BellaSugar -- You're beautiful.

How-To: Carmen Electra's Luminous Summertime Tan

bellasugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:00:02 -0700

This week, at the Disaster Movie party in Cabo San Lucas, actress, model, and fitness buff Carmen Electra played on the beach looking gorgeous and glowing with her quintessential summertime tan.

Besides her electrifying eyes (I wonder how many times she's heard that one), her skin oozed an undeniable radiance. We know that she's been hanging out at the DKNY House soaking up the rays, but something tells me that she's being careful with SPF, because her wrinkles are minimal. Are you interested in learning how to create this luminous look at home? If so,

Nars Welcomes You to the Jungle With a Box Set

bellasugar — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 08:00:26 -0700

When you hear the phrase "Welcome to the Jungle," don't you think of the Guns N' Roses song? Not so with Nars. The brand's new three-piece red lipstick, nail polish and lip liner collection was inspired by the old Hollywood glamour from the movie, The Women, a deliciously catty 1939 film starring Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer and Rosalind Russell (to name a few).

The Jungle Red Box Set ($55) will be exclusively available in Saks Fifth Avenue stores on September 12 to coincide with the movie release. The new version features Debra Messing, Annette Bening, Meg Ryan, Jada Pinkett Smith, Eva Mendes, Candice Bergen (and more). It's rare that Hollywood takes a "chance" by releasing a film with a lady-dominated cast, and I can't wait to see it.

For details about the products,

BellaSugar's Top Five Cream Eye Shadow Picks

bellasugar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 09:00:44 -0700

The invention of cream eye shadows has had a time-saving impact on my life. Not only are they easy to apply (you don't even need to use a brush), but depending on the color, they can also double as a highlighter. They're a cinch to travel with since they can't spill, and they typically dry to a nice, powdery finish. You used to have to tend to the creases every few hours, but now they've evolved into long-wearing, crease-free, stay-put-all-day formulas that hardly require any maintenance at all! Below are my top choices for cream eye shadows; what are yours?

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow ($19) has a light and creamy consistency that dries to a silky texture within 30 seconds. My favorite color is RSVP, a versatile, pale shimmery pinky-champagne that looks great alone for daytime and as a highlighter in the evening.
Lola Cosmetics SocialEyes Gel Eye Colour ($20) are creamy, waterproof shadows that can be worn as eyeliners too. They have medium pigmentation so they can be layered together or worn alone. My color of choice is a pale green patina called Tahiti.
Just for Redheads Dream Eye Shadow Flavors (on sale for $18) are some of the best blending cream shadows I've ever used. A little bit goes a long way to create shimmery, and rich velvety soft color. The must-have color to seek out is Souffle, a taupey, purplish-brown that looks amazing on all skin tones.
Laura Mercier Metallic Crème Eye Colour ($22) is a waterproof, sheer and non-creasing cream shadow. My favorite color of the bunch is Rose Gold, a shimmery pinky brown that looks great alone, or blended with a deep brown or purple in the crease.
Nars Cream Eye Shadow ($21) has a soft cream-to-powder texture that dries quickly and blends easily. My favorite shade is Swing, a deep dark purple that looks great as a lid and crease shadow or as a liner.

Product Review: Nars Skin Potent EFA Cream

bellasugar — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:00:40 -0700

About a month ago, Nars released a new, highly concentrated, skin-restoring face moisturizer called Lipid Support Potent EFA Cream ($70 for 1.7 oz). This thick, lightly scented lotion is formulated with lipids (Omega-3 fatty acids and ceramides), acai and hyaluronic acid to replenish your skin and to create a more hydrated texture. In turn, this helps aid in skin-cell regeneration and decrease wrinkles and create an overall more supple appearance.

Now, I don't know if you're aware of this, but some ingredients can break down when exposed to the air — and that means your skin isn't getting all of the ingredients it should. I like this container aesthetically, but I love how the airtight seal protects the cream's active ingredients from overexposure to sunlight, germs, and oxygen.

I really like the cream, especially for nighttime, but the one drawback is that has a slightly heavy and greasy texture. It claims to be suitable for all skin types, but due to its intensely hydrating formula, I would suggest it for those with dry skin.

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

Lookalike Products: Creamy Shimmering Bronzing Sticks

bellasugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:00:23 -0700

It's the season for glowing, (faux) tan skin and with all of the products on the market right now, it's easier than ever to achieve that look. However, choosing the right product can be challenging, especially when two similar items such as Nars the Multiple in St. Barth's and Vincent Longo Hydro Stick in Gold Solare exist. Both are beautiful for your eyes, cheeks, and lips, both are light in color and texture, and both create a sexy-tanned illumination on the skin. Take a look at my comparative table below to see which item I feel is more splurge worthy.

	Nars the Multiple	Vincent Longo Hydro Stick	Advantage
Texture	It has a light, cream-to-powder finish. It blends well and the color is buildable.	One strike is all you need since the color is deep. It blends well and is designed to create a wet, dewy effect. Also it has an slightly cooling effect.	Nars. I prefer the lighter color since it allows you to keep layering until you reach your desired tan.
Luminosity	Leaves a subtle, pearlized glow on your skin that catches the light but isn't too overbearing.	Has a powerful and vibrant high-shine, frosty finish.	Nars. I'm not crazy about icy frosts.
Color	Medium-taupey-bronze. Great for any skin tone.	Bronze with a twinge of orangey-copper. Great for those with olive or dark skin.	Nars. It's softer and more versatile.
Price	$37	$25	Vincent Longo by 12 bucks.

BellaSugar's Top Five Sex Kitten Lip Glosses

bellasugar — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:00:40 -0700

Below are my top five favorite lip gloss options for sultry, sex-kitten lips. These pale pinks and peaches (sans shimmer, glitter or any kind of opalescence for that matter) cool down the natural flesh tone of your lips to an icy finish and look the hottest when paired with a smoky eye. Which of your lip glosses makes you feel the sexiest?

Scott Barnes Flossy Glossy in Meow ($22) is a peachy-pinky gloss that has a little bit of a chalky effect without the matte finish. It blends easily and looks amazing alone or over a nude lipstick.
MAC Lip Glass in Underage ($14) is a soft, pale-pink, high-shine lip gloss. Rumor has it that it's also Carmen Electra's fave (talk about a sex kitten personified)!

For two other glosses to make you purr,

Coming Soon: Nars Bridal Palette

bellasugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:00:11 -0700

Yesterday, I showed you what was coming for Fall, but in just a few short weeks, Nars Cosmetics is going to launch a stunning four-colored eye, three-colored lip, and two-colored cheek Bridal Palette ($65), which will be available exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue stores. The sleek, rubbery black case, looks just like their other famous, artist palettes, only this one is filled with nine of Nars' best-selling shades.

This palette is all you'll need for your honeymoon or even for the big day (well, while you're at it, throw in some foundation and mascara, too). In fact, it reminds me a lot of one of their discontinued palettes, which I used to haul around with me on holiday and to the gym — it's that amazing. There are a few changes in this version that are definitely for the better such as Albatross, a new powder highlighter and a perfect-pink lipstick in Roman Holiday — and trust me when I tell you this is something you won't want to miss. Can't take the suspense? To find out exactly what's inside,

Nars 2008 Fall Collection

bellasugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:00:22 -0700

This August, be prepared for the no-name Fall 2008 Nars Collection to knock your socks off. This eight-product, 10-color line was inspired by the clothing on the runways at the Fall 2008 fashion shows. The shades are bold neutrals that contain warm, earth-tone metallics for the eyes, and dusty roses for the lips and cheeks. My favorite of the bunch is the Dolce Vita powder blush — it has just the right amount of pinky-red punch to add a natural looking flush to the apples of your cheeks.

For pricing information and to read a description of each of the products,

New Product Alert: Nars Orgasm Set

bellasugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:00:22 -0700

Ah, it's here: the Nars Orgasm set ($30). If you're not aware, Orgasm began as a beautiful pinky-peach blush with a hint of shimmer (and a long list of celebrity fans). It later became a Nars multiple, a lip gloss, and now it's a limited-edition nail polish.

The blush really does live up to the hype: It gives a great glow with just the right amount of color, so it's my daily go-to shade. (Psst, Revlon makes a clone that's pretty close, too.) I bought the lip gloss a couple of years ago, and while it's a pretty color, it isn't as much of a must-have. But now that the polish is available, I've ordered the set. At $30, it's actually a good deal for Nars — and the way that shade looks in the bottle is reason enough to have yet another Orgasm.

Pastel Products Part 1: Easter-Egg Eye Shadow Shades

bellasugar — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:00:09 -0700

Spring will officially be here by week's end. This season is known for heavy pastel makeup shades, and 2008 is no exception. As we've seen in my post about Festive Floral Spring Beauty Buys, beauty brands have made pretty and pale floral products a big part of their offerings.

In my experience, the key to a winning pastel is substantial pigment. Too often I find wimpy pastels that wind up looking like a generic iridescent pink no matter if they are lilac, blue, green, or peach. This week I'll be talking more about face, cheek, and lip pastel products, but for now I've featured three of my favorite eye shadows below along with some photos of a few runner-ups.

Givenchy Prismissime 9 Colours Face and Eyeshadow Palette ($50) is actually part of the 2006 Spring collection, but there are still plenty available online for purchase. Each of the colors can be worn alone on the eyes (the corner shades are especially notable) or they can be blended together and gently swept over the face for a radiant glow. You're destined to have fun with all of these Easter-eggy shades to play with.

Dior 5-Color Iridescent Eyeshadow ($54) contains velvety-soft powder shadows that you can mix, match, and blend to your heart's content. My personal favorite of the bunch is the shimmery peach shade since it complements each of the others so well. If you use it in the inner v of your eye, you'll get a sweet and subtle daytime twinkle. Also, the deep-purple shade can double as an eyeliner.

For one last single and pretty pastel eye shadow shade,

How to Spot Fake Cosmetics

bellasugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:12:07 -0800

Since many of you had questions after my first post about counterfeit cosmetics, I created a guide to spotting the fakes. Although you can find some good deals on eBay, fake goods are extremely prevalent. Watch out for phony MAC, Nars, and Bobbi Brown — although a few other brands pop up as well. Use this guide to protect yourself from bogus beauty, and be prepared to laugh and cringe while you browse through these fakes.

Coming Soon: Nars Summer 2008 Exotica Collection

bellasugar — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:00:08 -0800

Get excited! This April, Nars is launching Exotica, its Summer 2008 color collection. The safari-chic line includes eight earth-toned items. Yesterday afternoon, I was lucky enough to get an exclusive first peek at everything, and by far my favorite product is a single sparkling gold-and-chocolate powder eye shadow called Galapagos ($21).

For more details about Exotica,

Backstage Beauty: English Eccentrics

bellasugar — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:00:54 -0800

Yesterday afternoon following the Felder Felder fashion show in London came the 2008 Fall English Eccentrics show. I went backstage to get the lowdown on the makeup look from clothing designer Helen David and Nars lead makeup artist Jane Richardson.

The inspiration for the show was based on a fairytale written by the designer. Miss Magritte (the protagonist) is a schoolgirl who gradually evolves into a style slave after she is bitten in her sleep by a fashion vampire. Her clothing goes from sweet to edgy and her makeup encompasses both looks. Cheeks are sweet and bright but the color is high and far back for a more modern look. Lips are berry colored and matte, and false eyelashes are placed in the center of the lid — not on the lash line.

To find out what products were used and how you can apply them at home to create this makeup look,

How-To: Taylor Swift's Icy Eyes

bellasugar — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:00:02 -0800

Last night at the 50th Grammy Awards, country singer-songwriter Taylor Swift walked the red carpet with icy eye shadow to accentuate her slate-blue eye color. The rest of her face was smooth, pale, and flawless with a sweet hint of baby-doll pink color on her lips and cheeks.

To find out how to create these icy-hot eyes at home in four simple steps,

Backstage Beauty: 3.1 Phillip Lim

bellasugar — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 10:00:29 -0800

Ever want to know what a sardine must feel like? Most of the people backstage at last night's 3.1 Phillip Lim show could tell you. Luckily, I was able to duck in and speak with Nars makeup artist Ayako and the gifted hair stylist Odile Gilbert, who was working with Aveda.

While taking a break with her adorable (and very well-behaved) doggy, Ayako explained the inspiration for the look of the show's heroine. "She's very strong and confident in a very modern way," she said. "Eighties eyebrows and '30s lips meet together for Phillip's collection." To create the look, Ayako used a Botan brush to give a very light dusting of powder foundation only on models who needed it. Then, eyebrow hairs were drawn on individually for a manga effect. Eyes were completely bare, as were cheeks, but lips got a pop of red with semi-matte lipsticks in Fire Down Below and Scarlett Empress.

In the hair-styling section, everything smelled like Aveda—such a calming encounter in the whirlwind of the backstage area. Lead stylist Odile Gilbert had a simple explanation of the hair, which softly snaked around in the back of the head. "There is not a past inspiration," she said. "It's a girl from 2008. Super-simple."

Source

Nars Is About to Have Another Orgasm

bellasugar — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 07:00:40 -0800

You've no doubt heard the hype about Nars Orgasm, the blush turned lip gloss turned Multiple. It's a slightly shimmery, peachy-pink shade that is consistently a best-seller. I think some of the buzz is just due to it having a salacious name, but some of it's due to Orgasm being a gorgeous color. While the lip gloss is just okay, the blush is really beautiful, and it's the one I reach for most often.

So, if you're already inducted into the Orgasm cult, you'll be glad to know that this spring, Nars is releasing the color as a limited-edition nail polish. Like the recent sold-out Zulu polish, it'll be a Sephora exclusive. And I'm going to wager that it'll be available only to Beauty Insider members, so if you want to snag it, you know what to do...

Backstage Beauty: Alice Ritter

bellasugar — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 21:42:54 -0800

When it comes to Alice Ritter, Fab is a big fan but I'd wager that I'm even more into the French-born designer's chic clothing. At yesterday's presentation, she showed off high-waisted trousers, a subtly ruffled violet dress that I'm dying to buy, and other Gallic-girl ensembles.

Lead hair stylist Takamichi was inspired by easygoing French hairstyles of the '60s and '70s—think Jane Birkin and Brigitte Bardot, or women in films by Godard or Truffaut. "Everything is down, and it's quite natural," he explained. "It's like you see in the movies of the '60s: Very natural, straight down. It's quite simple."

And if you like the makeup, hold tight. I spoke with James Boehmer, the Nars makeup artist who created the look, and I'll have more detailed information for you soon!

Backstage Beauty: Erin Fetherston

bellasugar — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 09:00:33 -0800

One of my favorite things to do is to watch a model's face go from nude to runway-ready, which is just what I got to do with Nars senior makeup artist James Boehmer. Erin Fetherston's collection was inspired by Juliet (of the Capulets), so James came up with a subtle, innocent face for the show.

Fresh, young, dewy skin is essential to this look. James and his team used concealer only where absolutely necessary, letting the texture of skin show through. A light dusting of loose powder kept foreheads from looking shiny under the lights. (For most models, the shade Snow was used). The eyes were deceptively simple. James used a soft brown pencil to highlight the crease, helping to define the eye without leaving that color visible when the model's eyes were open. A few false lashes near the center of the eye were coated with mascara, but lightly—so that you see long lashes, not obvious mascara.

Cheeks got glowy with a little Rosebud Salve on just the apples, and then the artists added color by blending red lipstick into it. For lips, James dabbed color on the inside of the lip, moving outward. When watching the show, Fab specifically mentioned the makeup—something she doesn't always do—so I was glad to see that she loved the look as much as I did.

Source and source

Seven Beauty Products Worth the Splurge

bellasugar — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:00:56 -0800

You already know there are some beauty items you don't need to splurge on. But what about the pricey products that actually do the job much better than their cheapy counterparts? Over the years, I've found a few things that definitely deserve their high price tags. So start saving your dollars, because these are worth every penny.

Go For The Gold, Part I: Gold Dust

bellasugar — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 14:55:08 -0800

While metallics have had serious staying power over the last year, let's talk more about some of the golden treasures we've found. A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that gold nail polish was the next big trend, and we already know that golden highlights are hot. We've seen numerous golden lip glosses as well as tons of glamorous gold packaging. And guess what? Here come more gilded treats! So get excited and stay tuned all week long for more golden beauty treasures. Today's topic is gold dust — a little something sparkly for the face, shoulders and decolletage.

Bonne Bell Glimmer Bronze Highlighting Dust, Gold'n Glitz ($3.95) is a loose powder with microscopic particles that create a sexy glow on your face and body. Be warned, a little shimmer goes a long way, so you'll want to tap your puff before you apply to ensure that the gold dust spreads evenly and isn't too heavy in one area. The result is a luminous glow that lasts all night long.

For more gold dust,

Coming Soon: Nars Spring 2008 Shanghai Lily Collection

bellasugar — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 11:00:14 -0800

Nars is ramping up to launch their Spring 2008 collection called Shanghai Lily in January. I've been lucky enough to preview most of this line and I am really happy to see some modern takes on classic neutrals. Lately Nars has been wowing us with showstopping bolds, but this is definitely different. In three words, it's subtle, classy, and irresistible.

Some noteworthy items are Dolce Vita Lip Gloss and the Belle de Jour lip chubbie. These are actually classic colors re-created in new textures. For all the juicy details on this gorgeous collection,

Holiday 2007 Glittery Goodies!

bellasugar — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 09:00:09 -0800

Tis the season for all that glitters! From sparkly eyes to shimmery lips, cheeks and shoulders, if you have any glitter makeup that you've been wanting to bust out, now is the time. Glittery goodies can be a lot of fun to play with, but remember that only one feature on your body should be the main attraction. Don't overdo it, or you'll look like one big Christmas ornament yourself.

Glitter is a great finishing touch to a smoky eye or on the center of your lips. You can sprinkle some along your collarbone and even highlight your cheeks with a more subtle form of glitter (such as a sheer shimmer). I've gathered up some of the season's hottest glitter makeup products below. Tell me, which is your favorite glitter product?

Trend Alert: Blackberry Lips

bellasugar — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:59:14 -0800

As we know, berry lips are a great away to add a touch of bright color to any Winter look. From the sneak peek at the Bobbi Brown Raspberry Collection, it looks like berries are going to get even darker — yet more sheer — for Spring 2008. Here are three great blackberry lip shades that also happen to complement the dark-purple nail trend.

Nars Lip Gloss in Revolt ($23) is a sheer, deep-blackberry shade that provides lots of shine and creamy color to your lips. This shade looks a lot like a stain if worn alone, and it creates depth and vibrancy to amethyst or lilac lipsticks worn underneath.

For two more blackberry lipstick shades,

Fashionable Lip Palettes

bellasugar — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 07:00:00 -0800

These glamorous lip palettes are the It items of the fashion flock this season. Inspired by runway shows, they are sleek and chic for daytime or evening looks. Also, any one of them is a perfect accessory for any purse!

This incredible Nars J. Mendel Lip Palette ($65) is the result of a collaboration with fashion house J. Mendel and Nars. It is a limited-edition product that contains three sophisticated lipsticks and three playful lip glosses that reflect the Fall 2007 J. Mendel fashion collection.

The colors in the palette are (from top left to right) Chicaboom (sheer grape purple), Chastity (mauve), Galactica (sheer pearly white) and (bottom left to right) Dolce Vita (sheer dusty rose), Scarlet Empress (blue-red) and Viridiana (deep burgundy).

For one more fashionable lip palette,

Trend Alert: Deep Green Nails

bellasugar — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:00:23 -0800

This nail trend might make you green with envy — or it just might make your fingertips green. For the holiday season, Nars released this dark green nail polish. Called Zulu, it was on the cover of Sephora's holiday catalog — and it sold out almost immediately.

You can sign up for the waiting list or bid on Zulu on eBay (right now, a bottle is $26, with five days left to go). Or if you want to hop on the green nail trend—as Partysugar did last week—check out three options when you

Bellissima! Nars Night Series Mini Palette

bellasugar — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 07:00:31 -0800

Oh yeah! Did you ever think it was possible to fall in lust with your makeup? This new Nars Night Series Mini Eye Shadow Palette from the Siren Song 2007 Holiday Collection is swoon-worthy. Perfect for any night out, but especially New Year's Eve, this palette contains colors from the "night" line. It features two new shades from the latest collection: Night Song and Night Rider.

Plus, for $55 you get six shadows that are about half the size of a full single eyeshadow. Since one of those sells for $21, it's not a bad deal, eh? Keep in mind that these metallic shadows are pretty delicate, so you'll want to keep them protected so that they don't crumble. (I learned this the hard way.) Also, this is a limited-edition item, so there's not a whole lot of time to sit on the fence—so if you're going to go for it, do it quickly. I have a feeling this could be an item that sells out.

For a list and description of all six nighttime-inspired colors in the Nars Night Series Mini Palette,

Halloween How-To: The Fairy Princess

bellasugar — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:00:02 -0700

While Minnie Driver decided to take her glitter makeup patterns to the extreme in her fairy princess costume, you can tone down her look from Heidi and Seal's Halloween Bash last year and highlight just one area of your face with glitter.

For a few more modified ideas and details on how to create a fairy princess makeup look this Halloween on your own,

Cool New Kabuki Brushes

bellasugar — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 07:00:50 -0700

Kabuki brushes originated in Japanese rituals of geisha and kabuki theater, because makeup is an integral part of both. Kabuki brushes are great for blending, contouring and highlighting—and they're popular because they provide great coverage. In general, kabuki brushes are soft and strong, making them excellent tools for creating a buffed, glowy look.

The Nars Ita Brush ($38.50) is made from extremely soft black goat hair. It has a small, flat and angular design ideal for blending and contouring. Any intermediate or advanced level makeup junkie will know what to do with this brush once they see it, since it lies perfectly flat along your upper cheekbones.

For two more cool new kabuki brushes,

Halloween How-To: The Witch

bellasugar — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:00:22 -0700

Nobody says that you necessarily have to paint your entire face green to be a witch this Halloween. In fact, you can keep things simple and still get your point across. Check out Amy Castle, Hannia Guillen and Heidi Mueller from the soap opera Passions at a party at Universal Studios on Saturday. They are wearing pretty tame makeup aside from the red lips and smoky eyes.

I suggest using greens or deep purple shadows if you want to create a slightly scarier look. Also, I'd go with a paler face, black nails and black lips for the full witch effect. For step-by-step instructions and product details,

Product Review: NARS Lip Gloss/Lip Stain Duo

bellasugar — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 15:00:32 -0700

For the Holiday 2007 season, Nars launched its beautiful Siren Song Collection. I've been a busy bee creating different looks with all of the colors, but the one product I just can't seem to make friends with is the Lip Gloss/Lip Stain Gloss Duos.

I'm a lover of most makeup pairs because of their great value, and I certainly haven't met a Nars product that I didn't like, but my experience with the Indian Red Lip Stain side of my duo was a colossal disaster. While one side is your typical thick and sticky gloss, the other side has a drastically different consistency and frankly, I just don't understand it.

It's very liquid and slick, and you only need a small amount for full coverage. Don't make the same mistake I did and slather it on (it's a dirty little trick since it's got the same applicator as a gloss), because this milky lip stain spreads like wildfire. Having said all of this, please keep in mind that on the whole, I am not a huge fan of lip stains, so the richness of this product definitely plays a role in my opinion. For a description of the four color combination options,

BellaSugar's Guide To Makeup Brush Hair Types

bellasugar — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 10:00:22 -0700

Makeup brushes are the most important beauty tools that you can own. With gentle and regular cleansing, quality brushes should last a lifetime. I hope that you've found my series on makeup brush hair types educational. Below is a six-post roundup that you can refer back to for help before applying makeup and shopping for new brushes.

Keep in mind that the firmer the fiber, the better the brush is for depositing and blending colour. Also note that makeup brushes have three parts to them: hair, handle and ferrule. The ferrule is the metal piece that connects the handle as well as holds the bristles in place. You want to buy ferrules made of seamless brass, copper or aluminum (nickel plated is ok too) since these are very durable metals — enjoy!

Source

How-To: Eva's Happy Hearts Makeup Look

bellasugar — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 11:00:28 -0700

At the Happy Hearts charity benefit hosted by Petra Nemcova, Eva Mendes showed up looking absolutely gorgeous. She's the kind of gal you want to hate for being so effortlessly beautiful, but she's so sweet and goofy that you can't help but love her.

Her glowing skin was a perfect contrast to her flowy white gown, her pink lips added life to her bright smile, and her slightly smoky eyes dressed up her look for evening. And let's not forget the perfectly groomed strong brows that give definition to the frame of her face.

For product suggestions and instructions on how to create this look at home,

François Nars: Today's Culture is "Vulgar"

bellasugar — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 15:59:16 -0700

It's pretty rare to see an interview with François Nars, and even in this one, he's not exactly what you'd call a blabbermouth. But what he does say reveals a lot about his brand philosophy. And he's certainly had great success with his line of cosmetics—making enough money to purchase a small island in the South Pacific.

On starting his own company: "I never thought make-up was like brain surgery. I just wanted a line that made sense, using my 25 years of experience. I was never saying there was a whole message behind it. You can always romanticise these things and invent stuff – and some people do that well – but I'm very down-to-earth."

To find out why François thinks modern culture is vulgar, and why he digs girls with freckles,

Makeup Brush Hair Types, Part I: Goat

bellasugar — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 10:00:34 -0700

Welcome to part one of my series on makeup brush hair. When shopping for different styles of cosmetics brushes, most of you tend to look for the softest hairs that won't scratch your face. While I happen to do the same thing, what I didn't realize is that hairs have vastly different functions. I am hoping this series can help to facilitate your brush shopping experience as well as help to educate you on tools of the trade.

Thanks to the help from my pals at Nars, I've come to understand that the quality in makeup brushes also varies according to hair type. High-quality brushes contain mostly virgin hair with tapered ends, which stays soft on the skin. Also, natural hair gets softer with use and synthetic hair becomes more stiff.

Today I am going to begin with goat hair since it is the coarsest hair and is very common in makeup brushes.

For example, that deliciously fluffy and tightly woven Nars #19 Bronzing Brush ($50) is crafted from goat hair to distribute bronzing powder evenly.

It is believed to be the most effective hair to pick up powder and deposit it smoothly. It is also ideal for buffing and blending, since goat hair naturally brings luster to the skin. Let me know if you have any questions or if you have anything to add!

TV Look-Alikes Summer and Blair: How To Get Their TRL Makeup

bellasugar — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 10:00:41 -0700

Yesterday, Leighton Meester (a.k.a. Blair Waldorf from the show Gossip Girl) made an appearance on TRL looking totally cute and put together. Just over a year ago, we saw Rachel Bilson on TRL looking undeniably similar. The hair, the makeup, the black and white outfits... C'mon, are these two long-lost twins?

For product suggestions and step-by-step instructions on how to get their sweet and sassy polished makeup look,