BellaSugar

Doing Drugstore: EO Handmade Soap

BellaSugar — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:00:27 PST

It's a good idea to use more soaps and fewer shower gels this season since alcohol is so drying in wintry weather, and I'm loving the EO Handmade soaps ($5) I recently tested.

Prepared in small batches in Marin County, CA, the soaps are 85 percent organic. The base is naturally retained glycerin (derived from the organic coconut ingredient); it has a rough-looking texture but a fresh, smooth feel. Because they're full of pure essential oils, I think the scent lasts longer and is stronger than synthetic fragrances. This can be a good thing if you're into it but, as much as I loved how the shea butter felt on my skin, I wasn't as big a fan of the rose and chamomile aroma that went along with it. But, to each her own 'cause there are five types perfect for picky noses and skin types. Check them out for yourself in the widget below.

by Oatmeal Honey Sensitive Skin Soap Bar - $4.98	by Lavender with Aloe Everyday Soap Bar - $4.98
EO Pink Grapefruit Exfoliating Soap Bar - Sold Out	by Rose & Chamomile Shea Nourishing Soap Bar - $4.98
by Lemon Verbena with Menthol Deodorant Soap Bar - $4.98

Doing Drugstore: EO Nighty Nite Bubble Bath

BellaSugar — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:10:59 PST

What's a girl to do when she wakes up already stressed out and overwhelmed? It's the situation I faced this morning, and made a counterintuitive choice that turned out perfectly – I picked up a bottle of EO Nighty Night Bubble Bath ($7.99).

I admit that conjuring up bedtime is not exactly the best start to a work day, but the main ingredients of blue chamomile and lavender promised to soothe, and soothe they did. The mildly floral scent lingered in my bathroom to make me feel like I was wandering through a field of lavender, not putting on concealer and brushing my teeth.

Hours later, I'm still mellow but not sleepy (I'm thinking the coffee helped with that). I may just try this again tonight while sipping some chamomile tea for sleepy time. After all, this product had some of the longest-lasting bubbles of any I've reviewed, making me want to linger way longer than my AM routine allowed.

4 Black Friday Deals That Aren't Really Deals

Emily Co — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 05:00:03 PST

As I was scouring through many of the Black Friday ads for the best deals, I noticed that there were no "before" prices cited on the ads. Sure, it's a chance for shoppers to get a good bargain, but retailers need to make money as well. A good number of the deals I looked through weren't exactly what I would call a deal. Here are some things you shouldn't buy at the Black Friday sales.

Kindle

Office Depot, Office Max, Radio Shack, Staples, Target, and Walmart are all selling the latest versions of Kindle. They are the same price as the Kindles sold on Amazon, and Target even charges a higher price for it. And not to mention, you'll be paying sales tax with the purchase of a Kindle at one of these retailers. Don't bother getting a Kindle from these stores; instead, buy yours on Amazon.

Apple products

So far, there doesn't seem to be any good Apple product deals around. Best Buy is selling the Apple TV for $90, which is the same price that Amazon is selling it for online. The two iPhones that they are selling are older generation phones - the iPhone 3GS (Free) and the iPhone 4 ($99) - which you can buy at the AT&T stores. Even the Apple store doesn't usually offer deep discounts for its products during its Black Friday sale.

DSLR Cameras

The DSLR cameras are items you should stay away from when you're rummaging through the stores. In fact, I found that many of the cameras sold have the same price, or have a very minor discount. For example, Best Buy is selling the Canon EOS Rebel T3 12.2 MP DLSR camera and camera bundle for $480, while Amazon is selling the same camera for $488 (the price fluctuates; at one point I saw it for $452). You can buy a good camera bag that's worth $15 on Amazon. Although the bundle is a little more expensive when you buy it on Amazon, the price difference is very minor in proportion to the base price. I have a feeling that the price will continue to rise and fall, so keep watching the product listing.

Read on for more nondeals.

Link Time: Scarlett Johansson For Dolce & Gabbana, Bronzer For Fall, and More

BellaSugar — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:08:39 PDT

Get a first look at Scarlett Johansson in Dolce & Gabbana's new mascara ad - Beauty High
Three awesome DIY updos for curly hair - Refinery29
Splurge or save? The smartest beauty buys - Real Simple
Break out the bronzer (even for Fall) - You Beauty
Help Selena Gomez create her new perfume - InStyle
Irina Shayk wants to prove that models aren't stupid - The Cut
Megan Fox is removing her Marilyn Monroe tattoo because of its "negative energy" - Jezebel
Why EOS Everyday Hand Lotion should be in your arsenal - All Lacquered Up
The award for world's best drugstore lip gloss goes to . . . - Clumps of Mascara

5 Reasons Why the iPhone 4 Is the Second Most Popular Camera on Flickr

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:33:21 PDT

Flickr is one of the most widely known photo-sharing sites for professional shutterbugs. But according to a new graph released by the Yahoo-owned site, recreational iPhone 4-toting photographers are gaining ground.

The graph shows the most popular cameras used on the site: Nikon D90, Apple iPhone 4, Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi, Canon EOS 5D Mark II, and Canon EOS Rebel T1i are the most popular. Another interesting graph details the most popular camera phones used for uploads with the iPhone 4, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, HTC EVO 4G, and iPod Touch rounding out the top five. Why is the iPhone so widely used among photographers? I've got five reasons for you. Check them out below.

Portability - The iPhone 4 is tiny, and can slide right into your bag, pocket, or clutch with minimal bulk, which is quite the contrast to bigger, more professional-grade cameras.
Camera apps - Photoshop, Camera+, and Hipstamatic make it easy to turn regular images into something extraordinary.
Social features - Instagram and its offspring, like Postagram, let users share their images with various groups of friends instantly rather than hooking up to a computer, downloading images, then uploading them to their social networks.

See the rest after the jump.

Lovely and Healthy LaVanilla Fragrances

BellaSugar — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 10:55:55 PDT

Lavanilla scentsations are all the rage! Made from all natural ingredients, organic processing and biodegradable packaging, Lavanilla Laboratories have created both a fragrance and a skincare product. Their vanilla based perfumes smell soooooo good and they are healthy for your skin too!

They are phthalate, petrochemical, mineral oil, preservative and artificial color free and are made strictly from pure EOs, flowers, plants, antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. They are available in a 1.7 oz bottle which retails for $56 and they come in three amazing and different flavors: Pure Vanilla, Vanilla Grapefruit and Vanilla Blossom. Mmmm!