BellaSugar

Doing Drugstore: EO Handmade Soap

BellaSugar — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:00:27 -0800

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.

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

Doing Drugstore: EO Nighty Nite Bubble Bath

BellaSugar — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:10:59 -0800

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.

Doing Drugstore: Eos Lip Balm Spheres

BellaSugar — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:00:18 -0700

I'm sort of addicted to Eos lip balm spheres ($4); there's something about the colorful packaging, the way you can apply it to your whole mouth all at once, and the nonslip texture of the "egg" that makes them really fun to use. Plus the lip balm inside is pretty great, and it's 95 percent organic. I've tried both the sweet mint and the honeysuckle honeydew flavors, and while the former is more refreshing and good if you tend to forget your mints, I like the sweet, herbal flavor of the latter. The only problem is that I suffer from chronic application syndrome when I have them - if I'm distracted or doing something at my desk, I'll be reapplying it almost constantly.

Easy Tips on Preventing Product Buildup

BellaSugar — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 07:00:07 -0800

Some - but not all - low-priced products give your hair that silky feeling and light-reflecting gloss by coating the shaft with a wax, which doesn't always wash off completely. The result is a buildup that can keep hair from absorbing color or holding styles, dandruff, and breakage. During this time of year, piling on serum, spray, gel, cream, and mousse to protect hair from the wind and dry air can actually make it even drier.

According to New York City stylist Antonio Prieto, a common cause is using a larger quantity of styling products than recommended, especially if the product has alcohol high on its ingredient list. His solution? Use a clarifying shampoo and higher-quality stylers, especially ones with water soluble ingredients. Try washing hair with Bumble & bumble Sunday Shampoo ($18 for eight ounces), which removes residue, hard water minerals (another cause of dullness), and pollutants, or Frederic Fekkai Apple Cider Clarifying Shampoo ($23 for eight ounces), which rinses out buildup while nourishing with apple, verbena, rosemary, and kukui nut oil. Those with color-treated hair might stick to an even more natural shampoo, since it probably won't include stripping sulfates, like EO Clarifying French Lavender Shampoo ($6.59 for eight ounces).

Lovely and Healthy LaVanilla Fragrances

BellaSugar — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 10:55:55 -0700

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!