Calling All Kitchen Beauticians...

I tried making soap a few years ago. The idea itself was solid–I’d create pine scented, antibacterial soap for hands that I’d wrap up pretty and dole out as holiday gifts. The end product was a disaster. It wound up smelling like toilet bowl cleaner. Ack! And that, ladies and gentlemen, is when my soap-making days ended.

I know that some of you may have kept at it. You might even have a really innovative product/concept on your hands – an idea that may be a hit with your friends and family, but one that you don’t have the funds to market to the masses. My suggestion: If you’re a beauty entrepreneur ready to take your product to the next level, submit it to Breakthrough in Beauty, a company that searches for novel beauty innovations and then markets them for you. If you win, Breakthrough in Beauty takes your undiscovered idea, incubates it and provides it with growth opportunity and guidance.

They’re currently looking for the next big thing in color cosmetics. Still, all submissions – from foot butters to bar soaps (the bars that don’t smell like Pinesol!) – will be accepted.

For more information visit breakthroughinbeauty.com.

Take the Gourmet Foods Pop Quiz

Ritz crackers are good, but they just don’t compare to those gourmet crackers (ever-so-slightly seasoned with pepper and sesame seeds) that are laid out with fine cheeses at weddings and other fancy functions. If I could afford to snack on those crackers regularly, I would. Same applies with everything else in the gourmet aisle at the supermarket. Ever tried Das Caramelini Salted Caramels? Oh. My. Goodness.

I just got wind of The Nibble, a free online gourmet food magazine, that offers its readers the chance to win something that's normally reserved for special occasions – i.e. chocolate marzipan dusted with confectioners sugar, imported honey mustard...hmm, you get the point. Every week, take a four-question quiz (that you don't even need to answer correctly) and you could win that week’s gourmet gift. This week it's a box of 36 assorted bags of Popchips.

P.S. A little birdie tells me that since the contests are still an undiscovered gem, your odds of winning are quite high.

In the Bag

Nothing says summer like a great beach read and great bag. Put the two together and you’ve got double the fun.

Enter Avon Books, the leading women's fiction publisher, and The Sak, a celebrated handbag maker, who have joined forces to launch "Book in a Bag," a year-long giveaway of chic handbags filled with the newest fashion fiction.

Enter to win HERE.