BellaSugar

Reader Review of the Day: Burt's Bees Shea and Grapefruit Deep Conditioner

BellaSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:00:49 -0700

I like so many Burt's Bees products, but I'd never even heard of Burt's Bees Shea and Grapefruit Deep Conditioner ($8) until reader Yogaforlife reviewed it. It sounds great, though, and I'm really glad she mentioned it. She says:

"I normally use Pureology shampoo/conditioners to protect my color-treated hair in between salon visits, but I noticed that my hair felt really dry lately. I wanted to try a hair treatment and a friend recommended this. I shampooed like normal and then put this conditioner on. I left it on for about 20 minutes and then rinsed it using cold water. When my hair was wet and I tried combing it, I must admit I got a little scared that it didn't feel super slick like most conditioners leave my hair. Once my hair was dry, though, it felt incredibly soft and shiny and smelled so good. I now use this once or twice a week, and it's made such a difference."

Got a product you don't hear about much that's actually really great? Want to know what other readers' hair, makeup, and skincare saviors are? Just pop over to the Product Reviews pages, then. We have more than 50,000 products up for review, and we're adding new ones daily. It's a great way to inform others and learn a little yourself.

Reader Review of the Day: Burt's Bees Facial Cleanser

BellaSugar — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 08:00:35 -0700

I love Burt's Bees, but given how essential oils like orange can affect my skin, I was hesitant to try its Burt's Bees Facial Cleanser ($8). Reader a million suns, however, actually saw her skin irritation go down when she used the product. She says:

"My skin has been extremely sensitive and reactive lately-and always fairly dry, since I live in Nevada-and every time I'd use my Neutrogena cleanser, my face would look red and blotchy. Then I picked up this cleanser at the store and gave it a try. No redness, no blotchiness, nada. Plus, my skin felt totally refreshed. It is a little bit thick, but all I have to do is mix it with water (squeeze a nickel-sized amount onto your hand, run it under the faucet, rub your hands together) to get it to spread easily. Plus, I love the orange scent!"

New cleanser you're crazy about? Thinking about making a switch and want to know what other people think? Then our Product Reviews pages are the place to be! You can see reviews of more than 50,000 products, and write some of your own.

Reader Review of the Day: Honey Lip Balm by Burt's Bees

BellaSugar — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:00:07 -0800

Are your lips chapped or dry right now? Mine are just coming down after a little cayenne pepper experiment gone awry. So, I did a little search for lip balms to take out some of the sting, and what did I find? A product by some bees, of course. For today's reader review, see what Indie B had to say about Honey Lip Balm by Burt's Bees ($3.99). The floor's all yours, Indie:

I love this lip balm. It is my absolute favorite hands down. There isn't a time when it's not on my lips. Smoother than the original Peppermint Burt's Bees, it has a subtle scent and gives a nice matte sheen to lips. Did I mention that it feels great? Excellent for parched, dry lips - excellent for any lips! This lip balm is a must-have. It also works wonderfully under lipstick or gloss.

Agree? Disagree? Write your own review (or just read others' thoughts) and it could appear on BellaSugar.

Doing Drugstore: Burt's Bees Lifeguard's Choice

BellaSugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:00:05 -0800

An oldie but goodie, this Burt's Bees lip balm blasts me back to Winter trips with friends and family where there was always a chill in the air. Now that I'm planning to head up to Tahoe this season, I picked up a tube at my local drugstore and put it right in my parka pocket so I'd be certain to remember it.

If you're wondering about the connection between water rescue and wintertime, I find the weatherproof Lifeguard's Choice to stand up to wind and water whether your own holiday travels take you to sun or snow. It uses nearly the same formula as their popular beeswax balm but with titanium dioxide for a bit of UV protection. After all, I can't be fumbling to reapply before every run.

Silky Strawberry Lip Balms

BellaSugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:00:37 -0800

Welcome to my final installment of strawberry beauty products. Those of you who missed the reading about strawberry body creams, scrubs and cleansers, have no fear - you can find everything here. These three goodies are smooth lip smackers to help soothe, condition and impart shine to your lips. And not only do they smell like strawberries, they taste like them too!

Smith's Strawberry Rosebud Lip Balm ($4.49) is the latest launch in the Smith's salve family. This all-purpose balm isn't restricted to lip love only; I use it on my cuticles, hands, knees and even my eyes sometimes. This strawberry version smells of roses and strawberries mixed together - it's amazing!

For two more strawberry lip balms, read more.

This creamy Burt's Bees Strawberry Lip Gloss ($2.64) smells sweet, tastes good and leaves lips shiny and soft. I realize they call it a lip gloss, but because it's not sticky or tacky and you have to dip your finger into the pot to put it on, I think it's safe to consider this gloss the balm. Yuk, yuk.

Since it's made from grapeseed oil it is also conditioning and contains antioxidants. FYI, it is also available in raspberry, cherry and lemon-lime.

Avon Flavor Savers Lip Gloss in Strawberry Fraise ($0.99) is a clear and conditioning lip balm that comes in a form similar to Chapstick. Just rub it over your lips a few times to get it soft and melty, then lick your lips for a sweet treat. I think it's great that Avon is still selling this product for under a dollar, because who doesn't love an affordable indulgence?

The Buzz on Burt's Bees

BellaSugar — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 07:00:19 -0800

Late last year, Clorox bought Burt's Bees, the natural-cosmetics company known for beeswax-based lotions, soaps, shampoos and other body care products. The selling price was nearly $1 billion, a high figure for a brand known for its homey, back-to-basics packaging and philosophy. (And yes, that's Burt himself in this photo.) But many of Burt's green-minded customers weren't thrilled that profits will now pour into a corporation known for making bleach, a not-so-ecological product.

This might give them some hope. Burt's Bees is trying to regulate the use of words like "natural" and "eco-friendly." According to the New York Times:

Burt’s Bees has also led a group of companies that have teamed up with the Natural Products Association to create a standard for natural personal care products, complete with stickers to label items that make the cut. To qualify, brands must create products that are at least 95 percent natural and contain no ingredients known to be harmful. The stickers will make their debut in April.

Consumers "walk down the aisle in the grocery stores’ health and beauty area, and they’re confronted with ‘natural’ at every turn,' says Daniel Fabricant, vice president for scientific and regulatory affairs at the association. 'We just don’t want to see the term misused any longer."

Even though I'm still a bit disappointed by the sale of Burt's Bees to Clorox, it's nice to see the brand leading this endeavor. The more transparent labeling can be, the better.

Source

Doing Drugstore: Burt's Bees Thoroughly Therapeutic Foot Creme

BellaSugar — Thu, 24 May 2007 16:20:00 -0700

I am usually a big fan of Burt's Bees products - the lip balm is one of my all-time favorites. So after hearing good things about Burt's Coconut Foot Creme, I went to the drugstore in search of some. But instead, I bought the Burt's Bees Thoroughly Therapeutic Foot Creme by mistake.

At first, this foot cream showed promise. Made from Bilberry extract and honey, it smells heavenly, and the ultra-thick lotion looked like it would be ultra-moisturizing. But so far - much to my dismay - I have been underwhelmed by it, so read more

As someone who walks a lot, I like a heavy-duty foot cream, and this one just doesn't quite do it for me. It has a somewhat greasy texture, so my hands feel icky after applying it. Also, the moisture never feels like it gets down very deep; the heavy lotion just sort of sits on top my skin. Also, though the product promises to exfoliate feet as well, it just seems like lotion to me.

I've been using it for a number of weeks, hoping to make my soles and heels less rough, but I haven't seen a noticeable difference. I've had better luck with some of the foot lotions offered by Sally Hansen. But maybe I should try the Coconut Foot Creme instead? If you've used either, let me know what you think.

Beauty Byte: Burt's Bees Wants to Regulate "Natural" Beauty Products

BellaSugar — Fri, 11 May 2007 11:31:48 -0700

I have always liked Burt's Bees products, but now I have an even better reason to admire the brand. According to Women's Wear Daily, Burt's CMO Michael Indursky wants to lead an effort to regulate the so-called natural-beauty industry.

While shoppers are increasingly drawn to natural and organic beauty products, there is very little regulation of the category. In fact, Indursky's first step will be coming up with an official definition of what "natural" means. According to WWD:

"A natural product should not have parabens, any synthetic preservatives, sulfates, animal products or anything with suspected potential human health risk," Indursky said.

He said he was looking to apply the definition to items that contain 95 percent natural ingredients.

Ideally, if products didn't meet that qualification, says Indursky, they would not be allowed to use the word "natural" in their names. Products that did meet the requirements would get a special insignia.

I, for one, think this is a great idea. It's unbelievable to me how many products marketed as "natural" or "organic" are packed with chemicals. After all, just because a lotion contains herbal extracts does not make it natural. It sounds like a massive undertaking, but I'm glad that Burt's Indursky is taking it on.

Source

Beauty Marked! All Purpose Body Balms

BellaSugar — Tue, 08 May 2007 06:00:58 -0700

For our inaugural BellaSugar Beauty Mark It challenge last week, I asked you guys to share your most bomb body balms with me. Since I am in love with my Boots Mediterranean Olive Almond & Sage Wonderbalm, I figured that you might have some secret salves stashed up your sleeves too!

You can see all of the body balm Beauty Marks on TeamSugar; thanks to everyone for your enthusiastic participation! Here are three of my favorites:

Beauty Mark #1: BadgerBalm Unscented Healing Balm ($6.50), found by SFKitkat. This looks like a great product for anyone with sensitive skin, because it contains no fragrances or additives. It can be used to treat cracked fingers, dry skin, and chapped lips, as well as to help heal boo-boos.

For two more body balms, read more

Beauty Mark #2: Burt's Bees Farmer's Friend Hand Salve ($5.60), found by Jennifer76. According to Jennifer76, this all-purpose balm is "thick without being super thick, and it goes in very easily. The only thing I wish is that it had a fun girly smell."

Beauty Mark #3: Mad Gabs Classic Hand & Body Balm in Lavender ($8), found by catstarr. This balm is great for conditioning any dry patches on your body. Some people even like to put it on their cuticles, knees, and elbows. It is made from rich shea butter, Vitamins E and A, olive oil, bees wax, and almond oil. Not only does it smell great, but it feels great too!

Beauty Marked! A Fab Foot Scrub

BellaSugar — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 16:52:33 -0700

Last week I asked you to come beauty marking with me to help me find a new fab foot cream. I bought this Cake Beauty Cake Walk Triplemint Foot Cream, $16, and totally and utterly fell in love with it!

I thought if I could love something this much then you guys probably had your own favorite foot products to share too. Boy was I right! You all did an awesome job beauty marking and I've featured three of your choices below. To see all of the beauty marked foot creams, click here.

Beauty Mark #1 found by missixty02 is called Bliss Foot Patrol, $26. This fab foot cream is ultra creamy, ultra smooth and ultra minty! Made with peppermint, aloe vera and salicylic acid, it immediately exfoliates, softens and soothes your tired dogs!

To see a couple more fab foot creams, read more

Beauty Mark #2 found by foreverdizzy is called Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Cream, $9. Mmmm - this cream is coco-nutty and delish! It contains rosemary which helps heal tired feet, and peppermint to purify. Let's face it, your feet aren't the cleanest parts of your body. It also contains vegetable glycerin and coconut oil to moisturize.

Beauty Mark #3 found by la clique is called Totally Nutty Shea Butter Heel Cream, $4. This is an intensely moisturizing foot cream made with a high concentration of shea butter and nut oils to make your stubborn skin nice and smooth.