The LipSync Project: 15 Days of Treats for Your Lips - Day 3

Welcome to Day 3 of The LipSync Project!

When it comes to flavoring lip products, we have basically two choices: essential oils or flavor oils.

Essential oils, because they’re derived from natural sources (mostly plant materials), provide a limited selection for flavoring purposes. Many that may be used for flavoring are from the citrus fruit family: lime, lemon, orange, but there’s also anise, cinnamon, clove, peppermint, etc. But some essential oils can cause photosensitivity, and may cause the skin to burn more easily when exposed to sunlight, particularly when used in leave-on products like lip balms.
Flavor oils are synthetic (I always choose pthalate-free!), and therefore can be manufactured in just about any possible flavor. They are available sweetened, but I prefer the unsweetened - with a sweetener, there is a tendency to lick, which may promote dry, chapped lips.

As with fragrance oils, when I add new flavor and essential oils to my inventory, I open each bottle as soon as they arrive and smell the aroma, touch to feel the consistency and try to see how it feels on the skin - and just get an overall first impression for my records.

Along with many formulators, I make up a large batch of lip balm and lip gloss base each week, and then flavor & color smaller quantities to order. I want every customer to receive as fresh a product as possible!

I start testing by melting a small amount of base and adding the manufacturer’s minimum suggested percentage of each Flavor Oil per batch. I test and record how each oil dispurses in the base, how it affects the color and of course, how it smells. Once the base solidifies, I test and record how the flavored balm feels on the skin, how it tastes (even though flavor oils have no actual flavor, too much can create a bitter aftertaste in balm) and how long the aroma lasts.

I then remelt the flavored base, adjust the amount of Flavor Oil as necessary, and then more notekeeping. I may do this several times - or start over from scratch - until I get exactly what I want: intense, long-lasting aroma that doesn’t adversely effect the foundation of the Lip Balm or Butter.

When I have the percentage of each flavor oil recorded for future formulating, I can then start playing with color! I test which shades of mica will work best with each scent, carefully recording amounts and colors so it can easily be recreated later.

And then I can finally name my new Lip product! And that’s a big part of the fun - I love coming up with awesome new blends and fun names for my products. I’ll sit with a notebook for hours on end drawing up potential names - and am usually quite pleased with myself when I come up with a yummy new Lip Butter flavor like Mexican Hot Chocolate (coming soon!) or memorable, descriptive Lip Gloss names like Fiercely Fuschia and Marvelously Merlot (superlatives are a fun trademark of my LipSync Line of Lip Glosses).

And here’s today’s LipSync Lip Treat for Day 3:

LipSync Mineral Tinted Lip Butter in Vanilla Latte, .25oz slide tin
LipSync handmade Lip Butters are extra-emollient and moisturizing and enriched with Vitamin E. Formulated with only the highest quality ingredients - and 3 different ultra-rich butters - they're the ultimate in promoting soft, supple, smooth lips. And with a hint of sheer color, they can be worn alone, under or over lipstick and lip liners.

Vanilla Latte Lip Butter imparts the scent of rich, creamy coffee with a hint of vanilla. This Lip Butter adds a sheer tint of a light chocolate-brown shimmer to your lips.

LipSync Vanilla Latte Mineral Tinted Lip Butter is available for $4.00 + Shipping at my new shop on etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39491564

Tune in to Day 4 of The LipSync Project: 15 Days of Treats for Your Lips for more fun - and maybe even a recipe - and of course, a brand new treat for your lips!

The LipSync Project: 15 Days of Treats for Your Lips - Day 2

We're on Day 2 of The LipSync Project!

Choosing the right ingredients for lip balms and butters is very important. Many commercial brands contain petroleum by-products (petrolatum, petroleum jelly, mineral oil), aluminum salts (alum), alcohols, camphor, phenols, menthol, preservatives and more… Many of these ingredients may initially feel soothing, but in fact may dry out delicate lip tissue and aggravate dry, chapped lips.

Because most lip balm/butter formulations have no water content, a preservative is unnecessary. Yes, a lip balm can get wet, but the liquid cannot be introduced into the balm, and therefore, it cannot support bacterial or microbial growth. But the oils and butters can go rancid due to age, so a good antioxidant (like vitamin e or rosemary oleoresin extract) is necessary.

I based my choice of ingredients on the properties of specific oils, waxes and butters. I knew I wanted my products to soothe and soften, nourish and condition, protect and lock in moisture, help fight against signs of aging and help prevent future skin damage. And of course: feel wonderful and look incredible on the lips!

So, for LipSync Lip Butter formula, I chose:

Coconut Oil: Coconut Oil is an excellent moisturizer and skin softener. It’s full of antioxidants that help keep the skin smooth and supple, helps fight against free-radical damage and signs of aging, and provides a protective layer on the skin that helps fight against the damaging effects of the elements. It also provides a level of natural sun protection.

Beeswax: Beeswax provides a protective layer, sealing in moisture, hydrating while softening the skin. It's also a naturally nourishing moisturizer as well as being anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-allergenic and provides antioxidant properties.

Cocoa Butter: Cocoa Butter helps lips retain moisture, helps prevent dryness and cracking, and helps protects skin from environmental factors. Cocoa Butter nourishes and conditions lips, making then feel soft and smooth.

Mango Butter: Mango butter moisturizes and soothes rough, dry skin, helps heal and relieve dryness, itching, rashes and other skin conditions. It also aids in the regeneration of skin cells and restores elasticity. Mango Butter also helps fights against signs of aging, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and helps protect against UVA/UVB sun damage.

Shea Butter: Shea butter is a rich emollient that contains essential fatty acids which are needed to maintain the elasticity and softness of healthy lips. It protects the lips from excessive dryness and sun-damage, soothes dry, chapped lips and helps prevent damage from free-radicals.

Sweet Almond Oil: Sweet almond oil is easily absorbed into the skin, improves moisture levels and helps to maintain firmness and elasticity. It helps to combat dry skin and has wonderful healing properties due to its high mineral content.

High-Oleic Sunflower Seed Oil: Sunflower Seed Oil is rich in vitamins and essential fatty acids that nourish, condition and soften lips. With it’s light texture, it’s easily absorbed into the skin, providing immediate and long term relief to dry skin.

Vitamin E: Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant and protects the lips against premature aging by preventing the formation of free radicals. Vitamin E also has anti-inflammatory properties which can help soothe lip damage caused by sun, wind and excessive dryness.

You’ll find as many different formulas for Lip Balms & Butters as there are ingredients - each and every one providing different benefits. Be sure to check your ingredient labels and choose Lip products that are best suited to your specific needs.

And here’s today’s LipSync Lip Treat for Day 2:

LipSync Mineral Tinted Lip Butter in LemonBerry, .25oz slide tin

LipSync handmade Lip Butters are extra-emollient and moisturizing and enriched with Vitamin E. Formulated with only the highest quality ingredients - and 3 different ultra-rich butters - they're the ultimate in promoting soft, supple, smooth lips. And with a hint of sheer color, they can be worn alone, under or over lipstick and lip liners.

Lemonberry Lip Butter imparts the scent of sweet, plump berries and tart lemons. This Lip Butter adds a sheer tint of a barely-there pink shimmer to your lips.

LipSync Lemonberry Mineral Tinted Lip Butter is available for $4.00 + Shipping at my new shop on etsy: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39492235

Tune in to Day 2 of The LipSync Project: 15 Days of Treats for Your Lips for more on natural lip care and a brand new treat for your lips!

The LipSync Project: 15 Days of Treats for Your Lips - Day 1

And so, The LipSync Project is off to a belated but fabulous start!

I’m so excited to be expanding my line of Lip Balms, Butters, Glosses and Plumpers! New brand, new flavors and colors, new products, new formulas, new packaging - what a thrill!

I thought it might be interesting to start off by talking about lip balms and lip butters and what the differences are: The Basics, as they say.

I’ve posted previously about the importance of protecting and caring for the lips - please see “5 Steps to Beautifully Perfect Lips” at http://bellissimasblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/5-steps-to-perfectly-beautiful-lips.html

Lip Balms and Butters help in relieving dry, chapped lips and preventing moisture loss - and the addition of flavor and color only enhances the product and provides cosmetic benefits to the consumer.

The main difference between a lip balm and a lip butter is exactly what you’d think:
Lip Butters have a higher percentage of butter (usually cocoa, mango and/or shea - but other butters like pistachio, macadamia, kokum, illipe and coffee bean may be used), creating a very rich, emollient product that absorbs into the skin, soothing, softening and replenishing moisture.

Lip Balms, on the other hand, usually have a higher percentage of wax (usually beeswax, but soy, candellila, carnauba, even jojoba esters may be used), creating a stiffer product that sits on top of the skin, locking in moisture and providing a protective layer against the elements.

I like both, as they serve different purposes - and together, they’re a double-whammy against dry, cracked, painful, chapped lips!

Whether it’s in a tube, pot or tin, there’s no doubt that lip balms and butters are a must for lip care!

And here’s the LipSync Lip Treat for Day 1:

LipSync Mineral Tinted Lip Butter in Cherry Almond, .25oz slide tin
LipSync handmade Lip Butters are extra-emollient and moisturizing and enriched with Vitamin E. Formulated with only the highest quality ingredients - and 3 different ultra-rich butters - they're the ultimate in promoting soft, supple, smooth lips. And with a hint of sheer color, they can be worn alone, under or over lipstick and lip liners.

Cherry Almond Lip Butter imparts the scent of freshly picked cherries and rich toasted almonds. This Lip Butter adds a sheer tint of mahogany shimmer to your lips.

LipSync Cherry Almond Mineral Tinted Lip Butter is available for $4.00 + Shipping at my new shop on etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39497336

Tune in to Day 2 of The LipSync Project: 15 Days of Treats for Your Lips for more information on lip balm ingredients - and maybe even a recipe - and of course, a brand new treat for your lips!

First Big Idea for 2010: The LipSync Project

I have so many fabulous things planned for 2010!

Lots of exciting new products & projects are in the works - I'm unbelievably excited!

And one of the things I'm most thrilled about is expanding my LipSync line of natural lip care: mineral tinted lip butters, glosses, plumpers and more.

Since I'll be introducing fresh items, developing new flavors & shades and launching some amazing new all-natural lip care products, I've decided that my LipSync line will grow big enough to warrant it's own shop on Etsy.com!

I've established the shop - with a cool new logo & banner! - and just need to start listing inventory. Check it out: http://LipSync.etsy.com

So I thought that this might be a great time to announce a new Blog Series: "The LipSync Project: 15 Days of Treats for Your Lips"

Those of you who were with me earlier this year for 'The Lather Project: 30 Soaps in 30 Days' may remember what fun it was! I learned so much and made lots of new friends. It was a wonderful experience and I vowed I'd do it again - possibly even once a year. So I thought that with the opening of the LipSync shop, the timing is perfect for another series.

So this month, I'll begin The LipSync Project, creating 15 different lip products in 15 days! I'll work on everything from lip balms & butters to glosses and plumpers, as well as lip exfoliators, creams and other all natural lip treatments.

Here at Bellissima, we are very passionate about lip care - I've written blog posts and squidoo lenses about it, and hope my new blog project will reinforce my commitment to providing information about natural ingredients and skin care and offering healthier alternatives to traditional cosmetics.

So join us over the next month for lots of great fun!

And if you've got any suggestions for The LipSync Project - lip gloss colors you've always wanted a more natural version of, for example - I'd love to hear about it! Feel free to leave a comment....

Guidelines on Getting It There by Christmas

It's not too late.... honest!

With so many people shopping online this Holiday Season, it's important for buyers (and sellers!) to acknowledge deadlines. Sales deadlines, ordering deadlines, shipping deadlines, postal deadlines, etc.

It can really make your head spin!

What's the best way to make sure that gift you ordered online is going to be under the tree on Christmas Day?

Here's a list of my helpful

Online Holiday Shopping Tips for Buyers:

View the US Postal Service's Holiday Shipping Deadlines at: http://www.usps.com/holiday/shippingcalendar.htm

*Although no delivery is guaranteed (except 'Guaranteed', of course), the USPS has fairly accurate cut-off shipping dates.

View the online seller's shipping policies

*Does the Seller ship on the same day, or within a day of ordering? Even if Priority Mail delivers within 3 days, it won't matter if the Seller's policy is to ship only on Wednesdays and you've ordered on a Friday!

See if the Seller offers a variety of shipping options, like Priority or Express mail

*Many Sellers offer several different shipping options, including alternative carriers in the event a package needs to get there fast.

Look for shipping upgrades at reduced rates

*Some Sellers will offer an upgrade from Parcel Post or First Class Mail to Priority or Express Mail for a minimal fee - in many cases, the price difference may be negligible and well worth it!

Communicate the need for prompt delivery with the Seller

*Send the seller an email before purchase and let them know by what date you need the package - most Sellers will be upfront with you and let you know if it's feasible for them to honor your request.

Ask the Seller to provide you with your package's Tracking or Delivery Confirmation Number

*Knowing where your package is - or at least knowing it's on it's way! - will provide security and peace of mind during this stressful Season.

Look for complimentary gift wrapping services

*Having your Gift pre-wrapped can save lots of time, especially if arriving at the last minute!

Look for Sellers who'll ship to alternative addresses

*Many Sellers will send your gift directly to your recipient, and with nominal or absolutely no additional fees - a real time saver!

Following these Guidelines will hopefully help relieve some of the stress of Holiday Shopping - and shipping - online!

If you have any other online buying tips to pass along, please post them by adding a Comment!

The Value of Customer Testimonials - Both Giving & Receiving

We all know how important Customer Testimonials are to our businesses - particularly small businesses. Most indie businesses benefit from word-of-mouth advertising more than any other - and flattering reviews, positive feedback and satisfied customer testimonials are incredibly valuable and often translate into sales.

We at Bellissima are profoundly grateful for our own favorable reviews and are accustomed to asking permission to reprint complimentary comments for our own marketing purposes. And with appreciation, we're always glad to offer them up for products and companies we truly believe in.

I recently blogged about sending out Bellissima's first email newsletter (better late than never!) and my experience with http://www.hostway.com/ 's new Newsletter Broadcast.

I was so impressed with Hostway's simple set-up, ease of use and attractive designs - and was so proud of myself for finally getting our Newsletter issue under control - that I had written a glowing review on my blog, never giving it a second thought.

But shockingly (as most things tend to happen to me - & Bellissima), I received a phone call the next day from Hostway. They were making a customer service call, asking if I knew about or had used their new Newsletter Broadcast service. I let them know that I did, and had - and they asked for my opinion. I directed them to my blog post - since it was all right there in black and white for all the world to see - why shouldn't they?

It was funny really, and quite serendipitous.

Hostway was working on promoting their Newsletter Broadcast, including details in their own monthly email newsletter, and thought a customer testimonial fit in perfectly with their plans. I gladly approved excerpts from my blog post for a quote and gave my permission for them to use.

I received their Newsletter just yesterday - and was thrilled to see my quote published on the page! But even more thrilling was clicking the link and seeing my full product review - with a screenshot of Bellissima's Newsletter - right on their website!

I'm flattered to have been chosen to represent Hostway's customers, but even more than that, I'm thrilled to endorse a product that I truly believe in - and one that's helping me build my business and making it more successful!

Oh, and if you'd like to subscribe to Bellissima's monthly Newsletter, you may do so here!

Bellissima Black Friday Sales Extended Through 12.31.09!

Just a very quick post today, but a pretty big

announcement:

I've decided to extend all the Bellissima Black Friday - Cyber Monday Discount Promo Codes through December 31st, 2009!

Just check this post or click on the link below for all the Specials and insert the Promo Codes during Checkout for the Discount:

http://bellissimasblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/black-friday-deals-at-bellissima.html

So stop by BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com or www.bellissimatruccominerale.com to save through the end of the year!

Tune in for more of the Bellissima Holiday Shopping Guide coming soon!