TresSugar

The Premier of the Reality Show "True Beauty": Yea or Nay?

GiggleSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:00:00 -0800

"From Ashton Kutcher and Tyra Banks . . ." Have more terrifying words ever been spoken? I watched part of the premiere of True Beauty last night, the new reality television show about a beauty contest with a twist. What the contestants don't know is that in addition to their outer beauty, they'll be judged on their "inner beauty," too. They brought in a "scientist" to measure the contestants' body parts and features to determine where in the good looks range they were. Secret etiquette and ethics challenges will determine their "inner beauty." This show is going to be a real winner . . .

Will You Be Watching True Beauty Tonight?

BellaSugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:01:56 -0800

Mix one part Top Model with another part Punk'd and you get True Beauty, a reality show debuting tonight. Grown from the fertile minds of Ashton Kutcher and Tyra Banks, the show appears to be a typical beauty competition - at least, that's what the contestants think. While they preen and brag about their looks, hidden cameras are recording their every action. Cheryl Tiegs, Nolé Marin, and Vanessa Minnillo then judge the contestants not on their appearance, but on their "inner beauty." Take a look, and let me know if you'll be checking it out tonight.

Reality Roundup: Game Show in My Head, True Beauty, 13

BuzzSugar — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 07:00:38 -0800

American Idol's still the biggest thing on TV, but it's not the only reality show hitting the airwaves in January. Lots of new reality shows are starting up next month, and here, I've got previews for three of the biggies.

Ashton Kutcher is behind two of these shows, ABC's True Beauty and CBS's Game Show in my Head. For True Beauty, which premieres Jan. 5, Kutcher has teamed up with Tyra Banks for a show that's attempting to find the person out of 10 gorgeous contestants (models, pageant queens, and the like) who's the most beautiful both inside and out. The twist: The contestants don't know the "inner beauty" part of the game, which will be judged from secret footage by Vanessa Minnillo, Cheryl Tiegs, and Nole Marin. That show premieres Jan. 5.

To hear about the other two shows and see clips of all three, just read more.

Game Show is more classic Kutcher in the Punk'd/Wedding Crashers style: Contestants are sent out into the world wearing an earpiece and told to perform ridiculous actions (wear only underwear and get people to give you their clothes; act like you're a hospital patient who just escaped) for the chance to win cash. Its first two episodes air Jan. 2.

And then there's 13: Fear is Real, a horror movie-style reality show from director Sam Raimi. The 13 contestants will be shipped off to a spooky forest where they'll be pitted against each other in challenges straight from horror movies; the weakest links will "die" until only one person remains (I have to assume no actual death is involved). Its visual style is vaguely Blair Witch Project, and I'm amused by the fact that the winner gets $66,666. That one premieres Jan. 7.

Below, I've got clips of all three shows, and I'm curious to know if any of them strike your fancy. Check them out and let me know.

Buzz News Roundup, 11/5

BuzzSugar — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:37:47 -0800

Nikki Blonsky will guest star on Ugly Betty as an assistant at Elle who bonds with Betty. - Zap2it
Charlize Theron is negotiating to star with Tom Cruise in The Tourist, a remake of the French thriller Anthony Zimmer. - ComingSoon
True Beauty, a reality show from Tyra Banks and Ashton Kutcher, will premiere Jan. 5. - The Futon Critic
Paramount has acquired the graphic novel Battling Boy for Brad Pitt to produce through his company, Plan B. - Zap2It
Ray Winstone and Ray Liotta have joined Mickey Rourke, Jason Statham, Sam Riley and 50 Cent to star in 13, a remake of the French film 13 Tzameti. - Variety
Tina Fey is officially retiring her Sarah Palin impression. - Entertainment Weekly
Jenna Fischer has nabbed the lead role in an indie dramedy titled A Little Help. - ComingSoon

Coveted Crib: A Paper-Perfect Studio Loft

CasaSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:00:50 -0800

If I had my druthers, I probably wouldn't choose to live in a studio. But if I had to, I cannot imagine a more perfect space than this studio loft in Lägenhet, Stockholm (which is for sale). With tall ceilings, a bed and extra storage are tucked up high, making for a true living room. The apartment's bright white walls and beautiful natural light expand the space, while a select few gorgeously wallpapered walls give it depth and serious style. The kitchen has streamlined modern white cabinetry and one of my favorite elements: concrete countertops. The bathroom is complete with a towel warmer (woot!), a washer/dryer, and a sharp zebrawood sink basin. And better yet, it boasts what every girl dreams of: a walk-in closet. Take the full tour when you read more.

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Ask Casa: Help Me Choose Paint Colors

CasaSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:00:19 -0800

Hi Casa,

My boyfriend and I are about to move into our first house and I couldn't be happier! I can't wait to get in there and start putting our touch on things! The only problem is that I am having a tough time picking a paint color for the living room.

A few years ago, I bought a set of three prints that I absolutely love. I want to hang them above the sofa in our new place, but I'm having a tough time finding the right paint color to highlight them. When we first bought the prints, our living room was white and they popped beautifully. But now I'm a little sick of white and want to add some color, but I'm not sure what direction to go. The living room in our new place opens onto the dining room, so whatever color we choose will have to continue into the dining room too.

Any suggestions?

Thanks for the help,
KatieMise

To see my suggestion for KatieMise, read more.

Hi Katie,

Great prints! I love them. This isn't a tough one. When choosing a wall color for a wall with artwork, my rule of thumb is always to choose a hue that's an accent in the art piece, but not the primary color. You should choose a complementary color, too. In this case, the background colors of two of your prints are a greenish-blue and a true blue, and in all three prints there is reddish detailing. So, I think a red or watermelon hue would really make your prints pop. Not only are they on the opposite side of the color wheel from those greens and blues, but reddish walls will make the red detailing in your prints pop!

I made a couple of mock-ups to give you an idea. But the best thing to do is head to your paint shop and grab a few samples in these colors, and then bring them home to see what works with your prints. Then, test the paint on your walls before you paint the whole thing. If a whole room in a red color is too much for you, you can always just paint an accent wall and then leave the rest of the walls white. I think it works with the artwork, too, because red is a really important color in Asian culture.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,

Casa

Buzz-Worthy Video: Beck, Feist, Wilco Performing Together

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:30:46 -0800

Guaranteed way to make me drop everything I'm doing and press play: tell me that Beck, Feist, and Wilco are collaborating. It's true; Beck recruited the folk chanteuse, the rock band, and British singer Jamie Lidell to join him to perform a tribute to '60s musician Skip Spence.

Their cover of Spence's song, "Little Hands," was recorded in the famous Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood in ultrahip black and white. The song is beautiful, but I'm still just beaming to see some of my favorite artists in one room together (including Jeff Tweedy's son Spencer on drums!). And Beck, you're rocking that devil's haircut.

To see the video of "Little Hands", just read more.

5 Tips For Minimizing Adult Acne

BellaSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:00:38 -0800

Dr. Amy Wechsler is not only a dermatologist, she's a psychiatrist as well. What a combo! In fact, some even call her a "beauty shrink," and the Manhattan-based skincare expert and author of The Mind-Beauty Connection: 9 Days to Reverse Stress Aging and Reveal More Youthful, Beautiful Skin ($20), has a few things to share with us regarding adult acne. As we all know, breakouts that occur post-high-school can be rough on the psyche, and that's why I asked Dr. Wechsler her tips on helping us prevent and deal with pimples in our 20s, 30s, and beyond. To check out her advice, keep reading.

Gossip Girl Kids Keep Things Hot Despite the NYC Chill

PopSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:30:41 -0800

Blake Lively and Ed Westwick were joined on set by newcomer Kevin Zegers in NYC yesterday. They were hard at work filming the show's third season, and last night's WTF moment-filled episode featured the controversial threesome that has some advocacy groups rather mad. Although our prediction about which three stars would be involved didn't end up being true, there was some romantic tension between Serena and her boss as well as more than enough drama amid all the fashion, beauty and tech on display.

To see more of Ed and Blake on set, just read more.

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Hazelnut's Bryan Batt Opens Up to House Beautiful

CasaSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:00:54 -0700

If you're a design enthusiast and a New Orleans fanatic like me, you know Bryan Batt as a co-owner (with his partner Tom Cianfichi) of one of NOLA's finest décor boutiques, Hazelnut. I featured the boutique back in February of '08, and now Batt is set to ink his own home décor book. If you're just mad for Mad Men, you know him as Sterling-Cooper's in-the-closet, recently fired art director Salvatore Romano.

This month, House Beautiful is getting to know him, too. The shelter glossy has the lowdown on Batt's bedroom behavior, from his no-TV rule to his underbed storage, and of course, his bedroom décor resources.

I'm always interested to see where people get their design inspiration. So it was fun to hear about the jumping off point for his bedroom design:

The painting is the whole point of the room. It's by a friend of mine. Suzie Allain, who's a local artist and designer here in New Orleans. She showed some things at Hazelnut, my store here, and I fell in love with this series of bamboo stalks. She did this for me custom and then the room evolved around it.

See more excerpts from the issue.