BellaSugar

BellaSugarUK's Picks For Best Blow-Out Brushes

BellaSugarUK — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 07:30:00 -0700

Along with a powerful, high-wattage hairdryer, a round brush is my secret weapon hair tool. Second to my prized all-boar bristle Mason Pearson, a round brush helps smooth and straighten my frizzy hair while creating bounce and shine. The key is to finding the perfect one has to do with size and grip. After spending 15 minutes every other day blow-drying, you'll become more intimate with yours then you ever imagined! Below are a list of my top three high performance round brushes. Do you have a favourite brush?

The Frederic Fekkai Large Round Brush (£44) works great on all hair lengths. I use on my crown and fringe because it's small and creates amazing resistance. The more tension that you have between your hair and your brush, the smoother the result. It's also great for curling the ends and adding volume to the roots.

For details on two more of my top buys for best blow-out brushes, read more.

ghd Anti Static Brush Size 3 (£18.75) has an over-sized head that works wonders to create natural-looking waves. The handle has a comfy grip and the bristles are coated with a natural ionic compound that makes your hair shiny and static-free without getting tangled causing unnecessary breakage. Victoria Beckham, Naomi Cambell, Jennifer Aniston and Beyonce Knowles are also rumoured to fancy this brush!
Lastly, I adore this S Factor Surreal Ceramic Straightening Brush XL from Tigi (£7.95). The bristles are soft and the squishy grip is tops. It never slips out of my hand and it holds my hair in place once it's wrapped around. Combine all of this with the ceramic core and I only need to dry each section once - it's heaven!

Reader Review of the Day: Brushlab Round Cushion Brush With Mirror Combo

BellaSugar — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:00:31 -0700

Sure, a brush can get the tangles out, assist with styling, and even help remove buildup, but it's always a bonus when that brush gives you results beyond anything you ever imagined. Recently, I tried out Kim7754 reviewed Brushlab Round Cushion Brush With Mirror Combo ($8), and got amazing results. Here's what she had to say:

I absolutely love this brush. It makes my hair smooth, light, and shiny. My hair is naturally straight, but I have thick, full hair so it does get poofy if I don't straighten it - especially if I take a shower at night and wake up the next morning. My hair is just horribly unmanageable. But I used this brush one night after showering and I woke up the next morning with my hair super straight, as if I used a straightener! I am definitely keeping this brush.

Do you have a brush, comb, or any other hair device that you can't stop raving about - or complaining about? Tell us all about it on our Product Reviews section. We want to know what you're thinking.

Do Fancy Brushes Make a Difference?

BellaSugar — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 16:23:05 -0700

For years I've been reading about Mason Pearson hair brushes in magazines, and inevitably they're lauded as life-changing miracle brushes. I haven't tried one yet, but I was given a Frederic Fekkai travel brush ($55) that's similarly luxurious.

The faux-tortoise brush is beautiful, easy to hold and replete with old-timey allure. It's pretty enough to leave out when guests are over, and it just feels more glamorous to brush my hair with this than with a drugstore brush. Except...
(To find out why I'm not loving it, read more)

As beautiful as the Fekkai brush is, I don't really love what it does to my hair. Because the boar bristles are natural, they give a relaxing scalp massage each time I run the brush through my hair. Unfortunately, this also spreads oil into my hair, which makes me feel a little greasy and flat-haired. Worse still, the brush is high-maintenance; it just never feels clean, and no matter how much I try to remove the schmutz that builds up, it never looks new. What am I doing wrong?!

My foray into pricey brushes has me wondering whether the expense is worth it, so I'm curious about your experiences. Have you used a high-end brush, and if so, what do you think?

Stained Teeth? Coffee Is Not the Only Culprit

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 11:00:00 -0700

We all want our teeth to be bright and white. There are so many whitening products and toothpastes on the shelves at my local drugstore. Dentists, for a pretty penny, professionally bleach stained and colored teeth.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to have pearly whites, but these products can make your teeth sensitive to cold and hot temperatures. Which can be surprisingly painful, so why not prevent the stains before they start?

If you're concerned about your teeth becoming stained, try to avoid these as much as possible:

Coffee, tea, cola, and red wine - consider cutting back if it's not possible to ditch these altogether, and brush your teeth immediately after you drink them.
Smoking - Don't you have enough reasons to quit?
Certain fruits and veggies - apples and potatoes can stain your teeth, so brush after eating them. Teeth, like people, are unique and not everyone's teeth will react the same way to the same foods.
Minerals in the water you drink can also discolor your teeth. Some cities add fluoride to the water supply - excessive fluoride from water or mouthwashes can also cause discoloration.

Fit's Tips: Anything that can stain your carpet can stain your teeth - so brushing after each meal and snack can help prevent stains. Keep toothpaste and a toothbrush in your desk drawer at work, so you can brush after your morning coffe.

Also, make sure to floss your teeth daily and get your teeth professionally cleaned every 6 months. It's good to know that some of these stains can be gently scraped off by your dentist.

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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.

Makeup Brushes, Part IV: Angled Eye Shadow Brushes

BellaSugar — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 12:00:25 -0700

Welcome back to BellaSugar's detailed look at make-up brushes. Today's installment: angled eye shadow brushes. (To read the other installments, click here.) Angled eye brushes are favored by many makeup artists, because they help achieve depth, definition, precision, and blend-ability in your crease area. When shopping for this type of brush, I find that natural-hair bristles work best.

To use, gently dipping your bush into the color and tap off the extra color. Then, in a windshield-wiping motion, blend back and forth. For more eye shadow tips, check out our Eyeshadow 101 series with tips for green , brown and blue eyes. Here are my picks for the best angled eye shadow brushes.

The Trish McEvoy #23 Angled Contour Brush may be the best brush I've ever used. Never before have I noticed such precision and comfort in a brush. This tool is designed to help guide you into just the right crease area of your eye. Buy it here for $32.

The Laura Mercier Angled Eye Colour Brush is a 100 percent natural brush designed for blending. The bristle surface is cut at an angle that allows you to hold the brush in such a way that you can see exactly what you are doing. Buy it here for $29.

To see the rest, read more

The Paula Dorf Eye Contour Brush is perfectly angled to fit naturally above the crease of your eye, making application easy and mistake-proof. Buy it here for $28.

Tarte Angled Brush is made out of soft pony bristles. Its handle is just a little bit shorter than the traditional makeup brush, making it great for travel. Buy it here for $26.

Tools of the Trade: BellaSugar's Guide to Makeup Brushes

BellaSugar — Sat, 12 May 2007 11:40:03 -0700

I get a lot of readers writing in with beauty questions, and makeup brushes are without a doubt one of the hottest topics. Obviously, I want to make sure we have all of the beauty basics covered, so I've created a definitive Guide To Makeup Brushes that you can come back to again and again. Here's a roundup of my posts about six essential types of makeup brushes and how to clean and care for them. Enjoy!

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Hairbrushes: Styling

BellaSugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:00:11 -0700

The styling brush is a basic, everyday kind of hairbrush that can be used for general combing or during blow-drying. While the round brush is best at gripping the hair for sleek styles, the low tension of a styling brush works wonders on smoothing out ends - particularly for bobbed or medium length styles.

Also known as the "styler" or the "Denman," this classic rectangular shaped brush can also be used to lift hair at the roots for added volume. Try the Denman Classic Styling Brush ($7.49) or Aveda Wooden Styling Brush ($13).

Confused about brush choices overall? Be sure to check out the rest of my hairbrush series, with more to come.

Hairbrushes: The Paddle

BellaSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:15:22 -0700

The hairbrush - you probably use one every day, but with the wide variety of brushes available, do you ever wonder which is what, and which one you should pick, anyway? Well, you're in luck because all this week, I'll be featuring different types of brushes and how to use them. As a general guideline, pick a brush based on the length of your hair and the style you want to achieve.

Let's start off with the paddle brush, which is great for longer hairstyles. To use, gently lift hair at the roots and sweep down the hair shaft. Since this brush is so flat, it's best for creating smooth, sleek, and shiny styles without lots of volume. It also works wonders as a finisher for curly, frizzy, or wavy hair that's been styled by other means.

Because the paddle brush is so wide, it's also great for penetrating thick hair and providing a gentle, stimulating scalp massage. Try the Aveda Wooden Paddle Brush ($18).

Makeup Brushes, Part II: Do-It-Yourself Brush Cleaning

BellaSugar — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 10:37:41 -0700

Welcome to Part II of BellaSugar's detailed look at make-up brushes. Today's installment: do-it-yourself brush cleaning. (To read yesterday's installment on powder brushes, click here.) If you're making an investment in high-quality tools, then it's important that you know the correct way to maintain them. Though people don't often think to wash their make-up brushes, it's very important that you keep them clean, because they harbor lots of dirt and bacteria, which can cause breakouts and make your make-up go on clumpy. Washing brushes will also make them last longer.

Ideally, you should wash any brush that you use for liquid make-up (including concealer, foundation, lip products, cream shadows, and so on) every day. For brushes used with powder, clean them every two weeks. For tips on how to properly clean your brushes, read more

Gently run your make-up brushes under lukewarm water. Swish them around in the sink until the water runs clear. Hold the brush under the water with the handle pointing up so that you don't irreparably damage the brush.
Add a small amount of mild shampoo or soap to the palm of your hard and swish your brush around in your hand and then under the water. Keep in mind that natural bristle brushes need gentler soaps.
Rinse your hand and the brush thoroughly, then wring out the water from the brush's tip. To retain the shape of the brush hair, gently squeeze to remove all traces of soap and water and place them so they can dry flat on a clean dry towel.

Keep in mind that sharing makeup brushes is not advisable because it may lead to infection.