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Happy Hour: 2003 Walter Clore Private Reserve Red

YumSugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:15:44 -0700

Last night, I popped the cork on this 2003 Columbia Crest Walter Clore Private Reserve Red ($35). The wine wasn't a single varietal (like Syrah or Zinfandel), but rather a Bordeaux-style blend of several different grapes. Red wine from France's Bordeaux region implies a blend of several different varietals, including Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The hue was a deep purple, and the taste bone-dry with a velvety finish and full body. Drinking the wine reminded me of the pleasures of Summer - blackberries and cherries - with a hint of chocolate.

What else did the wine remind me of? The person who sent it to me as a gift. As my favorite wine columnists say, "Wine can conjure up memories in a way that few other things can."

It's certainly true that drinking this wine conjured up great memories of our friendship. Does the same hold true for you when you drink wine?

Happy Hour: Tandem Ars Nova Red Blend

YumSugar — Wed, 09 May 2007 13:58:39 -0700

PartySugar mentioned that we were fortunate enough to meet Michael Chiarello last week - she also mentioned that we got to taste the wines from the Napastyle Wine Club. What she didn't mention was that one of the wines really stood out from the rest. I even had to take a picture of the bottle and remind myself to look it up when we got back. The wine was a 2004 Ars Nova from Tandem winery in Spain's Yerri Valley. It was a smooth rustic red blend consisting of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes. According to Napastyle's website the "Fancypants Adjectives" (their wording!) associated with the wine are "dry and lean with cherries, violets and cedar hints." I couldn't have agreed more. It had a nice fruity taste, reminded me a bit of chocolate and was incredibly smooth. And although it could be consumed perfectly on its own, I want to get my hands on a bottle to pair with grilled lamb chops!

Contact your local wine merchant to locate a bottle of your own, or order it online at Oddbins (UK) for £9.49.

Inside the World of Prescriptives Custom Blend

BellaSugar — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 09:00:00 -0700

On Monday, I had a real treat. Prescriptives invited me to Bergdorf Goodman to try its Custom Blend service. Now, this is different from Colorprinting. Colorprinting involves finding out which tones your skin has, then choosing existing products within the appropriate family. The Custom Blend service involves working with a makeup artist to create a precise foundation, concealer, lip gloss and/or powder-specifically created to match your skin tone.

My makeup artist was Matthew Garber, who I highly recommend seeing if you're in New York. He's fun, funny and very easy to work with. We decided to do a Custom Blend foundation ($62) and concealer ($32). To find out how it went, and to see pictures of the process, read more

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The first step is to be Colorprinted. This involves putting four different swatches of foundation-all with different undertones-on the cheek, then seeing which color family blends best. I'm a blue-red, which means I have cool rose undertones.

Matthew started making the concealer. First, he asked me whether I wanted an undereye concealer or one that would work on blemishes as well. Because I just wanted to stop looking like Uncle Fester, he recommended the addition of light-reflecting, brightening ingredients. Then he filled a test tube with the concealer base. From there, he added pigment and applied it under my eyes. Now, this is the part that made me happiest. He looked at my eyes, pursed his lips, and squinted at it. "It's not quite perfect," he said, and went back to mixing. A few moments later, he tried again. "Much better," he said. When I looked in the mirror, his attention to detail was apparent. I had no more circles! Better yet, it didn't look like I was wearing concealer.

After perfecting the concealer, Matthew went on to create the foundation. We decided to go for a light-coverage liquid with a bit of moisturizing action. First, he primed my skin with Super Line Preventor Xtreme ($48). Then, after mixing the foundation, he applied it. Again, it was very close but not exact, so he did a little tinkering with the formula. When he applied it this time, I couldn't believe it. You know how foundation often shows up like a coat over your skin? This was the exact opposite. Instead of seeing makeup, I only saw skin. It was absolutely perfect.

I went home with a large bottle of foundation, a smaller travel size, and a concealer-all of which provided equally excellent results when I tried them at home. In fact, TeamSugar saw me with it on the other day, and said, "Did you do something different? Your skin looks great." Yay!

At the risk of sounding maudlin, I can see the Custom Blend service being a life-changing thing for a lot of women. So many cosmetics companies have limited foundation shades, and many people-particularly women of color-have had to settle for foundation and concealer that doesn't match their skin tone very well. If you've had this problem, I think this would be a great solution for you. While it isn't cheap, I think it's worth it considering how personalized it is. Not every Prescriptives counter is a Custom Blend one, so look up the closest one to you. If anyone else has had a Custom Blend revelation, let me know.

Frozen Blended Drinks: Love Them or Leave Them?

partysugar — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 04:00:18 -0700

I'm a fan of just about every type of cocktail, be it a tiki drink, modern classic, or wine-based concoction. However, I'm not too crazy for frozen cocktails like blended margaritas and strawberry daiquiris.

Sure, I enjoy the occasional piña colada poolside, but when it comes to frozen drinks, I normally stay away. They're sugary, too filling, and brain-freeze inducing.

How do you feel about them?

Source: Flickr User Cillian Storm

Custom Blends: Frozen Yogurt's Newest Trend?

YumSugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:00:04 -0700

If the new pomegranate flavors from Pinkberry and Red Mango don't do it for you, consider this: what if you had an endless number of flavors to choose from?

High-tech blending processes may be the next big wave in the frozen-yogurt trend. That's what I discovered when I visited the San Francisco outpost of Yogen Früz, a fro-yo chain with a high-tech yogurt concept. First, I chose from single-serving packages of a base yogurt in various flavors (low-fat vanilla, nonfat vanilla, or low-fat chocolate) with probiotic cultures.

Then I chose two toppings out of a large selection that included frozen fruits (strawberries, cherries, mangoes, lychees, blueberries, etc.) and dry toppings (Cap'n Crunch, almonds, coconut flakes, granola, and the like). Together they went into a proprietary machine. Twenty seconds later, I was enjoying my lychee mango vanilla creation, which was whipped, creamy, and studded with icy chunks of mango and lychee.

Yogen Früz may have pioneered the idea, but - with specially designed yogurt-blending machines available on the web, other boutique yogurt bars have caught on. Have you tried this type of yogurt? Now that the fancy frozen yogurt trend is waning, do you think custom blended fro-yo could be the next big thing?

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Doing Drugstore: Cover Girl TruBlend Foundation

BellaSugar — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:00:22 -0800

I've been interested in trying Cover Girl's TruBlend line for some time now. Mostly because I love their spokesmodel Drew Barrymore, though I think that the highly airbrushed ads are a disservice to her natural beauty. This mineral-based liquid makeup employs the Cover Girl-patented colorsphere technology, which claims to help the foundation blend smoothly and invisibly into your skin, for a "naturally flawless" look. Since I am always searching for that flawless look, I was excited about the possibility that such a product could not only exist, but be available at my local drugstore for less than $10.

The verdict? While my quest for foundation perfection is still ongoing (let's be honest, will it ever end?), I am happy to add TruBlend to my short list of foundation favorites, but mostly because of the price. If it cost $60, I would expect more, but for $9, it blends well and provides a good medium-level coverage. Personally, the coverage was a tad too heavy to live up to the "no-makeup" claims, but it did a good job of covering the redness and unevenness in my skin. Have any of you tried TruBlend? What do you think?

See reader reviews of this product and add your own here!

Forget the Honeymoon, Familymoons Bond Blended Families

LilSugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:12:42 -0700

Honeymoons might be made for two, but these days weddings aren't just made up of a couple exchanging vows. Blended families are becoming more and more common with divorce rates on the rise. So what's the best way to celebrate the new clan? A familymoon!

Nuptial ceremonies and proposals often include the bride and groom's kiddos so why leave wee ones out of the honeymoon - especially when childcare factors in? While newlyweds normally seek out exotic locales for their time away, parents look at different factors for these jaunts. Check out a few of our favorite family destinations.

Hawaii: Long considered to be the ultimate romantic honeymoon destination, Hawaii also offers parents and kiddos enough activities to keep everyone happy. Families may consider renting a vacation home or condo rather than staying in a hotel to provide everyone with privacy and communal space. It offers beach and pool play, water sports, volcano hiking and picturesque sunsets.
Amelia Island: The Ritz Carlton may conjure up images of posh surroundings and luxury living, but the hotel chain’s Ritz Kids program offers supervised “day camps” for tots that include swimming, sand play, sports and more. At the Amelia Island, Florida, resort, newlyweds can relax on the beach or play a round of golf knowing that their kids are having an equally indulgent time.
Alaskan Cruise: Families with older children may consider an Alaskan cruise. In addition to the kids programs on the ships - including the pools, rock-climbing walls, arcades and playrooms – the excursion offers families the opportunity to bond while exploring a new destination as a unit. Whale-watching, gold panning and glacier-hiking, provide options for getting active.

To see a video from the original familymooners, The Brady Bunch, read more.

Photo courtesy of Source

How Many Children Are in These Blended Families?

LilSugar — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 07:00:07 -0700

The couple's quiz stumped some lilsugar readers while others passed with flying colors so let's give blended families a go. See if you can tally up the grand total of children between these two television parents - one is a recent show and others are blasts back to the past. Test your knowledge by taking this quiz!

Take the quiz

Do You Purchase Seasonal Coffee Blends?

YumSugar — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:30:28 -0800

Make Baileys Pots de Creme for St. Patrick's Day

partysugar — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:00:37 -0800

I recently organized my recipe collection, so when I decided to make a St. Patrick's Day dessert, I looked to my archives to see what recipe gems I could find. I had my heart set on the Irish cream chocolate mousse cake I made for my half birthday four years ago. However, I didn't have a lot of time and wanted an innovative, but easy dessert. Luckily I came across this recipe for Baileys pots de creme! I cut it out of the San Francisco Chronicle in 2007, but never got around to making it. Until now. Although it needs to chill overnight, this luscious and creamy dessert is super quick to put together. It's not too sweet and the flavor of Baileys and coffee blend scrumptiously. It's the sort of addictive dessert that you can't get enough of; I found myself shamelessly licking the rich mixture off the side of the bowl. To get the ridiculously simple - there's only five ingredients! - technique keep reading.