BellaSugar

New Product Alert: Addicted To Speed

BellaSugar — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:00:57 -0700

Brand-new from the Lippmann Collection is a quick-dry polish called Addicted To Speed ($20). Despite its strong smell (P.U.!) and hefty price tag (that's 20 bills for a top-coat, sheesh) it really does work to get your fingertips functional again in a few minutes.

Although your nails won't be thoroughly dry, they'll be touch dry and non-tacky which means that you can put on your coat, dial the phone and begin to go on with your day (a nice change from the waiting game of manicures).

The directions say to hold off for about two minutes after you've applied your final coat of colored-polish and then paint on an even, thin coat. Tip: You don't want to glop it on like you would with other brands; this is important for optimal results. It provides a high-shine finish and it contains UV protection to help preserve your polish color. All things considered, are you excited to try Addicted To Speed?

Have You Ever Made a "Weird Science" Beauty Discovery?

BellaSugar — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 06:00:57 -0700

A while ago I tested out a new, supposedly eco-friendly polish that just didn't work. The color was pretty, but it peeled the first day, and the polish that didn't come off started getting weirdly transparent - all this with topcoat. Recently, though, I managed to misplace both the pink shade I've been using and my usual acetone-free polish remover. I had to use the peely polish again, and had to remove what was left of my previous manicure with pure acetone. And guess what? This time the polish stuck - beautifully. I don't know what to think about a "green" polish that needs a noxious chemical like acetone to make it stick, but beauty chemistry is endlessly interesting to me. Have you ever had something like this happen? And did you keep using the product after your discovery? I want to hear your stories, so tell me about it in the comments!

Doing Drugstore: L'Oreal Infallible Lip Color

BellaSugar — Fri, 30 May 2008 08:00:26 -0700

While visiting the L'Oreal boutique a few weeks ago, I picked up an Infallible lip color ($7.99) with pretty floral packaging (at far left). The plant design is lifted from a gift box made for the CFDA finalists. If you like the floral design, call 888-270-7743 to order one; if you just want to know about the lip color formula, which you can buy in any drugstore, read on.

Infallible is a long-wearing lip color that's a little shinier than your average lipstick, but not thick like a gloss. It's meant to last all day long thanks to its two-step application process. First, you apply color and wait for two minutes while it dries. After that, you slick on a sheer conditioning topcoat. Pretty simple. But does it really last for hours? To see pictures and find out, read more.

One of the frustrating things about the otherwise cool packaging is the colored tube. The hue is close to the actual color, but it's not exact; when I picked up Azalea, I assumed it would be an opaque rose. In reality, it's a moderately sheer, shimmery rose-gold cousin of Nars Orgasm gloss. That's OK, but a transparent tube would offer a better glimpse of what you're really getting.

So here's how the Infallible experience went down: I applied both the color and the topcoat yesterday morning before work. The color's texture is tacky, but the topcoat is moisturizing, and together they're not sticky. The color stayed through breakfast and three servings of Taco Thursday lunch, all without rubbing off on my drinking glass. After my fest of gluttony, I reapplied the topcoat, but didn't retouch the color. Here's the result:

The color faded, but not by much. I was pleased to discover that the formula doesn't dry my lips out, either - which doesn't often happen with long-wear color. All in all, it's a good option if you hate to reapply your lip color. Or if you just want lip color that lasts through a three-course taco fiesta.

Akiko Ogawa Takes a Twist on the French Manicure

BellaSugar — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:00:09 -0800

Even though these pink nails were shown for a Fall collection, I think Akiko Ogawa's runway manicures would be a great way to welcome springtime. French manicures normally aren't my favorites, but Alisha Rimando created a fresh version by using four colors (Dashing Diva polish in Headliner, Dashing Diva, Cosmopolitan, and Debutante).

View 4 Photos ›

To get the look at home, read more.

While the polish is wet, apply Dashing Diva to the top third of the nail. Make sure that the color blends or fades well into the nail.
Repeat steps 1 and 2 on each nail.
Start with the first nail and apply Headliner to the edge of the nail.
Using very little polish on the brush, apply Headliner to the very tip of the nail, blending or fading it onto the Dashing Diva pink color. You'll want to apply it to about ⅛ of the nail edge.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 on each nail.
Apply Debutante over all nails. Finish with topcoat.

Of course, if you don't want to go the DIY route, you can always head to a Dashing Diva salon if you're in New York. (Much easier.)

Photos courtesy of Alexei Nemchenko

DIY Spa Treatment: A Quick Beach-Ready Pedicure

BellaSugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 08:00:06 -0700

Over the years, I've noticed that the sand and sea tend to deteriorate my pedicures more quickly than just about anything else. That's why I love this easy-to-achieve quick and simple pedicure that can be done in about ten minutes flat. It's easy to master, so it can keep your feet looking groomed all summer long. Here's what you'll need:

A bowl of hot soapy water

Toe spacers to separate toes

Toenail clipper

Base coat

Sheer pinky-peach nail polish

Topcoat

For four simple step-by-step directions, read more.

Step 1: Begin by soaking your feet in the hot soapy water to soften up your skin. Then, push back or trim your cuticles and file away any hard calluses under your toes or around your heels.
Step 2: Trim and file your toenails so that the ends of your nails are slightly shorter than the end of the skin on your toes.
Step 3: Swipe your toenails twice with nail polish remover (use the non-acetone kind if possible since it's less drying) and separate your toes with toes spacers. Then, apply a base coat and one coat of pale pink or beige nail polish.
Step 4: Wait about a minute and then apply a light layer of topcoat - voila, you're finished!

Wedding Nails: The Quintessential French Manicure

BellaSugar — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 06:12:22 -0700

The French manicure has a regal connotation to it that represents class, elegance and a sense of high quality grooming. Having said that, plenty of people today feel that the French manicure is out of style and would even consider it cheesy. Whichever way you decide to go, I still think the French manicure is the quintessential way to paint your nails for your wedding day. It's soft, understated and shows that you pay attention to detail.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the French manicure, I have pictured it here for you. A white stripe is painted to the tops of the nails (I prefer a soft, square cut nail with a thin stripe) and then a sheer, pale pink or beige toned polish is applied on top. Here are a few French manicure kits to choose from.

Bourjois French Manicure Kit, $20, is a three piece French manicure kit. It includes a curved brush designed especially to create the most perfect and even white nail tips, a light pink polish which is so sheer that you can apply one or two coats depending on your taste, and a clear topcoat to ensure shine and protection to your manicure. In no time you'll look like you just waltzed right off the Parisian runways!

For two more D.I.Y. French manicure kits, read more

Sally Hansen French Manicure Kit, $6, includes a really cool feature. Inside are a set of stickers for you to apply to your nails so that you can create professional looking, no mess white tips. Once you apply the tips, peel off the stickers and then apply the soft colored nail polish on top. The kit also includes a topcoat and super clear and easy instructions.

Orly French Manicure Kit, $6, will give you a very natural looking manicure! This kit includes a polish, a base coat, white tips (you can choose from two different styles; straight or half moon) and a quick drying topcoat. Available in four different sheer shades.

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Trend Alert: French Manicures

BellaSugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 07:00:29 -0700

I've got a hefty laundry list of qualities I don't like about Heidi Montag, but what I do love are her gorgeous nails. Whether they're gold or burgundy, they are always long and perfectly manicured.

I thought that French manicures were on their way out, but then along comes Heidi and Britney Spears bringing this classic back again. Most of you think they're tacky and should be saved for formal occasions only. For the rest of you who are still loyal fans, here are two great at-home French manicure kits I think you'll love.

Sephora Easy French Manicure Duos ($8) is a double-ended nail varnish that houses either a beige or a pink color on one side and a clear base and topcoat on the other. However, if you're looking to create the white tip, you still need another product. I suggest this French Tip Pen ($8) since it's so easy to use.

For one more easy-to-use French manicure kit, read more.

Barielle French Manicure Set ($16) contains an opaque white, a clear and a pale pink polish that allows you to create a French manicure in five simple steps.

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Trend Alert: Chrome Nails

BellaSugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:00:56 -0700

Leave it to Rihanna, the queen bee of nail polish, to take an opaque, shimmery metallic color to the next level. Chrome is more of a powerful gold-and-silver version of its true silver sister gunmetal and it is also much darker than pale gray.

I still can't quite believe that metallic nails are still this much of a sensation. Even LC can't get enough of glittery metallic nails! Below are a couple of rocker-cool chrome polish suggestions for Summer. Enjoy!

Essie Steel-ing the Scene ($8) is a bronzey-pewter (effectively a chrome) shade of nail polish that contains flecks and packs a lot of punch. For those of you who are too shy to wear this on your nails, it makes for a great toenail color.

Tropez Super Pearl Nail Enamel in Black Pearl ($1.99) is a deep, opaque gray that looks amazing with one sheer coat of Tini Beauty's Gold Haze Topper as a topcoat. The result is a metallic, high-shine glossy finish - and the best part is that it's a unique color!

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Trend Alert: Grenadine-Colored Beauty Products

BellaSugar — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:00:11 -0700

Grenadine is a sugary, pomegranate-colored syrup often used in cocktails to give them a sweet flavor and a pink tint. It's a popular mixer that has been around for ages, so it's really no surprise why cosmetic companies are inspired by its allure. Here are a few new Summer 2008 grenadine beauty products for you to check out.

Chanel Sheer Lip Colouring Pencil ($27) is a bright, yet sheer poppy (coralish-red) colored lip liner that glides on creamy and stays moist. It's great to wear alone (I like mine with a clear gloss on top, so it looks more like a stain) or under a lipstick to create depth and definition. Also, I love that it comes with its own sharpener.

Nailtini Grenadine Nail Lacquer ($12) is a bright pink DBP-, toluene-, and formaldehyde-free nail polish that can be layered with either a black- or white-base coat to make nails lighter or darker. I love this concept and the fact that Nailtini polishes dry so quickly. To check out more cocktail-inspired shades from this line, click here.

L'Oreal Infallible Lip Color in Grenadine ($7.99) is a shiny brick brownish-red lip color that is intended to last all day long without having to be reapplied. It involves a two-step process - first you apply a slick color and wait for it to dry and then you apply a clear topcoat. Check out pictures of my lips to judge for yourself if this is something you'd be into.

Get the Most From Your Manicure With Seche Vite

BellaSugar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:00:12 -0700

Frustrated by my inability to achieve a long-lasting finish to my manicures and pedicures at home, I asked three salons in my town what they used as a topcoat for manicures and pedicures. All three told me the exact same thing: Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat. So I caved and plunked down the $10 for a bottle. Not an outrageous price, but enough that I wanted to be sure I was getting the best.

Seche Vite is meant to be applied thickly, and it leaves nails incredibly glossy and chip proof for way longer than anything else I've tried. The weird thing about the product is that unlike other top coats, you are supposed to apply it over wet polish. Applying it this way allows the formula to actually penetrate the polish, solidifying it into a shield-like protector for your nails. This is tricky to do at first while avoiding streaking, but once you get the hang of it, it's smooth sailing.

In 2006 InStyle magazine picked up on it, too, and named Seche Vite one of its Best Beauty Buys of the year. You can find this little gem at almost any nail salon, or online. And let me know what you think - I always like hearing if you agree or disagree.