Mesa, AZ: Ayela
Santa Rosa, CA: Cure Hair Studio
El Segundo, CA: Murad
Ackworth, GA: Elite Nail Spa
Flemington, NJ: Dolce Vita Salon & Spa
Cape Cartaret, NC: Blessed Body Day Spa
Concord, NC: Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio & Spa
Eugene, OR: Ma Maison
Katy, TX: Serenity Gifts
Dallas, TX: Serenity Nails & Spa
Frisco, TX: Siena Massage Spa
Park City, UT: Glen Wild Golf Club and Spa
Longview, WA: Raynell’s Beauty Spa & Salon
Casper, WY: Serenity Day Spa
Casper, WY: Advanced Aesthetics Medi Spa
Basel, Switzerland: Global River Cruises
London, Ontario: Renaissance Massage Therapy Clinic & Spa, Ltd.

We're all home and slowly recovering from the IECSC show. We made some amazing contacts, met many of our existing clients and added a host of new ones. Jenny and I are busy planning for the ISPA show next month in Vegas...it's going to be a big one!

And now for a few other bits of important news: Bella Luccè’s offices will be closed today as we have several key players here in Orlando. Not to worry- we’ll fire up the production kitchens first thing tomorrow morning, when shipments will again begin to flow out of our South Carolina facility. I’m flying into Charlotte at midnight tonight and then have quite a little drive home, so I have serious doubts that I’m capable of being lucid and helpful at 8:30am Tuesday morning, but I’ll be available via phone if you should need me. Jenny and Jackie will pack up the booth and head home on Tuesday evening. Wish them luck...

I also discovered that we recently won both “Best Body Scrub” and “Best Specialty Product” in the Indie Fixx Best of Bath and Body Awards. We’re honored and flattered and all that warm, fuzzy stuff and thank Jen Wallace and the entire Indie Fixx crew for the accolades.

Full report on the IECSC show upon my return...

The founder of Bella Lucce has my dream job. A few years back, I had my own aromatherapy company. While I was using ingredients indigenous to my kitchen cabinets (like my exfoliant made from granola, and my Honey Body Glaze, basting brush included, so you could glaze yourself like an Easter ham), the founder of Bella Lucce was scouring the earth, to find the “most insanely natural, deliciously decadent ingredients” known to woman. (I’m sure her decadent granola collection is in the works.)

My favorite new soap, the Moroccan Lava Cleansing Bar, hails from her new Arabian Odyssey collection. And considering I have 8 different bars of soap in my shower right now (I wish I were kidding) that should count for something. This soap is handmade in small batches, with exotic ingredients like mineral-rich, Moroccan lava clay (deep cleans and detoxifies). Natural oils and shea butter (moisturizes). And Turkish coffee (exfoliates and improves circulation).

It leaves my skin clear, soft, smooth, moisturized and beyond supple. And it smells amazing- vaguely like an exotic version of a warm cup of milk with honey, and cinnamon. (Which is odd, considering it contains none of the above.)

If for some strange reason, I had to get sucked into a computer, like the girl from Poltergeist got sucked into a TV, this would be the website where I’d want to spend all my time.

Exotic Date & Wild Honey Buff. Coconut Mango Bath Bliss. Detoxifying Ginger-Wasabi Masque. The website is like a Travelocity for skin, helping it to plan its next exotic vacation. As luck will have it, I just finished the bar (of soap, not the legal exam). I promised myself I’d use some of the 7 other bars in my shower before buying a new Moroccan Lava Bar. God give me strength.

We also just picked up a rather lovely review over at Green Daily.

I am heading to Orlando today to join Jenny and Jackie at the IECSC show. Please note that our offices will be closed on Monday, October 6th as we finish up the show and travel home. We'll be here with bells on at 8:30am on Tuesday, October 7th!

1,000 catalogues
5,000 samples
400 order forms
3 shelving units
48 carpet tiles
80 square feet of booth drape
2 packages sore throat drops
one golden yoga frog

We've been planning for this trade show for more than five years and slaving away at the necessary preparations for months and I cannot explain what a relief it was to see that truck roll away.

Jenny and Jackie rolled into Orlando tonight and are (hopefully) spending an evening with their feet up before they begin setting up our booth tomorrow. I'll fly into the city late tomorrow, just in time for a glass of wine and a quick sleep before we officially kick off the Orlando adventure.

Don't they look like two fun chicks to travel with?

A few nights ago, I snuggled into my favorite pajamas, slipped inside a silk quilt and crawled into bed (propped by a half-dozen pillows around me) to read this month's Healing Arts Guide. I was tired from a long day and was just lazily flipping through the pages. I was browing so casually that I suddenly thought to myself: "wait...was that us?" And I flipped back a few pages and realized IT WAS. Oh how I love those moments.

It seems as though Krista Sherman, who is affiliated with the Watercolor Inn Resort in Santa Rosa Beach, FL was asked about her favorite products and she named our Moisturizing Body Wash as one of her top picks. Many, many thanks Krista...that's one of my favorites, too!

The weather is finally cooling, which means that our Tuscan Wine Therapy Collection is in high production in the Bella Luccè kitchens. I am often greeted by the alluring aroma of crisp red wine as I open the door to my office (thanks to the products, not because the staff is hitting the bottle while I am away), and- let me tell you- that aroma is pleasantly addictive. Exhibit A: our Bacchus Body Oil. Cleverly disguised in miniature wine bottle, the emerald glass holds a luscious body oil that harnesses the power and aroma of burgundy grapes. Slather it on daily after showering to lock in moisture or try it as a silky massage oil for those nights by the roaring fires. Even Bacchus (the Roman god of wine and intoxication) would be proud.

Confession: This isn’t so much a "latest" obsession, but an ongoing obsession that I was startled to realize I have not yet shared with my gentle readers. Introducing Leg Shine by Michael Kors, or- as my husband calls it- "Lela's Leg Deodorant." All kidding aside, this silky stick glides on effortlessly- try it on legs, arms and dècolletage. In its wake you'll find a divine aroma, a thin veil of moisture and a subtle, sexy shimmer. Not exactly the "I just rolled myself in glitter" effect....let's let the teenagers of America reclaim that look. This is subtle, yet sumptuous. Loves it.

We invite you to stop by booth #1145 to see us and experience all of Bella Luccè's new Luxe collections!

Peruvian Chocolate Renewing Masque
Peruvian Chocolate Sugar Scrub
Peruvian Chocolate Bliss Crème
Peruvian Chocolate Moisturizing Syrup
Chocolate Silk Bath Bubbles

Dear Lela,

I have exciting news to share with you - and it couldn’t have come at a better time! A good friend of Women for Women International has offered to match every gift we receive between now and October 31st, up to $100,000. Your gift today will be worth double when it is matched, which means we can put our plans into action to help more women survivors of war. Your gift of $8.00 becomes $16.00 , or $12.00 becomes $24.00 . Whatever you give will be worth twice as much when it is matched.

One of our highest priorities in the upcoming months is helping to relieve the effects of the world food crisis by bringing a new farming program to the women of Southern Sudan. Right now, the global food crisis is threatening the health and lives of the women we serve, and their families. According to the World Food Program, the recent spike in food prices has forced 100 million people into extreme poverty.

In response to this crisis - and in keeping with our mission of mobilizing women survivors of war - Women for Women International has launched our Commercial Integrated Farming Initiative (CIFI), a unique farming program that represents a long-term, sustainable solution.

We’ve already seen great success with the program in Rwanda. Our goal now is to expand CIFI to Sudan, and eventually to many of the countries in which we work. Your matching gift helps us support these efforts for women we serve. More women in our CIFI program means more women creating sustainable solutions for Sudan. With your help, in just a few months, plots of land that were once empty and unused will become green, the ground covered with collard greens, bell peppers, watermelon, okra and more.

Some of the vegetables and fruits the women grow will help to feed their families. Others will be sold at market value to help them earn a much-needed income. With your support of this matching gift, everything is about to change for women survivors of war. Where once was hopelessness, there will be hope. Where once there was hunger, there will be food. CIFI represents long-term food security for thousands of families.

You have always been so generous to women survivors of war. Now I urge you to give as much as you can, because with this matching gift, your generosity goes twice as far - but only until October 31st! Thank you so much for your support and friendship. It means so much to us and the women we serve.

Gratefully,

Zainab Salib

Bella Luccè currently sponsors sisters from Nigeria, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Rwanda, Congo, Bonsia and Sudan. Their stories are touching and we frequently receive letters in the office thanking us for the support and keeping us posted on progress. It's such an amazing group and such a rewarding experience for us...I hope you'll consider it, too!

Bella Luccè's Tahitian Body Glaze took first prize as the Best Body Oil. Popping corks all around... you can see a full list of winners here. More than 100 companies submitted 600+ products for testing over several months and winners were selected based on the raw materials used, product performance and the company behind them. We were unofficially notified of our win a few months ago and I have dutifully kept my mouth shut (which is quite a feat) until the official editorial notification this week. I hear an award is en route via mail and I can't wait to display it proudly in our offices. You can also click here to win a gift baket full of Beauty With A Conscience Award-winning products. We're thrilled to have won....special thanks to Natural Solutions!

Update (September 29th): Here's a shot from the mag!

In other news, our Arabian Odyssey Collection continues to make a splash with the press. Just this week, our Exotic Date & Wild Honey Buff and Desert Oasis Linen Mist were huge hits over at Honeyshed while the Organic Beauty Expert called our Arabian collection your "fall body must have!" Loves it.

One of the most valuable benefits we derived from attending was a series of classes spread over three days. These are offered in conjunction with the show on 40+ topics. Jenny and I managed to squeeze into sessions on sustainable business practices, new product development and emerging technology, travel products & ammenities, organics, new natural certification standards, marketing classes, labeling seminars, etc. We chose to split up for the classes so we could cover more ground and we both took copious notes and even digitally recorded select sessions. This type of education can be hard to find within this industry and I have piles and piles of notes to dig through and leads to follow up on.

The classes can be a bit spendy- $500 each for a full roster, but I enjoyed a 50% discount on our package through my membership in Cosmetic Executive Women. That alone covered my dues for the year, so it was money well spent all around. As an added bonus, we were able to connect with key industry players, both visible (hello Mike Indursky of Burt’s Bees) and those executives behind the scenes who are working skillfully to shape the industry. Jenny met Jane Iredale and I sat in on a session with Sonya Dakar. For those outside the industry who are scratching their heads at why I marvel at these particular folks: Mr. Indursky is like the Bono of the beauty world... enough said.

The show floor itself was sizable, though I’d say 80% or better of the vendors there represented the packaging industry. At present, we’re not in the market for a radical packaging redesign, so we were able to break the vendors down into more manageable chunks. There was a solid showing of extract suppliers, machine manufacturers and contract manufacturers if that is your sort of thing. Of the hundreds of vendors there, I only made about a dozen good contacts, but they were contacts I desperately needed and I am quite pleased with the amount of contact we made. Having been to massive shows (Cosmoprof in Bologna is mammoth by comparison), I can say that while this show was much smaller, there were some solid leads to be had.

Considering the sky-high hotel prices in NYC, I can understand and relate to the hesitancy of many small manufacturers to venture in for the HBA show. If you’re just coming to walk the floor for a day, I wouldn’t bother unless I was seriously interested in packaging components in volume. However, with that said, if you are nearby and can ride the train in, you absolutely owe it to yourself to spend a day in the floor. All the better if you snag a package of classes and are willing to really work them: take notes, put your card in front of the right eyes and dig through that vendor pile to find just what you need. I certainly plan to attend again next year...