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?

Why I Love and Hate Absolutely Alice

OnSugar Blog — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 09:00:32 -0800

Here's an excerpt from OnSugar blog Cee Me.

I bought two bottles of Absolutely Alice from the OPI Alice in Wonderland collection and I love the polish. It's a blue with a gold glitter, and it's so pretty; I love it.

And I hate it, because it leaves the nails feeling bumpy even after a topcoat. I tried it without and with a topcoat and both times it chipped within a day. Also, the glitter at the tips of the nails feels like you have a snag on your nails and I think this is the reason for the chipping. It catches behind every bit of clothing that's knitwear and if you put your hair in a ponytail...argh! The second day (which was the second application), I wrapped the tips of the nails with the topcoat to help it with chipping and again, within a day there was major chippage. So ARGH, this is the most frustrating nail polish ever. I love it and I hate it.

Want to see more? Start following Cee Me or start your own OnSugar blog. We may just feature your post on BellaSugar.

It's a Matte Matte Matte Matte World

BellaSugar — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 21:47:06 -0800

If you thought the matte nail trend was a blip on the beauty radar, guess again. The no-shine look is popping up at show after show.

At Alexander Wang, an opaque neutral earned an urban edge thanks to Butter London's matte topcoat. Knock Out Cosmetics highlighted gloss-free blues and putties at DKNY, and at Behnaz Sarafpour, CND created a cashmere effect based on warm pinky-beige Desert Suede. Rounding off the list? Malandrino's cool heathered manicure (pictured), which you can recreate by applying CND polish in Dark Ruby, layering it with Copper Shimmer, and finishing with Super Matte top coat. (Subtract the shimmer shade and you've got the same look of Twinkle.)

See? Pure matteness.

2010 Fall New York Fashion Week: Alexander Wang

BellaSugar — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 22:10:44 -0800

When you're one of the hot names in fashion, you can lure people out to the boondocks of Manhattan - and if anybody grumbled, I didn't hear it. Before Alexander Wang's show, the backstage was filled with the big names in modeling (Natalia! Agyness! Freja! Anja!) and a faint whiff of hair spray in the air.
To find out what went into the creation of the Alexander Wang look and see more photos, keep reading.

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.

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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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!

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

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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