comfortably.... cute? f.u. stacy london!

ok so anytime i watch that "what not to wear" show stacy and clinton always rag on people who wear their "gym clothes"  to places other than the gym and they gasp at the word "comfortable".  in their eyes all women should be stomping around town in pointy shoes and cashmere sweaters.... mmmm yeah reality check!  now im all for chic shoes and fashionable clothing, but during this pregnancy ive also found ways to make my "gym clothes" look cute and acceptable outside the gym (that i never go to).  ive spent most of this pregnancy in wide legged yoga pants in various colors (from target), but i found ways to make them fashionable.  during the cooler winter months i paired them with fitted long sleeve knit tops and fitted sweaters, now that its warmed up i wear them with those thin, layerable, fitted tee's, i found some great graffic tees from target that are body hugging and cut to hang longer so they cover the bump well and by layering them you get a cute updated look.  ive also layered fitted tanks from target (solid colors and prints) and because the yoga pants are wide legged and drapey you can wear different types of shoes like ballet flats, gladiator sandals or your favorite flip flops.  by taking a simple yoga pant and pairing it with tops that are fitted and layered and have bold colors or graphic prints, you can make them look more fashionable  while still being comfortable and not spending a million bucks.  plus if you just buy them in sizes that are larger, you can avoid pricey maternity clothes and the material is streachy so they will be comfortable post-pardom as well and you wont be upset that your "still wearing maternity clothes after the baby".  so f.u. stacy london and your pointy shoes, i will continue to rock my "gym clothes" and remain comfortably cute!  stay f!erce mamas!  

tan in can! nuetrogena vs. loreal (product review)

so being 9 months pregnat i feel its prbably a bad idea to stuff myself in a giant easybake oven for the sake of  gaining a tan.   so whats a pasty gal to do?  fake it till ya make it!  now i will be honest, ive never hadmuch luck with self tanners, the creams (even the gradual tanners) would turn out streaky, orange and when they would fade it looked like i had brown specks of dirt in my pores.  so i decided to give the aerosal self tanners a try.  heres my review:

nuetrogena micro-mist

• 
  
  pro - nice natural color not to umpa-loompa orange
• 
  
  pro - the can sprays at any angle (great for preggos who have limited reach)
• 
  
  pro - long lasting color that fades evenly, can go 3-4 days between spraying
• 
  
  pro - no need to rub it in, just spray and it dries quick
• 
  
  con - yucky self tanner smell
• 
  
  con - it sprays on clear so it may turn out uneven your first time if your not careful

overall i was really pleased with how natural the color looked and once i got the hang of it and kept a steady stream i was able to avoid the streaks.

loreal sublime bronze spray tanner

• 
  
  pro - gives a dark tan with the first use
• 
  
  pro - dries quickley
• 
  
  con - easily turns orange and unnatural looking
• 
  
  con - does not spray at any angle so it was tough to manuever
• 
  
  con - the "lime scent" was NOT pleasent
• 
  
  con - streaky mess! and the more i tried to fix it, it became more uneven

overall not my fave, it was on sale buy one get one 1/2 off at walgreens (i now know why), i will try to use it up, but will go back to the nuetrogena one even though its a higher price point. 

so i really liked the neutrogena tanner and would recommend that one over the sublime bronze.  do you have a favorite?  please share.  and remember, stay f!erce mamas!

oh im sorry did my giant belly offend you?

back to fashion for a moment. recently a women (older) complained after seeing me that "a pregnant woman shouldn't dress like that".... hmmm i guess she felt i needed to be in a tent or a moo-moo that had baby blocks on the front or teddy bears... really? i become pregnant and all fashion sense is lost? no way! pregnant celebs have opened the door for us, they no longer hide their bumps in shame but wear stunning well fitted couture gowns to show off their little miracle. the dress i was wearing at the time was not "revealing", the length was acceptable, the "girls" were poking out, it just had some roaching around the tummy, gasp!! theres a baby in there, run hide it from the world! ladies I'm 9 months pregnant, I'm huge! but i will wear this big belly proud! stay f!erce mamas!

summer makeup tip for the lips

want an easy way to re-vamp your tired winter look for the upcoming summer months? try changing your lip shade to this seasons hot new color. corals and oranges are making a splash this summer. whats great about these shades is they vary so much in hue that you can find one that works for every skintone. want a quick easy look for a mom on the go? start with a tinted moisturizer, dust bronzer on the temples, cheekbones, nose, chin and decolletage, add a coat of smudge proof mascara and touch of coral gloss. this five minute face will have you looking fresh and summery. you don't have to cake on pounds of makeup to be fierce, you can simplify your look and still be polished and glamorous. don't be afraid to try these new shades, you can experiment with different tones and textures to find what works for you. a few suggestions: fair skin try - "big kiss" plushglass (MAC), "rambling rose" lipstick (MAC) or "smile" dazzleglass (MAC). medium skin try - "made to order" lipstick (MAC), "fold and tuck" lipglass (MAC) or "see sheer" lipstick (MAC). dark skin try - "morange" lipstick (MAC), "meltdown" lipstick (MAC) or "roman holiday" dazzleglass (MAC). keep in mind these are mere suggestions, don't pigeon hole yourself into thinking those are the only shades for you, the trick is to try them out and see what suits you. have fun getting out of the box and breaking free of your makeup rut with this new summer lip shade. stay fierce mamas!

**pics: celebrity top left - ashanti wearing a coral shade, celebrity top right - january jones wearing a coral shade, me in the middle wearing "fold and tuck" from the pret-a-papier collection by MAC, to show different skintones rocking the coral trend.**

embracing the belly

why should a pregnant woman be ashamed of her belly and hide it under a tent or a moo-moo? show it off ladies! its beautiful! you are creating life in there why not show it to the world. its a new day in pregnancy fashion. rather than shapeless tops find tops that have side roaching or fit snug around the bump. this will help you to actually look smaller. also if its a spring/summer pregnancy, maxi dresses and empire waist sundresses are very flattering. for fall winter pregnancies go for leggings with long fitted sweater tops, allow the clothing to hug the body showing off your amazing curves. you also don't have to feel trapped into buying only maternity clothes, through my pregnancy I've mainly just bought XL sizes of normal clothes (saves $$, maternity wear is expensive). i got a few pairs of maternity pants for the support band and i also have a belly band to wear over my unzipped pre-preggo pants. just because you feel as big as a house doesn't mean you have to look like it!! stay f!erce mamas!