BellaSugar

Tea Tree Oil Products Part II: Body Care

BellaSugar — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 14:00:11 PDT

Welcome back to my three-part series about tea tree oil products. Today I've chosen three sensational body care products that help to soothe, soften and treat the skin. I think once you start exploring this excellent essential oil you're going to find yourself constantly turning to it for beauty and health-related solutions.

Amber Products Co. Wax Cream ($13.95) is a gentle body wax that contains high amounts of tea tree oil to result in a creamier feel that leaves little residue on the skin. It's great for removing short, coarse hairs and is recommended for use at a medium to high temperature. It is available in 14 oz and 16 oz sizes.

For two more tea tree oil products for your body

Elemis Tea Tree S.O.S Spray ($35) is a great antiseptic that's effective in treating problematic skin. The simple spray formula can reach your back, leg, bum and feet easily. It's a great post-waxing spray because it not only prevents ingrown hairs, but it also keeps skin clean.

Tea Tree Oil Deodorant Stick by Queen Helene ($3.59) is a natural deodorant that helps neutralize unpleasant odors. Although it's gentle, it really does fight off bacteria as well as perspiration effectively.

Product Review: Kose Seikisho Mask White

BellaSugar — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 09:00:07 PDT

While visiting Japan last year, I found a lot of exclusive and hard-to-find cosmetic brands. (For instance, did you know that the designer Jill Stuart has a complete beauty line?) One unusual discovery is Kose Seikisho Mask White ($28).

Naturally, I had to buy a tube (as a souvenir, of course). The mask itself comes out of the tube as a black goo. (It made me think of The X-Files, which led me into a dreamy David Duchovny reverie.) For more of my review,

The black mask has a soothing, cool feel that tightens a little when it dries. It smells good, too-it's hard to describe, but it just has a fresh, clean scent. If you try this mask, don't skimp with it; I found that applying a thick layer makes peeling the mask off much easier. Stay far away from the eye area, since you'll have to pull your skin a little to remove the mask. Doing so is easy: All you have to do is flick up a tiny bit, then use that to peel the whole thing off.

Whenever I use this, I find that it removes a fair amount of dead skin, and if I'm really lucky, it'll pull out a visible blackhead or two. My complexion generally looks better, but more in a "Well, that's nice" way than in a "Holy moly, who is that beautiful creature?!" way. While I like this product, I think that any peel-off mask is going to pull off dead skin, so I may as well hunt for a drugstore version for comparison. Queen Helene makes a grape seed mask that sounds similar, and it's only $3. I'm thinking of trying it to see if I can get the same result for $25 less. I know Kose products are available in the States now, at C.O. Bigelow stores, so If you've tried either of these masks, let me know!

Oscars Beauty: Hairstyles From the Back

BellaSugar — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:00:01 PST

We're so used to seeing photos of stars from the front, we neglect to mention what's going on in the back. We're talking updos, and on Oscars night, there were plenty to inspire. Some stars chose simple chignons, while others brought in real gems. Check out what I mean now.

Trending on Très - Actresses Who've Played Influential Women in History

TresSugar — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 04:00:00 PST

Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II and more actresses who've portrayed famous women
Stars like Laura Dern and Ben Harper get cozy at Golden Globe afterparties
We celebrate Michelle Obama's birthday with the first lady's best moments
The Golden Globes featured a lot of international eye candy
For her 90th birthday, we look back at Betty White's funniest and sexiest quotes
Ahead of the Super Bowl, give your man a football-themed gift
Blast from the past: weigh in on the bundled-up hotties at past Sundance Film Festivals
It's all relative: see the cutest family moments this award season
Madonna, Meryl, and Michelle give their wise words in the Golden Globe press room
What we've learned from the lyrics of '90s hit songs

Russell Brand Has Kisses For Wife Katy Perry at His UK Arthur Premiere

Allie Merriam — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:08:11 PDT

A Dolce & Gabbana-clad Russell Brand had lots of love to share this afternoon at the UK premiere of Arthur in London. His wife, Katy Perry, was on hand for the red carpet, and her sparkly nude gown was evidently a hit with Russell. He threw his arms around her to give her a big kiss before temporarily leaving her side in order to pose with his costars Greta Gerwig and Helen Mirren, who also had a sweet PDA moment with her own spouse, Taylor Hackford. One cast-mate didn't make the trek, though, as Jennifer Garner celebrated her 39th birthday back in LA. Katy is on a break from her Teenage Dream world tour, and she jetted to England after spending the weekend with other celebs at Coachella. Russell arrived in his home country a few days ago to do press for the European opening of his film, which opened in the US to relatively underwhelming results. We managed to catch up with him at a screening in NYC, where he talked all about his love for Helen and his hopes for Easter Sunday. Russell said:

On ranking Helen on a scale of 1-10 of awesomeness: "There's no number, it's beyond Pythagoras, beyond mathematics, beyond numeracy. There's a system of signs that belongs only in the heavens - that is what I would give Helen Mirren. Astronomy cannot answer how much I love that woman."
On his connection with Helen: "I love her very much, there's nothing but sparks there. That woman is a pyrotechnical display all in herself. I think crush is a rather glib word for the profound tidal love that swells in my stomach every time I look at that woman."
On what he wants in his Easter basket: "I think it's bad to eat too much sugar. An apple, photograph of the queen, just more baskets, an endless Russian doll effect of baskets, a wicker tower reaching to god himself, or herself, who knows."

Beauty Must Reads From the Bella Community

BellaSugar — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 05:56:00 PDT

Nails of the week: MAC, OPI, Orly, and more - A Hoarder's Blog
Beauty bite: Pat McGrath and Cover Girl for LeSportsac - StyleIT
A royal review of Queen Helene Royal Curl collection - Natural Beauty
Nine of the best luxury bronzing powders - Urembo
How to use Boscia's Pore Purifying Black Strips - Style Apothecary

Arthur: More Fun the Second Time Around

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 04:00:00 PDT

Jason Winer's Arthur is a remake of a 1981 film starring Dudley Moore, but how you feel about the original (or even if you haven't seen it at all) won't have much effect on your enjoyment of the 2011 version. In this fresh take, Brand plays Arthur, a filthy rich heir who never grew up because he never had to. Arthur spends the majority of his days and nights wasting his millions on whatever and whomever he sees fit, pretending he's Batman, and drinking as much Maker's Mark as is humanly possible. With his nanny Hobson (Helen Mirren) there to clean up all of his messes, Arthur has no reason to abandon his carefree lifestyle and settle down.

When his mother hands him an ultimatum, Arthur is forced to make the first adult decision of his life: he can either marry Susan (Jennifer Garner), a tightly wound business executive whom Arthur has no romantic interest in, or he can lose his entire fortune and find out how the other half lives. The situation is made more complicated when Arthur falls head over heels for Naomi (Greta Gerwig), a girl from Queens who works as a tour guide of Manhattan and has big dreams of becoming an author.

Brand is known for playing outlandish characters like Forgetting Sarah Marshall's Aldous Snow, and he doesn't stray too far outside the realm in Arthur. As he gallivants around town in top hats and powder blue suits, his Arthur is yet another hard-partying character with a quick wit and enough one-liners to put Ricky Gervais to shame. The difference is that Brand brings a certain child-like innocence to Arthur that not only gives him depth, but makes him endearing as well. Arthur is a silly (and self-serving) character through and through, but with Brand's charm, you can't help but root for him and enjoy being part of his hijinks.

To find out what else works in the film, just

Brand has a worthy partner in crime in Helen Mirren. Hobson's acid tongue is the perfect counterpart to Arthur's wacky antics, and the banter between Mirren and Brand is like an exercise in perfected British humor. Their chemistry isn't limited to swapping jabs either; there's a true connection between these two that translates to the tender scenes between them, and ultimately legitimizes the film's underlying themes of family, love, and loneliness.

Garner breaks out of her typical girl-next-door role as Susan, and watching her desperately try to sink her claws into Arthur is a refreshing change of pace for the actress. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for Gerwig, who's essentially swallowed up by her more domineering costars and fails to really bring Naomi and Arthur's romance to fruition. Brand works just fine as a one-man show, but his scenes with Gerwig eventually drag down the entire film.

Director Winer tries just a little too hard to pack an emotional punch into Arthur, which can be hard to swallow when you're dealing with a cast of caricatures. It's mindless fun to come along for a ride in Arthur's Batmobile, and though there are some bumps in the road, you'll still laugh along the way.

Modest Helen Mirren Talks About Her Body of the Year Award

Annie Scudder — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:30:55 PDT

This morning, the women of The View bowed down to Dame Helen Mirren for being voted best body of the year. While the 66-year-old actress deflected questions about her recent poll victory, a jumbo-sized picture of her in a bikini assured the audience that "The Queen" had earned her crown. Watch Helen's reaction and find out who she beat out now.