FitSugar

Move It At Home: Billy Blanks Full Throttle Amped

FitSugar — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 04:00:00 PST

Did you know that Billy Blanks is still kicking ol’ school? He just released a new series of DVDs and the other night I checked out Billy Blanks Amped ($17.99). I was impressed that the DVD wasn’t over produced and you could tell that the workout was shot in one take with many cameras, so the folks exercising on the DVD were working with you. Billy Blanks does not slow down. He has, however, lost the ability to count and has hired a young, cute but fierce, fitness professional to count on set for him. Together they make quite a team.

The workout is tough and when using the amplifier sculpting bar, an extendable hand weight, it gets even tougher. The amplifier weighs just a little over three pounds (according to my kitchen scale).The workout is shot with only half the class participants using the amplifiers, so if you don’t have one there is still plenty for you to do. The class goes through many kick boxing motions at different speeds, so you're working both your endurance and your speed, your slow muscle fibers as well as the quick twitch. Bouts of straight up kick boxing moves are thrown into the mix ensuring that your heart rate stays in the upper zone of moderate and the lower zone of intense. I wore my trusty heart rate monitor and burned well over 300 calories for my time investment of just under 60 minutes low impact.

I love that you can see everyone sweating. It inspires you to work hard. Blanks likes to get up close to the camera and tell you to push harder and not to give up. It is part Mr. T, part inspiring coach and oddly effective.

To see what the amplifier looks like, just

read more You can order this DVD from Amazon. Or you could go for the entire Amped package for $39.95, which includes 5 DVDs, the amplifier body sculpting bar, and other health perks!

Monique Lhuillier Fall 2012

FabSugar — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:01:39 PST

If there were any Oscar nominees in the house tonight, they're likely putting in their requests for dresses as we speak. Monique Lhuillier's Fall collection was filled with the kind of full-on dramatic glamour the designer's become known for - the kind that would light up any red carpet. This season, Lhuillier hones in on her craft with a dark, sexy tilt. Cutouts, black and red lace, and edgier leather accents gave Monique's girl a vixen-esque quality, albeit one with a hint of the retro-inspired. Models hit the catwalk with slicked waves and red lips to further the '40s feel; we get a sense of the era's sultry side and a touch of the fashion forward in leather bands and angular sheer insets and cutouts. She marries both classic glamour and a modern sophistication effortlessly in every piece. It's one gorgeous design after the other - a rich palette and a wash of embellishment, lace, or a thigh-high slit to amp up every showstopper. But even when the show closes there's a sense that it still isn't finished - part two will be seeing our A-listers take the looks to the red carpet.

Trends: Lace, leather, sequin embellishment.
Colors: Red, black, and gold.
Key Piece: The black, white, and red lace gown; the gold sequin-embellished pieces.
Accessories: Wide leather belts at the waist, ankle-strap pointed-toe Manolo Blahnik heels.
Who Would Wear It: You'll see it all over the red carpet.

NYFW Celeb Style: Olivia Palermo Channels Eclectic Glamour

Hannah Weil — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:20:42 PST

Olivia Palermo kicked off Fashion Week right with a styled appearance at last night's QVC runway show. The fashion pro outfitted an eclectic-chic evening ensemble, opting for her standout printed Tibi pants and a gorgeous pair of Manolo Blahnik heels to amp up the glamour. As always, it's Olivia's way of pulling together a variety of pieces that captured our attention; she succeeded in a cool mix and match of textures, like fur and leather layers, and a blend of color with a megawatt clutch in hand and moody blue hues to tie it all together. Looking for a similar style? Shop our key pieces to channel Olivia's perfect front row-ready style.

MICHAEL Michael Kors Buckle-Front Faux-Fur Vest - $195.00	Jack By BB Dakota Hyde Faux Leather Jacket - $98.00
Vince Metallic Knit Sweater - Sold Out	Manolo Blahnik Something Blue Satin Pump - $945.00
Lytton Small Leather Convertible Clutch - $295.00	Silk CDC Pant - $378.00
Tibi Cobweb Lace Print Pants - $337.00	Tuleste Market "Always Tuleste" Gold and Tiger Double Egg Ring, Size 7 - $105.00

Tax Stuff Every Newlywed Should Know

Emily Co — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:12:40 PST

You're still hearing wedding bells, but don't let the honeymoon phase distract you from reality. Money is a huge factor in relationships and if you don't tackle it from the start, it can start to shake the cornerstones of your marriage. Kathy Pickering, the executive director of The Tax Institute at H&R Block, names a few things newlyweds should be aware of come tax time:

Filing Status: A newly married couple has two filing status options, married filing jointly or married filing separately; however, a joint return often results in a lower federal tax. That said there are some cases where married filing separately does make sense. For example, if you have relatively high medical bills and lower income, it may be best to file separately. Medical expenses can be included in itemized deductions, but are only deductible to the extent they exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income. If you have very high medical expenses and a low adjusted gross income, filing separately means you could deduct more of these expenses. However, if you filed jointly, you may not benefit from this deduction. Other things for newlyweds to pay attention to:
Name Change: Whether you took your husband’s last name or hyphenated your name, you must report your name change to the Social Security Administration (SSA). To avoid any delays or problems at tax time, your name and social security number on your tax return should match the records the SSA has.
Adjust Income Tax Withholding: If you and your husband work, your joint income may put you in a higher tax bracket and increase your total tax liability. You should make any necessary withholding adjustments for the next year by filing a new W-4 form with your employer. Use the withholding worksheet to indicate whether your spouse works and how many dependents you have, which determines the number of allowances to claim and the amount of income tax employers will withhold from your paychecks.

A Typography-Inspired Valentine's Day Mantel

Casa Community — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:00:48 PST

Here's a post from CasaSugar Community member stephaniepoli from the Su Casa group:

Valentine's Day is one of those holidays that just makes me smile, so I thought I'd bring a little of that happy feeling into our home this year with a mantel update. I just adore typography so what better way to show my love.

Typography, oh how I love thee...let me count the ways...

The "I love you" heart print is from The Love Shop
I received this gorgeous illustrated card as a gift with purchase from Eva Juliet. I usually craft my mister's Valentines so I thought the card would make a cute framed print.
The XO were scores from the Michael's dollar bin.
The February print is part of a leftover letterpress calendar I purchased a couple years back from Orange Beautiful.

For more photos of this space, visit my blog Love & Lace.

Have you decorated for Valentine's Day? Be sure to share photos in the Su Casa group!

Hunger Games Beauty: Get Katniss's Opening Ceremonies Look

Allure — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 03:05:14 PST

We're happy to present this story from our friends at Allure:

Every time a new image is released from The Hunger Games, fans react like it's a gift from their sponsor flying in by silver parachute. (If you don't know what that means, you still have 55 days to read the book before the premiere.

But we have to admit, even we squealed a bit over this new picture, which shows Katniss before the chariot ride in the opening ceremonies. Her dress, which earns her the nickname "Girl on Fire," is amazing; but what we're really impressed with is the smoldering makeup. In the book, Katniss describes her face in this scene as "relatively clear of makeup, just a bit of highlighting here and there." But from the looks of the photo, makeup artist Ve Neill either didn't read the book (we're guessing probably not so likely) or took some creative license (and we don't mind!). Here's how she got the look:

How to Get the Perfect Faux Flutter Every Time

Guest Writer — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:50:42 PST

Celebrity makeup artist and Vanitymark Cosmetics founder Brett Freedman has been guest blogging on BellaSugar for the past two months, but alas, all good things must come to an end. Thank you for your amazing advice and top tips, Brett, and we look forward to seeing your work on red carpets everywhere! With that said, we're proud to present Brett's last column, for which we know you'll be all a-flutter.

Long, lush lashes. Who doesn't want them? With the trend toward brighter lips and sparser eye, a vivid lash line is even more important. So many gals ask me about amping up their flutter with faux lashes. It's actually pretty easy. Here's my technique to give your peepers a little extra pop. See how Brett gets it right every time when you read more.

The Secrets Behind the Best SAG Awards Beauty Looks

Jaime Richards — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:49:15 PST

The 2012 SAG Awards may have been the year of the headband braid, but there were plenty of amped-up ponytails and sexy waves as well. There were also lots of fresh, sweet makeup looks you'll want to steal for yourself. Check out 10 of the evening's most brilliant beauty looks, which are sure to add a bit of red-carpet glamour to your life.

SAG Awards Trendspotting: Spotlighting Sexy Slits and Cutouts

Hannah Weil — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:40:21 PST

From thigh-high slits to skin-baring cutouts, there was no shortage of sultry style at the SAG Awards. Sure, décolletage has its place on the red carpet, but tonight A-listers swapped lower necklines for more unexpected skin-revealing accents. While some, like Lea Michele in Versace, amped up the sex appeal by showing a little leg, others, like Kyra Sedgwick in a fiery Pucci and Jayma Mays in sparkly Reem Acra, turned up the statement power with cutout accents. Now we're taking a look at all the leading ladies that glammed up the carpet with their takes on the trend.

SAG Awards: Heather Morris

FabSugar — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:23:47 PST

Heather Morris didn't skimp on the drama tonight, opting for a bold leather-trimmed gown - complete with a sheer train. She complemented the bare, off-the-shoulder neckline with full curled locks and major jeweled tassel earrings. To amp up the statement power on her bottom half, she revealed a pair of metallic-silver pumps peeking out from beneath her hemline. What do you think of Heather's bold award-show style?

Vote on all of our SAG Awards polls here!