GeekSugar

Beauty Factory Game: For the Ambitious, Beauty-Obsessed Geek

GeekSugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:45:24 PDT

If you can't get enough of Second Life or Sims-like games where you're challenged to create an avatar and personality that succeeds in a virtual world, AND you also happen to be obsessed with one day running your own beauty product factory and company, then I've got the ultimate niche video game for you: Beauty Factory.

When I first glanced at the game, I assumed it was a video game with challenges like, "Coordinate the Lip Gloss to the Nail Polish," or "Ultimate Smoky Eye Challenge," but when I saw the tag line, "Girls just wanna have business," I realized my mistake. Beauty Factory is an exercise in being a cosmetics industry mogul, and has more to do with marketing and innovating than mascara and eye shadow application.

Build up your cosmetics empire, check in on the scientists formulating the perfect concealer, and prove you're more than one kind of Mac girl!

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Avery Island, Part Deux: Boils, Bottles, Bloodies & Boudin

OnSugar Blog — Thu, 03 May 2012 05:45:45 PDT

If you're itching for a culinary adventure, there's no need to leave your home! Escape to Avery Island for a crawfish feast with Food Orleans.

This was my lunch. I ate it all.

Avery Island is a gorgeous place; it's surrounded by a long lace of bayous, has plenty of wildlife roaming around freely (deer, bears, raccoons, alligators), and houses the beautiful Jungle Gardens and Bird Sanctuary. You can spend a full day there soaking up the splendor, especially if you pack in a trip to the Tabasco factory.

We had a lovely, long ride down the bayou to the McIlhenny family's trapper's camp, just so we could get in some air boat rides (FUN!) and a little of this:

My favorite lunch in the world! These fellas were HUGE.

I'm only partly responsible for this amount of crawfish carnage. Let's just say that my tablemate, Cecil, is one fast picker.

Earlier that day, we had a tasting of all seven flavors of Tabasco sauce, led by CEO and Chairman of the Board Paul McIlhenny. His chief flavor developer, Charlie Chang, who has worked for the McIlhennys for over 30 years, was also present at the tasting. It was fascinating listening to the two describe how certain flavors were inspired, or how they were refined to become what they are today. I have to say, my new favorite hot sauce is Tabasco Habanero. It's Jamaican inspired and has a lot of fruit flavor to it, plus it packs a slow, intense heat that hits you at the end. For the tasting, we had saltine crackers and softened butter to help us tolerate the high amounts of heat in some of the sauces. I discovered that a saltine cracker spread with butter and topped with a little Habanero sauce is extremely delicious--like eating a wicked little butter cookie. I'm in love.

For more on this tasty adventure, plus a Tabasco-inspired mixology lesson, keep reading!

Link Time: Room Color Readings and Easy Spring Florals

Angela Swinderman Elias — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:40:38 PDT

Discover what the color of your room says about you. - Real Simple
Tour this fashion photographer's converted factory loft in Milan. - Elle Decor
Improve your home's curb appeal with these simple steps. - Houzz
Before you buy a pendant light, make sure you read these helpful tips. - Stylelist Home
Get in on this season's hottest trend: blue botanicals. - Country Living
Discover 10 easy floral arrangements perfectly suited for Spring. - House Beautiful
Find out why a pocket door is a small room's best friend. - Apartment Therapy
Check out 15 outdoor chairs you'll want to snatch up this Spring. - California Home + Design
Learn how to make this ridiculously cool paper-cut lamp. - Craft

Brian Atwood on Living With His BFF Melissa McCarthy, the Power of the Red Carpet, and What Makes a Woman Sexy

Chi Diem Chau — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 11:51:13 PDT

Brian Atwood's chic shoes have been spotted on a bevy of stars, like Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Trachtenberg, and, most recently, Jennifer Lawrence at the Hunger Games premiere, to name a few, so we're predicting that his gorgeous new handbag line, only available at Gilt.com, will garner an equally star-studded crowd. Last night, Gilt hosted a beautiful event at The Standard hotel in NYC to celebrate Brian Atwood's new collection, and not only did we get to check out the gorgeous clutch collection in person, but we also got up close and personal with the designer himself and chatted about his new line, his most memorable red-carpet moments, and his best friend, and Oscar nominee, Melissa McCarthy. Read below for all of his fun anecdotes.

FabSugar: What was the inspiration behind your beautiful new handbag collection?
Brian Atwood: It was about being surrounded by amazing women, seeing what their needs were. It was about taking that DNA and excitement from what I put into my shoes into a bag and thinking what would that bag look like, how do we make it cool, gorgeous, and showstopping? It's only the beginning, I'm having so much fun.

FS: What are some of your most memorable red-carpet moments?
BA: The first red carpet I had was with Debra Messing at the 2002 SAG Awards. I had no idea, I think she bought them, and someone told me she was wearing my shoes. That's when you really understand the power of the red carpet; it was pretty amazing. Cameron Diaz also wore [my shoes] at the Oscars with a dress which was short in front and long in back. I thought that was perfect. And now we have the shoe cam, I love the shoe cam!

Brian Atwood on living broke with Melissa McCarthy, what makes a woman sexy, and more.

22 Cheap Ways to Treat Yourself

Emily Co — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 00:15:30 PST

You've worked hard this whole week, so it's time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the weekend! Give yourself a treat this weekend to feel rejuvenated and to make yourself feel good. Don't worry, treating yourself doesn't always mean pricey massages at the spa or weekend getaways. Here are plenty of wallet-friendly suggestions:

Relive your Charlie and the Chocolate Factory memories and treat yourself to a bar of chocolate. Remember how Charlie savored each Willy Wonka chocolate bar? Eat yours in the same manner and relish every bite.
Buy yourself a steak and cook it. It's much cheaper than going to a steak house! Eat it while drinking a glass of affordable red wine.
Grab a few friends and go on a picnic in a nearby park.
Watch reality show reruns or shows saved on your DVR with a bowl of chocolate ice cream.
Explore a museum you've never been to.
Reread your favorite book (maybe The Hunger Games?).
Go to your local coffee shop and try a new coffee flavor. Bring your laptop with you and catch up with friends and relatives over email.

Read on for more.

Link Time: The Plantation Style of The Descendants and Decorating With Green

Elka Karl — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 12:00:06 PST

Find out more about plantation style, showcased in The Descendants. - Houzz
Top your table with these unique candleholders. - Real Simple
Seriously, this is the easiest way to update your cabinets. - Stylelist Home
You'll be decorating with green, thanks to this guide. - House Beautiful
Secrets to a crazy and fun Oscars party. - Shelterrific
Tour a charming northern California Victorian. - California Home + Design
This Real Housewife has a pretty styling closet! - Closet Factory
Transform old books into book pockets. - Craft

Photo Courtesy Fox Searchlight

See the First Photos of Britney Spears's Engagement Ring!

Katie Henry — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 11:42:55 PST

Britney Spears stepped out of a Las Vegas hotel tonight wearing her beautiful Neil Lane engagement ring. The newly engaged star and her fiancé, Jason Trawick, are in Sin City to celebrate his 40th birthday. Britney and Jason arrived on a private jet earlier in the evening, though she managed to keep her custom-designed sparkler concealed under a pair of gloves.

Upon their arrival, Britney and Jason slipped out of their travel gear and a few hours later were spotted modeling festive attire and bright smiles. Britney and Jason dined at the Sugar Factory American Brasserie then made their way to Planet Hollywood's roof top club where Britney showed off her ring and Jason cut into a birthday cake. Her rep confirmed the engagement reports, and Britney updated her Facebook relationship status to "engaged."

Happy Halloween! Trick-or-Treat Help Is Here

BellaSugar — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:58:00 PDT

The witching hour is upon us, and the evening promises all manner of ghoulish delights. If you're still struggling to come up with a costume or get your hair and makeup right, check out some of our stellar All Hallows' posts and lose that stress.

35 easy last-minute costumes - From "Cloudy Day" to "Freudian Slip," these cute, fun costumes come together in a snap.
Pop art Halloween makeup - You don't need a costume if you have this awesome face paint.
Easy ways to avoid frightful Halloween beauty mishaps - Don't get spooked by makeup disasters this year.
Costume idea: Veruca Salt - The bratty Charlie and the Chocolate Factory character is easy to dress up as and a whole lot of fun to be.
Get decked out as Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games - We make getting her look easy.

Source: Flickr User Jakob Montrasio

Designers, Films, and Shelter Mags Create Inspiring Designs at This Year's Designer Visions 2011

Elka Karl — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:30:18 PDT

Last week, Hearst magazines unveiled three different apartments at 1212 Fifth Avenue in New York, designed by three different firms, and inspired by three different films, at its Designer Visions 2011 event. House Beautiful teamed up with Heather Moore for Jed Johnson Associates to design an apartment inspired by the movie Factory Girl while Veranda worked with Thomas O'Brien on an apartment inspired by the film Someone to Watch Over Me. And finally, Town & Country featured a home by Carrier and Company inspired by Igby Goes Down. Take a peek at each of the three apartments in our slideshow!

Photo by Max Kim-Bee

Glee-ful Highlights From Episode "Funeral"

Shannon Vestal — Wed, 18 May 2011 09:14:28 PDT

There's just one more week before Glee's season finale and their trip to NYC for Nationals, and things get more dramatic than anyone expected. There's a death that shakes up everyone and changes one character to the core, and the gang busily plans a funeral service despite the prep they still need to do before the big event.

Still, the show must go on, and Jesse St. James is there to pull everyone's thoughts away from funeral arrangements and back into cutthroat competition. His funny lines break up the otherwise somber episode, which I'm ready to discuss, spoilers and all, when you

Jesse gets integrated into the glee club by consulting on how to win Nationals. He puts the kibosh on Finn's idea of a duet with Rachel and is generally hilariously mean to him (sample insult: "You kind of sing and dance like a zombie who has to poop."). Jesse's plan includes picking out a star performer to spotlight at Nationals, pitting the kids against each other.
At the auditions, Jesse is brutal, giving feedback Simon Cowell-style. He rags on Santana's "Back to Black" (not emotional enough) and Kurt's show tune "Some People" (girl song). After Mercedes kills "Try a Little Tenderness, " Jesse accuses her of not wanting it bad enough (Are you kidding? She's amazing). But Rachel gets Jesse's vote when it's her turn with "My Man," during which she envisions Finn. Though it is truly brilliant, Mr. Schue decides to take a few days before deciding who gets center stage at Nationals.
The Becky plotline is truly sad, but there's a reason for it. Becky asks to be a part of the glee club after Sue kicks her out of the Cheerios, and Will confronts Sue about being mean (even though he just refused to let her into the club since they're so close to Nationals). She reveals that her sister, Jean, has died, and Will is speechless. Finn and Kurt get wind of the death and bring Sue flowers, and she confides in them that she doesn't know what to do next. Finn and Kurt decide to host a memorial for Jean, which Jesse has no time or sympathy for (and gives us another one of his awesome one-liners: "Do you know what Vocal Adrenaline does when someone dies? They use them as a prop. Like Weekend at Bernie's.") In her grief, Sue agrees to let service take place - because she knows that the glee club will guarantee a packed house for her sister.
At Jean's funeral, Sue gets up to talk and her voice cracks, so Will comes to her aid and finishes the speech for her. Then, the glee club sings "Pure Imagination" since Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory was Jean's favorite movie, and Sue is so moved she takes Will's hand and even manages a "thank you." I don't care if this scene is emotionally manipulative; it's beautiful. It all helps Sue recover a little bit, and she lets Becky back into the Cheerios. Then, in the least Sue-like action ever, she sits down with Will and tells him that she will no longer be trying to take down the glee club. Oh, because she's running for office to fight for the injustices her sister faced.
Even though Sue's last act to wreck the club's shot at Nationals is to reroute the kids' flight to Libya, Terri shows up with the save: first-class tickets to New York for the kids. She says she's moving to Florida, and then watches bittersweetly as Will and Emma embrace. Emma's afraid she won't see Will for a while, because of his impending plans to go to Broadway‚ which the kids still don't know about yet.
The emotional weight of the funeral also drives Finn to break up with Quinn. He realizes that his feelings aren't as deep for Quinn as they should be, and she first fights his decision but then flees his truck, sporting a single tear. Finn trains his eye on Rachel, who Quinn assumes Finn dumped her for anyway. But when Finn brings a flower for Rachel at school afterward, he spots her getting cozy with Jesse and hangs back. Oh well - a Big Apple reunion next week would be more romantic, anyway. As for Quinn, she hints to Finn that she has big plans for the trip to New York.

Ultimately, no one gets picked as the soloist, and Will goes back to the plan of them singing original songs as a group. So that's what we have to look forward to in next week's finale - that, hopefully a resolution between Finn and Rachel, and the answer to whether Will is really going to leave the kids for Broadway. But what did you think of this week? Were you moved by Jean's funeral? And what do you hope will happen at Nationals?

Photo courtesy of Fox