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Coming Soon: Summer 2008 Nouveau Boho From Becca

bellasugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:00:42 -0700

At first I thought it was a little strange that Becca was so late in the game to be launching its Summer products now, but I was willing to overlook it because when they do finally decide to crank out new goodies, it's always worth the wait. However, it hit me just a few moments ago that the brand is Australian, and so it all makes sense why the model is wearing a knit hat — their Winter is our Summer!

In two weeks, get ready to check out two brand-new products: a shimmery golden-bronze powder eye shadow called Damask ($24) and a creamy champagne-pink blush called Freesia ($30). Similarly to Flirt! Cosmetics and American Beauty, Becca has created a really pretty, easy-to-achieve look.

The 2008 Nouveau Boho collection has an earthy feel with a modern edge. I haven't tried anything just yet, but from what I've heard (and from checking out the photos) the colors are muted shades of bronze, green, and gold metallics (so pretty!). To find out the rest of the already-existing colors that were used to create this look and for a close-up, peek at the products,

How-To: Handle Chlorinated "Green" Hair

bellasugar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:00:53 -0700

OK, it's time to get something straight right off the bat. The chlorine in pools isn't what is causing your hair to turn green; it's the copper in the water that's making you look like you've just been slimed.

Chlorine is a chemical that kills germs, and when mixed with the natural copper in the water, it can turn dark blonde hair yellow, make highlights brassy, or turn light blonde hair green. Even if your hair isn't light or chemically treated, chlorine can dry it out. Below are a few quick and easy precautions you can take to protect your hair's texture and color.

Before you get into the pool, rinse your hair with water from the shower or the tap and apply a conditioner to help coat your hair. This will act as a shield against the damaging chemical/metal mixture.
If possible, don't stay in the pool for more than a few hours. If you are planning to swim for an extended period of time, then it's a good idea to wear a swim cap.
As soon as you get out of the pool, shampoo and condition your hair immediately. A great suggestion is Swimmer's Normalizing Conditioner and Swimmer's Normalizing Shampoo ($7.70-$7.98 each) from Aubrey Organics. Work the shampoo into your hair, rinse well and repeat the process for optimal results.
Deep-condition more regularly to avoid brittleness and breakage. Shiny, hydrated, healthy hair is less likely to be affected.

Source

Kissable Couture's Bare Your Soul Summer Nudes Collection

bellasugar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:01:35 -0700

Summertime is all about flaunting your sexy skin. What better way to enhance it with than a collection of sultry nude lip glosses? Kissable Couture has just released The Nudes Collection, three shiny new shades to bring the total number of glosses to 13.

Each of the glosses have a light, nontacky texture, a sweet (but not overbearingly so) scent and retail for $22. The colors are deeper than the original collection: they all have shimmer, and they are all members of the golden toffee-colored family.

Innocence, the lightest of the bunch, is a champagne-creme brulee color. It goes on sheer and would look great alone or on top of any of your favorite lipstick.
Honesty is a creamy, rich caramel shade that has a slight glimmer of shimmer.
Exposed is a dark, metallic bronzey-brown that is charged with oodles of shimmer.

To see close-up shots of each of the shades,

A Little Slice of the Italian Riviera Right Here at Home

bellasugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:00:11 -0700

Recently, I introduced you to the new world of Borghese nail lacquers and their awesome double brushes. Since I'm such a fan, I thought you'd like to hear about the most recent Summer 2008 launch called Portofino Del Sole. The collection includes six shimmery shades that were inspired by the breathtaking landscape in Portofino, Italy — a Mediterranean port and destination for the rich and lavish.

I'm not much of a shimmer fan when it comes to my nails (especially reds or lavenders), but I'll rock just about anything on my toes. After trying out Florentine Gold, I'm smitten. Not only do I love the authentic, yellowy pale gold color, but I gave myself a quickie pedicure last night and was pleased that it didn't streak at all and that the polish dried relatively quickly. Also, I'll remind you again that the lacquers are free of DBPs, toluene, and formaldehyde — and they leave you with a long-lasting shine. What else is there to say besides, bellissima!

To read a description of each of the shades in the collection,

Coming Soon: Wei East Golden Root Renewal Cream

bellasugar — Fri, 30 May 2008 09:00:21 -0700

Due out this July is the first SPF product from Wei East: Golden Root Renewal Cream SPF 15 ($37.50). Golden root is a vibrant red Chinese herb that has been used for ages to prevent visible signs of aging. Small quantities of golden root have been added to this cream to help promote the re-growth of dead skin cells, resulting in a new and smooth surface to your skin. This 'multitasking day cream' claims to firm, hydrate and make your skin look and feel more resilient.

The moisturizer also contains white tea (a strong antioxidant), reishi mushroom (an anti-inflammatory) and Licorice (to revitalize the skin). I've tried it once and am impressed with the way the SPF scent is masked with a cinnamony-herbal essence. Also, it has a thin, spreadable texture that goes on smooth and absorbs quickly.

I was thinking that it was definitely more of a moisturizer, but the impression I get from the packaging is that it's actually more like a sunscreen. Either way, I am really excited about being able to use such a great smelling product this summer that will protect my skin, improve its appearance and above all, it won't clog my pores.

Coming Soon: American Beauty 2008 Summer Bouquet Collection

bellasugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 11:00:27 -0700

This June, American Beauty Cosmetics will launch its Summer Bouquet color story. Much like Flirt! Cosmetics (both are owned by the same company), the brand typically launches a new product or two every few months and then creates a seasonal look by blending the new products in with the old.

The inspiration for Summer Bouquet is all about florals, specifically perky pink roses. The new product for Summer is a peachy pink powder blush called Nectar Blossom. The face of the campaign is Ashley Judd, as usual, and this particular photo also doubles as an ad for its new Beloved fragrance.

For a description of each of the items in the Summer Bouquet color story,

Hot In The City: Prescriptives Urban Heat Summer Collection

bellasugar — Thu, 15 May 2008 09:00:23 -0700

The new Urban Heat Collection from Prescriptives is a beautiful summer product range. It contains a total of 14 items in five categories. They include two limited-edition kohl eye pencils (which have been formulated extra soft for smudging), eight vivid Colorscope lip glosses, one new Colorscope creamy eye shadow, two Colorscope eye colors and one neutral-colored Colorscope lipstick.

Overall, it is a sexy, but clean and vibrant line. It contains pale metallics and bright accent shades that can be worn in the daytime and then darkened for a more sultry evening effect. I've got all of the info on each of the new products, so if you are interested in the prices and a brief color description,

Victoria's Secret Dazzling Diamonds Collection

bellasugar — Wed, 14 May 2008 11:00:13 -0700

Who said that glitter and sparkles are just for the Winter holidays? Victoria's Secret has created a special limited-edition makeup collection called Very Sexy Diamonds for Summer 2008. The product range includes three eyeshadow duos ($14 each), three lip glimmers ($12 each), and an illuminating, jewel-embossed face powder ($22). All of the products are formulated with crushed diamond particles that create a gorgeous light-reflecting intense shimmer to your eyes, lips and face.

I'm totally bonkers for the glosses. They are available in champagne, pink, and fiery (coral) and come in a clear tube that houses three graduated shades. The darkest color is on the bottom and the lightest shade is on the top so when you pull out the wand, you get dense color with a little bit of glitter and a lot of shine.

Victoria's Secret is sure to score a home run with this diamond makeup collection. I like mine so much that I've already purchased a set for my best friend's birthday.

Coming Soon: Flirt! Cosmetics Bright on Summer 2008 Collection

bellasugar — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:00:36 -0700

Every season Flirt! Cosmetics gathers a few old and a few new items to create a themed color story of the season. For Summer 2008, the look is called Bright On! This four-product combination includes a creamy eye shadow, a deep-violet mascara, a dark-purple eyeliner pencil (in my absolute favorite color, Purple Rain — it's so dark it looks almost black) and a brand-new lip balm with SPF 12 called Flirt-Tinis.

Flirt-Tinis are sheer, conditioning, limited-edition glossy balms that moisturize lips while providing a little bit of shimmer. I love that they glide on smooth without any of the tackiness of a goopy lip gloss. Including Fizzy Pink (the featured color), three additional shades will also be available in June online and in Kohl's department stores.

The inspiration for Bright On! comes from the pop color runway trend. These shades are vibrant, but they're also wearable since they can be layered to create anything from understated to bold. They also touch on the purple trend that is apparently carrying over from Fall and Spring. To read more about each of the items in the Bright On! color story,

Essie's 2008 Summer Color Craze

bellasugar — Mon, 12 May 2008 09:00:06 -0700

Although the new Summer 2008 Essie Nail Polish Collection isn't inspired by the girls of The Hills, the colors are similar to the Zoya Gossip collection. The range contains six sexy coral, rose, orange and pink shades perfect for adding a punch of happy color to your nails or toes. Don't let the provocative names scare you off; even good girls need to shake things up a little bit in the summer. My personal fave is secret stash, a bright, glossy magenta. What color is catching your eye?

To read a description of each of the colors,

Giorgio Armani Bronze Mania 2008 Ochra Collection

bellasugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 07:00:27 -0700

New from Giorgio Armani Beauty is the 2008 Bronze Mania 2008 Ochra Collection. This sultry group of treats is made up of six skin tints, a pinky-bronze fluid sheer luminizer, two lipsticks, four lip shimmers, and a brown mascara.

However, the most buzz-worthy item is definitely the Magnificent Mediterranean Palette ($85). Inside of the sleek round black compact you'll find a mirror, four shimmery eye shadows (on the top level) and a sheer bronzer (on the bottom level). Once again, you can see Sasha Pivovarova modeling the collection, and might I add that she looks H-O-T!

For pricing information and a brief description of the new items,

Cozy Up With Lancôme's Cabana Bronze Collection

bellasugar — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:00:48 -0700

Although Lancôme's Cabana Bronze collection isn't due in stores for a couple of weeks, the new Cherub Star Bronzer ($50) and Star Eye Shadow Palettes ($43) are already available online — goodie! Last Summer, they stunned us with the launch of a huge face and body-bronzer compact embellished with a bamboo and sunset image. This year they've decided to bring back the popular over-sized bronzer but instead of a glittery sunset, it features a more subdued cherub imprint.

Leave the glimmering golds and bronzes up to the new quad eye-shadow palettes. The first, Cabana Sunset, contains champagne, true gold, taupe, and deep brown shadows. Its counterpart, Cabana Sunrise, contains a pale shimmery shell pink, a sparkling mauve, a neutral taupe (which I also use on my brows) and a dark brownish-aubergine (which can double as a liner). I'm pretty hooked on Cabana Sunrise — I think it's all I'll need on my next tropical vacay. Which item interests you the most?

Psst! Zoya Has Some Summer Gossip

bellasugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:00:43 -0700

Looks like The Hills is unstoppable. Zoya has created six new shades of toluene-, formaldehyde- and DPB-free nail enamel and three new shades of sheer shiny lip gloss. They're named after LC and company.

It makes sense, especially since Whitney and Heidi are setting nail trends of their own. You'll appreciate that these colors are much more likable than some of the characters, and they're perfect for your upcoming party circuit. My favorite shade is Elodie, a vibrant melon-colored polish. Check out the colors below and let me know what color you like the most. Even if it turns out to be Heidi, I'll forgive you.

For a description of each of the nail polishes and lip glosses,

Deborah Lippmann's Daring Summer Varnishes

bellasugar — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:00:04 -0700

Deborah Lippmann is giving us a peek into her iPod playlists with two jewel-toned, fierce and fiery summertime nail lacquers ($15 each). Lady Marmalade is a bright pink shade flecked with gold, orange, and coral. (It was named after the classic disco song.) Shut Up and Drive is a glittery hot plummy magenta flecked with silver, and it was named after Rihanna’s top-40 hit.

These brilliant colors have a shimmery finish which make them perfect for summertime parties or a night out with the girls. I've tried them both and I really love the vibrance of Shut Up and Drive. It's a shame that my nails are too short for polish right now, but you can rest assured that my toes will be the best on the beach!

Laura Mercier Goes Digging For Gold

bellasugar — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:00:39 -0700

This summer, Laura Mercier goes for the gold with her Gold Digger collection. It contains 11 color products and one dual-sided eye brush. As expected from the name, the range consists of metallic gold, platinum, and bronze blushes, bronzers, eye shadows, nail lacquers, and lip glosses.

My favorites are the Eye Color Pots (more on these later), 24 Karat gold polish and the bronze Lip Glace. Products are already available in stores, so check it out and tell me what you think.

Laura's famous Lip Glace ($22) now comes in three new shades: gold, bronze, and platinum.
Eye Colour Pot ($32) houses a satin cream eye shadow on top and a loose powder matching metallic shadow to create a sexy and intense eye. Available in bronzed gold, solid gold, and white gold.
Dual Eye Colour Brush ($34) is a limited-edition tool to help with the application of the Eye Colour Pots. The cream end has flat, tapered oval bristles and the other has medium-length round bristles for the loose powder.
Bronzing Duo ($32) is a compact that contains a slightly shimmery long-wearing bronzer on one side and a bright blush on the other. Available in Coral/Bronze and Pink/Bronze.
Nail Lacquer ($15) now comes in 24 Karat (gold) and Platinum (shimmery silver). This high-shine polish is formaldehyde free, and it helps protect nails from splitting or peeling.

Estee Lauder's Limited-Edition Pearls of Light Collection

bellasugar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:00:35 -0700

Estee Lauder has just released a new collection of opalescent products for summer called Pearls of Light. You've already gotten a sneak preview of the Shimmering Powder Pearls — a beautiful collection of pink, blue, green and peach beads — and I've got the skinny on the remaining seven new limited-edition products.

The newly short-haired Gwyneth Paltrow is the face of this pastel collection. These luminous colors are perfect for summertime, and the collection includes two separate (but I think pretty similar) product ranges. The first is Pink Pearl and the second is Champagne Pearl.

For a complete list of products and prices,

Coming Soon: Chanel Summer 2008 Makeup Collection

bellasugar — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:00:42 -0700

Have a looky at a few products from the Chanel Summer 2008 makeup collection, which is expected to trickle out between April and May. The star items from the collection are clearly the Soleil Tan de Chanel (powder bronzers) and the Lumières Facettes (iridescent eye shadow quad).

The colors within the collection are earth toned and shimmery with a few fun hints of Miami Beach pinks and corals. If it reminds you a little bit of the Nars Summer 2008 Exotica collection, it's because both collections have incorporated browns, khakis, and iridescence to create an elegant safari look.

For a full list of products, prices, and colors in the collection,

Trend Alert: Turquoise Nail Polish

bellasugar — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:00:20 -0700

Among the many qualities that make Whitney Port (of The Hills) so lovely is that she has her own style. I've always thought of Whit as someone who sets trends as opposed to following them. So when I spotted this style star sporting shiny turquoise nail polish, I was excited.

For anyone who's willing to try out a wild new water-colored varnish, get ready for the next big nail trend. You can always go back to my China Glaze review, and here are two more aqua nail polishes.

Nic's Sticks by OPI in Baby Go Bye-Bye ($6.99) is a vibrant turquoise color. This relatively new and easy-to-use nail polish pen is great if you are looking for a quick color fix. I haven't tried them, but there are 30 colors and from what I understand, the only drawback is that they are a little runnier than the original OPI formula. The advantage: the polish dries in just one minute.

For one more turquoise nail polish,

Coming Soon: Estee Lauder Summer 2008 Bronze Goddess Collection

bellasugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:00:16 -0800

If you're craving color, consider your needs met. At the end of the month, Estee Lauder is launching its new Summer 2008 Bronze Goddess Collection, a limited-edition group of bronze, gold and fuchsia products. It differs from last year's collection because those colors were more coral and coppery, but the luxe, brown and gold flecked tortoise shell packaging on the specialty items is the same.

The line includes new shades of nail lacquers, lip glosses, lip balms, eye shadows, powder and liquid bronzers, an oil spray, and body lotion. My favorite product in the the bunch is the new Sheer Lip Tint in Fuchsia. It's creamy, subtle, and it contains SPF 15. There's also a new summertime scent in to accompany the collection called Bronze Goddess Fragrance — but more on that later.

For a list of products and their prices,

Coming Soon: Sonia Kashuk Spring/Summer 2008 Collection

bellasugar — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 07:00:23 -0800

Sonia Kashuk is about to launch her new Spring/Summer 2008 collection at Target stores nationwide. The products will be on shelves by March 1, however, you can preview a few of the products here first! The launch also includes an array of new makeup brushes, but today I'm going to tell you about the color collection.

The line contains eight new single eye shadows, seven shadow duos, three eye quads, three cream shadows, six matte lip crayons and six soft-tinted lip balms with SPF 14. But by far, my favorite products of the bunch are the three Dual Ended Sheer Lip Color and Plumping Glossy Tints because they're just so cool.

One side of the jumbo tube houses a sheer, full-sized creamy lipstick and the other side houses a high-shine plumping gloss that's tinted a lighter shade of the lipstick. Both products are moisturizing, the gloss isn't overly tingly, and since the base color is a lipstick, the color is rich.

I've always liked Sonia Kashuk products for their high quality at affordable prices and I've really got to give her kudos for making Target runs so much more fun!

For pricing information and more details about each of the products in the new collection,

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,

OPI Plans an Indian Summer

bellasugar — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:00:22 -0800

Allow me to introduce you to the newest members of the OPI family: the Spring/Summer 2008 India line, a bright, playful collection of polishes that promises to be the perfect complement to breezy tunics, strappy sandals, and bold jewelry when the weather starts heating up. Corals, pinks, cherries, classy neutrals, and shimmering metallics offer a wide range of exotic options for every occasion this coming season.

The collection delivers some surefire hits worth mentioning, complete with those trademark cutesy names. No matter what side you choose in the battle of the blues, Yoga-Ta-Get This Blue! is a worthy competitor. It's a lighter, brighter blue than its winter predecessors, with a hint of purple opalescence. Moon Over Mumbai is a sheer whitish gray, and love it or hate it, gray is hot for spring. Rounding out my favorites is Black Cherry Chutney, a unique combination of ruby red and deep purple topped off with a bronze sheen.

The collection is slated to come out this Wednesday. In the meantime, check out a full description of the colors when you