BellaSugar

Reader Review of the Day: Estée Lauder Foundation Brush

BellaSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:00:55 -0800

Zoot alors! My favorite foundation brush recently bit the dust. After searching through the Product Reviews pages, I think I might just have to give Estée Lauder Foundation Brush 1F ($30) a try. Reader brandysbug had nothing but positive things to say about this makeup brush, and here's why:

When I purchased this brush, it was a huge splurge for me. I just don't usually drop $30 on something like a brush, but I was pregnant, having major acne problems, was totally into the Estée Lauder Resilience Lift makeup line, and the saleslady talked me right into it. For liquid foundation, this is absolutely a wonderful brush. It helps to get the most from your bottle as it provides better coverage with less makeup than possible with other methods (sponge/fingers). This brush definitely helped me out covering up some very bad acne. It provided the full coverage I needed without piling too much makeup on. The results of using this brush with liquid foundation were astounding. My face almost looked airbrushed. I would recommend this to anyone who is considering buying a new foundation brush. It's worth the $30.

What makeup brushes can you not live without? What brushes went straight to returns? Tell us all about it on our Product Reviews pages. We love to hear your opinions - good, bad, and everywhere in between.

Michael Kors Makes a Very Hollywood Cosmetics Line

BellaSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:00:28 -0700

Designer and Project Runway judge Michael Kors is getting pretty with a new color cosmetics collection that's due in January. The makeup line, which was created in collaboration with Estée Lauder, is part of the Very Hollywood brand and is designed to be the makeup equivalent of Michael's recently released perfume. The collection comes in two palettes, a pink and a beige-coral, with complementary blushes, sheer lip "sheens," and eyeshadow kits for each. I liked Very Hollywood perfume well enough, and this collection, given the bright colors and sheer tints, seems to be marketed toward a younger audience than Michael's usual fare, but I just don't know whether I need a Michael Kors pink blush when there are already a million gorgeous shades out there. What do you think? Are you excited for this designer beauty debut, or just kind of meh?

Exclusive! Grazia's Lauren Murdoch-Smith's Autumn Beauty Picks

BellaSugarUK — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:30:00 -0700

Since I'm constantly writing about my favourite beauty buys and all of the latest must-have items, it's always fun to hear what other beauty editors fancy. Lucky me was able to speak with Grazia Beauty Editor, Lauren Murdoch-Smith and hear about the beauty products she's coveting for the 2009 Autumn/Winter season. Check them out in my fun slideshow here and let me know which ones you like the most my leaving a comment!

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DOUBLE WEAR MAKEUP
FOR FACE, EYES AND LIPS

Sponsor — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:00:01 -0700

Estée Lauder’s Double Wear Collection of high-performance long-wear makeup for face, eyes and lips has 15-hour staying power. The look you see in the morning is the look you keep all day.
Double Wear stays in place, stays fresh and natural. Smooth it on once and don’t think twice about it.

Check out this slideshow to see Estée Lauder’s quick tips for makeup that stays the day.

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Will You Buy Beauty Products To Help Fight Breast Cancer?

BellaSugarUK — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 04:30:00 -0700

For those of you who don't know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. In past years, oodles of beauty brands have banded together and have put the pink ribbon across one of their signature best-selling products whose profits will propel breast cancer research or help raise awareness about the disease that effects so many women.

For example, Essie has released a nail varnish called Future Dreams (£9.95) where all of the proceeds will go to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Clinique, Estee Lauder and Bobbi Brown will all be creating makeup for the cause too, and Donna Karan is donating £2 per bottle of her Cashmere Mist Eau de Toilette Spray to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation for its research programme at the UK's Royal Marsden Institute of Cancer Research.

These limited edition products are pretty, pink and they can help to make a real difference in someone's life. Have you ever bought beauty products for charity in the past? Will you buy them in the future? Vote below to let me know.

Take a Peek at the Trendiest Nail Polish Collections For Fall

BellaSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:00:00 -0700

As far as Fall nail polish trends are concerned, I foresee lots of hot pinks, mushroom tones, smoky metallics, burnt oranges, deep, intense greens, and the return of purple - but with a little less smoke and a little more attitude. As far as textures go, think mattes, creams, and brushed, velvety finishes. But, if you're a fan of the shimmer, don't fret. There's plenty of sparkle to go around. Like most makeup collections, nail polish colors take inspiration straight from the runways, and since nails are a fashion accessory, after all, many of these recently launched polish shades come straight to us from the Fall catwalks. Let's just say I'm not bored.

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Estée Lauder Goes For the Gold This Fall

BellaSugar — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 08:00:47 -0700

When it comes to makeup, I love gold, much like Austin Powers's nemesis, Goldmember. Not only does this shimmery color blend nicely with all skin tones, it helps bring a brightness to the complexion like none other. Estée Lauder's limited-edition Sensuous Gold collection features this gilded shade, accompanied by warm nudes and rose accents.

The highlights of the collection, which undoubtedly played a part in a "your makeup looks great" compliment I received this morning, include the Signature Eyeshadow Quad with Hammered Gold Design ($35), featuring four flattering colors that run the gamut from matte to shimmery finishes, and the Gilded Rose Marbleized Shimmer Powder ($36), a multitoned, brightening sheer coverage bronzer. The Rose Gold shades of Pure Color Multi-Shimmer Gloss ($18) and Pure Color Nail Lacquer ($18), along with the gold-shimmered Terracotta and Cinnamon shades of Hydra Lustre Lipstick ($19.50), complete the collection. Will you go for the gold?

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Beauty Byte: Top 100 Beauty Money-Making Brands of 2008

BellaSugarUK — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 07:31:00 -0700

I'm sure you haven't been holding your breath for this release, but if the business side of beauty has always been as intriguing to you as it has to me, I think you'll find the statistics of the top 100 beauty company earners of 2008 quite interesting. The glosses, fragrances and pick-me-up eye shadows that we buy to make ourselves look and feel better add up to some serious poundage and have made brands a full fledged fortune. In '08 alone, the cosmetics industry have scrounged together a whopping $168.21 Billion (that's roughly £105 Billion).

The U.S. ranks the highest with 33 companies on the list, followed by France with 13, Japan with 11, Italy with 10, Germany with eight, and seven in the UK. Other countries include South Korea, Switzerland, Brazil, Russia, Belgium, China, Finland, Latvia, Peru, Spain and Sweden. The sales calculated are from fragrance, skincare, sun care products, makeup, haircare, deodorant, anti-cellulite and shaving products only.

You can see the full top 100 list here, but for a detailed look at each of the top five biggest earners, read more.

L'Oreal Group: They celebrated their 100th anniversary in June and raked in over $25.81 Billion this past fiscal year. The L'Oreal Group includes brands such as: L’Oréal Paris, Garnier, Maybelline, Kérastase, Redken, Lancôme, Biotherm, Kiehl’s, Shu Uemura, Giorgio Armani Beauté, YSL Beauté, Ralph Lauren Fragrances, Vichy, La Roche-Posay, Skinceuticals, The Body Shop and more.
Procter and Gamble had a year of $19.8 Billion in revenue. You probably even use some of their products as they represent big brands like: Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Clairol, Herbal Essences, Nice ’n Easy, Wella, Sebastian Professional, Nioxin, Vidal Sassoon, Frédéric Fekkai, CoverGirl, Max, Hugo Boss, Old Spice, Lacoste, Valentino, Gucci, Escada, Puma, Anna Sui, Ghost, Dunhill, Dolce & Gabbana, Christina Aguilera, Replay, Rochas, Olay, SK-II, Noxema, DDF, The Art of Shaving, Zirh and Secret.
Unilever: This London company made $15.5 Billion in 2008 and is the parent company for Axe/Lynx, Impulse, Rexona/Sure, Degree, Dove, Lux, Pond’s, Suave, Sunsilk/Seda/Sedal/Hazeline, Clear and Vaseline.
Believe it or not, but The Estee Lauder Companies took a hit this year. However, they still managed to conjure up in $7.85 Billion in sales. You're all familiar with some of their brands like: Estée Lauder, Jo Malone, Aramis, Clinique, Prescriptives, Lab Series, Origins, MAC Cosmetics, Bobbi Brown, Tommy Hilfiger, Kiton, La Mer, Donna Karan, Aveda, Bumble and bumble, Darphin, Michael Kors, Sean John, Missoni, Tom Ford Beauty, Mustang, Coach, Ojon and Good Skin.
Avon Products earned over $7.6 Billion in 2008 as an umbrella company for their brands: Avon Color, Anew, Skin-So-Soft, Advanced Techniques Hair Care, Avon Naturals, Avon Wellness, Mark, Derek Jeter, Patrick Dempsey, Emanuel Ungaro, Christian Lacroix and Marimekko.

You Can Pick Up Free Estée Lauder Tomorrow

BellaSugar — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:01:41 -0700

What's better than a bargain? A freebie! Tomorrow night, all Estée Lauder counters nationwide will be handing out samples of its new Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recover Complex. Two-hundred fifty thousand 10-day samples will be passed out from 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at department and specialty store counters, so you can try before you buy. The usual one-per-person restrictions apply (don't go thinking you can grab multiple samples, greedy!) but otherwise, it's a no-strings-attached deal. Score!

Splurge of the Week: Estée Lauder Idealist Dual-Action Refinishing Treatment

BellaSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:00:24 -0700

While on vacation, I took a little, uh, vacation from my normal skincare routine. Unfortunately, this decision resulted in a mess of a complexion upon my return. I had blackheads galore, and the long flight had left my skin dry and flaky. Nice.

Oh, but when I returned to Sugar HQ, there was a package from Estée Lauder waiting. Inside: a sample of Idealist Dual-Action Refinishing Treatment ($49.50). It's a "skin refinisher," which sounds scary and harsh, but it's surprisingly gentle. When the paste meets damp skin, it warms up. While this heating action doesn't do anything amazing for the skin, it feels good as you rub it on. Five minutes later, the glucosamine and salicylic acid have painlessly nibbled away all of the complexion-dulling dead skin cells. The result: incredibly soft, smoother skin, with smaller-looking pores. One use and my vacation sins were washed away. A little goes a long way, so this is one skincare investment that should last for quite a while.

BellaSugar

Reader Review of the Day: Estée Lauder Foundation Brush

Michael Kors Makes a Very Hollywood Cosmetics Line

Exclusive! Grazia's Lauren Murdoch-Smith's Autumn Beauty Picks

DOUBLE WEAR MAKEUP FOR FACE, EYES AND LIPS

Will You Buy Beauty Products To Help Fight Breast Cancer?

Take a Peek at the Trendiest Nail Polish Collections For Fall

Estée Lauder Goes For the Gold This Fall

Beauty Byte: Top 100 Beauty Money-Making Brands of 2008

You Can Pick Up Free Estée Lauder Tomorrow

Splurge of the Week: Estée Lauder Idealist Dual-Action Refinishing Treatment

DOUBLE WEAR MAKEUP
FOR FACE, EYES AND LIPS