BellaSugar

What Are Your Most Disastrous Teenage Grooming Memories?

BellaSugar — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 05:00:00 PST

Reminiscing with childhood friends recently, I was reminded of one of my early teenage grooming habits. When I was 13 or 14, I used to slick Vaseline on my unruly eyebrows in order to tame and "shape" them. Why would I do this, you ask? Well, I got the idea from my equally bushy-eyed best friend. Eventually, my mother grew tired of my shiny brows and sent me to a waxer, but my Vaseline habit made for some interesting yearbook pictures. It's funny to look back on teenage trial and error, and even the best groomed among us has gotten a bad tip or two. Share your funniest teenage beauty bloopers in the comments below-there's no need to be embarrassed, and it's totally cathartic.

Is It OK That More Teens Are Getting Tattoos?

Miriam Lacey — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 13:00:00 PDT

More people in general have tattoos these days (a full 40 percent of the population between ages 18 and 29 now have some ink), but apparently the trend is especially strong among high schoolers, an increasing number of whom are getting body art before they reach legal majority.

It's a tricky thing to get inked so young. I love my tattoo, but I thought about getting it for years, and even as an adult there's always the specter of future regret lurking. Even if you love your piece, there are still pockets of people who think a tattoo makes you look unprofessional, which is hard to run up against in job interviews. Do you think it's OK that so many kids are looking to get stamped, or do you think it's a fad they'll be desperate to laser off in 10 years' time?

Before and After: A Brightly Colored Bohemian Tween Room

CasaSugar — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 11:00:00 PDT

CasaSugar Community member h2urHome, interior designer Laurie Jones, recently gave her 12-year-old daughter's bedroom a fantastic makeover and posted the photos in the Su Casa group. She writes:

Sloan had many requests, she wanted a very colorful room without it looking too "kiddish" (her word) and she also wanted it to look bohemian. She wanted an area for her friends to hang out in; an area she could display her snowglobes, guitar, and artwork; a place to study; and an area for her television (huge movie fan), books (huge Twilight fan) and music (huge anything I don't like fan!).

Continue reading to see how she made over this basic box!

Is Teen Botox Usage Going Mainstream?

BellaSugar — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 10:00:00 PDT

Hopefully not, but it does seem to be happening a lot more lately, if anecdotal evidence is to be believed. In fact, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Dysport and Botox was used on American teens almost 12,000 times in 2009, a 2 percent increase from the previous year.

In some instances, Botox can be used on teens for certain medical conditions. But apparently, teens are using Botox for stuff other than wrinkles (which they don't have anyway), like jaw "thinning" and making their gums appear less prominent when they smile.

Still, it's a little scary to think how early some people may be giving up on self-acceptance, especially since your teen years are such a formative time. Are you inclined to be more accepting of teens using Botox if the alternative is surgery, or do you think cosmetic-type procedures like this should be ruled out for anyone under 18?

Botox: Now For 16-Year-Olds?

BellaSugar — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 04:01:09 PST

In botulism news, a 16-year-old British girl is being given Botox by her mother, the self-proclaimed "Human Barbie" who's had almost a million dollars in plastic surgery herself. Given the context, I guess, the story isn't terribly surprising. What most concerns me about this is that the young girl who's using it says she's "met plenty of girls my age who are having these procedures," and "everyone at my school was talking about having B." (B as in Botox, obviously.)

How is Botox something a teenager would even be thinking about, you ask? The girl in question says it's mainly preventative, so that she won't "look haggard and ugly by the time I'm 25." (Because, as we all know, people look like a California Raisin by their mid-20s.) I can understand the logic behind trying to prevent wrinkles before they ever start, but there's something inherently bonkers and backward about worrying about that as a teenager, no?

Love It or Hate It? Teen Girl's Bathroom

CasaSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:00:00 PST

Interior designer Nancy Van Natta created a Plexiglas and glass panel of a teenage girl for a bathroom featured at the 2009 San Francisco Decorator Showcase. It's definitely a fun touch for a teen's bathroom, but I can't see this element having staying power beyond a year or two.

Before and After: An Inviting Attic

CasaSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:30:15 PDT

An underused attic space was recently given new life as a cheerful, teen-friendly hangout space. Beforehand, its beige walls and brown carpeting were definitely less than inspiring.

To see the results,

read more. To make the room functional, it was divided into smaller spaces based on the activities that would be done in each area, such as a computer area for doing homework and a comfy sofa area for hanging out with friends. Bright colors on the walls and furniture updated the space, and an eco-friendly cork floor is both a durable and unusual choice for this space. I think it looks great. What about you? Source

What the $@#%! Is Wrong With This Lady?

BellaSugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:00:06 PDT

Remember the model whose daughter wants a boob job? She's got company. The Daily Mail reports on Ashley Hughes, a pushy stage mom who's spent $30,000 on salon treatments and pole-dancing lessons for her 15-year-old daughter, Emma - and of course there's a boob job in the works. (Emma's already a 34F.)

The goal is for Emma to look like glamour model Jordan. "Now I hold down as many jobs as I can to ensure she'll have all the beauty treatments, tanning sessions, and cosmetic surgery she needs to achieve her dream," Ashley says.

This seems like a sensationalized publicity stunt, but even if that's the case, it's hardly ace parenting. So, I ask you: Why do you think these mothers are encouraging their daughters to focus so much on their looks? Is it just about appearance, or is there a bigger cultural force that drives this behavior? And why do you think some teenage girls' aspirations focus on plastic surgery?
Source

Australians Pushing Brazilians on Preteens

BellaSugar — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 10:00:52 PST

Things are getting kinda hairy Down Under. Parents are extremely ticked off because a website is promoting Brazilian waxes-for preteen girls. Girl.com.au, whose slogan is "Girl Power - Empowering Girls Worldwide," is a girl-centric website that usually covers things like Nancy Drew online games and PG movies. But along with this kid-friendly fare, there's a primer on Brazilian waxing that includes this gem:

Nobody really likes hair in their private regions and it has a childlike appeal. Men love it, and are eternally curious about it.

The article also tells girls what to expect during a wax, claiming that the procedure is "surprisingly not as painful as you might think." Now, even if this copy were showing up on a women's website, I'd have issues with its bizarre worldview. (Really, "nobody" likes hair down there? All men love the "childlike appeal"? Ugh.) But it's even worse to see this directed at children. Between this and Nair Pretty, it seems like our culture is sexualizing girls at younger and younger ages. I can't see how that's a good thing.

Source

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: The 'Too Cool For School' Teenage Boy

BellaSugar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 10:00:22 PST

Remember what your body went through as a teenage girl? Try factoring in that you can't really wear makeup to hide your pimples, nor can you blame your period for your hormonal surges. Take it from a gal who knows boys - these beauty years are definitely not as breezy as their attitudes let on.

Below are some suggestions for beauty gifts for young men. Things like sensitive skin care products, aftershave, a light cologne, spot treatments for pesky pimples, and scar cream for bruises and/or dark acne-inflicted areas are a few things that a shy young guy will surely appreciate!