BellaSugar

Makeup Shade or Star Wars Character?

BellaSugar — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Don't laugh, but I am the proud owner of a Darth Vader t-shirt that has a sparkly iron-on decal. You could say I like some nerdier things in life, and the Star Wars series is no exception. We all know R2-D2, C-3PO, and Yoda, but what about some of the smaller characters from novels, games, and cartoons? Get your geek face on, and I'll give you the name of either a Star Wars character or makeup shade. Then you'll guess which is which. Use the Force.

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Do You Get Into Character For Movie Events?

BellaSugar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Do you chime along to the sing-along version of The Sound of Music, complete with Liesl von Trapp-inspired ponytail? Or perhaps you're more of a Star Wars fan, opting for Princess Leia-style buns. Whether you paint your face like these fans below did at the London premiere of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, or you prefer the edgy looks of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, tell us what hair and/or makeup application techniques you embrace for the sake of your favorite films.

Best of Bella

BellaSugar — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 07:00:35 -0700

Get hair tips from Whitney Port's stylist
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See seven top-rated drugstore foundations
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Share your beauty shortcut.
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Love it or hate it: Scarlett Johansson's come-hither makeup
Makeup shade or Star Wars character?
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Trend Alert: Sheer, bright lips for Spring

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Which Kate Hudson Bride Wars Promo Look Do You Like Better?

BellaSugar — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 06:00:47 -0800

Nothing like a little sabotage to bring on an adrenaline rush, right? While the trailer for Bride Wars shows each character facing a beauty disaster (Anne with orange skin and Kate with blue hair), both stars hit the red carpet all done up (nicely) to promote the film. Since Ms. Hathaway already won your approval for her hair this week, it's Ms. Hudson's turn. Between her appearance on Letterman or at the NYC premiere party, which of Kate's looks do you like?

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Bella Donna: Josephine Baker

BellaSugar — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:15:22 -0700

This week's Bella Donna is a true legend. Most people know of Josephine Baker as an internationally famous performer, but her life was so much more complex than you'd expect from looking at her performances. Born in 1906, she began dancing at age 13. Although she found some work in the United States, racial prejudices kept her from performing in certain venues.

In France, however, she became a sensation. She starred in three films, sang in an opera, and became a muse for creative minds such as Langston Hughes and Christian Dior. Moreover, she helped the Résistance by smuggling documents in her sheet music, an action for which she was awarded the highest French military honor, the Croix de Guerre. After the war, she adopted 12 orphans from all over the world; she also became a vocal supporter of the American Civil Rights movement, refusing to perform before segregated audiences and speaking at the historic March on Washington. She died in 1975, one day after starring in a revue that celebrated her 50 years in entertainment.

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To see a video of Josephine dancing, read more.

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Coming Soon: At-Home Laser Hair Removal

BellaSugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 09:00:02 -0700

The Star Wars geek within thinks that handheld lasers are cool, albeit in an intimidating Darth Vader sort of way. In real life, though, you'll soon be able to zap your hair away at home. The Wall Street Journal reports on two forthcoming hair-removal gadgets that may change the way we think of hair removal.

Tria ($995, pictured) launches next month, and the painless device requires about half an hour to treat the lower legs. While it won't eradicate hair completely, it minimizes growth. Rival product Silk'n ($800) - whose weirdly punctuated name makes Silkk the Shocker come to mind - uses pulsed light to destroy hair follicles. Tria will be sold at high-end stores such as Bergdorf Goodman, but Silk'n will be available only at physicians' offices.

Of course, there's a catch - and I'm not just talking about the high price tag. To find out what it is, read more.

Although these products are approved by the FDA, they have their limitations. They're meant for small areas such as underarms, legs, and the bikini line; if you have a hairy backside, for instance, it won't work. What's more, these products won't work on many women of color. Because the lasers and light target pigment in the hair, they can mistake dark skin for hair. (Zap, burn, ouch.)

While I have had some good results with my no!no!, I'm not sure I'd shell out hundreds more for one of these gadgets. (I also fear that somehow I'd blind myself, but that's another phobia completely.) Are you curious about these devices, or are you taking a wait-and-see approach?

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Lipstick Tips From 1944

BellaSugar — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 07:59:59 -0700

For some reason, I'm obsessed with reading about how women did their makeup in decades past. In a lot of ways, the beauty industry has evolved, offering countless new formulations and technologies. In other ways, though, we're still in the same spot we were fifty or sixty years ago.

I dug into the archive of the New York Times and found this story from long ago. It's the first in a series of how-to makeup stories, and it's a little odd to read such basic beauty tips in such a serious newspaper. But look at the dateline, 1944, and it starts to make sense. Lipstick didn't really take off until around the time of World War II, when it was popularized by movie stars. Many adult women didn't know how to apply it, so why wouldn't a newspaper start a sure-to-be-popular beauty column, right?

The thing is, maybe I'm reading everything incorrectly, but the tips themselves seem a little off. To read an excerpt, read more

Here's part of the story. Read this and tell me if it makes sense to you. Doesn't it sound as though we're supposed to draw outside the normal pink part of the lips? Doesn't that seem a little Bozo the Clown? Let me know what you think, because it seems odd to me...

To shape the lips: Follow the natural line of the lips. If the lips are exceptionally full cheat a bit so that the lipstick line is indented slightly from the natural line. If the lips are thin cheat a little the other way.

Retain the true proportions of the bows but keep the line soft. Avoid exaggerated curves or points, but never flatten out the line of the bows entirely. Carry the lipstick from the bows to the corners of the mouth in a line that curves out gently from the natural line. This gives a more appealing shape to all mouths. Be sure that the outward curving line is very slight-too much gives the lips a sulky, sneering expression.

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Bella Donna: Jean Seberg

BellaSugar — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 06:00:00 -0700

Welcome back to our newest BellaSugar feature, Bella Donna, where I'll pay tribute to beauty icons through the ages. A Bella Donna could be an actress, a model, or another prominent historical or modern figure. The only requirement is that she have a distinct and influential look. That can certainly be said of this week's Bella Donna, actress Jean Seberg.

During her early career, Seberg's films were largely flops-but then came her leading role in the French New Wave classic Breathless, which transformed her into an international star. Known for her beauty as much as her acting abilities, she stood out from a sea of other starlets by sporting a blonde pixie cut. To see a gallery of photos, read more

As lovely as she looked, Seberg's personal life was turbulent, to put it mildly: Due to her public support of the civil rights and anti-war movements, the FBI created a false story that the child she was carrying was not carrying her husband's, but that of a Black Panther Party member. Seberg blamed the stress of this lie for pushing her into early labor and delivering a stillborn child; she fell into a deep depression that ultimately led to her 1979 suicide.

It's a tragic tale, but the enduring joy of watching Seberg on screen is enough to make fans remember her happier days. Sure, there were blondes before Seberg, but none looked as fresh and contemporary as she did. And the next time you admire modern-day blondes like Sienna Miller and model Agyness Deyn, you'll know where their inspiration came from.

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