Blog Posts by BellaSugar

Source: 3 Things to Avoid When You're Having Your Picture Taken

Most of us have our pictures taken pretty often. And while most people have a "good side" or a smile they tend to fall back on, it's far less common to see someone who has a makeup and hair philosophy for photos. You don't have to rush off to the bathroom to make yourself over every time someone whips out a camera, but there are a few things you'll want to steer clear of if you know you're going to be within a lens's scope. See our quick rundown on what not to do.

• Foundation with titanium dioxide Ever seen a picture of yourself where your face looked oddly white or had pale patches? That's probably thanks to titanium dioxide. This common foundation and concealer ingredient is a great natural sunscreen, but its reflective properties interfere with camera flash, making your face look "ghosted." So unless you're going flash-free, make sure the product you're wearing isn't chock full of the stuff.
• Too-tall hair

Source: 3 Products Your Grandmother Used (And Why You Should, Too)

Our grandmothers were a generation of smart, stylish ladies, and they knew a thing or two about beauty. And we all know that new doesn't necessarily equal better. That's why these three beauty products deserve a second look: they're all elegant solutions to beauty problems.

• Cold cream - There are a lot of heavy-duty makeup removers out there, but most of it still isn't a match for cold cream. Women once used this as their only cleanser, and while that might not be such a hot idea if you prefer your pores clear, it's still a great way to get off all your makeup gently and quickly.
• Rouge - Instead of separate blush and lipstick, women used to have little multipurpose pots of rouge. Not only does it simplify your makeup bag, but you never have to worry about your lips and cheek colors clashing, and it's buildable, so you can go sheer to bold with one product. Rouge has made a return, unsurprisingly, in the

Source: Face Brush Faceoff: Which Is Best For You?

Those who are seriously into skin care know all about face brushes (or face robots, as we like to call them). These electronic gizmos promise to remove more dirt, gently exfoliate, and pave the path to better skin. Which one will suit you best? We've tested three, so read on for our rundown.

For the multi-tasker: The seven-piece Spa Sonic ($65) set includes a rotating brush with four interchangeable brush heads. A large brush exfoliates the body, while its smaller counterpart gently whisks dirt out of facial pores. We didn't get drastic results from the soft facial buffer, but the pumice stone buffed away roughness on our feet amazingly well.
For the frequent traveler: Mia ($119) is the smallest version of the cult-favorite Clarisonic cleansers, and it's the only one of these three to use sonic technology. Like its larger brethren, Mia uses micro-vibrations to massage the dirt out of your skin. Use it once and you'll be shocked by

Source: What We're Sweet On: Ionic Brushes That Cut Blow-Drying Time

The problem with products that promise to minimize your blow-drying time is that often they just end up drying out your hair. That's where tools and technique come into play. The Cricket Company's Ionic Balancing round brushes ($10 to $11) are available in three sizes - 33 mm, 44 mm, and 53 mm - and are designed with a ceramic barrel vent system for quicker drying. The bristles are also positioned at different lengths, so tangling becomes less of a problem. Instead, hair is left soft, smooth, and free from static and frizz, due in part thanks to ionic technology. There's even a removable sectioning pick at the bottom of the base, so you can do some serious Jessica Rabbit-style deep parting with ease.


Related Content:
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Dress Up Your Ponytail in 5 Minutes Flat


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Source: Fire Things Up With Pantone's 2012 Color of the Year

The color experts and trend forecasters at Pantone have just named Tangerine Tango the 2012 color of the year. "Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy," the institute's Leatrice Eiseman said in a statement. We saw the vivid hue all over the runways at Spring 2012 Fashion Week, with shows such as Jason Wu (lipstick), Chris Benz (lipstick), Milly (nails), and Joy Cioci (lipstick and blush, pictured above) featuring the reddish-orange shade.

Why is this color so versatile? It can look fresh practically anywhere on the face, including the cheeks and eyes. It also makes blue and green eyes pop and gives brown eyes an amber tone. Look forward to the release of a Pantone-branded makeup line in March - featuring the red-hot color, naturally.

Source: Botox's Newest Competitor Could Be Much Cheaper

Botox is incredibly popular, but although Botox is a bargain in comparison to other injectables or traditional plastic surgery, it still carries a pretty hefty price tag - at least $10 a unit, with most people requiring between 20 and 40 units every four or six months to "erase" their wrinkles. This year, though, the FDA has approved another botulinum toxin, Xeomin. It's very similar to Botox, but one small factor could make it much cheaper.

Xeomin is a version of botulinum toxin that has already been available to doctors for years. It helps stop muscle spasms, so it's become a common treatment for people who have chronic neck or eyelid twitching. It's similar to Botox in effectiveness, lasting time, and safety. Where it differs however, is in storage and preparation. Xeomin could start a price war simply because it's powdered and doesn't need to be refrigerated. Botox and previously approved alternative Dysport are both

Source: Get a Mint Condition With DIY Candy Cane Scrub

Peppermint-flavored candy canes go hand in hand with the holidays, and the folks at Las Vegas's Spa & Salon Vdara have found a way to make the seasonal confection into a relaxing treatment. All this month the spa is offering a candy cane manicure and pedicure ($110) that is finished off with polish from SpaRitual's Holiday Glow collection. But if you're not headed to Sin City over the next few weeks, no worries. Spa manager Shannon Mariani is sharing a "recipe" for how you can re-create the scrub portion of the festive service at home. See how easy it is to make when you read more.

Candy Cane Scrub
From Shannon Mariani of Spa & Salon Vdara

You will need: A lidded jar or flip-top container Brown sugar Cooking oil (we used almond) Peppermint essential oil or fresh peppermint sprigs, ground Optional decorations: ribbon, gift tags, etc.

Directions:
1. Mix sugar (brown is softer and finer, but white works just as well) with cooking

Source: A Quick and Easy Way to Fix a Dried-Out Felt-Tip Liner

Felt-tip liners are an amazing beauty invention. They have all the boldness and smudge-proof color of liquid liner, but apply even more easily than a pencil. As anyone who's ever used one can tell you, though, there's one big drawback: they dry out incredibly quickly, sometimes after just a few uses. Luckily, felt-tip liners are basically just weaker versions of a regular felt tip marker, which are easy to rehydrate.

Remoisturizing a felt-tip liner takes more than just dipping the end in some water; it's a good idea, but you just end up with a temporary fix and weak, watery eyeliner. Instead, what you want to do is rehydrate the entire ink rod inside. That way, the liquid is distributed evenly, the consistency stays as it should, and you don't have to rehydrate it as often.

• To do this, just open up the end of the liner (most either unscrew on their own or can be pulled out with tweezers), pull out the little felt rod