BellaSugar

Reader Review of the Day: L'Occitane Immortelle Very Precious Cream

BellaSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:00:25 -0700

With cooler weather on the way, dry skin is about to become a problem for a substantial number of us, and that means one thing: a darn good moisturizer. I'm on the hunt for something new and great myself, so I liked this review of L'Occitane Immortelle Very Precious Cream ($75). Reader ejfish provides a helpful breakdown of the product's pros and cons:

"Likes: Leaves a velvety soft film on my skin every morning (not an oily slick shine). It doesn't cause breakouts/congestion. Once absorbs into the skin, it doesn't feel heavy at all. After three weeks of use, my skin feels visibly softer and smoother. Dislikes: Certainly isn't one you'd buy without thinking twice. It's worth it for me since the last 50mL jar of cream I had lasted me a year (of course, that's with me straying to different brands in the meanwhile). Tip: The cream is thick and solid because of winter (I think). I usually warm it up between my fingertips and pat it all over my face before I massage it in. Note: My skin is very dry-to the point that it peels. This moisturizer stopped that from happening while I was using it"

Found something else pricey but precious? Looking for a new moisturizer, too? Take a pleasant jaunt over to the Product Reviews pages, then. Other readers (and me, too) have reviewed over 50,000 products, and awesome community members write new ones daily. They're fun to write, informative to read, and they make the pursuit of beauty a little easier for all of us.

Reader Review of the Day: Shea Butter Extra Gentle Soap - Milk

BellaSugar — Mon, 18 May 2009 08:00:22 -0700

Sometimes, simplifying your routine is the way to go. And that's exactly what reader Bellazmom had in mind when she purchased Shea Butter Extra Gentle Soap - Milk ($7). Here's why she is so fond of this extra-gentle cleanser:

I am getting back to the basics of life and trying to buy more natural products. This soap is certainly a keeper. The smell is very mild, but pleasant, and it is very gentle for bar soap. The shea butter leaves my skin very soft. It also lasts a long time, so it is worth the price.

What products are you dying to tell us all about? Share your opinions on the Product Reviews website, and check out other featured reviews while you're at it.

New Product Alert: L'Occitane Anniversary Body Creams

BellaSugar — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:00:53 -0800

L'Occitane is known for its sumptuous shea butter cream, but what you may not know is that the cream is now 20 years old. What's more, the brand has a fair trade setup with workers in Burkina Faso, buying the shea butter from women to help them earn living wages. Two years ago, L'Occitane bought an astounding 75 percent of Burkina Faso's shea butter produced for the beauty industry, and that percentage is growing every year.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary, the brand has created five shea butter-laden creams featuring the scents of African flowers: Acacia, Frangipani, Vanilla, Rosebud, and Ylang Ylang. So if one of those is your favorite scents, you might want to check it out. (Confidential to C. Foster Kane: Rosebud smells like flowers, not sleds. Sorry.)

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BellaSugar's Top Five Hand Cream Picks

BellaSugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 09:00:35 -0700

I'm a hand cream junkie, so it is with great pleasure and conviction that I present my top five favorites to you. Over the past year, I've tested many a cream in search of my favorite, and I have two. The first is June Jacobs Green Tea and Cucumber Hand Cream ($46) because of its quick rate of absorbency, non-greasy feeling and soothing scent.

The second is L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream ($25) because of its rich, thick texture and unparalleled soothing results. If there's one thing I've learned from my experiences, it's that the key to a good hand cream is shea butter, and the higher the content, the better. Below are three runners-up that I use regularly to soothe dry, chapped hands. What's your all-time favorite hand cream?

Kiehl's Unusually Rich - But Not Greasy At All - Hand Cream with SPF 10 ($15.50) takes the cake when it comes to consistency since it's not too thick and not too runny. It's also not greasy whatsoever and it's a great sports cream since it contains SPF 10.
Liz Earle Hand Repair ($28.50) smells like heaven and works wonders on dry cuticles. A little goes a long way, and there's also a travel tube available for $8.
Yu-Be Cream ($15) is a high quality Japanese yellow-tinted hand cream that moisturizes on a healing level. I highly recommend this fast-absorbing lotion - if you can handle the strong camphor scent.

Wonderful Ways to Warm Winter Skin

BellaSugar — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:00:08 -0800

Take a break from the cold and indulge yourself with a warm and wonderful at-home spa treatment. Both of these products contain ingredients that self heat when applied to the skin to help draw out impurities and detoxify. Not only do they feel divine when there's a chill in the air, but they also smell delicious.

My interest in warming treatments began when I tried the Retexturizing Thermal Exfoliator from Cornelia and ever since then, I've been hooked on thermal products. So go on and pamper yourself - baby, it's cold outside!

L'Occitane En Provence Grape Warming Body Wrap ($30) is a moist pink and white mud mask that helps absorb excess toxins in the body. The result is unclogged pores, soft skin, and overall improved in skin tone.

Upon contact, the mud heats up and stimulates circulation, which also helps promote cellular metabolism as well as relaxation - doesn't this sound fab!

For another wonderful, Winter warming product, read more

Lancôme Pure Focus Masque ($28) is a self-heating face mask made with marine extract, salicylic acid, and zinc glutonate to help control oil and shine, deep clean, and prevent new breakouts.

It will also tighten and refine your pores as well as soften your skin and create an overall matte finish.

L'Occitane Honey & Lemon Eau de Toilette

BellaSugar — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 10:00:54 -0800

Since 2007 is coming to a close, I've been trying to catch up on some of the great scents that I haven't gotten the chance to share with you all year. A wonderfully soft, simple and fresh fragrance that I'd hate for you to miss out on is L'Occitane Honey & Lemon Eau de Toilette ($42).

The fragrance launched in November and is made from a succulent blend of citrus fruits, honey, caramel and vanilla. It starts off with a tangy smell and evolves into more of a sugary scent as it wears on. Honey & Lemon Eau de Toilette doesn't have the staying power of an eau de parfum, but it's a nice everyday sweet fragrance.

New Product Alert: Immortelle Very Precious Eye Serum

BellaSugar — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 09:00:43 -0800

L'Occitane recently launched a new line called Immortelle and the star product is the Immortelle Very Precious Eye Serum ($50). For those of you who have never heard of immortelle, it's an evergreen shrub with small flowers that grows in warm, sunny climates. All immortelle in the L'Occitane products come from Corsica, an island off the coast of Italy.

Its flowers contain helichrysum italicum, a fruity and honey-scented essential oil that promotes new cell growth. It also has antiallergenic, antiinflammatory, and astringent properties. Immortelle is also commonly known as "an everlasting flower" since it holds its shape and color when it dries.

The serum contains a concentration of immortelle oil and other nourishing ingredients believed to prevent wrinkles, reduce dark circles, depuff and tone the delicate skin around the eyes. To use, simply pump once onto your fingertips and gently tap the serum around your orbital bone. The formula absorbs quickly and has a velvety texture that will work its magic way into the wee hours of the night! Now that you know all about immortelle, do you think this range of products is something you'd be interested in trying?

L'Occitane Neroli Eau de Parfum

BellaSugar — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 08:00:27 -0800

Ever since I learned all about neroli, I've been intrigued by how special it is. So when I saw that L'Occitane had come out with a Neroli Eau de Parfum last month I got all excited and wanted to check it out. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to smell it just yet, but here's what I know.

One bottle of this perfume is made from over 180 pounds of Tunisian Neroli flowers - that's 60 pounds of neroli in each ounce. The aroma starts off light and flowery and then becomes warmer, more intense and it has even been described as sensual. Rrrowl. It's available only in a 2.5 oz bottle that sells for $65. Is this scent something you think you'd like to try?

Monday Giveaway! L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream

BellaSugar — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 23:30:00 -0700

Do you, like us, obsessively inspect your skin in the mirror, and at the site of a new blemish, wrinkle,or age spot, lament, "Why? Why me?" Sephora is here to tell you exactly that. From the "whys" to the "hows" to the "what-ifs," they're answering all of your frequently asked skincare questions-even those you're embarassed to ask. Even better, every day we're giving away one product to help you implement their expertise.

First up: My hands are constantly dry. What leaves them soft, not greasy?

The answer: A moisturizing, non-oily hand cream is essential, which is why we're giving away one L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream today! If you haven't tried this stuff, you're seriously missing out. Its formula has 20% African shea butter, which penetrates quickly and makes your hands as soft as they are pretty.

To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment in the comments section below by 5 p.m. PDT / 8 p.m. EDT Monday, July 9, and we'll announce the winner tomorrow when we post the next giveaway. Please, only ONE comment per person; duplicate comments will be discarded, so commenting more than once won't up your chances of winning. You must be a TeamSugar member to comment, so if you're not a member, please register here for an account. For all of the rules and regulations, click here.

Finally, I want to congratulate this weekend's winners:

Sweetheart_450 won Sunday's giveaway for a Sephora $50 Gift Card.
Lindsb won Saturday's giveaway for Clinique Acne Solutions Spot Healing Gel.
Natalya won Friday's giveaway for a Clinique Acne Solutions Clear Skin Kit.

Bella Bargain: Up to Half Off at L'Occitane

BellaSugar — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 10:20:25 -0700

Shopping at L'Occitane always makes me feel that-for a few moments, at least-I'm gallivanting around the South of France. Its bath and body products have a bit of a luxurious feel, and many are made with lavender, shea butter harvested in Africa, Provençal olives and other natural ingredients. Right now, prices on 150 products are up to 50% off.

To browse my shopping suggestions and to find out why I recommend them, just read more

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