BellaSugar

Succulent Strawberry Scrubs

BellaSugar — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 10:01:12 PST

Having these grainy and sweet body scrubs in the bath and shower is just asking for trouble. After just one whiff, I'll never want to get out. For those of you who want to take a break from the doldrums of January and indulge in a summertime treat, here are three succulent scrubs that'll do the trick. And hey, if you have any Winter strawberries in your fridge that you can't bear to waste, try making this strawberry scrub at home.

Fresh Sugar Face Polish ($55) is one of those oldies but goodies that you can never say too many great things about. It's made with ground-up wild strawberries and brown sugar, so it's deep cleaning and exfoliating. One of my friends swears by this stuff, and considering the fact that her skin is always soft and clear, it's enough for me.

This Fresh Ripe Wild Strawberry Scrub from Peter Thomas Roth ($35) is more for the body than for the face. It's a sweet-smelling scrub that uses strawberry seeds as exfoliating grains. Not only does it deep clean, it also sloughs away rough, dead skin.

100% Pure Strawberry Butter Body Scrub ($22) is an all-natural, rich, and thick body scrub infused with coconut oil and shea butter to help condition while exfoliating. It also contains antioxidants to help brighten and protect skin. I can't think of a yummier way to scrub-a-dub in the tub.

The First Must-Haves of 2008

BellaSugar — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 13:00:39 PST

The post-holiday doldrums of January can be rough, cold, and not so pretty. That doesn't have to be the case with your beauty routine, though. This month, it's all about hydration: drinking enough water, moisturizing your skin, and avoiding drying products. I've found six items to help you do just that and more.

For a rundown of each product, just

I'm really excited to try Stila Eye Shadow Duos ($20), which officially launch in February but are available to Sephora Beauty Insiders now. This is the first time that Stila has offered two colors in one pan, and the reformulated shadows are supposed to be smoother than ever.

During winter, look for a body moisturizer with shea butter in it; this will help seal in the moisture of your skin. 100% Pure body butter ($18) looks deceptively small in its packaging, but a jar of this highly-concentrated stuff lasts forever. I've tried the blood orange variety, which has a light citrus scent. Plus, it's free of parabens and chemicals, so it's an eco-friendly vegan treat.

Clinique has just launched a line called Clinique Redness Solutions ($16.50–$39). It's meant to help skin with rosacea, but the gentle formula should help anybody who deals with a ruddy complexion.

Alterna Caviar mask ($40) is an anti-aging hair mask, but I find that it treats my young hair quite nice. Again, this is a highly concentrated conditioning product, so a little goes a long way. I use it every couple of weeks, and it definitely makes my hair softer and seemingly thicker-without leaving a gross residue.

In my quest for reasonably priced tinted lip balms, I came across some by Roxie ($6.50). The vegan formulas use shea butter, cocoa butter, and mineral pigments to keep lips from chapping. Pomegranate, the ruby-tinged shade you see here, has great color, no?

Finally, although you shouldn't, like, live in the bathtub during the winter, a little soak can't hurt too much. I've always loved Claus Porto bath products because of their packaging, and this Ilyria duo of bath salts ($8) is no exception. It smells of honeysuckle, a decidedly non-wintry scent, but it's this time of year when we need flowers most.

New Product Alert: 100% Pure Organic Pomegranate Antioxidant Hydration

BellaSugar — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 15:48:29 PDT

I love it when ingredient lists have recognizable words, because then you know exactly what you're putting on your skin. 100% Pure is one company whose formulas are 100% easy to understand. The all-vegan, organic line uses fresh fruits and extracts to create natural, highly concentrated products for your body.

The latest addition to the collection is Organic Pomegranate Antioxidant Hydration ($26), a lightweight moisturizer with SPF 15. Here's what's inside:

Organic white tea, organic pomegranate oil, vitamin E, chamomile and lavender wax, extracts of rosemary, oregano, thyme, grapefruit seed, golden seal and cinnamon.

Pretty simple stuff, right? There's nothing there that would give me pause, though I'd still probably use an additional sunscreen if I were going to be in the sun. What about you-do you have faith in all-natural products, or are you more likely to go for a clinically tested product that has chemicals in it?

A Makeover For Your Grocery List

LilSugar — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:17:02 PDT

If your child has been diagnosed with a food allergy, you know both cooking at home and dining out can quickly become a challenge. Since healthy eating begins at home, and eating at home begins at the grocery store, we turned to Amie Valpone of The Healthy Apple for some advice on how to stock your pantry for success, whether you're dealing with food allergies or just want to take a cleaner approach to your family's diet. See how Amie, a nutritionist who specializes in clean eating, fills up her own grocery cart, and how you can transform your own to accommodate your family's dietary needs.

"Cleaning" Up Your Grocery List

Essential Condiments

Extra-virgin olive oil
Flaxseed oil
Grape seed oil
Champagne vinegar
Apple cider vinegar
Balsamic vinegar
Organic Dijon mustard
Organic coarse, seeded mustard
San-J wheat-free tamari soy sauce
Amy's Organic salsa
Sun-dried tomatoes
Hummus (try Tribe, Wild Garden, Sabra, or Cedar's)
Hot sauce (try Cholula or Sriracha)
Miso (white, barley, and red)
Organic lemon juice

Continue reading for what to buy in the gluten-free, dairy-free, and freezer departments.

Happy Baby and Sprout Want to Feed Your Toddlers Organic Meals

Rebecca M Gruber — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:02:23 PDT

Organic baby food pouches are so last year! Since the healthy, squeezable packets of baby purees first caused a ripple on playgrounds in 2010, the baby pouch has quickly become the go-to baby food choice for mamas who want the best, but just don't have time to cook up their own purees.

Now, two of the first baby food pouch creators are setting their sites on tots who've moved beyond second and third stage purees. Both Sprout and Happy Baby are introducing heat-and-eat organic toddler meals this Spring, and lil ones everywhere should be rejoicing! Here's a quick rundown of what the two are serving up!

Happy Baby The company that brought us the first organic puffs and an organic Thanksgiving meal in a pouch is creating four HappyTot Toddler Meal Bowls ($3.19 each) packed with protein and vitamin A. Using 100 percent organic vegetables, whole grains, and meats, the HappyTot line includes combinations such as Chicken, Vegetable, and Quinoa, as well as the more familiar Vegetable Ravioli. Each cup-sized serving comes precooked in BPA-free packaging that only needs to be heated for a minute in the microwave before it's ready to eat.

Sprout Tyler Florence told us that he was considering opening a Sprout café where moms and babies could stock up on food for a few days, but now he's done one better. Sprout Organic Toddler Meals ($3.49 each) begin where the Food Network chef's baby purees end, continuing his tradition of combining great but unusual flavor concoctions that kids can't wolf down fast enough. The ready-to-microwave, BPA-free trays bring together veggies, fruits, legumes, spices, and meats for eight meals, such as Macaroni and Cheese With Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato and Apple Risotto With Turkey. So while you might not have a sitter so you can go out and enjoy the chef's Wayfare Tavern, your lil one can gobble up his recipes in the comfort of your own home.

Source: Flickr User CarbonNYC

A Day in the Life of a Celebrity Makeup Artist

Guest Writer — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:41:39 PDT

We are pleased to present the following post, written by our guest writer Mally Roncal!

Hi, BellaSugar beauties. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Mally Roncal, celebrity makeup artist and president and creator of Mally Beauty. Like so many of you fierce ladies out there, I am an entrepreneur, a mom (to three beautiful girls), and a beauty addict. While I love getting glammed up for my live appearances on QVC, photo shoots, and for TV shows, when you find me at home, I've got my hair up and I'm wearing no lashes - total mommy-mode. My life is not always glamorous jet-setting, big hair, and heels, and I would not change any minute of it. Here's a peek into a non-TV day, giving you an inside look into my very blessed life. See Mally's full-day schedule when you read more.

A Doctor Dishes: Which "Superfoods" Are Worth the Cost?

LearnVest — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:15:00 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Most people you speak to these days are trying to stretch every dollar as far as possible - even the ones they spend buying apples and oranges.

Food prices are expected to increase yet again this year, and food manufacturers are making portions smaller without reducing prices. Not surprisingly, a recent Rasmussen poll found that 93 percent of adults report paying more for groceries now than they did a year ago.

So how can we supercharge our grocery dollars and get them to do overtime for us?

Yes, some foods are obviously a better nutritional deal than others (think apples vs. potato chips), but there’s another class of foods that blows the rest of the field away in terms of nutrients and health-protecting qualities: superfoods.

Superfoods can help prevent diabetes and heart disease, repair damage to your body’s cells, and more. But before you go piling them into your cart, know that some superfoods are better nutritional bargains than others. As a doctor and a mom, I’ve sleuthed out which ones are worth the extra cost in terms of their long-term health benefits. Below is the scoop on which ones may help you age better, ward off cancer, and more.

What to Know Before Buying Superfoods

Before we dive into what to buy, there are a few important things to remember about consuming these foods:

Eating foods fresh and in their natural state, especially fruits and vegetables (rather than in pill or powder supplement form), usually allows us to absorb the greatest amount of their nutrients. The way a superfood is processed or cooked can significantly lower its antioxidant content.
If the superfood can’t be eaten fresh, look for easy and appetizing recipes containing it. No matter how “super” a superfood may be, if you don’t know how to cook it, you’ll probably let it go to waste.

Are Superfoods "Good Buys" If I’m Shopping on a Budget?

Read on to find out.

5 Easy Ways to Eat More Fruit

Jenny Sugar — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:57:13 PST

Luscious, juicy, sweet-as-candy fruit is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. It's full of vitamins, fiber to keep you full, water to keep you hydrated, and the natural sugars make it a healthier alternative to sugary treats. You should aim to eat three to six servings of fruit each day, but if that seems like a lot, here are some ways to sneak fruit into your diet.

Add fruit slices to sandwiches. Sliced pear, apple, and watermelon add a unique texture and unexpected flavor to run-of-the-mill sammies.
Mix pureed fruit into plain yogurt. When comparing six-ounce containers of Greek yogurt, plain offers 18 grams of protein for 100 calories, and strawberry is 140 calories with 14 grams of protein. Instead of buying the premade flavors, make your own by adding pureed fruit to plain yogurt. You'll save money, avoid added sugars, and be able to customize the flavor to wow your taste buds with distinct combos like blackberry peach or strawberry pear.
Add fruit to baked goods. We've all made banana bread, but that's not the only fruit-based treat you can whip up. Lower the fat in just about any recipe by replacing oil with applesauce, or get creative with muffin recipes by adding diced strawberries, or mix bits of dried apricots into cookie dough.
Cut up fruit and store it in the fridge. It takes effort to wash and cut fruit, enough to make you reach for something easier (and less healthy) instead. Make fruit as accessible as a bag of chips by storing cut up fruit in containers in the fridge.
Eat fruit for dessert. Save calories and skip the refined sugars by enjoying nature's dessert. Here are ways to make fruit even more decadent and enticing - the almond butter and granola filled dates are one of my faves.

15 High-Iron Foods Under 100 Calories

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:07:05 PST

Too tired to hit the gym? You may not be getting enough iron in your diet. Healthy adult women need 18 milligrams a day (if you're prego, up that amount to 27 mg). If your diet doesn't offer the appropriate amount, fatigue will impair your ability to do physical work (like exercise). Iron also helps carry oxygen from our lungs to the rest of our body, helps muscles store and use oxygen, and is even found in the enzymes needed to digest food. An iron deficiency may also make you feel cold, as well as exhausted, and weaken your immune system, making you more likely to get sick.

Avoid iron issues by making sure you get enough from your diet. Here are 15 high sources of iron that won't break the calorie bank.

15. Half a hamburger patty: 1.1 mg iron, 89 calories
14. 3 ounces turkey: 1.2 mg, 87 calories
13. 1/3 cup kidney beans: 1.3 mg, 75 calories
12. 1/3 cup edamame: 1.5 mg, 85 calories
11. 1/3 cup white beans: 1.7 mg, 85 calories

Continue reading to see 10 more low-calorie foods with even higher levels of iron.

Pure Green Magazine Launches Print Subscriptions!

CasaSugar — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:00:04 PDT

There's something about being able to flip through the pages of a favorite magazine, especially when it has the feel of a coffee table worthy design book. At the end of November, Pure Green magazine is extending this simple pleasure to readers with a beautifully bound, glossy, print edition!

Keep reading for all of the details on Pure Green magazine's switch to print format.