Fabulous or Not?

Burts Bees: Mama Bee Nourishing Body Oil

Recently pregnant for the second time and due in February I am just emerging from the disgustingness of the first trimester and blossoming into a ragingly hungry, rapidly expanding, horror-monally challenged gestational goddess!  

And a Gestational Goddess deserves Mama Bee Nourishing Body Oil! 

More to the point, I am expanding.  In the belly area.  And it is fast and furious this time, and happening much sooner than my first pregnancy, which I hear is normal.  I look now, at 13 weeks like I did the first time at about 17 weeks.  I can already feel my belly skin getting tight so it's time to start lotioning up! 

I used a variety of products last pregnancy and escaped stretch marks completely.  (Please don't hate me.)  I'm not so sure I'll be as lucky this time around, but I'm doing my best to get ahead of the problem. 

I am LOVING, and I cannot emphasize with how much love it is that I am loving this Burt's Bees Mama Bee Oil.  Also a plus, it is Phthalate- and paraben-free.

It smells fabulous, lightly fragranced with sweet almond oil, a personal favorite of mine, and enhanced with hints of citrus, it is light and not at all sticky.  I apply it to my belly at least once a day, usually when I slip into PJs, and so far, no stains on my clothes.  I could use this on my entire body, legs, arms, hands and all.  I can't speak for the prevention of stretch marks because I've got a lot more stretching to do, but for now, I love this natural product.

I bought it at Target for about $7.99. It is also available on Drugstore.com and from the Burt's Bees website.

Suave Kids 2-in-1 Hair Smoothers Shampoo: Cowabunga Coconut

My son has grown into a full-fledged toddler, complete with a mop of hair that gets messy and dirty each day.  I  have always just used one of the all-in-one baby head to toe washes but recently his hair seemed to need  a little conditioning, er, softening, if you will.  So, I headed to shampoo shelves in search of something conditioning, tear-free, meant for children with a decent smell. 

For about $3.29 a bottle this stuff goes a long way.  I've long been a fan of Suave products for something affordable that works.  Of course, I have my higher end products too but Suave is the best buy out there for the money.  They make good products that leave me pleased.

We've been using Suave Kids 2 in 1 Hair Smoothers Shampoo in Cowabunga Coconut for a few weeks now.  It lathers quite well -- a nice improvement over baby shampoos that don't lather up much.  I can give his head a good scrub and then, being the shit-mother practical, all-purpose, multi-tasking, resourceful Mom that I am, I use all that lather to wash his hands and arms and back too, why let good smelling soap go to waste, right?  Also a requirement of mine, it must be tear free.  Verdict: No tears yet.

The real test was the next day, how did his hair smell and was it softer?  Yes!  It was super soft and the coconut smell was still there and it wasn't overpowering, just a nice fresh scent. 

Suave Kids 2 in 1 Shampoo also comes in a Free and Gentle "scent" which I'd also like to try.  I imagine being more pure and free of purfumes it would be good for an even younger baby or a girl with longer hair that needs managability. 

Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder

When it comes to achieving a sun-kissed glow (I know that's a huge cliche but is there anything better-sounding than 'sun-kissed?' I mean aside from 'three-day-weekend?''), I have tried a lot of products. In an effort to be less indulgent regarding makeup, I  recently purchased Sephora's own ($16) Duo Bronzer.

As you can see, it has two sides- one light and one dark. At first I mixed the two, aiming to create a natural-looking color. After a few weeks, I noticed myself favoring the dark side (ha) of the compact. Then I dropped the damn thing on the floor of my bathroom- CRACK! The lid snapped clear off.  I don't expect little compacts to survive treacherous falls, however this one had little chance sliding into a sink, let alone clattering to the floor three feet below. 

Because I am cheap, I continued to use the compact. The dark side grew scarcer and scarcer. I knew I'd never use the light side. The more I used this guy, the more I noticed the heavy sparkle-y-ness of the product and, if there is one thing I hate almost as much as blue eye shadow? It's sparkly makeup of any kind. 

I began to look elsewhere for a bronzer that would have a more matte finish, a finer powder. And preferably a lid. 

I tried a few of Benefit's Boxed Powders collection with decent results. The packagingof their Hoola bronzer ($28) is just adorable and the tiny white-bristled brush fits perfectly into the little square pot of powder. The brush would be perfect if you were applying it to a tiny square doll and not a full-sozed human face. The super-small size and vaguely peachy  color were the worst parts.  There was also a hint of sparkle, which I was trying to avoid. I returned it via Sephora's kick-ass return policy and searched on. 

I used Wet 'N Wild's Bronzzers for years before moving home to D.C. They rocked my socks at $4 per compact but they also fell apart in purses, lasted about 30 minutes and truly? Looked completely unnatural. I think I still may have a few under my sink someplace and in a pinch, I wouldn't be above dusting some over my nose, it's just when given options, I'd choose something else. But at this point, what?!

Last weekend I think I discovered *the perfect* bronzing powder. It's packaging is sturdy and the style is the Paul Mitchell of makeup design, Bobbi Brown. Inside the powder is fine without being dusty and feels smooth and light on my face. The color, "Natural," is gorgeous, just enough to let my freckles show through and just bright enough to make me feel, pardon the term, sunkissed, at last. 

Bobbi Brown's Bronzing Powder in Natural is Fabulous at $33.