BellaSugar

Reader Review of the Day: Korres Lemon Lip Scrub

BellaSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:00:13 -0700

I really love Korres watermelon products, but I hadn't heard much about the line's Lemon Lip Scrub ($19). The price is a little steep for a person who loses lip stuff all the time like I do, but reader laratf makes it sound so good that I might just have to try it anyway. She says:

"The most effective lip treatment I've found. It’s 100 percent natural, and also super easy to use: Just apply (I love that it’s a stick and that there’s nothing to slough on with your finger), rub lips together to break up dry, chapped skin, and tissue off. The rice powder resurfaces lips better than sugar or salt, in my opinion. Good scuff!"

Found something that's perfect for dry, chapped lips? Want to get your skin and hair ready for the new season? Visit our Product Reviews pages, then. There are more than 50,000 products up for review, and tons of info on all the newest releases.

Reader Review of the Day: Korres Thyme Honey 24-Hour Moisturizing Cream

BellaSugar — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:00:18 -0700

Korres Thyme Honey 24-Hour Moisturizing Cream ($32.50) sounds more like a delicious barbecue glaze than a product to me, but reader gooz1231 can't get enough of it. She says:

I love this moisturizer, although I find it can be a bit heavy. It would probably be better for normal-dry skin (I have combination skin), but it smells amazing and I crave honey with marscarpone cheese after using this. I'm probably going to use this more as a night cream, but i still love it. It hasn't caused any breakouts or anything, and a little goes a long way, so i can see it lasting me quite a while.

New moisturizer got you feeling gorgeous-or acnefied? Want to see what other readers think about all the newest beauty booty? Come on over to our Product Reviews pages, where you can tell everybody about it and find out what you need to know.

Bella Brand: Kings & Queens

BellaSugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:00:10 -0700

Greek cosmetics company Korres is branching out - royally. Its new line of bath and body products, Kings & Queens, has been developed around ingredients favored by monarchs of the past. The packaging is vibrant enough to draw you in, and the prices aren't too crazy (between $9 and $15). Plus, the products are paraben-free, which will please the healthy-livin' crowd. But I know what you're thinking: Yeah, yeah, but is this stuff any good?

Yes, with a couple of reservations. The shimmering body milk adds a subtle glow to skin and would be great with shoulder-baring outfits. The body butter is rich and moisturizing, and it sinks into skin quickly. And I love the shower gels; at $9, they're an affordable luxury, and they lather up beautifully. To find out what isn't as impressive, read more.

I'll be honest with you: The scents are really hit-or-miss. Caspar is gorgeously spicy, a little dark, and very rich. It's unusual and alluring - and not "perfumey" at all. So I'm puzzled by how the creators of that kind of scent could come up with Chinese Princess, a thoroughly unpleasant interpretation of jasmine.

Other scents take about 15 minutes to get into their groove. For instance, Sultan of Granada's lemony fragrance starts off like Pledge before settling into a softer, fresh citrus scent. And Nefertiti, a honey scent, isn't amazing at first, but then it becomes gentle and lovely. You can definitely find some good fragrances in this line, but you'll have to sniff around for them.

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Product Review: Korres Citrus Moisturizing Body Milk

BellaSugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:00:44 -0700

Mmm, mmm masculine! The rich and fresh-scented Citrus Body Milk ($15) from Greek bath and body brand Korres is a sensory extravaganza. The smooth and creamy texture absorbs quickly, leaving your skin matte and feeling hydrated and soft. And it smells amazing.

I'm not sure how you feel, but I've noticed that when when creams are heavily fragrant they can sometimes leave you feeling sticky, grimy, and unclean. Fortunately, it isn't the case at all with this body lotion. I appreciate that although the texture is lightweight and thin, it isn't slimy whatsoever.

However, you will need a generous amount to cover your entire body, so if you like this as an everyday all-over lotion, might I suggest you buy it in bulk? A small price to pay to feel like Aphrodite incarnate.

See reader reviews of this product and add your own here!

A Few New Luxury Tinted Lip Balms

BellaSugar — Thu, 22 May 2008 10:00:46 -0700

Lip balms are one of my favorite products and I always get excited when a new one makes an appearance in the marketplace - especially if it's tinted, because it feels good and it looks good. I've tried each of these new Prescriptives and Lola Cosmetics tinted balms and they all satisfy my balmy cravings.

Korres Lip Butter ($9) is an all-natural hydrating tinted lip balm that contains a high concentration of shea butter to help soothe and heal chapped lips. It comes in four colors that leave a light trace of bee-stung color on your lips.

Lola Cosmetics Tinted Lip Balm ($10) is creamy, moisturizing and minty fresh. The balms are infused with good-for-you antioxidants, peppermint, essential oils, vitamin E, mango and spearmint for smooth application and a clean, crisp taste. The result is smooth, shiny lips that look luscious, precious and voluptuous.

Confession: So those aren't exactly the adjectives I'd choose to describe a lip balm, but they are the names of the three available colors.

For one last luxe lip balm, read more.

Prescriptives Tint Balm in Pink Satin ($14.50) isn't new per se, but the color is. It came out about six weeks ago and is a light pink with a hint of shimmer. This creamy balm conditions lips and helps reduce uncomfortable dryness and flaking. It is infused with botanicals to make it smell good, and it also contains a hint of color to create a fuller lip look.

Fantastic Firming Creams, Part III: Eyes

BellaSugar — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:00:15 -0800

Eyes are the windows to your soul, and they are also the first tell-tale sign of your age. Firming eye products are believed to tighten the skin around your orbital area to help smooth away the appearance of fine lines. They are generally light in texture and should be applied by tapping your ring finger in a figure-eight pattern. Here are three irritant-free firming eye products for sensitive eyes.

June Jacobs Firming Eye Repair ($64) is suitable for all skin types. It lifts, tightens, moisturizes reduces puffiness and minimizes the look of crow's feet. You'll instantly feel a cool and invigorating rush - and it happens to smell really good because it's made from a mixture of botanicals, and fruit and flower extracts.

For two more fab firming eye products, read more.

Korres Eyebright Firming Eye Cream ($38.50) is a delicate Grecian eye cream made with wheat proteins to firm the skin. It also contains argan oil to hydrate skin while reducing puffiness. All you need is a tiny bit of cream (it's made with oils so it spreads easily) and within two weeks you'll start to see results.

I received a sample of this DermaNew Firming Eye Cream ($30) after a facial a few months ago. It's especially great for sensitive and dry skin. It has more of a clinical smell than a botanical-spa-product scent, but it's nothing bad or off-putting. Not only does it firm the skin around your eyes, but it also helps to reduce dark circles (not so much de-puff, FYI). It also claims that it is clinically proven to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines by up to 68 percent.

Valentine's Day Beauty, Part III: Alluring Fragrances

BellaSugar — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:00:22 -0800

Welcome to my third installation of Valentine's Day beauty products. Not only is it important to have the perfect pout and sultry bedroom eyes on February 14th, but it's also important to smell good. According to research, men associate the smell of vanilla and cinnamon with love. These scents actually rev up his pheromones, which increases his level of attraction to you. So, if you're looking to pull out all the stops to get your guy, here are three romantic fragrances to help do the trick.

L de Lolita Lempicka ($65) is the second fragrance from the designer. I've smelled a sample of this and it's got a musky, foody sensation that I find quite warm and inviting. Plus, the bottle is a stunning deep sea green adorned with a gold net. The fragrance is made from a blend of orange, cinnamon, vanilla, woods, musk and everlasting flower. Sounds like this is a home run scent for Valentine's Day!

For two Valentine's Day fragrances, read more.

June Jacobs Better Love ($90) is a brand new scent made from cinnamon, bergamot, cedar, incense, jasmine petals, vetiver, clove, sandalwood, benzoin and tonka bean. Although I haven't tried it, a friend of mine has and highly recommends it. She describes it as romantic, memorable and smooth. With its combination of woods, florals and spices, this is something I definitely don't want to miss out on.

Korres Vanilla Cinnamon Body Water ($18) is a stimulating sensory experience. Made of perfume and toners this is a body mist that smells great and also moisturizes the skin. It also contains a touch of woods to balance out the sweetness with a little bit of earth. I like that it's not overly expensive and that your skin is left feeling really smooth. This is a great product if you want a fragrance and moisturizer all in one.

New Product Alert: Korres Color Cosmetics

BellaSugar — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 11:00:46 -0800

Korres, the Greek line of body and skincare products, has just launched a color cosmetics collection. (I don't know how to say huzzah! in Greek, but you'll just have to imagine it.)

Like Korres skincare products, the homeopathic cosmetics are made with botanical ingredients such as cherry oil, passion fruit oil, shea butter, green tea, and vitamin E and C. The products are free of petroleum derivatives such as mineral oil and propylene glycol, and there are minimal parabens and silicone compounds - which is good news for eco-conscious makeup fiends.

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A few of these items are going straight to the top of my shopping list. (Mango butter lipstick, anyone?) For more about the Korres line, just read more

The colors are largely based in earth tones, so the overall Korres look is natural and pretty rather than glamorous or bold. For instance, the lip colors are mostly sheer, and the eye shadows have some gorgeous shimmery olive and brown shades. I'm disappointed that the Ginger and Vitamins Foundation is available in only six colors; though, it pretty much restricts the product to women with fair to medium complexions. Still, the other color products seem like they'd work for just about anyone, so I'm excited to try them out. I'll share an update after I have time to check out some of these products. If you already have done so, let me know what you think!

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!

Check Out August's Beauty Must-Haves!

BellaSugar — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 18:00:50 -0700

Wow, time's flying-it's hard to believe that it's already August! I'm looking forward to this month because it's the last hurrah of summer. It's time to pack as much beach time, alfresco dining and steamy nights as possible into the next four weeks. So I've got this practical/romantic thing going on: I found some great, no-fuss products that will keep you looking and feeling foxy with as little effort as possible.

To explore my picks, read more

Since heat and humidity tend to put oil glands into overdrive, why not carry around some cute blotting papers? Chidoriya makes some adorable ones that are used by geisha and maiko.
It's a high-profile month for fragrance launches, including Covet from Sarah Jessica Parker and Prada Infusion d'Iris. But my must-smell list begins with
Daisy Marc Jacobs, which may be his youngest, freshest scent yet.
A good sunscreen is absolutely essential in August, because nobody feels sexy when they're nursing a sunburn. Skin Apparel Sunning is a SPF 30 lotion with conjugated linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that protects skin from cancerous growth. Consider it a double-whammy against sun damage.
Hot August days make me think of relaxing with a big slice of watermelon to cool off. When I'm not chowing down, I'm going to use Korres Watermelon body scrub, which exfoliates while leaving a fresh, melon-licious scent on skin.
After wearing bright, bold hues all summer, I'm going to shift gears and go for a pale, beautiful pink on my toenails. Vinyl Deborah Lippmann in Get Together is so romantic and pretty.
And for lips, I'm trying to track down Stila Lip Glaze in Mandarin Mist. The limited-edition color is selling out all over the place, most likely due to its sheer, flattering rosy color. So if you see it and like it, grab it quickly!

So tell me, what are your must-have items for August?