BellaSugar

Redbook Retouches Faith Hill. What Do You Think?

BellaSugar — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 12:50:04 -0700

How many times have you heard that models and celebrities really aren't as perfect as they look on the covers of magazines? It's a message that's been drilled into my head over and over, and yet I still look at magazines and wonder how on earth anyone looks that flawless. Even with excellent makeup and flattering lighting, most photos are retouched in Photoshop to create an unattainable level of perfection.

Hearing that is one thing, but seeing it is another. Jezebel offered $10,000 to anyone who would come forward with a cover photo before it had been retouched. And finally, someone has. The July cover of Redbook features Faith Hill. She looks very pretty and fresh, right? She did before being Photoshopped, too, yet she's been heavily retouched. To see the "before" picture, read more

So, here's Faith Hill, before Photoshop.

Honestly? I thought she looked pretty good before the retouching. She looks healthy, happy, and is showing a few smile lines, too. I understand why magazines might want to even out her skin tone and balance the cover, but this retouching is pretty heavy (the designer even added an arm, eliminated the bend of her elbow, and made her back thinner).

I want to know what you think about retouching. Does it bother you, or do you not mind? Do you think magazines do too much of it? (And how long do you think it will be before the identity of Jezebel's anonymous photo-supplier is found out?!) Source

Does Retouching Ruin Dove's Message?

BellaSugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 05:38:02 -0700

This week's issue of the New Yorker has a great story about Pascal Dangin, one of the world's foremost digital retouchers. One of the interesting tidbits: the Dove "real beauty" campaign that featured regular women was heavily retouched by Dangin. While I'm not shocked - the women's skin looked suspiciously perfect in the ads - it's nonetheless a little bit depressing. Do you think the accept-yourself message still works, or is it less powerful to you now?

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Extensions: Part 2

BellaSugar — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:02:31 -0700

Welcome to the second part of my interview with awesome celebrity and fashion stylist Kristin Ess from LA's Warren-Tricomi salon. Last time we talked about getting the right extensions for your hair color and texture, and today we're tackling some important rules for styling, maintaining, and using extensions that are good to know even if you're not in the market for extra hair. So just keep reading.

How do you care for extensions as far as brushing and styling?

Please brush your hair twice a day: Brush it in the morning, and brush it at night. I don’t care what you do, but you have to brush it. I also always encourage everyone to put their hair in a loose braid before bed, because the less it gets tossed around while you’re sleeping, the better. When you’re brushing, you should be using a natural boar’s hair. It’s just softer on hair.

With extensions, can you use them to add volume on top, or are they just for length?

It’s a very common misconception that you get crazy volume at the top of your hair. Extensions are heavier than your hair, so actually, you’re going to be flattening the hair on top if you put them there. Now, what you can do in order to gain a little volume is put some in toward the front on the side.

People often confuse their terms, too. They don’t mean volume, they mean density or thickness. You can totally use extensions for thickness. But your thickness is gonna be more on the sides and on the bottom than on the top. It’s up to you to do the top of your own hair.

For more of the interview, keep reading.

British Parliament Proposes a Ban on Photoshop

BellaSugar — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:00:41 -0700

It should go without saying that the desire to look your best in a photograph is innate, but to what extent does a little retouching here and softening there constitute as too much? That's just what members of the British Parliament are asking, particularly after a heavily retouched image of Twiggy, the face of Olay Definity, surfaced. Interestingly, the majority of you said you do or would Photoshop yourself to look better. However, when it comes to widely distributed ads, the question of what's real and what's not becomes fuzzy.

Find out more about the debate.

Link Time!

BellaSugar — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 07:00:46 -0700

Bobbi Brown's holiday collection is sophisticated - Temptalia
Yay for models who look healthier than most - Lemondrop
Estee Lauder lets you try on its makeup - Estee Lauder
Has Lindsay Lohan enhanced her lips? - FabSugar UK
Peek at a few shades of the Jin Soon for MAC nail polish - New York Magazine
Fashionista dislikes celebrity makeup collaborations - Fashionista
Retouching is not looked upon so favorably these days - Fashionologie

Have You Ever Photoshopped Yourself to Look Better?

BellaSugar — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 06:00:00 -0700

You know when somebody tags you in a photo on Facebook, and you cringe when you see it? I was recently tagged in a photo getting down on the dance floor. Luckily, nothing was hanging out that wasn't supposed to be, it was just a very unflattering angle, resulting in the most awkward, double-chinned shot I have ever seen. It horrified me.

This got me to thinking: It's no secret that pictures of actresses and models are often altered in magazines and print ads. In fact, Gisele Bundchen was even Photoshopped after posing for London Fog, but for a different reason - a belly bump. "Although Gisele was photographed while pregnant, most of the shots have been retouched to respect her privacy during this wonderful and personal time in her life," said London Fog's Dari Marder. What about you? Do you do a little retouching here and there to make your mug more flattering, or do you figure, "Why bother?"

MAC Gets Artsy With Marilyn Minter This Fall

BellaSugar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:15:38 -0700

MAC has long been known for its creativity, and starting Aug. 20, the line between fine artist and makeup artist will be blurred with the release of three limited-edition collections by three notable artists. Among those featured is photographer Marilyn Minter, known for her extreme closeups, love of sparkle, and knack for highlighting the imperfect features that make us human. Her collaboration with the makeup line is somewhat erotic, complete with sequined-eyed glistening touches, using the brand's glitter pigments for effect.
"I work with a professional makeup artist named Rosina Harris and she applied the makeup perfectly," said Minter. "Then I went in and messed it up – sprayed it with water and glycerin," said Minter. "I like things to be gritty. Retouched models don't look human. Every place I work commercially they airbrush everything. MAC doesn't do that. That's why I like MAC."

See more images of the collection now.

Link Time!

BellaSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:59:20 -0700

Trend alert: the low-slung plait - FabSugar UK
Dania Ramirez becomes a Cover Girl - People Style Watch
A $7 eyeliner has Karen going bananas - Makeup and Beauty Blog
Beauty Snob joins me in my love of Completely Bare - Beauty Snob
Remember Ultima II makeup? - Spoiled Pretty
Self's editor douses her defense of Clarkson-retouching with a large helping of weak sauce - The Cut

10 beauty bargains from the pros- In Style

Get Ashley Greene's TCA makeup look - Beauty Blogging Junkie

Would You Want to See How You Might Age?

BellaSugar — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:59:59 -0700

It's official: My girl crush on Leighton Meester knows no bounds. In the September issue of Harper's Bazaar, she talks about getting older. "Any fear of aging, I think, is simply vanity," she says. "Because what comes with age is so many wonderful things: wisdom, understanding. . . . Every year, I'm always happy to be done with the previous age." We need more level-headed ladies to share such sentiments (more here). What's more, Terry Richardson photographed her (and the magazine's retouchers tweaked her) to estimate how she'll age. It's a clever concept that I'd be interested in. Given the chance, would you want to see how you might look in the decades to come?

L'Oréal Gets In Trouble, Again

BellaSugar — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:00:32 -0700

L'Oréal isn't looking so good this week. The French cosmetics behemoth, which owns brands such as Maybelline, Shu Uemura, Kiehl's, Lancome, and Garnier, was found guilty of racial discrimination by La Cour de Cassation, the French equivalent of the Supreme Court. Court documents show that Garnier sales staff should be "bleu, blanc, rouge" - which describes the colors of the French flag but is coded shorthand for white French people. The London Times reports:

Prosecutors said that Garnier wanted to exclude members of the ethnic minorities on the ground that they would be less likely to sell its shampoo in French shops. The court was told that only 4.65 percent of the hostesses hired for Garnier’s campaign were black, Asian, or Arab. Before the BBR fax went out, the agency had been offering a pool of candidates in which 38.7 percent were from ethnic minorities, suggesting that they had been blocked during the final stages of recruitment.

The court's decision upholds a 2007 decision that also found L'Oréal guilty of discrimination. This isn't the first time the company has come under fire with regard to race; less than a year ago, there was controversy about whether Beyoncé's skin was retouched to be lighter. One thing's for sure: as much as L'Oréal would like people to focus on its centennial this year, this story is likely to get more traction. Photo by Foxtongue