BellaSugar

Fantastic Firming Creams, Part I: Bust

BellaSugar — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:00:25 -0800

For those of you who worry about sagging skin on or around your breasts, these firming creams are designed to lift, tighten, and rejuvenate your bust contours by improving tone, texture, and firmness. These are great for new mothers, or for anyone looking for a topical preventative treatment.

Keep in mind that firming creams claim to hydrate, improve your skin's resilience and boost antioxidant and collagen production - but they aren't cure-alls, and their effects aren’t permanent. I've found a few bust-firming products below. These are items I haven't tested yet, but I can recommend these Apivita Express Bust Firming Mask Packets firsthand, which make your skin smell and feel baby soft.

Mama Mio Boob Tube ($38) is a product meant for new moms. Not only does it claim to soothe sore, itchy breasts and nipples, but it also prevents stretch marks and improves tone and firmness. If you have any friends who just had a little one, this is a great way to show some, uh, support.

Guinot Liftenseur Firming Bust Cream ($40) promises to tighten, plump, and mend the suspensory tissues in your skin. The box says to avoid your nipples, so consider yourself warned.

For one last drugstore option, read more.

Palmers Bust Firming Cream ($5.49) contains cocoa butter, shea butter, and vitamin E. I wouldn't expect a miracle from using it, but at the very least, it'll keep your girls soft and smooth.

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: The Mommy-To-Be

BellaSugar — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 14:00:25 -0800

Welcome to the first post of my 2007 Holiday Gift Guide! Every weekday, I'll share a new set of ideas for gifts for your mom, dad, sib, boss, pals, special guy in your life and just about anyone else gift-worthy this season.

To kick off the guide, and to support our dear friend LilSugar, let's celebrate the mommies-to-be. Here are three great ideas for pregnant women who are carrying around those little ones. Since two of my best friends are about to become mommies, this was a lot of fun to put together!

My favorite item of the group is this Wonder-Full Balm from Mama Mio ($25). It's great for itchy and flaky belly skin, and it works quickly to relieve dryness and discomfort. If that's not something you think she'd like, there's also this Mustela Stretch Marks Double Action Cream ($34.49), which will help strengthen skin's elasticity around the belly, breasts abdomen, hips, and thighs to help reduce stretch marks during pregnancy.

Lastly, I love this Henna Vegetable Hair Dye ($1.99) for ladies who prefer to err on the side of caution and steer clear of chemical substances during their first trimester. While hair dying chemicals aren't highly toxic, vegetable dyes are all-natural, safe alternatives. Put it in a basket with some hair accessories, and you've got a great gift.

Got a few great ideas of your own? If so, I encourage you to please share them in a comment below!

Mustela Double Action Stretch Mark Cream ($34.99)

Lustrous Henna Pure Henna ($1.99)

Mama Mio Wonder-Full Balm ($25)

Mama Mio! Pampering for Mommys-To-Be

BellaSugar — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 09:12:22 -0700

Mama Mio is a fab new line of pampering products for the pregnant woman who has special needs. It was created by three mothers who all had previous experience in the beauty industry and were looking to invent something specific for the pregnancy era in women's lives when they are feeling awkward in their own skin!

The special fragrance in the products is also the key ingredient. It is called Gravida which is made from ten essential oils and lipids to help keep your skin soft and supple - it also means pregnancy in Latin, how clever! Oh, and don't worry, the smell has been proven to appeal to even those who are suffering from bouts of icky morning sickness.

So far the line consists of ten products: Tummy Rub Stretch Mark Oil, Tummy Rub Stretch Mark Cream, Boob Tube, Wonder-Full Balm, Moisturizing Shower Cream, Super-Rich Body Cream, Massage Oil, Gravida Candle, The Post Pregnancy Emergency Repair Tummy toner and Stretch Mark Minimiser.

They have also created five different kits which make terrific gifts! I love the one that's called, "It's Time." This is a perfect present to show up with when visiting a new mommy in the hospital. Two of their signature products from the Emergency Repair Line are especially noteworthy.

To read more about the Stretch Mark Minimiser and the Tummy Toner, read more

Stretch Mark Minimiser, $65, helps fade the appearance of yucky stretch marks that over 50% of women suffer from. Although surgery is really the only way to erase them, this concentrated, facial quality product will significantly lighten the marks and help your skin cells regenerate and renew themselves more quickly.
Tummy Toner, $65, helps restore tone in your tummy. From all of the stretching it's done, now it's time for it to shrink back to the way you looked pre-pregnancy. If only it were that easy! This product works in three stages: to exfoliate, moisturize, tighten/tone your stomach skin. Although you won't see results overnight, this "tummy peel" is clinically proven to help firm and tighten the tone of your belly post pregnancy.