Pregnancy Stretch Marks - Prevention and Remedy

The Esthetician in me finally speaks out! Stretch marks. You either get them or you don't. Rumor is that genetics play a big role in it, but I beg to differ... Let me tell you something, I have them but my Mom ain't got squat (sorry for the shout out Mom!) I will just tell you now that there is no super cure to stretch marks either (ok yes, there is a series of laser procedures which will remove them but that is out of the question, good grief I'm a college student!) 

                                

The fact of the matter is this: the prevention I will mention will "lessen" stretch marks and the remedy I mention is to "fade" them... I have never fully gotten rid of them (and yes I've been dealing with stretch marks since my teen years, waaaay before the added pregnancy stretch marks). Battle wounds right?! Hold my head high right?! Maybe you too are also one of those women who sinks into despair whenever a fellow pregnant lady or fellow Mom says "I haven't got any stretch marks." ... They have no idea...

ANYWAYS, enough chat, here's the deal, 

1. Water - Skin needs moisture, the more the better. Water is an easy YES when it comes to skin care in general. The more water content skin has, the easier the skin can stretch without strain (aka stretch marks).

2. CeraVe Intensive Stretch Mark Cream - This is my holy grail. After trying expensive collagen and elastin lotions, greasy bio oil and chocolatey cocoa butter, I wanted something that absorbed fast and had no stickiness to it... Or chocolate dessert smell to it... This was it, it has hyaluronic acid in it which binds moisture to the skin for long periods of time and absorbs into the skin extremely fast! The price is better then the other products too. There is a light smell to it, but untraceable to those standing close by. This cream needs to be applied at LEAST 2 times a day, I repeat - the more moisturized your skin is the more easily it can stretch without being strained/stretched! Apply morning and night (or more) and especially right after bath/showers when your pores have been opened up and will absorb better! My skin felt so soft with this too, bonus! It has faded my stretch marks better than any product I've tried, the key though is consistency, do not skip an application, start applying in the second trimester or even the first! I'm still using it and probably will for a long time!

Find it at Walmart, Walgreens, etc.

3. PreNatals - It's true, vitamins are wonderful for the skin. No need to go crazy and take extra supplements on the side this time though. Prenatals are double, even triple the amount of the normal dosage, so needless to say your skin will be getting extra benefits too.

4. Bathe - Bathing is completely different then a shower and more necessary in this case. Sit and soak in the tub, let your skin actually get a chance to literally soak up some water! Shoot for 3-7 times a week. This will ensure a deep penetration of the cream you will be applying afterwards as well. But let's not forget what we put in the bath water...

5. St. Ives Oatmeal and Shea Butter Body Wash - Pour some of the wash into the running bath water and enjoy a bubble bath! In esthetic school colloidal oatmeal masks were applied to patients with the driest of skin, thus suggesting it's highly moisturizing properties. Oatmeal also has a calming and soothing effect on irrated and/or sensitive skin as well. Feel free to even sprinkle some actual oats in the water too!

Best Mascara Loreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes

A little background information about me and my relationship with mascara. I had never bought the same mascara for the first 18 years of my life! I was always changing it up, always trying different brands, etc.  Here's what I look for in mascara: 

1. Waterproof. You never know when something is going to make you cry! Or when you want to jump in a pool, haha.

2. Oil-proof. Yes that's right, my face is oily, especially around my eyes, making any kind of paint based mascara smudge and bleed almost immediately aka raccoon eyes.

3. Holds curl. Paint based mascara's (which are 99% of all mascaras in case you are wondering) only seem to hold the curl through half of the day for me, and then my oily skin kicks in and those lashes just seem to wilt!

4. Length/Volume. Base coats are always reassuring for both length and volume.

I'm happy to say I have found the the five star mascara that fulfills all these expectations and YES I have now bought and re bought this mascara for about five years now. Because it is "beauty tubes" or what I like to call "plastic", it is so unlike any other mascara and outlasts that of any paint based mascara!

Loreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Technology

Let's talk a little bit about the tube and the technology behind it. As shown in this picture below, it is not a paint based mascara, it's a plastic, but goes on like a paint. Confused yet? See how it wraps around the lash like a little glove? Once removed you are basically taking off the glove, which at first seems a little creepy looking because you think you just took your eyelash off but NOPE you just took off the little plastic casing!

Application:

Step 1- Apply White base coat to upper lashes on one eye. I like to go in upward strokes, wiggling the brush left and right. My personal preference is to not add it to the bottom lashes, but that's totally up to you.

Step 2- Apply Black Coat to that same upper lash (I don't like to leave much drying time of the white coat or else the black goes on a little harder, hence why I do one eye at a time). At this point I apply just the black to the bottom lashes for a more natural look.

                  

Removal:

Step 1 - Wet the eyes with warm water, seriously a good 10 seconds of splashing the face with warm water will loosen up the plastic. (The warmer the water the easier the removal) Look at the first picture, see how the casings just come off instead of a big black eye of paint?!

Step 2 - With thumb and pointer finger, barely touching the lashes, gently pull off the plastic

Step 3 - Now's the fun part where you look at what you just pulled off!

Step 4 - TADA! no messy eye's for me!

             

Clip In Bang Accent

Alright, so I’ve been wanting to go platinum for awhile now. I think that is one of the only colors left for me to try! So while I save for that whole process I went on a search for a blonde accent color to add, a non-commitment type.

Sally’s Beauty Supply had some simple clip in bang extensions I thought I’d give a try. Plus it was only $10 and I can take it out whenever, which is nice. This one is 10 inch, so I did have to trim it down a bit to fit my current pixie-ish hair. I advise to clip in the bang where you want it and then trim it while it is on, careful not to cut your own hair though!

It comes in other colors  too! Needless to say I’m trying so hard not to go out and buy them right now! Purple, Red, Brown and Platinum are the color choices.

  

  

They are called-

Design Length Snap It! 10" Human Hair Bang Accent Platinum Blonde

You can find them online here as well -

http://www.sallybeauty.com/hair-bang-accent/DESNLT17,default,pd.html#q=bang+extension&start=1

Dollar Tree Nail Stickers

I love nail stickers. Anywhere from Sally Hansen brand to Jamberry brand, they all work. But way expensive right? Well, while randomly looking for a pumice stone down the beauty aisle at Dollar Tree I came across these! Who knew they even had them there? Just thought I would share. Disclaimer, I used these on my toes so far and the bigger the nail it seems the better, because the big toe sticker was the longest one to stay! There are actually more colors/prints at the store too.

DIY Ombre

I'm loving this look that the celebrities are going for these days, it just seems to brighten up the complexion and is such a good summer look...

Here's the great news, you can DO IT YOURSELF for 12 bucks a box. Thank you Loreal, I squealed inside when I passed this in the dye section of Walgreens! I've been craving this look but alas couldn't bring myself to pay salon price!

Their website has an amazing tutorial. I figured out that I am very much a visual learner, I didn't even have to read the box instructions after watching this how to video.

It's called Feria Wild Ombre

http://www.lorealparisusa.com/en/brands/hair-color/feria-wild-ombre.aspx

So what do you think? $60+++ for a salon ombre look? I don't think so. Try this out ladies, look, if I can do it you can do it!

I used color box 080.