BellaSugar

Is Light-Up Packaging a Brilliant Idea?

BellaSugar — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 14:00:07 -0700

As if the fluorescent lights at megamarts weren't lovely enough, soon you'll see flashing lights while you shop. NXT, a new line of paraben-free men's grooming goods, isn't spending its money on a huge advertising budget. Instead, it's relying on innovative packaging to draw shoppers in. Each container has an LED light at its base, and the light illuminates the gel within. The New York Times explains:

Every 15 seconds, a light-emitting diode (LED) in the bottom of the container flares on, stays lighted for a few seconds, then fades out. . . . Each NXT light is powered by two or three AAA batteries, and a rolling switch turns off the contraption when it’s upside down or sideways. The light will flash for about a year, so the product is shipped upside-down from its plant in China in boxes that say “This Side Up” in five languages.

From a marketing standpoint, it's pretty smart - who wouldn't pause in the shaving-cream aisle to investigate the flashing lights? And yet, I hope it doesn't kick off a trend; those blinking red coupon dispensers always annoy me at the grocery store, and the idea of an entire wall of flashing (or worse, musical) products makes me anxious. What do you think of this concept? Would you be more likely buy a product if it would light up your life? Or are you ready to hide away in Bella's Dark Bunker of Non-Illuminated Products if the trend gets bigger?

How Much Does Packaging Matter To You?

BellaSugar — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 06:00:43 -0700

The other weekend, GiggleSugar and I went to Nordstrom. Even though the last thing I need is another nail polish, I dropped a ridiculous $19 on Chanel Gold Shimmer. Yep, I got suckered in by the sleek black cap and double-C logo. (And of course, the pedicure has already chipped.) How often does packaging make or break a decision?

How To: Make Your Cosmetic Containers Sparkle

BellaSugar — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 09:00:00 -0700

A lot of you are in love with the crystal-adorned Vaseline container from Monday's blush post, so I thought I'd tell you how you can make it at home. In fact, you could dress up almost any classic beauty buy this way, making even the most routine grooming products into objets d'art in your loo.

Swarovski makes crystals that you can individually glue onto the Vaseline container, but i think this approach takes too much time and money. Do you really want to spend hours messing with glue? Instead, the quick and easy way to get the rhinestone effect is to buy a set of peel-and-stick acrylic crystals. You will need about 300 small clear crystals and around 125 blue ones. Before you start application, be sure to clean the container so that you don't have any random petroleum jelly stains. From there, it's a simple (if tedious) process of peeling and sticking each crystal onto the jar. Start at the bottom and work your way up; this way, you can easily hold the container still. And that's it, really! It's easy, inexpensive and fabulous-an honor the humble Vaseline jar has probably never had bestowed upon it before.

Source

13 Ridiculously Huge Makeup Gifts For Holiday Giving

BellaSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:42 -0800

For the holidays, when it comes to gift-giving you can go big, or you can go small - but going big doesn't necessarily have to mean you'll go broke. If you have people on your list who you're uncertain as to what they'd like, you can't really go wrong with a ginormous collection of makeup shades. You know the type. These sets just aren't makeup palettes, they're the mother of all makeup palettes. Whether they are packaged up in a train case, sleek fold-out box, or industry-sized bag, you've got lots of options.

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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!

What's Your Favorite Product Packaging?

BellaSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:02:28 -0800

The Lolita Lempicka apple has to be one of my all-time favorite product designs. It's so pretty and so utterly unique, and it fits perfectly into the palm of my hand. What about you? Is there a particular product design that you just can't get enough of? Let's tell each other about our favorites.

Fragrance Review: Jil by Jil Sander

BellaSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:00:11 -0800

You might know Jil Sander as a German designer with a minimalistic style, and that's exactly the kind aesthetic you'll get with her new fragrance, Jil ($58-$70), a floral amber that just launched last week. The scent, which has powdery characteristics, contains top notes of pink pepper and tangerine for a bit of brightness, with lavender mellowing it out. At the heart is where you get most of the action, with lily of the valley bringing a hint of sweetness, orris lending an earthiness, and heliotrope providing a musky quality. To round it off, musk, vanilla, and ambergris make for a slightly exotic, sensual finish. To find out what I thought about the fragrance, just keep reading.

Lipstick Packaging Doesn't Matter - Except When It Does

BellaSugar — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 07:00:47 -0700

When you buy a beauty product, much of your money goes to the costs of marketing and fancy packaging. It's just how it is, which is why I don't go for design alone in most cases. For some items, I don't care about aesthetics - it's not like my eye makeup remover has to be in a stunning bottle. And I don't care as much about eye shadow containers as I do about the product inside. But lipstick - lipstick is different. There's something pleasing about pulling out a well-designed tube, feeling the lipstick swivel up smoothly, and applying it like a sultry dame in a film noir.

So when I want to splurge on a lipstick, I go for either Lancome L'Absolu Rouge ($29) or Chanel Rouge Allure ($30). Both are softly scented, both go on like buttah, and both have packaging that is a pleasure to play with. Lancome's lipstick closes with a gentle magnetic click, and Chanel's sleek case has a cool push-button open/close mechanism. And while technically, these packaging details shouldn't matter, they make lipstick application a lot more fun. Do you have a favorite kind of tube?

Reese Witherspoon Talks About Her New Fragrance

BellaSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:00:18 -0700

What do you get when one of Hollywood's most popular and powerful A-listers releases a fragrance? In Bloom ($34), the new Avon scent from Reese Witherspoon. Over the course of two years, the self-proclaimed girly-girl was involved in practically all aspects of the perfume-making experience, from helping to select the fragrance's notes to providing input on her inaugural scent's packaging, bottle design, and name. During a phone call earlier this week, Reese shared her thoughts on creating In Bloom. For the scoop, just keep reading.

Has Heidi Klum Made the Perfect Lipstick?

BellaSugar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:00:01 -0700

Did you know that Victoria's Secret Beauty is one of the best-selling brands in the country? Yep. Who knew? A revamp of the line's VS Makeup means it's worth a new look, and it probably doesn't hurt that Christian Siriano and Heidi Klum are collaborating on makeup collections for the brand. Heidi's latest endeavor is a collection of makeup inspired by her travels to the spiritual city of Varanasi, India. To that end, the jewel-toned packaging is gorgeously draped in golds, pinks, and purples.

I've been playing around with some of the products, and one thing stands out above everything else: Heidi Klum Perfect Lipstick ($16) in Exotic Spice. It's pretty much the perfect versatile shade of nude pink, and the moist and creamy formula has just a hint of shine. It works for a natural, low-key look as well as a glamorous nighttime one, and it just feels nice on the lips. I'm not absolutely crazy about the chocolate scent, but your mileage may vary. Either way, this has become my go-to shade - even if I don't look like Heidi with it on.