Belli Skin Care announces the launch of their new and improved Web site on August 5, 2008! If you read our first post on Belli Skin Care ~ For the Baby Bump and Beyond, you know how fabulous this product line really is. Belli has skin and body care products geared towards new moms, moms to be, and babies, and it is now right up my alley…yes, at the time of writing this post, I am now expecting!
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I met Erin at the Total Beauty Summit…I know, how many fabulous people did I meet there? A lot. But Erin, and the company she works for, really stood out amongst the crowd. You see, Erin works for this AMAZING company called Belli. Belli is dedicated to specialty skin care focused on making sure that mom, baby, and unborn baby are safe and healthy.

How, you ask? Well, Belli products are specifically designed for expecting and new mothers. It is geared to help aid them in a time of uncertainty, when their bodies are changing and they are experiencing unique skin care issues — a time when their concern for safety is heightened. The brand supports the expectant mother and provides her with choices in skin care, for both herself and baby.

Belli specialty skin care comes in three lines: More »

With everyone and everything “Going Green” these days, I did not want to be left behind. Although I own my “Green” car (a Toyota Prius, which I love) and I make sure that I buy energy-efficient appliances, I never really gave my skin care that extra-conscious thought until now.

So I started doing my research on what is actually in some of the products I use, and it is amazing how many things I cannot pronounce! Well, I found a company that is fabulous and specializes in natural skin care: Noodle & Boo. I am big on tag lines, and this one was great:

Think: glow – ol – o – gy (n.) the art of celebrating the beauty in every woman

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(Jana, this one’s for you!)

Although I have never been pregnant, I do have many friends who are mothers. So, I know the struggles that women go through when trying to find clothing to wear while they’re carrying a child. Having a baby is a joyous occasion, and finding fashionable clothing shouldn’t damper the experience.

Things have changed dramatically since our mothers carried us. While basic cotton tees and bulky pants were the norm, say 20 or 30 years ago, women now expect designers to produce garments that are attractive. Boring doesn’t fly anymore with the consumers of our day and age.

In fact, many maternity tops can easily be mistaken for trendy, fashionable items (think the popular flowing, babydoll shirts that are in right now). The goal is to help women look good in their clothing, with the special details that embrace pregnancy in subtle, chic styles versus plain and practical. More »

PlasticSurgery.com’s “Biggest Loser” challenge has come to an end. And today, I am disappointed to announce that I did not win! But I AM down 9.5 pounds (still not enough to take the lead and win the grand prize though). Congratulations to Beauty Chatter Denice with 17 pounds shed, and PS.com’s Creative Manager (Dan) losing 10.

Everyone told me getting the weight off was going to be more of a challenge this time around (my second pregnancy), but I did not expect it to be this hard. I am 3 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight, but my body shape is completely gone.

I have been using Weight Watchers instead of The Daily Plate to stick to my diet. It is a little easier because I don’t have to think about how much fat and protein I am getting – Weight Watchers does it for me. It seems to be working because 3 of the 9 pounds were lost this week.

That said, however, I have not incorporated exercise into my weight loss plan as I had hoped to do. But now, with the sun staying out a bit later, I intend to bring it on!

Just 22 more pounds to go… I am determined to stay focused! (This is me, feeling “pretty in pink!’)

My son is now 13 weeks old (that’s me carrying Jonas at 8 months prego), and because I am no longer nursing; I am embarking on my journey back to a healthy body. The plan is that I am going to focus on how I feel and how my clothes fit versus the number on the scale.

Along with my PlasticSurgery.com co-workers and Beauty Chat contributors, we are all challenging each other to an in-office “Biggest Loser” contest. The winner gets a pot of money, which is inspiring me to lose my baby weight.

I have 30 pounds to lose and three to four dress sizes to go down to. My goal is to continue tracking my calories and fat on TheDailyPlate.com, walk on my lunches with Jennifer, and do some Pilates at home when the kids are in bed (I also have a 3 year-old daughter).

I would love to hear your weight loss suggestions, and of course your support is appreciated.

Track along with me and personal story on Beauty Chat!

‘Til next time…

Photo Credit: A Beauty Chat exclusive, taken at our recent Bejeweled photo shoot!

Pregnancy is an interesting time for most women – myself included.  Coworkers have been watching me go through all kinds of changes, from hormone surges to walking around scratching my ever-expanding belly (with a mini tummy tuck or full tummy tuck surgery being an option after I’ve finished giving birth). There is not much I can do to help with the hormones and the random tears that often sneak out.  I have, however, been trying every product I can find to reduce the itching, and with any luck, keep the stretch marks at bay.

I am eight months pregnant, and I have a cupboard full of different lotions containing vitamin E oil and cocoa butter.  Most have done nothing for me.  It seems that either I had to keep applying the product in only a short amount of time, or it looked like I had butter on my skin. Instead of being absorbed by my skin, sometimes they would just stain my shirt!  Belly Balm by Belly Basics is different.

Receiving Belly Balm from a friend, I excitedly applied it to my tummy, breasts, and bum the first chance I got. I was pleasantly surprised by the non-greasy, moisturizing feel.  The smell of Belly Balm was pleasing as well; soft and calming, and not way overpowering. It contains cocoa, shea and mango butter. These ingredients are supposed to help relieve the itches and help prevent stretch marks.

I have been using the Belly Balm pregnancy cream for a few months now, and I am very pleased with the results.  I apply it in the morning and in the evening, and honestly, it seems to be really helping. I haven’t strolled around the office scratching in awhile!

As for my first signs of stretch marks, well these horrible red lines seem to just run in the family.  I don’t think the fair skin helps either. Even with the use of Belly Balm, I truly feel nothing can stop them from showing up.

I have nine weeks left, and I am sadly running out of the wonderful pregnancy cream that has truly saved me from insane scratches day in and day out. Nooooo! (I’ll have to order more from www.bellybasics.com) I suggest that every mom-to-be with the itches try Belly Balm to get rid of some discomfort.  

~ Jacquie

Product Image Credit: www.bellybasics.com