BellaSugar

This Body Butter Is Good Enough to Eat

Miriam Lacey — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 05:03:19 PDT

It's rare that lotion impresses me, and generally I'm very happy to stick with the basics: good oils, plain cocoa butter, etc. But I'm obsessed with this Farmhouse Fresh Hello! Yellow Shea Butter Cream ($30). It's an unassuming little glass jar that looks like it should hold preserves, but what's inside is actually a riot of amazing smells (and hydration). It smells so good that it even makes sweating seem pretty okay, since it's light enough to be charming instead of overbearingly fragrant as it melts.

This stuff is like a little kid's dream dessert somehow translated into a personal care product: it smells like Italian cream cake topped with lemon bar chunks along with a healthy helping of vanilla ice cream on the side. If you hate gourmand scents, you'll probably be utterly repelled, but if you love them, there's no turning back. In fact, if reading this is making your salivary glands tingle, maybe you shouldn't even try Hello! Yellow. There's no way you'll be able to sniff it without becoming addicted, and then, like me, you'll be on the hook for a $30 jar of shea butter, grinning like a fool while you pay.

Doing Drugstore: Vaseline Cocoa Butter Smoothing Body Butter

BellaSugar — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 15:08:14 PDT

Vaseline is about to come out with two additions to its Cocoa Butter line of lotions, and one of them is now on my repeat-buy list. I was able to sample its Cocoa Butter Smoothing Body Butter ($6.99), which will be available in stores any day now. It features a blend of cocoa and shea butters, which gives off a light and pleasant fragrance. For some reason, the scent reminds me of tropical beaches-which isn't a bad thing at all!

Like other body butters, it has a smooth texture and melts from the heat of your body. Unlike some other ones, though, this one doesn't feel greasy. I liked how easily it absorbed into my skin, and more importantly, how little of it is needed to get the job done. I definitely recommend using less product than you think you might need. You really don't need more than about a fingertip's worth to cover an entire leg, which means one eight-ounce container will last for a long time. If you have very dry, difficult-to-moisturize skin, try this out and let me know what you think. I have a feeling you're going to like it.

Product Review: 5th Avenue Bath Co. Exfoliating Body Polish

BellaSugar — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 11:57:18 PDT

Judging by the name, you might expect 5th Avenue Bath Co. to hail from Manhattan's tony Upper East Side. Instead, the bath- and body-product company comes from suburban Columbus. I've been using its Exfoliating Body Polish with Shea Butter ($17.95) for about a month.

First, the good: I love the scent, Black Vetiver Cafe. 5th Avenue Bath Co. describes it as "a woody and ambery blend with a hint of citrus followed by notes of red cedar, sandalwood and musks." My nose isn't sophisticated enough to parse these notes, but lemme tell you, it has the "expensive and fancy, but natural" thing going on. Another plus is that because of the shea butter, coconut oil and jojoba oil, this scrub leaves a soft protective, moisturizing barrier on skin well after the shower. If you have dry skin, this stuff is a lifesaver!

For the rest of my review,

read more The only thing that I don't love about this polish is that it's really not a heavy-duty exfoliant. While I can feel the sugar crystals on my skin, they're not dense enough to give a large-scale sloughing. I like using this stuff right now, when my skin isn't flaky and overly dry-but during the winter months, I'll need a more serious scrub.

Bella Bargain: Up to Half Off at L'Occitane

BellaSugar — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 10:20:25 PDT

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

Shea Butter: The Ultimate Dry Skin Remedy

FitSugar — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 14:45:00 PST

So New Year's is over and I'm sure you're all busy working on those New Year's Resolutions. Losing weight and exercising more were tops on your list this year.

It's great to decide to get in shape now, so you'll be ready to sport a bikini come summer. But the thing is, if you are planning on losing weight in your hips, thighs, and love handles, you've got to prepare your skin.

When you gain or lose weight, a lot of times, you'll get those hideous stretch marks we've all come to despise.

So pick yourself up a tub of 100% Shea Butter and a Shea Butter lotion. This miracle worker has an anti-elastase ingredient which makes it a great active ingredient against you guessed it - stretch marks.

I found this 100% all natural, unrefined, Organic Shea butter from Nature's Shea Butter. You can order an 8 oz tub for $11 or if you really love it, you can get yourself all lubed up with the 16 oz tub for $20.

Fit's Tips: The shelf-life of Shea Butter is 18-24 months, but you can keep it longer if you refrigerate it.

Shea Butter: Mmm Mmm Good For Your Skin

FabSugar — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 02:34:30 PST

OK ladies. It's winter time - time to moisturize! Here's one of my winter skin staples...

There is no doubt shea butter is good stuff. It has soothing, moisturizing and protecting effects. It displays a protecting role against UV rays - it is an asset against skin aging. It also aides in the healing of small wounds, skin cracks and crevices. Moreover, dry skin, dermatitis, dermatoses, eczema, sun burn, and burns are all helped by shea butter. Lastly, it has an anti-elastase characteristic which makes it a good active ingredient against stretch marks. Do you need any more convincing that shea butter is good stuff? Stock up on this miracle worker to prevent cold weather skin woes. Here are my faves:

Body Time Otuke All-Natural Moisturizer, $28.50 for 1.6 oz.

Jergens Shea Butter Cream, $6.99 for 7.5 oz.

A few more, so

What We're Sweet On: Excellently Organic Eye Cream

Miriam Lacey — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:05:29 PST

Dried-out skin under your eyes isn't pretty, but it's a reality for a lot of us. The only thing that really helps is a moisture-trapping hydrator, which is why we've been using KTO Vitality Rose & Cucumber eye cream ($30). The primary ingredient is pure vegetable glycerin, which packs a hydrating punch and helps keep the moisture around, too, and the cream also has aloe, shea butter, jojoba, and a host of other excellent oils and soothers. It makes the little lines we get around our eyes from the in-office dry heat vanish completely, and after we put it on, our skin just feels a lot more comfortable, too.

And if you're wondering about the naturalness of the product, most of the ingredients are certified organic, and it's free of artificial preservatives, parabens, and sulfates. Plus, the price point is extremely reasonable for a product that works as well or better than some $80 products we've tried. All around an excellent bet if the windows to your soul are looking a little down at heel.

Flying With a Cold? Survival Tips While in the Air

Heather Dale — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:59:20 PST

I started the New Year with a cold that has knocked me right off my feet. I was fine staying home for the midnight countdown, but what I'm not looking forward to is having to board a plane with this bad bug - traveling when you're sick is the worst! If you need to fly and are suffering from a cold, here are some survival tips to help alleviate the annoying symptoms associated with being sick.

Sore throat: Before you get to the airport, gargle with warm salt water using 1/2 teaspoon of salt in one cup of warm water. Once you get to the airport, sip on hot tea or warm water sweetened with honey, which can help soothe an irritated throat. While on the plane, drink plenty of liquids and come prepared with hard candies or throat lozenges, which can be very soothing since they increase saliva production and help keep the throat moist.

Keep reading for more tips.

What We're Sweet On: A Nongreasy Moisturizing Cream

Annie Tomlin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:35:45 PST

If you've made it this far into December without developing a dried-out complexion, consider yourself lucky. For everyone else, tight and flaky skin is par for the course. Or is it? Too many moisturizing creams feel heavy or greasy as they banish dry skin, but not Lumene Sensitive Touch 5 Minute SOS Cream ($20). Designed for sensitive skin types, this cream is free of parabens, silicones, fragrance, mineral oil, and alcohol. What its ingredient list does have, however, are anti-aging and moisturizing ingredients such as olive oil, shea butter, and linen extract. It's light enough to be worn under makeup, but it treats dryness and redness like a heavy-hitter. Plus, after two weeks of use, it hasn't set off my finicky, acne-prone complexion. Winter might be long this time around, but this time I'm ready.

What's the Best Part of a Beach Vacation? Hawaiian Tropic® Wants to Know!

Sponsor — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 03:00:00 PDT

Who doesn't love being in the sun? Sure, we have to protect ourselves from harmful rays, but the warming sensation and unmistakable glow you get after sunbathing just can't be beat!

Now, thanks to Hawaiian Tropic®, smelly, thick and oily sunscreen is finally a thing of the past. Its new Shimmer Effect SPF 20 and SPF 40 lotions will not only protect your skin with powerful SunSure® UVA and UVB protection, but it'll leave you looking luminous with the power of mica minerals.

To keep your skin feeling great even after the sun goes down, try the new Hawaiian Tropic® Shimmer Effect Coconut Papaya After-Sun Lotion, which will replenish your skin with nourishing ingredients like aloe vera, cocoa, and shea and mango butters. These moisturizers are great for everyday use and will enhance your skin tone while creating a soft, sexy sheen.

If these products don't have you longing for a little time in the sun, I don't know what will! So, tell us, what's your favorite part of a beach vacation? Is it the sun, sand, or simply the escape? We can't wait to find out.