FabSugar

Maloles Doctor Bag: Love It or Hate It?

FabSugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 09:00:22 PDT

I forever love multiwoven styles. That's why this Maloles Doctor Bag ($328, originally $655) stood out to me. I like the embroidery and the blue turn lock, but I'm not loving the shape of the satchel. Something is just off here. What's your take?

Take all of my Love It or Hate It Polls here! To post your selections go to the Love It or Hate It? group. And if you want to learn how to do a blog post click here.

Hysteria Director Tanya Wexler Talks Vibrators, Faking It, and Duck Sex

Tara Block — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:00:15 PDT

Don't be shy . . . It's time to talk sex toys! And Hysteria director Tanya Wexler is writing us a prescription for pleasure. Tanya's film - what she calls "the vibrator movie you can bring your mom to" - is in limited release and stars Hugh Dancy, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Rupert Everett. When working on a romantic comedy that centers around the invention of the vibrator, you end up with some entertaining and embarrassing situations along the way, and lucky for us, Tanya spilled all the hilariously dirty details. From teaming up with the film's partner Jimmyjane for a drive-by vibrator drop-off to a certain female Oscar-winner to trying unsuccessfully to get ducks to shag on command, Tanya was bursting with great stories from working on this very unconventional film. And while Tanya isn't ashamed to discuss the sexy subject matter of her latest film with us, the mother of four and her partner of 21 years did have a tricky challenge telling her preteen kids what her movie was about. (She eventually gave them the script and let them figure it out themselves!) Check out our interview with the fun-loving director now, and we dare you not to have a girl crush on her by the end!

TrèsSugar: What were some of the challenges to getting a movie made about vibrators?
Tanya Wexler: Getting the script right was tricky because if you just make a movie about the invention of the vibrator, it's actually a really short movie: you go "bzz" and it's done. And we had a kind of light romantic comedy. I say I made the vibrator movie you can bring your mom to. But some people wanted it to be raunchy or some people wanted it to be more serious and about feminism. People project a lot onto this movie of what they want, because there isn't a lot out there about vibrators and women's pleasure, and we still don't really deal with that topic very well, or we're overly antsy around it. And as a result, people have a lot of ideas of what the movie could and should be, and you can't please everyone. [laughs]

TS: Ha, good one.
TW: It's nonstop!

TS: Do you find sex toys inherently funny or something to be seriously celebrated?
TW: Yes!

TS: Both?
TW: Yes! Yes. I think they make me laugh, and I think that the inner kind of Beavis and Butt-head in all of us goes "[laugh]." You know, that inner 13-year-old, like, "Hahaha vibrator . . . " and yet they're awesome and fun.

TS: What shocked you the most when researching the movie?
TW: That ducks are the rapists of the bird world, and you'll see when you see the movie, because there's a little bit of questionable duck behavior - or awesome duck behavior - in the movie. It's totally a sidebar, but you cannot make ducks shag on command. I'm just saying.

TS: What about the whole history of hysteria being a medical condition?
TW: When I first heard the idea, I was like, "What do you mean it was invented in Victorian times?" I knew about hysteria, but the idea that the treatment was manual [British accent] massage deparaxism - which is what they called it - and, of course, the denial. The most shocking thing is the denial, that they didn't think it was sexual.

TS: Do you think they were really in denial?
TW: No, I don't think that some people were. My college roommate was with her high school boyfriend for two years and she had never had an orgasm. I think there's all kinds of denial, especially with women's sexuality. So the fact that there are young women today who haven't had an orgasm, whether self-induced - which is insane - or with a partner, then why wouldn't we think back then that women wouldn't know what orgasms were?

They would get a massage, and the doctor's saying, "Without a penis, this isn't sex, because sex is about procreation," so what is this? The best physical therapy you've ever had. So once you don't think of it as something other than what the doctor's supposed to do to cure your uncontrollable crying or uncontrollable laughter or whatever, then it's just an awesome muscle spasm. If you don't think women have their own inherent sexuality, then you're not thinking about it like that.

Keep reading for Tanya's thoughts on Fifty Shades and more!

Easy Ways to Get More From Your Food Budget

LearnVest — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:15:48 PDT

Go the extra mile with your food budget with these tips from LearnVest.

For years, many people - my husband, mom, sister and even my son - told me to stop wasting so much food.

Throwing away half a piece of chicken here or a handful of grapes there never seemed like such a big deal to me. If I was full or no longer in the mood for that particular food, then I had no problem tossing it.

That is, until I experienced a bad case of sticker shock during a recent trip to the supermarket. The cost of bread, eggs, fish - basically everything I was purchasing - had increased. And, according to the USDA, we can expect prices to rise even higher this year.

As I forked over my money and left with only a handful of bags, I realized just how important it is for me to pay more attention to what I spend on food . . . and to confront how much of it I shove down the garbage disposal.

Unfortunately, I'm not the only one with wasteful ways. In 2010, 33 million tons of food was thrown away, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Obviously, wasted food means wasted money, but figuring out how to make your grocery budget go further can be a challenge.

To keep more food in your fridge (and more money in your pocket), try these expert tips.

1. Ward Against Freezer Burn

Those large bags or packages of frozen veggies or meat come in handy when you have a large family, but "each time you open a bag of frozen food, air gets in and will cause freezer burn within two to three weeks," says consumer saving expert Andrea Woroch. Freezer burn will dry out the meat and make it less tasty. Woroch suggests going small.

Read on for more.

Grey's Anatomy Rundown, "Migration"

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 11 May 2012 10:42:31 PDT

Usually it's the season finales of Grey's Anatomy that leave us in the lurch, but this week's episode has its very own jaw-dropping cliffhanger. As the residents scramble to figure out whether they will stay in Seattle or move on to greener pastures, every character on the show has something to ruminate on. The party line this week comes from Dr. Webber, who says, "Make sure your ringer's on," as each phone call is another potential career offer.

There are major life changes afoot for the doctors who are staying put too. Mark is at a standstill trying to decide between Lexie and Julia, Owen's love life hangs in the balance as Cristina makes plans, and Bailey is shocked not once but twice by news from Ben. Whatever happens this week, the season finale promises to shake everything up, so basically, all bets are off. Let's get into the nitty-gritty when you

April and Jackson (or should I say Apes and Jack-man?) haven't really discussed their relationship status, though it's not for a lack of trying on Jackson's part. April's too busy drowning her sorrows and taking one brutal phone call after another from hospitals that no longer want her now that she's failed the boards. It's impossible not to feel sorry for her as the rest of the doctors are crowing about their futures, but Owen lays down the biggest blow of all: he tells her that she's no longer welcome at Seattle Grace, which was her last resort. I don't see how they can keep her around next year, unless she pulls off some sort of miraculous feat of strength in the season finale.
Derek's dream house is finally complete, but he's fully ready to put it on the market and get out of town. Though Meredith's waffling about accepting her offer in Boston, Derek's all but packed his bags. Though Meredith uses Lexie as an excuse, it's clear that the real reason she won't commit to leaving is because she wants to be close to Cristina. Derek's absolutely right when he gently tells Meredith that he's the person she should be consulting, not her best friend, but Cristina really drives the point home when she says that Owen, not Meredith, is her "person." Kind of feels like the ending of a Mere and Cristina era, doesn't it?
Speaking of Cristina, she's doing some major backpedaling with Owen now that she's passed her boards. She crawls into bed with him after a drunken night, only to come to her senses and walk out the door minutes later. Later, she gives in to desire and puts the moves on Owen in one of the break rooms, only to burst his happy bubble minutes after by telling him that she's planing on going to Mayo.
Ben has an adorable day of fun planned with Bailey, complete with an amazing-looking breakfast that includes orange juice and croissants. But Bailey is Bailey, and she blows off his schedule of crossword puzzles and sightseeing in favor of going in to work on her day off. Ben goes along with her, but he can't hide his resentment about Bailey choosing to work rather than spend time with him. Bailey's irritated by his constant mentioning of the crossword puzzle and makes a big show of acquiescing and snatching it out of his hands right there in the OR. As soon as I realized what was about to happen, I cringed right along with Derek and Ben: Ben made a special crossword puzzle to ask Bailey to marry him, and Bailey completely destroys the moment. She tries to make it up to him with lingerie and a do-over, but the circumstances have changed just hours later: Ben has gotten a job offer in LA. Ben and Bailey's relationship has been on the upswing, so I can't imagine she'd dump him again. But a Grey's Anatomy without Bailey? Say it ain't so.
Karev thought that his outburst during his boards would be the bane of his career, but it actually had the opposite effect. His test administrators are actually impressed with him and create a new Fellowship position just for him. Karev is floored by the fact that he's so in-demand, and it's actually pretty sweet to see him so surprised instead of egotistical. Webber teaches him to play hardball with both Seattle Grace and Hopkins, but Karev eventually decides to go with Hopkins, which pisses Arizona right off.
Mark admits to Derek that Lexie confessed her feelings for him but also reveals that he responded to her with the ever-popular "Thank you for your candor." He says he doesn't want to be a cheater and wants to make the right decision this time around. I really hope the writers are just building us up to an epic finale reunion, because this wait is really starting to get old.

Of course, the real kicker happens in the final moments of the episode, when it goes from Grey's Anatomy to Lost in the blink of an eye. Most of the doctors are on a plane to Boise, which inexplicably crashes in the middle of the woods, leaving many of the doctors strewn on the ground. It's setting the groundwork for what looks to be yet another heart-wrenching season finale, which promises that one of the doctors won't make it out alive. We already know that most of the principal actors have renewed their contracts, but Lexie and Mark are definitely still in the lurch, as well as Callie and Arizona. And come to think of it, there was that big speech between Callie and Arizona about never leaving each other. Who do you think will die? And who will you miss the most?

Grey's Anatomy Rundown, "Let the Bad Times Roll"

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 04 May 2012 07:11:07 PDT

The boards may have happened on last week's episode of Grey's Anatomy, but this week we get to go inside each of the testing rooms to see what went down. Everyone essentially flips out in their own way: Meredith can't stop puking, Karev misses his first session, April can't stop sweating profusely, and Jackson is distracted by his mother's little tryst with Webber. Cristina's the only one who keeps her cool, but her overconfidence threatens to be her demise. As we learn in the first few minutes of the episode, one of the doctors doesn't pass.

Back in Seattle, Arizona has an upsetting visit from one of her childhood friends, and there's still tension between Teddy and Owen. However, the real excitement comes from a pivotal moment between Lexie and Mark that we've been waiting forever for. Let's break down all the biggest moments when you

In Meredith's room, it's all she can do not to stop throwing up long enough to answer the administrator's questions. She gets an extra boost from a phone call to Derek during one of the test breaks, as he cryptically tells her that the test is a "mirror." The administrators try to get Meredith to abandon ship, but she forges on through - and passes! As if there was any doubt that the Torres method would fail her.
After a hectic cab ride over the Golden Gate Bridge, Karev busts through the doors of his test exam. The only problem is that he's missed his first session, which means there's no room for failure on the second two. The proctors push him to a breaking point about being late, and he ultimately storms out of the room, and in true Karev style, slams his bag to the floor. His outburst doesn't cost him the test though, and he passes.
Cristina's exam consists of her being interrogated by Mr. Feeny, who isn't a fan of her confidence. I was convinced that she would be the one to fail the exam, since it would be an interesting twist on how Cristina's always excelled over the years. I was proved wrong, though: she passes and gets to celebrate with the rest of the crew in the clear.
Jackson's got a double whammy of distractions, since he took April's virginity and caught his mother and Webber in the same hotel room. His mommy issues are the major problem at first; he confronts his mother with some harsh words about her behavior, and later gets irritated when he can hear her administrating a test in the next room. He manages to hold it together well enough though, and has reason to make his mother proud when he learns that he passed.
That leaves April as the last woman standing. Not only does she get all sweaty during her test, but she can't stop hyperventilating and babbling on end. Things get a bit scandalous for her though: she confronts Jackson about their night together, ranting again about her vow to Jesus. But when she starts going over the events of the night before, she and Jackson get hot and bothered and do it right there in the bathroom. The sexual encounter seems to calm both of them down, but April tells the administrators about her sexual awakening and troubled relationship with Jesus instead of answering their questions. Apparently the examiners aren't impressed with her epiphany, and she ultimately fails. I'm hoping this doesn't mean April will be written off the show; though she's a bit annoying, I'm digging her relationship with Jackson.
My favorite moment of the episode is Lexie's adorable love confession to Mark, but let's back up for a second. Over breakfast, Julia casually mentions to Mark that she thinks they should have a kid - and even hints that they don't have much time to mull it over. You'd think Mark would be totally freaked out, but he actually thinks it's a genius idea, and even tells Derek about it. Derek has vacillated when it comes to meddling in Lexie and Mark's relationship, but he goes into big brother mode and tells Lexie straight up what's going on. Lexie panics, but eventually musters the courage to confront Mark and blurt out everything she's been feeling all at once. The moment ends in a Grey's signature standoff when Julia interrupts the situation and Mark is left to choose between them. This has to be a no-brainer, though: as far as I'm concerned, Julia's already out of the picture.

With only two episodes left, we're counting down to what I'm hoping will be another epic season finale. What'd you think of this week's episode?

Celebrity Makeup Artist Mally Roncal's Top 5 Beauty Staples

Guest Writer — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:32:00 PDT

We're excited to present the following post from our guest writer, celebrity makeup artist and founder of Mally Beauty, Mally Roncal.

Hello again, my BellaSugar beauties! A lot of you are curious about my daily routine, and what must-have products I keep in my makeup bag 24-7. When it comes to creating an effortless, glowing daytime look without juggling 101 foundations, creams, powders, shadows, and pencils, these are my top five face-savers.

Tweed Gadget Accessories For Smart Transport

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 03:16:30 PDT

Maybe it's our affinity for the Doctor, who has been known to sport a Harris tweed jacket from time to time, but tweed is one of our favorite fabrics. It's such a smart staple to have in your closet . . . or in your bag. In honor of Tweed Day (it exists), cover your tech in tweed, keeping your gadgets warm from the chilly nights of Spring.

January Jones Sports Pastels Upon Returning to LA With Baby Xander

Brittney Stephens — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 04:18:00 PDT

January Jones and her baby son Xander visited a doctor's office in LA yesterday. January wore light blue jeans and carried a cute colorblock tote bag by George Gina & Lucy while heading into the building. The two are back on the West Coast after spending time in NYC while January promoted the fifth season of Mad Men. After wrapping up her duties with castmates, January celebrated the show's return with a night on the town. January attended the Metropolitan Opera in a sexy black YSL gown on Monday night, joining fellow actresses Amber Heard, Chloë Moretz, and Emma Roberts on the red carpet.

Though January's Mad Men character Betty Francis wasn't featured in the record-breaking season premiere, she is rumored to pop up in next week's episode. Be sure to check out BuzzSugar for all the latest Mad Men moments.

No, You're Not Imagining Things. You Really Are Getting More Acne

Annie Tomlin — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 05:04:28 PDT

Good news and bad news from this year's just-concluded American Academy of Dermatology conference. First, the bitter reality: if it seems like you break out more as an adult than you did as a teen, you're probably right. As dermatologist Dr. Bethanee Jean Schlosser revealed at the conference, adult-onset acne is on the rise among grown women. A 2011 clinical study found that 45 percent of women in their 20s had acne, and 26 percent of 30-somethings had acne. Compared with men in the same age groups, women were disproportionately living in Breakout City.

So why are grown women more prone to pimples? A variety of factors are to blame, but it's mostly our surge of hormones. Both men and women have androgens, hormones that can cause oil glands to produce too much sebum. In addition, fluctuating androgen levels can cause skin cells to become sticky, leading to clogged pores. Acne is less common as women age, but some women experience it into their 40s and 50s.

So what's the good news? Acne can be treated and managed. Start by using a cleanser with salicylic acid, and apply benzoyl peroxide to your skin at night. Moderate to severe acne requires more attention, and can definitely benefit from a dermatologist's expertise. (Antibiotics, topical treatments, or birth control pills may be the answer; read a doctor's top acne advice.) Battling acne isn't always easy, and it's definitely not quick, but it is possible - and with any luck, you'll have a clear complexion in the bag.

Source: Flickr User Peter Hellberg

How to Deflate Puffy Eyes

Real Beauty — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 06:05:11 PDT

We're happy to present this article from one of our favorite sites, Real Beauty.

If getting more sleep isn't an option, we've found other ways to get rid of pesky under-eye bags.

Find the perfect cream for your eyes

It's normal for your eyes to look a little swollen first thing in the morning. But drinking alcohol, eating salty foods, allergies, and watching The Notebook can produce bigger bags that stick around for a few hours. Here's how to get rid of them fast.