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BellaSugar’s Top Picks For Eyebrow Kits

bellasugar — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:00:21 -0700

Is it just me, or did eyebrows suddenly become the big beauty thing? It used to be that you'd use your favorite brown or taupe shadow to fill in thin or light hairs and add structure to your face. Now, kits are available in all sizes and prices. Some include tweezers, brushes, stay-proof waxes and multi-color shadows, while others have fewer bells and whistles but still get the job done. Below are my personal favorite eyebrow kits; what are yours?

Anastasia Brow Ex-press in Brunette ($38) is one of my favorites. Her tweezers are amazingly precise and I really like being able to blend all of these colors without having to spend a fortune.
Le Sourcil de Chanel ($46.60) has a thick, waxy texture that blends surprisingly well, and leave it Chanel to choose just the right combo of colors to suit just about any brow color.
Too Faced Brow Envy Brow Shaping & Defining Kit ($35) has an unbelievable price for all it includes. Inside of the pink polka-dot box comes two powder shades, molding wax, stencil, mini-tweezers, mirror, brown pencil with a blending tip and an angled brush.
Ramy Beauty Therapy Miracle Brow ($28) is near and dear to my heart because it's the first brow kit I ever used. The creamy gel texture blends like silk and leaves your brows not only darker but also well groomed — this is a winner!
DuWop Browwow in Darker ($34) is small, but it does the trick every time. Inside of the pink compact lies a colored powder, a shimmery highlighter and a tinted gloss to use when you're finished and a double sided brush for precise application and flawless blending.

What A Pair: Cream and Powder Eye Shadow Duos

bellasugar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:00:09 -0700

Usually eye shadows come in palettes that have either a powder or cream consistency, so it's rare when you find a few dynamite duos that contain one of each. Here are three amazing cream and powder eye shadow pairs that I think you'll love as much as I do.

A few days ago I promised you more info on the Laura Mercier Eye Colour Pot ($32) from the Gold Digger collection (which totally looks like the Senna Cosmetics Mineral Mix Blush & Tint). The top of the container houses a cream eye shadow and the bottom holds the loose powder shadow. The colors can be blended together (cream color is typically applied first) for an intensified eye, or worn separately. It comes in bronzed gold, solid gold, and white gold.

DuWop Smoke ($2 is a dual cream and powder eye shadow palette that makes creating smoky eyes a cinch. I have olive branch and plum wine and I use them all the time, day or night. All you have to do is swipe the cream shadow over your lid in the area between your top lashes and your crease and then add the powder shadow on top to set it. The compact comes with two mini-brushes and is available in four shades.

For one other cream and powder eye shadow pair,

New Product Alert: DuWop Cheek Venom

bellasugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:00:21 -0700

When I heard about this new Cheek Venom ($24) from DuWop, I had mixed feelings of fear and excitement. While I know that tons of you are fans of the famous Lip Venom, I feel it's far too spicy and tingly for my sensitive lips. The good news is that Cheek Venom still tingles when applied, but my cheeks are much less sensitive.

Believe it or not, Lip Venom has been out for 10 years already. This new product was inspired by the cult classic in the hopes of creating a new one (I guess you guys will be the judge of that). Like the gloss, this also has that same super-spicy cinnamon-gum scent and it works to stimulate your circulation to create a natural-looking flushed effect.

Cheek Venom provides long-lasting color and the texture is thin, smooth, and easily spreadable. It contains silicone, hyaluronic acid, and essential oils that even make it good for you. You can apply it with your fingertips or with a firm brush. Cheek Venom is available in two shades. For color descriptions,

DuWop Gets Innovative For Spring

bellasugar — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:00:53 -0800

I'm excited that DuWop has finally released its Spring 2008 products. I think it's admirable when brands don't release an entire collection and capitalize on the hype; rather, they create a few great unique products that make their overall line better. That's the case for Beauty Innovation, the three new additions to DuWop.

The new items are Doubleglow 7 ($25), a luminous face balm, and Prime Venom ($20), a plumping lip balm primer. But I am most stoked about Liplingo ($32), two lip palettes in nude or pink that allow you to custom create your own perfect lip shade. Both contain a base color lipstick, a lip balm, and three glosses. These "secret weapons" should ensure that you have glowing skin and a perfect pout for Spring.

For additional information on each of the new products,

DuWop Takes Your Lips to the Moon

bellasugar — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 09:00:48 -0800

DuWop just can't stop re-inventing ways to push its famous Lip Venom on us. Last year they created a silver version, and this year we can plump our lips to out-of-this-world proportions with Moon Venom ($17). So far in 2008, I'm sensing things are going to be galaxy-themed—has anybody else noticed that?

Even though Moon Venom is technically the same formula as the original, what makes it different is that opalescent shimmer has been added to the mix of cinnamon, wintergreen and ginger essential oils.

While I won't be purchasing this gloss —this stuff is way too tingly for my taste — I'm sure lots of you are excited that your favorite lip plumper has a new special twist.

Think Pink: DuWop Purse Your Lips

bellasugar — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 07:00:08 -0700

DuWop fans will be pleased to hear that this brand is a big supporter of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This new and adorable Purse Your Lips ($24) mini purse houses its Pink Shimmer Lip Venom (you know, the mega lip plumper that put them on the map). Ten percent of proceeds will be given to Cancer and Careers.

Cancer and Careers is an organization I have mentioned before that helps provide inspiration, guidance, help and insight to working women living with cancer.

If you don't already own a tube of Lip Venom, now's your chance to stock up on a must-have makeup staple — and help a good cause at the same time. To use it, simply brush on the gloss with the applicator and watch as your lips turn a plump and shimmering rosy shade!

Product Review: DuWop Payoff Eyeshadow Intensifier

bellasugar — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 08:00:36 -0700

About a month ago, I did a giveaway of the day and the product was Duwop Payoff Eyeshadow Intensifier ($17). After reading about it, I was so impressed with what makeup artist Victorio Esparza had to say, that I knew I just had to try it for myself!

All I can say is wow! What makes this product so unique is that it amazingly turns any powder shadow into a creamy, blendable texture as opposed as to just watering it down into a liquid. Funny enough, since it's water based, it won't mess up your eye shadows and leave them hardened so that you have to scrape off the top layer to use it properly again. Does anybody else hate that?

So, I'm addicted. The only downfall is that you need to allow a few seconds for drying time—something you wouldn't normally have to do with a naturally creamy shadow—but really, it's not the end of the world. Have any of you tried it? If so, what do you think?

See reader reviews of this product and add your own here!

Blue is Back, Part II: Turquoise Blue Eye Shadows

bellasugar — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 07:00:22 -0700

Part II of my series on bright blue makeup focuses on turquoise eyeshadow. Elizabeth Taylor first made the azure eye famous when she played Cleopatra. This season, history repeats itself and we see all kinds of color-blocking fashions, with cosmetics following suit.

You don't need to be quite as dramatic as Taylor, who paired her bold blue shadow with a dramatized wing-tip liner. But then again, who's to say that you can't walk like an Egyptian if you want to?

Nars Eye Shadow Duo in South Pacific ($31) is a shimmering turquoise and a dark aquamarine powder eye shadow duo that can be layered for a dramatic, edgy evening look or dusted lightly over the eye for a soft romantic twist on the traditional smoky eye.

For two more turquoise blue eye shadows,

Beauty Mark It! Lip Plumpers

bellasugar — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 15:59:45 -0700

Angelina Jolie is lucky enough to have naturally full lips, but the rest of us can look as luscious with lip plumpers. I've been using DuWop Lip Venom ($17) since it launched, but I'd love to know what all of you are using these days. After all, perhaps it can help us attract the attention of Brad Pitt lookalikes, right?

So for this week's Beauty Mark It challenge, share your favorite plumpers by Beauty Marking them and tagging your choices with the phrase "lip plumper." I'll feature the readers' favorites on BellaSugar next Tuesday, September 5.

To learn what a Beauty Mark is and how to make one, click here. To see some of my favorite online beauty stores,

Tuesday Giveaway! Duwop Payoff Eyeshadow Intensifier

bellasugar — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 23:30:00 -0700

Ever wonder what happens backstage? The Sephora Pro Beauty Team dishes on their fashion show must-haves!

Victorio Esparza, a pro from Sephora Hollywood and Highland, loves DuWop Payoff Eyeshadow Intensifier: "DuWop Payoff is magic backstage! It's a water-based liquid that intentisifes the color of your shadow , and it dries really quickly, so there's no holdup"

To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment in the comments section below by 5 p.m. PDT / 8 p.m. EDT Tuesday, August 21, and we'll announce the winner tomorrow. Please, only ONE comment per person; duplicate comments will be discarded, so commenting more than once won't up your chances of winning. You must be a TeamSugar member to comment, so if you're not a member, please register here for an account. For all of the rules and regulations, click here. Congratulations to daydreamer, who won yesterday's giveaway for Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot Pre-Foundation Primer!

The Best Blusher For Your Skin Tone: Olive Skin

bellasugar — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 13:40:10 -0700

Welcome to part four of The Best Blusher For Your Skin Tone. In this installment, we are exploring blush for olive-colored skin. You lucky girls are the ones with the gorgeous and natural golden glow all year round! For this type of skin, petal pinks and deep peachy apricots give you a subtle warmth. Here are a few of my suggestions—and by all means, please leave comments and share your own favorites with everyone!

Pantina Cheek Sweeps ($5.50) aren't out yet, but you can expect to see these shimmery and mess-free blushers this fall in two shades: Tru Bliss and Radiance.

For olive skin tones, I'd go with Tru Bliss. It's a bright pink/coral hue that glides on easily and blends flawlessly into the skin, leaving a slight iridescent trail and a gorgeous flush to your cheeks.

For two more blushes for olive skin,

Bellissima! DuWop Hands 2 Hair

bellasugar — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:00:42 -0700

You know me, I'm a sucker for most anything two-in-one, so maybe that's why I think this new Du Wop Hands 2 Hair ($16.50) product is so cool. This baby is both a hair gel and a hand cream. Bravo, DuWop!

You know how normally after you put product in your hair you immediately wash your hands before you slime anything else that you touch? Well, now all you've got to do is rub it into your hands for a smooth finish on both your strands and your skin.

This emollient lotion is great for taming frizzy hair as well as relieving dryness from your hands. And for the price—well, what could be better?

I hope that next someone invents a lip balm that doubles as a conditioning hair treatment, since I never seem to know where to wipe the excess product from my finger. (Nice try, I see your wheels turning, but don't even think about it—I've already got the patent!)

Product Review: DuWop Shadowlift

bellasugar — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 12:00:22 -0700

DuWop, one of my fave brands, has just come out with a new sheer and liquid eyeshadow called Shadowlift ($29). It comes in an innovative pump form in four fabulously neutral and velvety metallic shades that blend easily with the touch of your fingertip.

The only qualm I found is that it's a little bit messy to use, especially if you're not very savvy with cream makeup. My fingers were filthy when I was finished applying it, and unfortunately, a lot of extra product comes out in each pump. Only a teensy amount is necessary since it spreads like wildfire!

That said, what's great about this shadow is that it contains anti-aging properties to help firm your eyelids. And on a practical level, it lasts throughout the day and the colors are very pretty and subtle.

For a description of each of the colors (which are named after things that rise),

Bella Bargain: Free DuWop Gift with Purchase

bellasugar — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 15:09:40 -0700

It's not everyday that the hoity-toity online store eLuxury gives stuff away for free, so I didn't want you guys to miss this offer. Right now, when you spend $75 or more on DuWop products in the online store, you get a Venom lip gloss collection for free! Just enter the promo code LIPS when you checkout; the promotion is good as long as supplies last. If you've always wanted to try this famous lip-plumper, here's your no-strings-attached chance.

I would have absolutely no problem spending $75 in the DuWop store, because I've really been loving the brand's makeup lately. If you haven't dabbled in DuWop, I highly recommend the Revolotion Face tinted moisturizer ($29) and the nutritious and delicious DuWop Elixrstix. And though I have yet to try the DuWop Blushbooster ($22), it sounds divine. What are your favorite DuWop products?

Tea Time Treats, Part I: Chai-Inspired Cosmetics

bellasugar — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 08:30:49 -0700

Even when it's iced, tea is hot right now. The trendy drink is available in an astounding number of varieties — from green to chai to yerba mate — and every day, it seems, I read about another health benefit of drinking tea.

It's no wonder, then, that tea has filtered into cosmetics, as both an ingredient and an inspiration for names. So I bring you Part I in my series on tea beauty treats: chai-inspired cosmetics. Though none of these products actually contain tea, they definitely pay homage to the tasty beverage.

DuWop Summer Duet Eye Shadow in Chai ($17) is part of a new limited-edition collection. The Chai compact features gold- and copper-toned powders, which are velvety smooth and can be worn together or individually.

For two more tea-licious products,

Bellissima! Blushbooster by DuWop

bellasugar — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 15:20:50 -0700

Often I come across new makeup products, like primer, that I never knew I needed. In those cases, the message from devotees is often the same: "Trust me. Just try it, and you'll understand." That seems to be the case with this new Blushbooster by DuWop ($22), an "enhancer" designed to be worn by itself or over your usual powder or cream blush. Though I can't understand why I need such a thing, Product Girl swears it really is a great highlighter that takes your blush up a notch.

Now, I am dying to try it. (If you have, tell me what you think.) It looks like it would add a pretty, bright sparkle to ordinary blush, so it could be great for touching up my makeup before going out after work. Also, I'm curious to see the subtle effect you'd get wearing it alone. The Blushbooster contains jojoba oil for moisture and cooling cucumber extract to calm your skin. It comes in four shimmery shades: Apple (peachy pink), Mango (peach), Pomegranate (coral), and Watermelon (light pink).

Trend Alert: Nutritious and Delicious Lip Glosses

bellasugar — Tue, 29 May 2007 04:28:45 -0700

Here's a horrifying statistic from the Tarte Cosmetics website: The average woman ingests between two to four pounds of lip gloss in her lifetime. Yuck, right? Thank goodness for a new trend in makeup that will make you feel better about licking your lips. Cosmetics companies are partnering with wellness brands to create lip glosses infused with good-for-you ingredients. Here are two of the trend-setters.

DuWop Elixrstix ($22) are super-smooth lip glosses with medium coverage that aren't gooey or sticky. But what really sets them apart is that these glosses are infused with ancient Chinese medicinal tonics, thanks to a collaboration with Elixr Tonics & Teas.

Elixrstix are available in four shades, each of which comes with a different healing promise. Clarity (nude) is said to enhance your mental agility, Energy (sheer pink) promises to keep you going, Harmony (rose) aims to center your mind and spirit, and Serenity (melon) is designed to relax the senses.

For another healthy lip gloss,

Bellissima! DuWop Smoothset

bellasugar — Thu, 24 May 2007 10:13:00 -0700

When it comes to Summer makeup, I like a flawless finish without much foundation, and the DuWop Smoothset ($32) offers everything you need to create a natural-looking face from start to finish. This long, sleek compact — about the size of two business-card cases — contains a pair of great products: a priming balm and an oil-controlling translucent powder.

The balm can be used underneath foundation or alone with the powder to minimize pores and fine lines. It delivers nutrients like Vitamin E to the skin while preventing your face from looking oily. A little bit goes a long way; simply smooth it on your skin.

After applying the balm and foundation (if you choose), dust the sheer powder all over your face to set your makeup and even out your skin tone. It feels incredibly light and is perfect for those of you with sensitive skin. The Smoothset is available in three desert-inspired shades: Sahara (translucent light), Mojave (translucent medium), and Kalahari (translucent dark).

Bellissima! DuWop's Beauty Blade

bellasugar — Fri, 04 May 2007 08:00:35 -0700

To look great, you've got to have the right tools of the trade. Consider the latest creation from DuWop, the Beauty Blade ($11).

Not only does this chic-looking sharpener help create cutting-edge eye and lip lines, but it's also the world's first sharpener with anti-bacterial polymers built into the hardware. That means this gadget cleans itself! It also means that your eyes are protected against unwanted germs and bacteria. After each twist of your wrist, your pencil is more sanitary than ever.

The sharpener fits classic thin pencils as well as the new chunky pencils. It also has a flip-tip Lucite hatch that covers the blade and helps contain your shavings. Nice and neat — how sweet!

Bridal Beauty Looks, Part II: The Natural Bride

bellasugar — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 15:30:22 -0700

The natural bride is down to earth and far more relaxed than the princess bride. Think Cindy Crawford, Jemma Kidd and Tori Spelling (the second time around). A natural bride might prefer a country, mountain or beach wedding. Her goal is to keep it simple and wear only enough makeup to give her a glow and let her inner beauty shine through.

She's most likely more interested in her adventurous honeymoon than learning how to apply false eyelashes. If being a natural bride seems more your pace, then you'll want to focus on having clean, clear and scrubbed skin so that you have more of a radiant glow!

For a complete list of products that are perfect for a natural bride,

Beauty Trend Alert: Silver Lip Gloss

bellasugar — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 13:11:22 -0700

Looking like an ice princess is in for Spring! Silver is everywhere right now; it's an icy hot trend in both the fashion and beauty worlds. It is the opposite of a warm golden gloss - but opposites attract! To see more Spring lip glosses click here.

DuWop Venom Flash Lip Gloss in Silver, $17, is the latest product from the bee-sting queens of lip gloss. It is an extreme plumper spiked with spicy flavor and tiny particles of pure mica to add a kick of silver shine to your luscious lips.

To see two more,

New Product Alert: Reverse Lip Liners

bellasugar — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 16:24:21 -0800

Reverse lip liners are a great makeup secret. Artists have known about this little trick for years, since very light lip liners help prevent your lipstick from running or bleeding outside of your lip line without adding extra color. For that reason, this cool tool is especially applicable to this season's hot red lips trend. So far, I've come across two different products on the market. Here they are.

Cargo The Reverse Lip Liner is a neutral lip pencil that acts as insurance for your lipstick or lip gloss. It adds a little bit of definition to your lips and will help make your color stand out. You can also get creative and use this as an inner eyeliner. Buy it here for $14.

DuWop Reverse Lip Liner is a clear, matte lip pencil. This chunkier stick helps to fill in fine lines around your mouth area, since it's super moisturizing and smooth. It acts as a blockade to help fence in lip color. Buy it here for $19.