BellaSugar

The 6 Big Beauty Trends That Emerged at Fashion Week

BellaSugar — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:00:00 PDT

New York Fashion Week ended last week, and now it's time to analyze the styles, from hair to makeup to what polishes we foresee flying off the shelves come March. To make the myriad styles we saw over the nine days of 2010 Spring New York Fashion Week easier to parse, I've assembled the six big trends, complete with several different ways to wear each - from rebel rocker to demure debutante. Click through for the definitive looks for Spring.

15 More Looks I Love From Fashion Week So Far: Days 3-5

BellaSugar — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:30:15 PDT

Whew! So much has happened over the last three days, and there's been lots of amazing hair and makeup. As I see more shows, I'm happy to report that quite a few of the Spring trends are very pretty and totally wearable. Click through to see some truly beautiful, inspired styling, and to get a glimpse of what next season might look like.

LA Fashion Week Spring 2008, Monarchy: Love It or Hate It?

FabSugar — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 07:00:22 PDT

Monarchy attempted the menswear theme that many designers have been dabbling with recently. Only, their route was more boyish than manly. This particular look reminds me a lot of Hansel from the German fairytale. On the runway (or green carpet in this case), it looks whimsical and cute, but on the streets, it would look wacky. Perhaps it would be a fashionable Halloween costume? What do you say?

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A Closer Look at Scandinavian Woodburning Stoves

Elka Karl — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:00:17 PST

Scandinavian interior design is one of my absolute favorite decorating styles, and one standout feature in many Scandinavian homes is the traditional stove that regally occupies a corner of a bedroom or living room.

Most Scandinavian stoves are column-shaped, ceramic, and white in color. Similar to the one pictured here, they also often feature a crown-like adornment near the top - a nod to the countries' shared history of monarchy rule.

These stoves are usually ceramic masonry heaters, sometimes called tile stoves or contra-flow stoves. Most commonly, wood is burned in the stoves, and heat is radiated through the thermal mass of the heaters.

This ancient, efficient technology is seen throughout the world in many forms. Some varieties include the German kachelofen, the Finnish kaakeliuuni, and the Chinese Kang bed-stove.

While these stoves' main advantage is their ability to efficiently heat a home, they also are a gorgeous addition to a room - much more so, in my opinion, than the American fireplace. Are you a fan of the look of these stoves as well?

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Holiday Gift Guide: Little Luxuries For Your Blue Blood Buddy

CasaSugar — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 05:00:52 PST

For the friend who enjoys the finer things in life, hone in on small but well-crafted accessories. These are the gifts that make every day life feel just a little more luxurious. Keeping an eye out for vintage items is also a safe bet for the girl who seems to have everything.

This set of Three Bamboo Pens ($15, second row, right) add a touch of chinoiserie chic to a nightstand or desk. A symbol historically associated with the French monarchy, a trio of Fleur-de-Lis Hooks ($39, middle row, left) feels downright regal whether they're holding a coat or your favorite necklaces. This Cire Trudon Room Spray ($142, bottom row, right) engages the eyes just as much as the nose. Squeeze the antique-style atomizer and you'll bring the outdoors in with notes of green leaves, eucalyptus, orange, fir's bark and cedar. My favorite is the Set of Four Brazilian Green Agate Coasters ($65, center). The organic shape and varying hues of emerald and sea foam green look like pieces of jewelry for your furniture.

Shop the rest of my choices by clicking on each image. Happy gifting!

Australia's Leader Says Curtseying to Queen Is "Just Not Me"

Annie Scudder — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:45:47 PDT

Queen Elizabeth arrived in Australia yesterday, and it must have been a little awkward when she greeted the country's prime minister, Julia Gillard. The Aussie leader, who was born in Britain, is a self-confessed Republican, meaning she supports a republic for Australia, rather than a constitutional monarchy with the British monarch as its head of state, as is the case now. Since the meeting at an air-force base, Gillard has been forced to defend herself for breaking protocol, as she declined to curtsey for the queen and chose to forgo a hat.

When asked if curtseying to the country's symbolic leader was demeaning, Gillard said, "Some things are you, some things aren't." While Gillard also maintained that she's a great admirer of Queen Elizabeth, we shouldn't be surprised Australia's first female prime minister did things her own way. The redheaded 50-year-old doesn't fit the politician mold necessarily. She's been dating a hairstylist since 2006 and has frankly said that not having children has helped her succeed.

When it comes to breaching protocol, Gillard isn't alone anyway. Michelle Obama famously touched (gasp!) the queen in 2009, during a reception at Buckingham Palace. See more photos of the queen's Australian arrival now. She and her 90-year-old husband Prince Phillip sure get around!

Emily Giffin Shares Her Top Moments From the Royal Wedding!

Guest Writer — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:15:05 PDT

Editor's Note: The following is a guest post written by Emily Giffin, author of Something Borrowed and four other best-selling novels. For more from Emily, like her on Facebook.

Just as I got up at the crack of dawn with my mother and sister to watch Di and Charles wed, I set my alarm for four this morning, donned my fanciest hat (purchased for Royal Ascot during my years in London), and gathered with my mother and own satisfyingly brainwashed-to-care children to watch this generation’s version of the royal wedding. As we sipped Earl Grey and munched on iced royal-nuptial sugar cookies, I tweeted the action, entranced by every detail of Kate and Will's magical day. Thirty years from now, here is what I will remember most:

A "people's wedding" with pomp and circumstance. Just as the guest list included celebrities, royals, and dignataries, as well as the butcher, grocer and postman of Kate's Berkshire village, the ceremony managed to be both formal and intimate at once, a tricky balancing act. Even the avenue of English field maple trees placed along the aisle (Kate's idea, natch) brightened the somber, thousand-year-old abbey doubling as a final resting place of 17 monarchs. Right out of the gate, Kate proves that she can respect tradition - yet do things her way - with warmth and style.
The dress, the dress! Kate looked positively stunning in her Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen ivory, hand-laced gown. While Diana's dress conjured an overdone child's drawing (no surprise, since she herself was a teenager!), Kate's gown was elegant and sophisticated, wonderfully reminiscent of Grace Kelly. A real, grown-up princess. (And, of course, I'd be remiss not to mention Kate's "something borrowed" - a 1936 Cartier tiara, on loan from the Queen herself, per royal wedding tradition. Beautiful.)
Picture-perfect Pippa and hot Harry. In contrast to the hideously comical, Dr. Seuss-esque selections of the Princesses of York, Eugenie and Beatrice. Oh, no they didn't.
Prince William’s one-liner to his soon-to-be father-in-law . . . “just a small family affair!” I love that he loves her family - another good sign.

See the rest and more pictures when you read more.

Geeking Out For William and Kate

GeekSugar — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 02:01:04 PDT

Who needs Comic-Con when you have the royal wedding?

Source: Flickr user British Monarchy

Get in the Royal Wedding Spirit With a Sweet and Savory Afternoon Tea

Allie Merriam — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 04:36:06 PDT

The royal wedding is just three days away, and fans of the monarchy are busy prepping for Prince William and Kate Middleton's big day. For those planning to celebrate the nuptials in a British way, there are many options to choose between. One could indulge in something boisterous, like a fun pub crawl, or for the true Anglophile, a slightly more elegant afternoon tea is in order! We were able to sample the afternoon service at one of NYC's most storied hotels, the St. Regis, last week for a primer on how to have the perfect tea. Opting for a prix fixe experience is a real treat, but it would also be relatively simple to replicate at home. A few pointers on how to host the perfect tea, after the jump.

"Not the Royal Wedding" Party Planned to Protest the Monarchy

Annie Scudder — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:20:13 PDT

Some Brits are so excited about the upcoming royal wedding that they came out to see this ridiculous impostor version earlier this month. Meanwhile, the real deal is really bothering others. Republic, a group that supports the abolition of the monarchy, has a plan to hold its own April 29 street party: "Not the Royal Wedding."

"We've taken a 'traditional' royalist street party as our inspiration," explains Republic's website, "but there will be one key difference - we'll be celebrating democracy and people-power rather than inherited privilege." The party would feature food and vendors, and originally the city of London planned to shut down the street for the group, which hoped to use the national holiday as a chance to raise awareness for its cause. But city officials just changed their minds, citing community concerns, and the future of the event is uncertain.

It's no secret that we're eating up every new detail about the royal wedding, but does this antimonarchy party sound more your speed?