BellaSugar

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)

Who's Got The Prettiest Pregnancy Glow?

BellaSugar — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 10:00:49 -0700

Halle Berry, Nicole Richie, Christina Aguilera and yes, still unofficially Jennifer Lopez all have that gorgeous pregnancy glow to them. I hear that when you are with child, your nails get stronger and grow faster, your hair gets shinier and your skin gets soft and dewy. These ladies sure make pregnancy look beautiful, but who do you think looks the glowiest of all?

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.

The Hills Beauty Quiz: Episode 8, "Can't Always Get What You Want"

BellaSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:00:11 -0800

We're eight episodes into the new version of The Hills, and now that we've all given it a fair chance, I'm curious to know what you think. Is it just as good? Better? Worse? At any rate, this week's show centers around Kristin's love life, although it looks like her relationship with Brody has come to a halt, as he's decided to get back together with Jayde. Did I mention that Jayde and Kristin had yet another cat fight? In the meantime, Heidi concocts a sneaky plan to get pregnant, and it involves tossing out the birth control and seducing Spencer over dinner, in which she thanks God for her outfit. Seriously. Now it's quiz time. Were you paying attention to the beauty details of this episode? Take my quiz below to find out, and be sure to check out Geek's tech quiz, along with CelebStyle for some fashion.

Photos courtesy of MTV

Take the quiz

Reader Review of the Day: Estée Lauder Foundation Brush

BellaSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:00:55 -0800

Zoot alors! My favorite foundation brush recently bit the dust. After searching through the Product Reviews pages, I think I might just have to give Estée Lauder Foundation Brush 1F ($30) a try. Reader brandysbug had nothing but positive things to say about this makeup brush, and here's why:

When I purchased this brush, it was a huge splurge for me. I just don't usually drop $30 on something like a brush, but I was pregnant, having major acne problems, was totally into the Estée Lauder Resilience Lift makeup line, and the saleslady talked me right into it. For liquid foundation, this is absolutely a wonderful brush. It helps to get the most from your bottle as it provides better coverage with less makeup than possible with other methods (sponge/fingers). This brush definitely helped me out covering up some very bad acne. It provided the full coverage I needed without piling too much makeup on. The results of using this brush with liquid foundation were astounding. My face almost looked airbrushed. I would recommend this to anyone who is considering buying a new foundation brush. It's worth the $30.

What makeup brushes can you not live without? What brushes went straight to returns? Tell us all about it on our Product Reviews pages. We love to hear your opinions - good, bad, and everywhere in between.

Do You Wear More or Less Makeup When You're Pregnant?

BellaSugar — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 11:00:57 -0800

I realize that this poll is only going to pertain to a small group of mothers and moms-to-be out there, but taking a look at Christina Aguilera wearing a full face of makeup out and about in LA last night really inspired me.

I feel like most ladies have so many other things to take care of when they are pregnant, that grooming and makeup is the last thing they're worrying about. However, since I have no children of my own, this is just an observation.

So tell me, do you (or would you) wear more, less, or the same amount of makeup when you are pregnant?

Flynet

Expectant Mamas Can Get Waxed, Too

BellaSugar — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:00:59 -0700

If I were carrying a baby Bella inside me, I'd like to think that I'd have some pressing issues on my mind: Lamaze classes, proper nutrition, getting the nursery ready, that sort of thing. Pubic grooming doesn't make the list. (It's not like I'd be able to see anything below my bump, anyway.) But if you want to test your pain threshold before the birth, you could always go in for a bikini wax. Completely Bare spas have introduced a prenatal wax for pregnant women.

Developed with the help of a physician and esthetician, the service aims to make hair removal more comfortable for the bun-in-the-oven set. Since pregnant women frequently have sensitive skin and reduced maneuverability, the treatment incorporates special pillows, different positions, and a nipple cream to soothe freshly waxed skin. For women who love to be bare, it's a smart idea. But I have a feeling that if I were incubating Bella Jr., I'd probably rather splurge on a nice foot massage than deforestation.

Source: Flickr User daquellamanera

Link Time!

BellaSugar — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:00:48 -0700

Rachel McAdams wears two lipsticks at once - Glamour
Do celebrities sell more hair dye than models do? - The Cut
CoverGirl tries to win over Lancome customers - Fashionista
Brazilians are setting the big hair-color trends - FabSugar UK
Guess who's going to be a guest judge on ANTM? - Fashionologie
The 2009 makeover awards - InStyle
Bobbi Brown begins a monthly column - Beauty Snob
What do you know about sun exposure for pregnant women? - lilsugar
The new Prescriptives makeup has cute packaging - Temptalia
How to use green eye shadow without looking like Oscar the Grouch - Makeup and Beauty Blog
"Gwyneth Paltrow" shares tips for living - Vanity Fair

Have You Ever Photoshopped Yourself to Look Better?

BellaSugar — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 06:00:00 -0700

You know when somebody tags you in a photo on Facebook, and you cringe when you see it? I was recently tagged in a photo getting down on the dance floor. Luckily, nothing was hanging out that wasn't supposed to be, it was just a very unflattering angle, resulting in the most awkward, double-chinned shot I have ever seen. It horrified me.

This got me to thinking: It's no secret that pictures of actresses and models are often altered in magazines and print ads. In fact, Gisele Bundchen was even Photoshopped after posing for London Fog, but for a different reason - a belly bump. "Although Gisele was photographed while pregnant, most of the shots have been retouched to respect her privacy during this wonderful and personal time in her life," said London Fog's Dari Marder. What about you? Do you do a little retouching here and there to make your mug more flattering, or do you figure, "Why bother?"

Watch Lindsay Lohan in the New ABC Family Original Movie Labor Pains!

Sponsor — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 05:45:00 -0700

Don’t miss the premiere of the new ABC Family original movie Labor Pains. Lindsay Lohan stars as Thea, an assistant at a publishing company who pretends to be pregnant in order to avoid being fired by her boss Mr. Steinwald (Chris Parnell). With the help of her friend and co-worker, Lisa (Cheryl Hines), Thea tries to pull off the deception long enough to ensure her job is secure. However, the lie quickly spins out of control. Labor Pains premieres Sunday, July 19, at 8/7c only on ABC Family.