BellaSugar

A Sense For Beauty, Part II: Smell

BellaSugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:00:22 PDT

Ever notice how smells evoke memories and create moods? When it's time to chill out, calming lavender and clary sage are great ways to relax your mind and body. Or, when you're feeling frisky, spicy, musky scents can be powerfully seductive.

I tend to be drawn toward faint floral scents, or anything infused with a hefty dose of essential oils. What's your aroma of choice when it comes to beauty products?

To find out a few different ways you can incorporate essences into the room help make your at-home beauty treatments more enjoyable,

Let Your Favorite Dessert Help You Find a Perfume

Miriam Lacey — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:00:42 PST

Your senses of taste and smell are inextricably linked. In fact, most of what you believe you're "tasting" actually comes from your nose. Your tongue can only taste five flavors (sweet, sour, salty, savory, and bitter), so it's up to your nose to determine whether you're eating a cream puff or peach preserves, for example. Your nose, not your tongue, really determines your favorite foods, so why not use your flavor knowledge to find a perfume you'll love, too? Find out what your favorite dessert might say about your scent preferences.

Source: Flickr User Louis Beche

Taste Test: Starbucks Blonde Coffee

Susannah Chen — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:41:58 PST

Last Fall brought word that Starbucks would be introducing Blonde, and today, the new "super-premium light roast coffee" hits stores and retailers nationwide.

Starbucks Blonde comes in two different blends: the Veranda (described as "mellow and soft") and the New Age-sounding Willow (characterized as "bright and clean"). As a regular Starbucks drinker, I was curious to know what the coffee titan's cuppa joe lite would taste like, so I subbed it for my usual morning cup of choice, the Pike Place Roast. How'd it fare? Read on to find out.

What's Your Theme For 2012?

YourTango — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 03:05:33 PST

We're happy to present this excerpt from one of our favorite sites, YourTango.

What is your theme for 2012 going to be? I’m not asking what your goals are with accomplishments by dates, or what your resolutions are going to be. Rather, what your vision or dream for the upcoming year is going to be. What do you feel energy or excitement around? What is it that you will be able to wrap yourself around and embrace? What is the thing that you can really connect with? What engages your imagination and feels compelling. That “something” that makes you want to work towards it, give it life, and make it dance!

Relax - this does not have to be a linear process. It can be as full of creativity as you desire. Some clients have created collages, others have picked a theme song and others have used menus as their theme.

Are you excited? Are you ready to place your theme on 2012? Ready to give it life and feel it pulse? Here are some questions to stimulate your thoughts:

If your vision were a piece of music, what piece would it be?
If your vision was from nature, what would it be? Perhaps it would be a tree, the ocean, a babbling brook, etc.
What does your vision taste like?
What does your dream smell like?
Is your dream a color?
What other senses can you use to develop your vision?
What if your vision were a thousand times bigger? Describe what it would be.

Get more ideas and finish reading the rest of the story on YourTango: What's Your Theme For 2012?

Written by Eva Gregory for YourTango.

Cold Weather Pet Care Tips

Tara Sharp — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 07:55:37 PST

With this season's chilly temps, it's especially important to keep your pet toasty and safe. Heidi Ganahl, CEO and founder of Camp Bow Wow, shares some important tips on caring for your furball this Winter:

Never let your dog off the leash in snow or ice. Although it may seem like a fun option to let your pup frolic in the snow, it can prove to be extremely dangerous. Dogs tend to lose their sense of smell in extremely cold weather and become lost. Believe it or not, Winter has the highest rates for lost dogs!
Thoroughly wipe down your dog when he comes back into the house after being in the snow. It is common for dogs to ingest salts for melting ice as well as antifreeze, which can prove to be very toxic.
Similar to how you should never leave your dog in the car during the Summer, the same goes for the Winter; a car can act almost like a freezer in the Winter, trapping heat outside and causing your pet to freeze to death.
Fresh water is a must at all times, as your dog may be more likely to lick ice and eat snow if he/she is thirsty from lack of water. Similar to the above point, it is common for dogs to ingest snow-melting-salts and antifreeze.

Any tips to add?

Source: Flickr User nikoretro

6 Smells That Boost Your Health In Surprising Ways

Prevention — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 04:11:50 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

Certain scents can help memory, mood, energy, and libido
By: Sarah Mahoney, Prevention

Did you know that the human sense of smell can identify thousands of aromas and is 10,000 times more precise than our sense of taste?

We have millions of smell receptors in our noses. When they detect a scent, they shoot the information to the olfactory bulb - a pea-size cluster in the brain, which sorts the signals and relays them to the limbic system. This primitive part of the brain governs many memories and emotions; some of our most basic behaviors - feeding, fighting, or fleeing; as well as sexual arousal, pleasure, and maybe even addiction. Because of their close proximity, the neurological controls for these behaviors often become entangled. That's why, for instance, during the early stages of attraction, dinner is often a prelude to sex.

It also explains how odor can help
lower stress levels, improve mental and physical performance, ease pain, end insomnia, and even help us lose weight, research shows. Here’s how to use your sense of smell to your advantage.

To Resist a Snack Attack
Sniff: Green Apple or Another Favorite Scent
A fragrance you love can help manage cravings, according Alan Hirsch, MD, founder of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago. In one study, Hirsch gave overweight people banana, green apple, and peppermint to sniff when they felt a craving; they lost more weight than non-sniffers.
Try this: Keep a bottle of a favorite scent handy throughout the day and try sniffing instead of snacking.

To Calm Down
Sniff: Orange or Lavender
In an Austrian study, researchers wafted the smell of oranges before some participants and lavender before others. The two groups felt less anxious, more positive, and calmer, compared with participants who were exposed to no fragrance at all.
Try this: Add a few drops of either oil to a room diffuser and use in your office on stressful days.

Learn more soothing scents after the break.

What We're Sweet On: Natural Perfumes to Fall in Love With

Miriam Lacey — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 03:05:00 PST

Lush has a passel of exclusive new scents that are only available online. If you're a fan of Karma or any of the brand's Gorilla Perfumes, though, you shouldn't let the being Internet-only factor discourage you from trying them, because they're pretty super. In short, here's why two of the scents, Love and Cocktail ($40 each), are worth your time.

Love, the warmer and spicier of the two, opens with an aroma of Red Hots cinnamon candies, then dies down to smell exactly like those red wax lips you can get around Halloween. Cocktail, on the other hand, starts off smelling like Teaberry gum (or sweet spearmint, if you're not familiar with the aforementioned old-timey treat). Then it gets a little oakmoss-like underneath, making the whole concoction redolent of the underside of a Christmas tree.

They're both really lovely, seasonal scents that will put you in the holiday spirit without overpowering your senses. Plus, for fragrances with such nice development, they're reasonably priced. They're also out at the perfect time, so you can switch from your regular scent to something a little cozier and more festive.

10 Reasons Dating a Vampire Would Suck

TresSugar — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:18:00 PDT

Vampire attraction is intense! Maybe the women who love them shouldn't, but we've all dated someone we've known was bad for us. And vampires are the ultimate bad boys. With the latest Twilight flick Breaking Dawn Part 1 out Nov. 18, we're reminded how complicated vampires are (and how dangerous it can be having their babies!). They have their own rules, and their own set of problems. Here are 10 reasons we say dating a vampire would suck.

Cold blooded: It's really no fun snuggling with someone whose body temperature is set at 60°F.
So smug: Dating a vampire who fed off humans would be too draining, but the self-righteousness over his ethical eating habits gets even older than him.
Old enough to be your great-great-great grandfather: He may look eternally young, but a 100-year age difference can really give him totally different points of reference. Also? A daddy complex.
Night owl: Edward Cullen may never sleep, but he can't wait for Bella to wake up. He wants to see her so badly at night that he flies into her room to watch her sleep. True Blood's Sookie has to say goodbye every morning at dawn - Bill goes to sleep, and she goes to work.
Always sneaking up on you: It's abrupt. It's startling. And it's just rude.
Offends too easily: Maybe there are many misconceptions about vampires, but must he always launch into long tirades to set everyone straight? Yes.
You always eat alone: Dating a vampire is like going out to dinner with your friend who only orders a drink every night.
Secretive: At first, you could understand him holding back, but he continues to keep things from you under the guise of "protection." Besides, all the secrets he asks you to keep are turning you into a disturbingly good liar.
OCD-ness: With heightened senses, everything seems to annoy him. He smells all, hears all, feels all, and knows all. It's exhausting.
A drama king: He's so tortured, so precious, so dramatic. It may be what first attracted you to him, but it will probably be what drives you away.

Beyoncé Keeps a Busy Schedule Bumping Around the Big Apple

Katie Henry — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:34:40 PDT

Beyoncé Knowles waved to fans as she left NYC's Gansevoort hotel earlier today. She's been in the Big Apple for a few weeks and has been spotted enjoying everything the city has to offer in Fall. Beyoncé was seated in the front row during fashion week presentations and celebrated pal Gwyneth Paltrow's 39th birthday. The fun times come after Beyoncé's bikini-filled getaway to Croatia with Jay-Z. Pregnancy clearly hasn't slowed down her schedule, but it has caused a shift in her sense of smell. Beyoncé apparently used to love Jay-Z's signature cologne, but now she's not so keen on the scent. One perfume she is loving is her own, Pulse, which is inspired by her alter-ego Sasha Fierce. Beyoncé recently promoted the new scent at a party where she managed to keep her baby bump disguised under a beautiful, white Lanvin gown.

10 Things Worth Paying More For

Bundle — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:15:34 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart Bundle story here on Savvy!

It is better to save, than it is to spend - that's usually a winning (and smart!) mantra to live by. But there are actually some things that are worth the extra dollars in cost. Here are 10 of them.

Service. Consumers like to complain about the terrible service they get from certain companies - cell phone and cable TV providers, for example, or dry cleaners and tailors. Ever have to fight with customer service on the phone over a dispute on your cell phone bill? Ever pick up a pair of pants from the tailor only to later discover that your hemlines were uneven? Had a bad haircut? It's worth it to pay more for quality service. People who are skilled in their craft generally charge more for their expertise, and people are willing to pay for a good experience - especially if that means having a bad experience that the service provider is willing to quickly make right for you for free. That's priceless.
Direct flights. We're used to going onto sites like expedia.com or kayak.com to find the cheapest airfare for wherever we want to go, but it's often worth it to pay the extra money for a direct flight. Not only do you avoid the hassle of having to transfer planes at a layover, you save the precious time you could be spending more efficiently at your destination. I'd pay $50 or $100 more for a flight in a heartbeat if that means six extra hours with my family and friends during the holidays instead of snacking on overpriced airport food in the middle of nowhere waiting to get on the second leg of a flight.
Closet basics. There's absolutely no reason you should spend $200 on a pair of designer jeans. But a good, durable pair of jeans from a retailer like Levi's, which produces them for around $50, can last much longer than cheaper brands from big box stores. The key word here is basics: You don't want to spend a lot on whatever is "in" now, but stuff that you can wear no matter what year it is: A nice suit that will work for both a job interview or a wedding. A nice pair of shoes that can be dressed up or down. A white dress shirt you can wear to work or a night out. One nice coat to get you through many many winters. Spending money on quality basics means you'll have things to wear for a long time without ever going out of style, and that actually saves money in the long run.

Read on for more things worth paying more for.