BellaSugar

Do You Backcomb Your Hair?

BellaSugar — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:00:19 -0800

Back in my junior high years, backcombing was a very close personal friend of mine. How else was I to achieve claw bang perfection? Whether you call it teasing, ratting, or backbrushing, backcoming helps create volume, hide thin spots, and/or provides a base for updos. It can be extreme - think Lady Gaga - or it can be smooth and tame, like Jackie O. I particularly love teasing my locks when I'm headed out for a night of fun. What about you?

How-To: Lo Bosworth's Teased Chignon

BellaSugar — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:00:37 -0700

Yesterday at the Lauren Conrad LA Fashion Show her BFF and new roomie Lo Bosworth (also of The Hills) styled her hair in a chic, teased chignon. The teasing gives height to the crown and sides of her head (which gives symmetry and balance to an oval face). To learn how to re-create this fashion-forward look at home, just follow my directions.

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STEP 1: Begin with damp hair. (If your hair hasn't been washed in a day or two, that's even better - just spritz it with water.) Then add about two fist-sized amounts of mousse to your hair and distribute it evenly. Use a large round brush to blow hair dry, directing the hair away from the face.

For the last three steps, read more.

STEP 2: Tease the crown of your hair in three sections: left front, center, and right front. As you finish each section, spray the back of the hair with hairspray to ensure hold. When you are finished, very gently brush the front of the hair backwards.
STEP 3: Grab all of your hair at the nape of your neck and secure with an elastic (and make sure the elastic is tight).
STEP 4: Twist your ponytail and then wrap it into a bun around the base of the ponytail. Secure with hairpins as you go so that it has support in various locations; this keeps it from unwinding. When you're near the end, fold the ends under the bun, and secure by criss-crossing two hair pins. As a finishing touch, smooth your hands over the bun to loosen any stray hairs. This keeps the style modern, fresh, and not overly "done" - just like Lo's!

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How-To: Teasing Your Hair

BellaSugar — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 08:00:18 -0700

Big hair is back! And since the glossary post about hair teasing turned out to be so popular, I thought I'd create a little do-it-yourself guide so you can see just how easy it is to create some volume at your crown.

For step-by-step instructions, read more

Step 1: Using a soft bristled hair brush, give your head a thorough brushing until all tangles and knots are gone.
Step 2: Next, take a metal comb or teasing brush and divide hair into two-inch sections. Set the section you are about to tease aside, and clip the rest so it stays out of the way.
Step 3: In one hand, hold the section of hair you are going to work with by the ends. Make sure the hair is straight up in the air so that you can access the area underneath. Using your free hand, take the comb and back-comb your hair in short strokes in the opposite direction from which it grows.
Step 4: Pick up the next section of hair and repeat the process until all of the desired sections of hair have been teased. When you are done, gently smooth hair over with the comb and generously spray your hair with a firm hold hairspray to ensure longer lasting volume.

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Definition: Tease

BellaSugar — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 09:58:22 -0700

Get your mind out of the gutter! This week's glossary term has nothing do with nooky and everything to do with hair. Teasing, also known as back-combing or ratting, is a process that involves taking sections of the crown of the hair and combing it from underneath. With one hand holding your hair and the other holding a thin comb, back-comb hair in the opposite direction from it's natural growth pattern.

The result adds serious volume at the roots. Teasing was an extremely popular technique in the 50's and 60's to create hairstyles like the beehive and the bouffant. These days, we are seeing more and more teasing, since "big hair" is back in style. Just take a look at these modernized late 50's hairstyles on Scarlett Johansson, Rachel McAdams and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Be aware that teasing isn't for everyday styling or for those with very thin, weak or fragile hair since strands could break-especially if it is teased while it is still hot. Be sure that before you begin, hair is cool, detangled and as straight as possible.

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Coming Soon: Lush Styling Products

BellaSugar — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 08:00:25 -0700

Lush, the British beauty brand known for its handmade cosmetics, is branching out with a new hair care range. While it's had shampoo and conditioner for years, this soon-to-launch line of products focuses on styling.

Lush has created three vegan styling gels, all of which have cheeky names. Big Tease features cocoa butter, lemon oil, orange flower absolute and Cupuacu butter. (I've been sent a sample, so I'll let give you my full review as soon as I've had time to work with it a bit more.)

Then there's Goth Juice, a medium-hold gel with hemp oil, fresh lemon infusion, glycerine and oakmoss. It has a spooky-cool ultraviolet hue that makes me want to listen to Bauhaus. Finally, there's King of the Mods, which promises to add lift, shine and control whether you're a Quadrophenia or not.

To find out what else Lush has up its sleeve, read more

Curly-haired lasses will be very happy to hear about Curly Wurly, Lush's new coconut shampoo for thick, curly hair. Along with emollients such as cocoa butter and shea butter, it has 15% coconut, which softens hair and helps it shine without weighing things down. Lush says that washing out the dessicated coconut is tricky, but "definitely worth the bother."

Finally, two other products round out this launch: Jasmin and Henna Fluff-Eaze (a treatment for hair that goes fluffy after shampooing), as well as Hair Doctor, a pre-shampoo treatment for oily hair.

Tuesday Giveaway! Bare Escentuals Big Tease Mascara

BellaSugar — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 23:30:51 -0700

All month long, we're pairing with Sephora to bring you daily giveaways-all featuring Bare Escentuals products!

Today's giveaway is for Bare Escentuals Big Tease Mascara. Remember back when hair was teased a mile high? Well, this lash lengthening and thickening mascara does the same for your lashes. Its unique brush has a thinner side that separates and lengthens lashes one by one, easily reaching the littlest of lower lashes and the thicker, short-bristled side builds volume for incredibly intense, amplified eyes. From root to tip, this lash magnifying mascara makes ordinary lashes into noticeably longer, fuller, flirty lashes in seconds.

To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment in the comments section below by 5 p.m. PDT / 8 p.m. EDT Tuesday, October 16, and we'll announce the winner tomorrow. Please, only ONE comment per person; duplicate comments will be discarded, so commenting more than once won't up your chances of winning. You must be a TeamSugar member to comment, so if you're not a member, please register here for an account. For all of the rules and regulations, click here. Congratulations to mssaint, who won yesterday's prize of Natural Lipcolor Rose Crepe Lipstick!

Witchy Makeup Ideas: Teen Witch

BellaSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:00:31 -0700

Have you seen Teen Witch? If not, I suggest you do so, merely to see the fabulous rap scene of teenage angst circa 1989. The flick stars Blake Lively's older sister Robyn Lively as Louise Miller, a teenage descendant of witches from Salem. Over the past few weeks, I've been featuring all sorts of witchy ideas for the Halloween season, so to conclude the series, here are a few tips on achieving Louise's Teen Witch look.

Much as the look for Sabrina, the Teenage Witch is '90s all the way, this look is totally '80s. All you need is a long ginger-red wig with bangs. (Cut them down if you have to.) For the ultimate wow factor, create claw bangs on the style by setting the fringe with some self-grip, nonthermal rollers. Once you've achieved the perfect rolls, clip your teased locks back on the sides with a large barrette, and wear frosty makeup. For special touches, include a witch's broomstick accessory and a triangular necklace with swirly blue detailing, which helps give Louise her special powers. See what I mean around the 1:27 mark in the video link above. So, top that!

Gorgeously Retro: How to Look Like Samantha in Bewitched

BellaSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:00:56 -0700

Watching Bewitched on Saturday afternoons was a childhood ritual for me, and I dreamed of being as gorgeous and funny as Elizabeth Montgomery. Sam is still my favorite witch of all time, and if pressed, I might admit to a small crush on poor, sweet, OCD Darren (original Darren, of course, not the second one). But what's even more classic about the show is Sam's gorgeous hair and makeup, which I think is totally timeless. Especially now, with the fashion and beauty vogue of Mad Men (and the huge red lipstick trend for Fall), why not indulge in a little stylish '60s nostalgia? To find out how to get Sam's pretty look, just wiggle your nose and read more.

Reader Review of the Day: Philosophy Field of Flowers Shower Gel

BellaSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:00:00 -0700

I have been known to tease loved ones about their use of granny perfumes, since, right out of the bottle at least, I can't imagine wearing most of them. So this review of Philosophy Field of Flowers Shower Gel ($16) was really interesting. Reader hippiecowgirl says:

"I found this product in my mom's bathroom when I was visiting and decided to check it out. When I took a sniff from the bottle, I thought it smelled like old-lady perfume and teased my mom mercilessly for liking it. About a week later, I actually gave it a try. My opinion immediately did a 180. The smell turns fresh and floral when used in the shower, not perfumey at all the way I expected. It lathers nicely, as is customary for Philosophy shower gels, and I love the consistency. Not only did I use it as a shower gel, but also as a shaving gel. My skin felt soft afterward with just a hint of fragrance."

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How-To: Mila Kunis's Simply Sexy Ponytail at the 2009 Emmys

BellaSugar — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:30:00 -0700

Who says you have to spend lots of dough to get a young Hollywood hairstyle? Tresemmé Celebrity Stylist Mara Roszak sure didn't. Roszak, who styled Mila Kunis's hair for the Emmys last night, used only three Tresemmé products - totaling just under $13 - to achieve the simply sexy ponytail the young actress wore on the red carpet. Want to get in on the action? Find out how to re-create the look at home at the link below.

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To get the complete how-to, just keep reading.