A Little Bit of Soapy Splurge

BellaSugar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:00:13 -0700

Skirts, horses, golf, cats - many things are amazing when mini. For some reason, the appeal of tiny guest-sized bars of soap, wrapped in fancy wax paper or intricately printed cardboard boxes is irresistible to me. The best ones are made by Classico & Fantasia, by Claus Porto, which include 100% Pistachio Butter and come wrapped in archival prints and engraving from the brand’s archive, dating back to the turn of the century.

Claus Porto came out of the first fragrance and soap factory in Portugal in 1887 and went strong until the 1950s, when costs of producing hand painted lithographic labels and competition with multinational companies took a toll. Luckily, the brand experienced a resurgence in the mid-1990s. Scents include Wild Pansy, Tobacco Blossom, Sea Mist, Tulip and Violet. Since $62.50 is a lot of money for five mini bars of soap (even classy soap) I spread them out among the dresser drawers I keep my unmentionables in, lest my hard-earned cash go down the drain.

The First Must-Haves of 2008

BellaSugar — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 13:00:39 -0800

The post-holiday doldrums of January can be rough, cold, and not so pretty. That doesn't have to be the case with your beauty routine, though. This month, it's all about hydration: drinking enough water, moisturizing your skin, and avoiding drying products. I've found six items to help you do just that and more.

For a rundown of each product, just read more.

I'm really excited to try Stila Eye Shadow Duos ($20), which officially launch in February but are available to Sephora Beauty Insiders now. This is the first time that Stila has offered two colors in one pan, and the reformulated shadows are supposed to be smoother than ever.

During winter, look for a body moisturizer with shea butter in it; this will help seal in the moisture of your skin. 100% Pure body butter ($18) looks deceptively small in its packaging, but a jar of this highly-concentrated stuff lasts forever. I've tried the blood orange variety, which has a light citrus scent. Plus, it's free of parabens and chemicals, so it's an eco-friendly vegan treat.

Clinique has just launched a line called Clinique Redness Solutions ($16.50–$39). It's meant to help skin with rosacea, but the gentle formula should help anybody who deals with a ruddy complexion.

Alterna Caviar mask ($40) is an anti-aging hair mask, but I find that it treats my young hair quite nice. Again, this is a highly concentrated conditioning product, so a little goes a long way. I use it every couple of weeks, and it definitely makes my hair softer and seemingly thicker-without leaving a gross residue.

In my quest for reasonably priced tinted lip balms, I came across some by Roxie ($6.50). The vegan formulas use shea butter, cocoa butter, and mineral pigments to keep lips from chapping. Pomegranate, the ruby-tinged shade you see here, has great color, no?

Finally, although you shouldn't, like, live in the bathtub during the winter, a little soak can't hurt too much. I've always loved Claus Porto bath products because of their packaging, and this Ilyria duo of bath salts ($8) is no exception. It smells of honeysuckle, a decidedly non-wintry scent, but it's this time of year when we need flowers most.