BellaSugar

Dynamite Deep Conditioners

BellaSugar — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 11:29:14 -0800

Just as our skin feels the effects of our harsh environment, our hair does too. Not only does it face similar issues of dryness, dehydration and lifelessness, but because we tend to use heated tools for styling, our hair risks severe and irreparable damage from over-processing.

Once in a while, it's nice to give your hair a healthy glass of water to recharge and revitalize limp locks. These dynamite deep conditioners will help your dreary and dry hair undergo a dramatic change. Here are a few of my favorite products:

Kerastase Nutritive Masquintense Intense Enriching Treatment is often a professional's hair masque of choice. Jennifer Aniston's hairdresser Chris McMillan uses this on her fine hair frequently to add shine and luster. The rest of us are recommended to do this treatment twice a week.

I think that you'll love it. I've been hooked for months now. The smell is great and the jar lasts for a long time because all you really need is a few fingertips full. Leave it on for five-to-ten minutes and then rinse. Buy it here for $44.99 (This is the best price I've seen yet!)

Propoline Hair Mask For Dry, Colored Hair is a great product for travel since it comes in these nifty individually sealed packages. This conditioner is a pretty intense hair masque formulated to condition and moisturize. It contains natural and effective ingredients such as: olives, sunflowers and panthenol. It is also intended to prevent split ends and should help to restore elasticity and shine. Buy it here for $18.

To see the last one read more

Redken All Soft Heavy Cream is very rich, it smells delicious and you only have to use it once a week. However, there are two steps involved. First, apply it to your hair while it's still damp, then add heat to your hair anywhere from 5-15 minutes to activate the chemicals. Then rinse it off with cool water. It's made from avocado oil, amino acids and proteins to help with frizz and managability. Buy it here for $14.

Sensitive SPF 30 For Your Face, Part I

BellaSugar — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 16:24:33 -0700

Indulgences usually come with a price. Envision your body getting toasty warm and turning a gorgeous golden color. While that used to be fun as a child, if you haven't already learned by now - exposure to the sun without sunscreen can result in premature aging as well as skin damage and skin cancer.

The summer months are soon approaching and now is the time to respect and protect yourself. As I am sure you already know (but reminders never hurt), sunscreen should be applied evenly to your skin 30 minutes before exposure. Re-apply throughout the day and especially after swimming. Here are three of my favorite sensitive sunscreens for your face:

Apivita's Propoline High Protection Face Cream SPF 30 , $21, is suitable for those with sensitive/dry skin. It uses organic filters and is water resistant.

Its special ingredient is grape seed which is a natural botanical that helps fight aging by neutralizing free radicals. This sunscreen will help block out harmful UVA and UVB rays, hydrate your skin as well as strengthen your skin's natural defense system. Oh, and it smells amazing!

To see more facial sunscreens with SPF 30, read more

Lancaster Ultra Soothing Lotion for Delicate Skin, $24, is a very gentle, luxurious light cream formulated to offer high sun protection (blocks both UVA and UVB rays) without clogging your pores.

It combines moisturizing and sunscreen which is ideal for those times where you are going to be exposed to the sun for long periods of time and is also water resistant. This product will be available online for purchase on May 1st but is currently already in specialty stores.

Clinique UV-Response Face SPF 30, $14.50, is a water resistant, broad spectrum sun protection lotion that helps fight early signs of aging. It is also formulated to provide antioxidant protection that increases with the intensity of the sun. It's oil free and is great for those with sensitive skin.

Rose Lip Balms Rule!

BellaSugar — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 09:42:33 -0800

Our lips have some of the thinnest cover on our entire body. They are super sensitive to the environment since they don't produce any moisture on their own. Therefore, as soon as we feel a crack, or a patch of dryness, our lips become extra sensitive.

Not only does rose smell feminine, sweet and light, but it contains essential oils necessary in healing dry, chapped and cracked lips. Here are three of my favorite rose lip balms to help heal your special smackers.

by Terry Rose Balm Gloss, $50, has just created a new crystal case for their best selling rose lip balm! This lip balm contains a high concentration of lipid (fat) building rose wax which hydrates and nourishes the lips. It helps to repair, rejuvenate, strengthen, and fight early signs of aging in your lips. Plus, it smells great too. This gloss/balm plumps up your puckers ever so slightly and leaves them glowing and kissable.

For two more classic Rose lip balms, read more

This uber yummy smelling and adorably pink packaged Propoline Lip Aid With Rose & Olive Oil by Apivita is a sheer and very light rose colored lip balm that helps to combat dry, cracked lips.

It is super moisturizing, nourishing and softening and contains natural ingredients such as: rose, olive oil and Vitamin E. You can buy one for $7 or this package of three lip balms for $13.50.

Smith's Rosebud Salve, $6, is a cult-favorite among women of all shapes, sizes and creeds. It is a multi-purpose lip balm that soothes dry lips, calms and heals irritation, and helps take out the sting of a minor burn.

It also conditions dry cuticles, elbows, knees, diaper rash and my personal favorite: crow's feet. I know, it seems like a salve would be too heavy, but it's not. It absorbs overnight and I swear it helps fight lines and wrinkles. It now also comes in a new cool minted rose flavor too!

Bellissima! APIVITA Propoline Lip Care Kit

BellaSugar — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:07:24 -0800

Whoever doubts great things come in small packages has obviously never experienced this APIVITA Propoline Lip Aid Kit. This little trio of chap sticks is actually an extensive lip treatment system created to nourish, soften and protect your smackers.

This is the latest beauty product this amazing Greece-based cosmetics company has brought to the US. The Lip Aids are made from natural ingredients, namely: cocoa butter, beeswax, olive oil, vitamins, herbal extracts and essential oils. Your lips will feel repaired and conditioned in no time. They also contain high protection sunscreen to prevent sun damage. Choose the right Lip Aid to treat the specific problem your lips are experiencing at the moment.

Lip-Aid Propolis (red tube) is for chapped lips.
Lip-Aid Chamomile (green tube) is for sensitive lips.
Lip-Aid Rose (pink tube) is for moisture, with a hint of color.

One Lip Aid usually costs $5.50, yet this package of three costs only $13.50. What a fabulous deal!

Beauty Products From Around The World Part I: Greece

BellaSugar — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:58:42 -0700

Greek men and women are known for their thick, plentiful and shiny hair. Ingredients such as mint, rosewater, honey and yogurt are some of the most widely found and consumed ingredients in the country. We are lucky enough to now have access to these great Greek hair products in the US. Please let me know what you think and if you have any more Greek products to share with our growing beauty community.

Apivita Propoline Shampoo ($17) is a line of twelve moisturizing shampoos that have remained a cult favorite in Greece for 20+ years. What makes this brand and these shampoos so amazing is that instead of using ordinary water, they use rosemary water as a base.

Rosemary improves circulation, promotes hair growth, stimulates cell renewal to eliminate dandruff, normalize oil secretions. Wow, I had no idea about the powers of rosemary, did you?

For two more great beauty products from Greece, read more

How many times have we heard that healthy hair begins with a healthy scalp? This Korres Green Silt and Corallina Oligoelements Intensive Hair Scrub ($30) is terrific for regulating dandruff and sebum secretion. It's a cranial exfoliator that helps to balance damaged scalps, exfoliate dead skin cells, and regenerate the hair to give it a healthy, shiny lustre.

Since it's a treatment, it is recommended for use once a week. Simply
apply the scrub on wet hair from roots to hair ends, massage gently and leave on for ten minutes before rinsing.

Hydra Mastic Mask ($24.80) is a hair hydration mask containing a special ingredient called mastic found on the Greek island of Chios. Company founder Dia Scoufaras discovered mastic, a resin that comes from the mastic tree that has anti-bacterial and ant-fungal properties, while on a family vacation in Chios.

Now the company has over 175 products that contain lots of good-for-you ingredients such as red wine for its anti-oxidant properties and olive oil as an emollient. Hydra Mastic Mask helps to hydrate, protect and add shine to normal and dry hair. To check out the four Mastic US spa locations online here!

SPF For Your Skin Type: Dry Skin

BellaSugar — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 15:00:56 -0700

Summertime is here and that means playing away in the surf and sand. You wouldn't want to spoil the fun with a bad sunburn, a rash or-heaven forbid-a reaction to an SPF now would you? Here are some amazing sunscreens suitable for dry skin. To read about SPFs for oily skin, click here!

Erno Laszlo R.E.M SPF 30 Intensive Day Therapy for Normal to Extremely Dry Skin ($78) serves as both a moisturizer and as a sunscreen. It has been created for those of you who have a loss of humectants in your skin and are looking for a boost of hydration.

Not only will it protect your skin from both UVA and UVB rays, but it will also tighten skin and help fight fine lines and wrinkles. Fantastic!

For two more sunscreens for dry skin, read more

Botanics Face Defence Moisture Cream SPF15 ($10.39) is a great way to hydrate your skin while protecting it from the sun. It contains antioxidants, horse chestnut extract, cocoa butter and shea butter (the magic ingredient in helping soothe oil dry skin).

Apivita Propoline High Protection Face Cream SPF 30 ($21) is a really rich facial sunscreen made with grape seed to nourish, hydrate and shield dry skin in particular. Also, it smells great and it offers the skin protection from both UVA and UVB rays.

Beauty Marked! Beach Beauty Essentials

BellaSugar — Tue, 29 May 2007 11:55:08 -0700

You may have heard that FabSugar is going to Greece - lucky girl! So in honor of her upcoming island-hopping adventure, I devoted last week's Beauty Mark It challenge to finding the beach beauty essentials she'll need for her trip.

With hair, makeup, and skincare products to consider, this challenge was incredibly extensive, and I really think we've covered all the bases, from beach-inspired palettes to protective hair masks and post-sun balms. You can see all of the Beach Beauty Marks here, and check out my picks below. (To learn what a Beauty Mark is and how to make one, click here.)

Beauty Mark #1: Neutrogena Fresh Cooling Body Mist Sunblock ($8.99), found by Mellie_608, who says: "This is my favorite sunblock. I like the cooling sensation and the ease of use. All you do is spray it on and let it dry. No more greasy hands. I hate greasy hands, especially when sand is involved!"

Beauty Mark #2: Pout Palm Beach Compact ($28), found by Spun Sugar, who calls this her "fave 'do it all' compact for summer. Two lip colors and two cheek/highlighter colors. Great on the go!"

Beauty Mark #3: Juice Beauty SPF 15 Tinted Lip Moisturizers ($15), found by Elpatterson, who calls these "perfect for beachy glamor" and says they "feel great on, like you're wearing nothing but a creamy balm."

Three more beach beauty essentials when you read more

Beauty Mark #4: Tarte Lights, Camera, Splashes! Waterproof Mascara ($18), found by Flutterpie, who gets extra credit for finding a waterproof mascara with a nautical theme. How cute!

Beauty Mark #5: Clinique After-Sun Rescue Balm ($17.50), found by Gruaig_rua. Just in case you do overindulge, this cooling lotion will help soothe sunburn, minimize peeling, and repair your skin.

Beauty Mark #6: Propoline Deep Moisturizing and Repair Hair Mask with Honey and Almond, found by Tinywhale. This heavy-duty hair treatment protects and repairs your locks before and after the beach. Bonus: It's a Greek brand!