The Fashion Time Magazine

The “voice of Bella Sugar“, Annie Tomlin, is more than a beauty with style. She’s had a long term involvement in Web Fashion, starting her own website in 1996, then working at Oprah.com for four years, later moving on to serve as shopping editor of Time Out Chicago, and eventually joining Bella Sugar in San Francisco.

Annie, who hails from Michigan, has written for such publications as Alternative Press, Jane, and Bust, and exhibits a strong professionalism with Bella Sugar, shepherding the widely popular style and fashion site with coverage of everything from makeup to Mary Tyler Moore, models to Madonna, celebrity beauty to celebrity polls, fragrances to fashions. And she has a handsome cat (see below).

We thank Annie for taking time out from her busy schedule to participate in our interview.

Fashion Time: Can you tell us a little about your background and how you got started in fashion blogging?

Annie Tomlin: I started my own website in 1996, so I’ve been writing online for what feels like an eternity. My background is in magazine editing and online editing; my last position was at Time Out Chicago, where I was shopping editor. I’ve always been fascinated by the transformative nature of beauty products, and the way we define beauty. So joining the Sugar gang was a natural fit.

Fashion Time: What is a typical day like for you, as editor of Bella Sugar?

Annie Tomlin: I wake up and check my BlackBerry from bed, then go into Sugar HQ. After having a quick chat with the Bella team, we get to work reading various news sources. From there, it’s a matter of writing and editing on my part. I generally write about six posts every day and edit as many before they go up. And then there’s a lot of interaction with readers, testing out and finding new products, that sort of thing. Even though there’s a schedule, my days vary.

Fashion Time: Could you share with us an interesting anecdote from working at Bella Sugar?

Annie Tomlin: My bathroom cabinet is stuffed with tons of products to try out, and so whenever I bring new people to my house, they think I’m a compulsive hoarder/uncontrollable shopper.

Fashion Time: What is the hottest celeb hair trend on the red carpet this season?

Annie Tomlin: Lots of long, loose, flowing waves — which isn’t anything groundbreaking, but it’s as popular as ever. A few people are wearing braids mixed in, or in an updo, and I like how this adds a little more visual interest.

Fashion Time: The No. 1 mascara is?

Annie Tomlin: I’ll give you two of my favorites of the year: Cover Girl Lash Blast and Givenchy Phenom’Eyes. Lash Blast is hands-down my favorite drugstore mascara because it makes lashes look so full and long, and Phenom’Eyes seeks out all of those tiny little lashes you never knew existed.

Fashion Time: The Top Five must have beauty items for fall are?

Annie Tomlin:

1. Sunscreen. People think that when summer is over, it’s time to ditch the SPF. Not so!
2. A bright eye shadow or eyeliner. You don’t need to go crazy with it, but a little bit of color looks really fresh.
3. Lipstick. Gloss is great for summer, but when the weather cools down, lipstick feels more appropriate.
4. Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Lovers fragrances. There are five of them, and the bottles are shaped like little dolls. I can’t wait to check them out, even if only for fun.
5. Dark purple nail polish. It’s very shoegazey in a way.

Fashion Time: How would you describe your own personal makeup style?

Annie Tomlin: I don’t wear very much on a day-to-day basis — always concealer and mascara, but that’s often enough. Sometimes, I’ll do a little winged eyeliner, or maybe a champagne eye shadow with a red lip.

Fashion Time: Can you share with us some on-the-set beauty tricks?

Annie Tomlin: At least half of the time, makeup artists are using inexpensive drugstore mascara on photo shoots and in fashion shows. Getting the most out of your mascara is more about application. Don’t just swipe the mascara on; wiggle it from the base of lashes to the tips, and use the point of the mascara wand to reach the tiniest lashes.

Fashion Time: What celeb is a bonafide beauty queen and who isn’t?

Annie Tomlin: You never, ever, ever see Jessica Simpson attend an event without having every hair in place. On the opposite end, Tilda Swinton often goes to events without a stitch of makeup — which I think is cool and confident. I think they both look good in their own ways, but Jessica’s look clearly takes more time in the makeup chair than Tilda’s does.

Bella Sugar’s Annie Tomlin

Fashion Time: The worst lipstick you ever tried was?

Annie Tomlin: I just can’t get into overly fragrant lipsticks. I like the texture and color range of Revlon, but the scent is too strong for me.

Fashion Time: You keep your hair beautiful thanks to?

Annie Tomlin: I don’t use any harsh chemicals on it, and I wash my hair every two to three days — only when it really needs to be cleaned.

Fashion Time: Your signature fragrance is?

Annie Tomlin: I switch depending on my mood, but lately I love L’Eau d’Hiver, by Jean-Claude Ellena for Frederic Malle. It is beautiful, abstract, and unusual.

Fashion Time: The hottest nail colors for fall are?

Annie Tomlin: Black isn’t going away, but you can update the dark trend by wearing deep eggplants and vampy reds. On the flip side, I’m really into putty-colored polish, almost a mushroom color. It’s neutral enough to wear to work, but it’s more unexpected than, say, pink.

Fashion Time: Your thoughts on bob-mania (Victoria Beckham, Rihanna, Eva Longoria)?

Annie Tomlin: It isn’t as cutting-edge as it was a year ago, but I still love the bob. It’s a versatile cut, it’s easy to care for, and it really shows off the face. So if more people lose the long locks, you won’t see me complaining.

Fashion Time: The most popular beauty brand among celebs is?

Annie Tomlin: It’s hard to say. A lot of celebrities are paid millions of dollars to endorse a brand, so of course they promote a certain product. And when you see brands talk about how much so-and-so loves their product, you have to ask what that means; it may mean that the celebrity loves the product, or it may mean that a publicist has mailed a box of swag to the celebrity, and is reporting that as evidence that the celebrity loves it. I do know that Madonna’s makeup artist uses Shu Uemura on photo shoots and that Angelina Jolie special-orders custom lipstick from Three Custom Color — but there isn’t really one special, secret celebrity fave. (Unless you count Botox, and almost nobody cops to using it.)

Fashion Time: What cosmetics should every girl have in her purse?

Annie Tomlin: A good hand cream, blotting papers, a nail file, lip balm, and Nars Dolce Vita lipstick.

Fashion Time: What are some beauty tips you could offer to save women from future trips to the plastic surgeon?

Annie Tomlin: First, as corny as it sounds, find what you love about yourself and focus on that. If you don’t like what’s inside, you’ll obsess over the outside, and aging will seem much scarier than it really is. On a more cosmetic level, be obsessive about wearing sunblock every single day. (Even when it’s rainy. Even when you’re not outside.) Put it on and you’ll avoid most of the visible signs of aging. Exfoliating your skin will keep it healthy and glowy — I love glycolic acid products for this. The rest is nothing new, but it’s still good advice: Get eight hours of sleep each night. Learn how to cope with stress. Eat lots of fresh vegetables. Don’t smoke.

Fashion Time: What do you think are worst trends in the beauty industry right now?

Annie Tomlin: Fall has a lot of darker-than-dark lipstick shades. On the runway, it’s cool, but let’s face it: Unless you’re a 15-year-old Bauhaus fan, it’s not very flattering in real life.

Fashion Time: Who are your favorite make-up and hair artists?

Annie Tomlin: I love Dick Page’s creativity and his quiet energy; he’s so talented, and he clearly loves his work. I keep telling everyone to go to Christine Symonds at Warren-Tricomi in Los Angeles. She’s a really sweet stylist who, after I’d searched high and low for a great cut, gave me the cut that took me from cute to cool.

Annie’s handsome cat

Fashion Time: What is your philosophy about beauty?

Annie Tomlin: Everybody has something beautiful. We don’t all have to look “perfect” to find it, either; it’s about highlighting your favorite features and exuding confidence.

Fashion Time: What are some of your favorite haircuts of all time?

Annie Tomlin: Jean Seberg’s pixie in Breathless. Audrey Tautou’s little wedge cut in Amélie. Diana Ross in the Supremes. That simple Jane Birkin/Françoise Hardy/Chan Marshall bangs-and-long-hair look. Debbie Harry’s bleach-blonde hair falling in her eyes. Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman. Miki Berenyi, the singer from Lush —I always loved her flaming red hair. Veronica Lake’s waves.