BellaSugar

If You're Feeling a Little Limey...

BellaSugar — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:00:02 -0800

I buy lots of limes, mostly because I make guacamole as though I were getting paid for it. But in body-care products, lime is tons of fun as well. It provides a jolt of citrus scent that always wakes me up before I go-go, and it always leaves me feeling refreshed after a shower. If you're a fan of eating the fruit, why not put it on your skin? Here are some ideas.

Fragrance Review: Jo Malone Sweet Lime And Cedar

BellaSugar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:00:12 -0700

Do you like Thai food? I love it so much that I'd have to say that it's one of those "more than a once a week" staples for me and Mr. Bella. It's flavorful, healthy, and just about a three- minute walk from my doorstep. Convenience: I'm all for it.

So, when I heard that Jo Malone's new Sweet Lime and Cedar Cologne ($55 to $100) was based on the fine flavors of Thai cuisine, I almost choked on my green papaya salad.

Just as Thai cooking relies on delicately blending ingredients while incorporating the five flavors, Jo Malone's latest fragrance relies on delicately blending aromas to do the same. Sweet, salty, bitter, spicy, and sour - this fragrance has it all. It's got a very distinctively lime, slightly coconutty quality upon first whiff. Then, a spiciness follows. A hint of cardamom gives it some heat, and tonka bean (vanilla-ish) mellows it out. The slightest touch of floral notes makes it smell so pretty. Then - pow! Cedar and tamarind lend a lingering, lofty quality.

All in all, Jo Malone's Sweet Lime and Cedar Cologne is a definite keeper. It's different, exotic, and would work nicely for both men and women. Mr. Bella even requested seconds. "Pad Thai or Beef Pho?" I asked. "No, the perfume!" he said. A man after my own heart.

Trend Alert: Lime Green Eyeliner

BellaSugar — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 15:00:40 -0700

This season, brightly colored eyeliner is all the rage. It's a great time to play with flirty colors and stray from everyday blacks and browns. I particularly like the lime-green eyeliner trend, because it's a slightly wild but still mild look. It even works for daytime - perhaps with a summer barbecue ensemble?

I've played around with the shade, and I think these eyeliners look best with black mascara and a champagne shadow. If you've tried lime-green eyeliner, let me me know what worked for you.

Petal Essence Triple Accent by Aveda in Olive/Quince ($18) is a dual-ended chunky pencil that can be used on the eyes, lips, or cheeks. (There are icons on each end, indicating where you can use it.) Though this earth-friendly pencil, made from eco-certified wood, is sold out online, you can find it at Aveda salons.

For one more lime-green eyeliner, read more

Eyeful Jumbo Pencil by Rimmel Underground in Stand Out ($6.99) just recently arrived in the United States! This "wet-look" liner has a glossy, sheer finish, so it won't look too green-green on your lids.

Link Time!

BellaSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:59:19 -0800

Rachel Roy reveals her must-have beauty items - Beauty Blitz
Leighton Meester takes a makeup risk - FabSugar UK
An Oz-inspired nail polish collection. (Oz as in Dorothy, not prison drama.) - Temptalia
Lady Gaga's makeup inspiration might blow your mind - Stylelist
A list of the top 10 most "valuable" models - The Cut
Men in ponytails are neither ponies nor tails. Discuss. - Glamour
Do blondes have more fun? Ask Emma Roberts. - People Style Watch
Two ways to get super-shiny hair - Beauty Snob
Lime Crime makeup is causing major dramz - Afrobella
How to get gorgeous retro hair - Lemondrop

Win a Huge Assortment of Pacifica Products From Sephora!

BellaSugar — Sun, 24 May 2009 23:30:00 -0700

I see hydrated skin, soothing, calming scents, and an air of relaxation in your future; and it's all thanks to our friends at Sephora. From now until Sunday, we're offering up a huge collection of Pacifica products, guaranteed to have you feeling cool, calm, and collected. Ahh. If you're chosen the lucky grand prize winner of this set, you'll receive the following eco-friendly products.

They include:

Lotus Garden Soy Candle - A natural, handmade candle perfumed with scents of lotus blossom, cassis, green violet leaf, and pink pepper.
A selection of Guava Butters - Three luxuriously scented intensive body moisturizers in Hawaiian Ruby, Bali Lime Papaya, and Brazilian Mango Grapefruit.
Brazilian Mango Grapefruit Travel Set - A trio of grapefruit-scented goodies, including a Soy Candle, Body Butter, and Solid Perfume.
Tuscan Blood Orange Body Wash - An everyday cleanser scented with spicy blood orange, strawberry, raspberry, and mandarin.
Malibu Lemon Blossom Lotion - A luxuriously scented daily body moisturizer inspired by lemony Litsea Cubeba, flowering Angel's Trumpet, and fresh herbs.
Bliss Blood Orange White Pepper Sugar Scrub - And as a special bonus, you'll also receive this skin-cleansing scrub that's formulated with an energizing citrus scent.

To enter, just take the quiz by 12 p.m. PDT on Sunday, May 31, 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 TeamSugar member to enter. So if you're not already one, register for an account. 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 TeamSugar for your entry to count. For the complete rules, click here. Good luck!

Take the quiz

Coming Soon: Estée Lauder Vivid Garden Summer Color Collection

BellaSugar — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 13:00:18 -0800

I can't say that I've been to a real, official afternoon tea in the garden. I can't say that I've even officially been to an afternoon tea - that is, unless you count my friend's baby shower in Ohio, where it was snowing outside, but we still enjoyed bite-sized treats like mini cucumber sandwiches and clotted cream in the comfort of indoors. Regardless, a garden-side afternoon tea sounds quite nice, don't you think? And that's exactly what inspired Estée Lauder in its Vivid Garden Summer Color Collection for '09.
While there will also be a warm Bronze Goddess Collection for the rising temperatures ahead, the limited-edition Vivid Garden palette focuses on whimsical, floral-inspired vibrant shades such as pinks, purples, teal, aquamarine, and lime. Creamy textures and sheer glazes provide the finishes.

View 3 Photos ›

Find out what's new when you read more.

Base look for face:

Vivid Garden Illuminating Powder ($32): Includes three slightly shimmery, floral-inspired shades with a dusting of gold.
Duo-Tone Eye Pencil ($18.50): Comes in contrasting tones of Onyx and Pearl.

For a Jasmine Garden Look (Available at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Bloomingdale's):

Signature Eyeshadow Quad in Jasmine Garden ($35)
Pure Color Illuminating Gloss in Lotus Blossom ($18)
Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Sweet Lychee ($22)
Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Lotus Blossom ($18)

For an Orchid Garden Look (Exclusive to Nordstrom):

Signature Eyeshadow Quad in Orchid Garden ($35)
Pure Color Illuminating Gloss in Peach Blossom ($18)
Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Crystal Coral ($22)
Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Peach Blossom ($18)

Beauty Gifts For a Foodie Grandma

BellaSugar — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:00:49 -0800

One of the only things better than ma's cooking is grandma's cooking. If you've got a grandmother that loves to cook (or loves to eat), here's an interesting way to let her treat herself.

Plenty of traditional foods show up in our beauty products, not just as scents but as actual ingredients, essences, and extracts. I've made a shopping list of some great gift items in the widget below, starting off with this sea salt body scrub with a fresh blend of mango, lime, pineapple, and tangerine.

Fill an eco-friendly, reusable totebag with a couple of these luscious beauty products, add other "food-themed" items like a magnetic shopping list notepad, gift card for a local grocer . . . you get the idea. Yummy!

Pangea Organics Facial Mask -Japanese Matcha Tea with Acai & Goji Berry - $34.00	adara Organic Virgin Coconut Oil - Unscented (Manufacturer Backorder - Shipping 12/1) - $30.00
Pomegranate Super Anti-Oxidant Cream - $32.50	Ginger Float™ - $26.50
Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado - $24.50	The Face Shop Nature's Recipe Hydrating Milk Facial Mask - $12.99
Burt's Bees Carrot Nutritive Day Creme - $14.99	Carol's Daughter Mango Melange Sea Salt Body Scrub, .5 ltr. - $28.00

Oh, and don't forget to check out HolidaySugar for all of our holiday coverage and gift guides.

Mix Up Some Cocktails For Your Hair

BellaSugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 07:00:25 -0800

Who doesn't love cocktails? While boozy concoctions will make you feel a little tipsy, I have some other "cocktail" recipes that will make you feel all fuzzy inside - without the crushing hangover.

These cocktails blend a base hair product with one or more products to add maximum oomph to your style. And since it's pretty difficult to find just one hair product to do it all, why not try a little mixology of your own? Just blend the ingredients and they'll make your hair products work even better. Apply the following mixtures to slightly wet hair, starting from the back of your head working forward. Let's say you have a gel on hand - Korres Lime Styling Gel ($15) will do. Now, find out how to create your own super gel when you read more.

Gel + Mousse = Crunchy Hold: Great for wavy or curly hair for lots of hold. Try Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Curl Boosting Mousse ($2.99).
Gel + Shine Serum = High Gloss: For all hair types. This blend provides light hold and shine. If your hair is fine, use product sparingly. Try Phyto Phytolisse Finishing Serum ($30).
Gel + Curl Lotion = Soft Waves or Curl: For a natural, frizz-free look. Try Marc Anthony Curl Defining Lotion ($7.99).
Gel + Straightening Lotion = Straight and Sleek: Provides body and shine with an anti-frizz finish. Works well for most hair types. Try Oscar Blandi Raffinata Straightening Balm ($19).

Source

DIY Spa Treatment: Face Brightening Mask

BellaSugar — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 09:00:25 -0700

Feeling as tired, dull and dry as your skin looks? Don't worry, here's a quick and easy at home recipe to brighten your complexion and put the life back into your lackluster skin. All you'll need is some gram flour, turmeric powder, lime juice, olive oil and milk. Sounds easy enough, right? Here's what to do:

Add one teaspoon of gram flour into a clean, medium sized mixing bowl. Gram flour is in the chickpea flour family and is a very popular ingredient for facial exfoliators in India and Pakistan.
Next, add a pinch of turmeric powder to help disinfect and cleanse the skin without drying it out.
Then, add in about four drops of fresh squeezed lime. Limes are packed with Vitamin C and AHA's. They help to lighten and brighten even the oiliest of skins.
Next, drip a half teaspoon of olive oil into the bowl and slowly begin to emulsify the mixture. This will help moisturize the skin. Lastly, blend in a half teaspoon of whole milk to soothe and calm your face.
Stir the ingredients together and apply the mixture to your skin for half an hour or until your face starts feeling a little dry. Then wash your face first with warm water and then with cold water. For more DIY Spa Treatments, click here.

Source and Source

Fragrance Review: Thierry Mugler Innocent Illusion

BellaSugar — Mon, 26 May 2008 07:00:11 -0700

Thierry Mugler is not afraid of ruffling a few feathers in the fragrance world. His signature scent, Angel, incites either an intense love or immense disdain over its powerful, sugary muskiness. So I was interested to see if his latest creation, Innocent Illusion ($50), would smell equally controversial.

Innocent Illusion is a much gentler yet no less complex fragrance. It is a bit of a chameleon, with notes of red currant, lime blossom, mandarin, and sweet almond for a sweet-spiciness, as well as bergamot and white musk for depth and woodsiness. After a while, the scent settles into the skin with a surprising freshness. It's got a little bit of everything, which keeps it from being as overpowering as its predecessor, but it also fails to have as strong of a personality. That being said, this is indeed a truly enjoyable, multidimensional fragrance.

Those of you who may have written off Thierry Mugler because of Angel should consider trying Innocent Illusion. This fragrance is significantly easier to wear, yet unusual enough to not be boring. My only gripe? This spacey pink bottle might be a contender for one of the worst perfume bottles ever. Oh well, nothing's perfect.

Ulta 3-in-1 Shower Smoothies - $14.99	Molton Brown Thai Vert Fine Hand Wash - $25.00
Bon Bomb Bath Bomb - $4.95	100% Pure Body Scrub, Organic Lime Peel Juicy - $22.00
Lime Basil Soap by Indigo Wild - $5.50	The International Toiletry Company Moisturizing Soap, Coconut & Lime - $5.00
LaLicious Passionfruit Lime Sugar Souffle - $32.00	Anthousa Grapefruit & Lime Blossom Body Cream - $55.00
Kings & Queens Shower Gel, George III - Lime - $9.00	MALIN+GOETZ Hand Wash Set, Rum + Lime - $40.00
Lime & Geranium Hand Lotion - $13.50