-Intensity Hand & Nail Cream, $8

Best Nail Product
Revlon No Smudge Dry Oil, $7

Best Foot Scrub
Olay Thermal Pedicure, $9

Best Foot Cream
Earth Therapeutics Intensive Heel Repair, $8

MAKEUP

Best All-Around Foundation
Shiseido The Makeup Dual Balancing Foundation SPF 17, $35

Best Tinted Moisturizer
Cosmedicine Honest Face Skin Tint & Treatment SPF 20, $35

Best Oil-Free Foundation
Neutrogena Glow Sheers SPF 30, $12

Best Antiaging Foundation
La Mer The Treatment Fluid Foundation SPF 15, $75

Best Long-Lasting Foundation
Rimmel Cool Matte 16 Hr Foundation, $8

Best Pressed Powder
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish, $25

Best Loose Powder
Givenchy Prisme Libre, $63

Best Concealer
Prescriptives Custom Blend Concealer, $32

Best Bronzer
Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Talc-Free Matte Bronzing Veil, $12

Best Highlighter
Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener, $18

Best Powder Blush
Lorac Cheek Stamp, $22

Best Gel Blush
Sue Devitt Beauty Gel to Powder Blush, $20

Best Lipstick
Giorgio Armani ArmaniSilk, $25

Best SPF-Enriched Lipstick
Almay Hydracolor, $9

Best Lip Gloss
Sally Hansen Smile Brightening Lip Treatment, $7

Best Lipliner
Lauren Hutton Lip Liner, $14

Best Powder Eyeshadow
Victoria's Secret Very Sexy Mosaic Eye Shadow, $18

Best Cream Eyeshadow
Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow, $22

Best Makeup Multitasker
Benefit Rush Hour, $20

Best Eyeliner
L'Oréal Paris Carbon Black Le Kohl Pencil, $7

Best Lengthening Mascara
Clinique High Definition Lashes Brush-Then-Comb Mascara, $14

Best Thickening Mascara
CoverGirl VolumeExact Mascara, $7

Best Waterproof Mascara
Maybelline New York Volum' Express Turbo Mascara, $7

Best Multitasking Mascara
Chanel Inimitable Mascara, $27

Best Eye Makeup Remover
Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Plantidote Mega-Mushroom Eye Makeup Remover Pads, $20

Best Palette
Sonia Kashuk Face Palette, $17

HAIR

Best All-Around Shampoo
Aura Spa Aromatherapie Balancing Équilibrant Verbena Ginger Shampoo, $8

Best Hydrating Shampoo
Sunsilk ThermaShine, $4

Best Straightening Shampoo
Nexxus SleekTress Sumptuous Smoothing Shampoo, $9

Best Shampoo for Curls
Aveda Be Curly Shampoo, $20

Best Shampoo for Color-Treated Hair
Matrix Logics Color DNA System Color Nourishing Shampoo, $20

Best All-Around Conditioner
Charles Worthington Dream Hair Radiant Shine Glossing Conditioner, $9

Best Hydrating Conditioner
Kiehl's Olive Fruit Oil Nourishing Conditioner, $19

Best Straightening Conditioner
Aussie Sydney Smooth Conditioner, $3

Best Conditioner for Curls
Redken Fresh Curls Conditioner, $13

Best Conditioner for Color-Treated Hair
Marc Anthony Brilliant Color Color Lock Conditioner, $8

Best Hair Mask
Alberto VO5 Fortify & Repair! Deep Moisturizing 3-Minute Masque, $3

Best Volumizer
Biolage VolumaThérapie Bodifying Crème Gel, $14

Best Shine Serum
John Frieda Frizz-Ease Thermal Protection Serum, $10

Best Gel
Garnier Fructis Style Brilliantine Shine Cream-Gel, $4

Best Curl Product
Suave Professionals Healthy Curls Anti-Frizz Cream, $2

Best Frizz Fighter
Herbal Essences None of Your Frizzness Smoothing Leave-In Crème, $3

Best Mousse
Wella Color Preserve Volumizing Mousse, $14

Best Straightening Product
Tresemmé Thermal Creations Straightening Gel, $4

Best Texturizer
Pantene Pro-V Texturize! Moussing Foam Wax, $7

Best Hairspray
Paul Mitchell Express Style Worked Up Spray, $15

Best At-Home Color Kit
Clairol Natural Instincts, $9

SUN

Best Face Sunscreen
Dermalogica Extra Rich Faceblock SPF 30, $48

Best Body Sunscreen
Banana Boat UltraMist Sport SPF 30 Continuous Clear Spray, $7

Best Face Glow Lotion
Nivea Sun-Kissed Facial Moisturizer, $7

Best Body Glow Lotion
Estée Lauder Body Performance Golden Naturally Radiant Moisturizer, $35

Best Self-Tanner
Lancaster Silk Bronze Moisturizing Milk Face & Body Self Tan SPF 6, $22

Best Body Bronzer
Dior Bronze Gelée de Monoi, $32

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Overcome the Woes of Winter Hair and Skin

BellaSugar — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 08:00:08 -0800

During the winter months our skin gets flaky and dry, our hair becomes more brittle, and because our nails aren't exposed to as much vitamin D from the sun as they are in the summer, they tend to weaken and grow more slowly. So before the temperature plunges below zero and any moisture that's left gets sucked right out of you, take a moment to read about a few simple ways to ensure that your hair and body stay healthy all winter long.

Pamper your senses in the shower Showers are your special time to breathe in the stimulating aromas from a shampoo, body scrub, or soap. Choose a fragrance that makes you feel alive and soak it all in! Try not to linger too long, though, because hot water can dry your skin.
Face the music It's important to apply a face mask every week to clear out your pores and re-hydrate skin. You should really begin to notice the suppleness and brightness of your skin after each treatment.

For three more tips to help overcome the woes of Winter hair and skin, read more

Lotion up with a thick body lotion so that you don't get flaky hands, legs, and feet. Indulge in products that contain shea butter since it is especially hydrating and protective.
Refresh and exfoliate your skin at least twice a week. If you want all of that bright and shiny baby skin to resurface, you've got to get rid of the gray, lackluster, and dead skin first. You can exfoliate in the shower or bath, or just do a quick face exfoliation at your bathroom sink.
Take special care of your hair Apply a hair mask at least once a week. Pay attention to the ingredients to make sure it's rich in nutrients and essential oils.

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Beauty Byte: Kérastase Moving Into Skin Care

BellaSugar — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 10:30:18 -0700

Does the world need another skincare line? You bet, especially if it's created by an oh-so-luxurious brand that already takes great care of our hair. According to Women's Wear Daily, the Paris-based haircare line Kérastase is getting into the skincare business. Owned by L'Oréal, Kerastase plans to introduce a line of treatment products called Kéraskin Esthetics in December. It will roll out to the U.S. and Canada starting in 2008.

The move is aimed at capturing more sales at high-end salons, where Kérastase is already well-established. According to Jean-Jacques Lebel, VP of L'Oréal's Professional Products Division:

"In the salon business, we've created all kinds of new experiences: Disco salons, spa salons, salons with restaurants, bars, environmentally friendly salons," he said. "Today, we feel that professional skin treatment is one of those niches. Our competition is not necessarily other hair salons but anywhere that offers head-to-toe beauty treatment," he continued.

The challenge will be convincing devoted Kérastase hair customers that they should trust their skin to the brand, too. The Kéraskin lineup will include 34 facial care products, which will be administered by "Kérafacialists" in salons. WWD says the line will include skin cream, makeup remover, toner, and more.

Do you guys like Kérastase hair products? If so, what do you think of this news?

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