When you spy Beyonce just glowing from the red carpet or J-Lo looking preggers yet stunning in a ball gown—and with twins no less—expectant women must wonder, “How does she do it?” I mean how can Hilary Duff appear radiant in pregnancy every minute of the day, and even when she’s running errands in her yoga pants? And, how can Jennifer Garner appear with her flawless complexion and Ben Affleck’s bun in the oven, not one, but 3 times? It’s just not fair!

Yes, it’s not difficult to be critical of your own pregnant visage, especially when you spy the stunning onslaught of expectant celebrity mom’s just glowing from every magazine cover at the supermarket. It’s enough to send you running home on swollen feet to douse your sorrows in a tub of mint chocolate chip and have your hubby clean up the mess. However, before you get too hard on yourself, believe you me, those beautiful belles with buns in the oven are putting in double time behind the scenes to ensure they look preggers and gorgeous every time they step into the spotlight! It’s that extra effort: taking prenatal vitamins, which can be purchased at reduced costs via a Canadian Pharmacy online, reducing sun exposure and eating super mom diets. Star moms don’t know any secrets, they’re just using every preventative skin measure in their diaper bags.

We can agree that pregnancy does bring some welcome changes to our skin. For instance, the extra blood flow, natural production of oils and the unrelenting emotional roller coaster that a pregnant woman is on is sure to cause a healthy flush to the cheeks that might be mistaken as a radiant glow. However, with the good come some more than nasty and downright offensive changes in expecting bodies as well, for instance:

• Gas
• Indigestion and heart burn
• Weight gain and hunger cravings
• Morning sickness and nausea
• Emotional swings
• Pregnancy acne
• Chaffing or heat rash due to weight gain (especially between the thighs)
• Swollen feet and ankles
• Spider veins
• Skin discoloration or pregnancy mask

Why didn’t J-Lo get pregnancy acne?

Actually, she probably did. However, starlets and their teams of beauty consultants are ready to combat the negative things that come with pregnancy the minute the strip turns pink. How? By making changes to diet and skin regime in order to keep skin glowing and supple during pregnancy.

The good news is that we’re not shy about sharing the simple secrets of how celebrity moms stay so radiant with you. Here they are:

1. January Jones reduced her sun exposure

We can take a good and healthy lesson from Hollywood’s porcelain goddesses, pregnant and not pregnant, when they slather on the sunscreen and put on a wide brimmed hat and extra large sun glasses: too much sun is harmful for your skin. Not only does excess exposure to UV rays increase your chances of skin cancer and skin discoloration; all of that squinting causes premature crow’s feet and wrinkles.

2.  You are what you eat

Take it from stars like Gwyneth Paltrow and Gisele Bündchen who look sexy enough when preggers, only to bounce back with what seems like little effort weeks after delivery.  Gwyneth would probably tell you, “Your unborn baby is directly affected by the food mom eats.” That’s why an expectant mom’s diet should be balanced with lean protein, fresh fruits and vegetables, calcium-rich dairy products, whole grains and heart-healthy fats (which also help keep skin supple and hair shiny). Also, take prenatal vitamins as prescribed by your doctor.

3. Maintain good skin care—even while pregnant

Just because your preggers, your skin care regime shouldn’t go by the wayside. If you do suffer from pregnancy acne, don’t squeeze your zits. It can cause skin to scar. Instead talk to a dermatologist about some acne-fighting, natural treatments that are safe for expecting moms, such as tea tree oil. Also, a pregnancy skin care regiment should include the following, both morning and night: cleansing with a mild, non-drying soap, a natural toner (try witch-hazel), and seal it all in with a moisturizer for your skin type (e.g., if you suffer from breakouts use a light coverage moisturizer).

4. Drink a lot of water

Drinking 8 glasses of water a day will help expectant moms remain glowing in a number of ways, by:

• Flushing away salt retention to eliminate the excess swelling of the feet, hands and legs
• Squelching oil production, keeping your face, neck and back free of blemishes
• Leaving your skin clear—without the need to mask it with excess makeup

5. Get regular massages

Dreading stretch marks as your baby grows? So did Halle Berry, Mariah Carey and Angelina Jolie when they were preggers. However, getting regular massages during and after delivery, especially in the areas affected by stretch marks, will encourage blood flow to lessen the signs in those areas. It will also quicken the disappearance of stretch marks post-baby.

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The answer, as usual, lies in your personal style. Bows can add feminine flavor to a shirt, dressing it up from a lay-around-the-house shirt to a flirty, fun top perfect for a date. But if you’re not very girly, you may want to forego the bow, and that’s okay, too. Fashion is about finding your comfort level, and making you look good while comfortable.

If you decide to go the bow rout, you must take care to not look too cutesy. Big bows sometimes have the tendency to do this, so you must always try your bowed shirt on. (No internet purchases, ladies!) And keep your style simple, relaxed: the bow should be the biggest, and only, fashion accessory you’re wearing.

A second, very popular style is the menswear-inspired bow-tie look, like this fashionable Gap blouse. Tie it as a tie, or flip it into a bow – the choice is yours, and this added versatility allows you to go from work chic to feminine flirt in no time at all. Now that’s what I call a two-for-one deal.

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Summer’s truly begun and with it, trips to the beach. Whether you’re lucky enough to live within driving distance to some sun and sand, or planning just one or two summer beach getaways, you know that the perfect beach style is a must. For a flirty, refreshing style, consider our outfit of the week, known to us as Romantic Beach Casual:

Of course, the cornerstone of beach style is always your bathing suit: choose wisely, and remember that your body type is always more important than the latest styles. Choose something that is both comfortable and figure-flattering, capitalizing on your favorite attributes and concealing your least favorite.

When you hit the beach, you’ll need a coverup, and the best coverups always come in sunny, summery colors. Work with your skin tone – if you’re very light, don’t do yellows, and if you’re prone to sunburn, skip the reds. Short dresses are you best bet, and there are myriad styles out there to flatter, protect, and cover you right up. Try J. Crew’s Kayla Dress in bright papaya or kelly green, or the sexy Cabana dress from Victoria’s Secret in purple or red.

Of course, no outfit is quite complete without shoes, and going to the beach is no different. Go for a trendy flip-flop, like this economic, cork-bottomed pair from Newport News or a slightly more dressy look, like these sexy sandals from Dolce Vita.

Whatever your style, you’re sure to find beachwear suitable. Just follow the basic rules of color and fit, and in no time, you’ll put together a flirty, beach casual outfit that doubles as sandy coverup and flirty dress for when you meet a cute beach boy.

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Choosing a pair of sunglasses seems easy: go with the season’s trends, pick a style that makes you feel cool, and shell out a few bucks for a pair that will last a few months. But sunglasses, as with the best of accessories, are sometimes better as a bigger investment, chosen just for you and lasting for many years.

If you make the choice for a real sunglass investment, there are several things to consider. First, look for a pair with UV protection. The pair you choose should block 99-100% of UVA and UVB radiation, and that label will read 100% UV protection or UV 400.

Second, decide what kind of sunglasses you’re looking for. Do you want dark lenses, or an indoor/outdoor light tint? Keep in mind that different tints can change your world: while grey will reduce light, but not change colors, green lenses will filter out some blue light and provide greater color contrast.

Third, ask the salesperson about all the little details, such as if the lenses are scratch resistant, if they’re polarized, and what material they’re made of. When you’re found your ideal combination, begin looking for your frame style. Don’t choose anything too trendy, or your investment will be useless next year. Take care to choose a style that flatters your face, and if you have long hair, try the sunglasses with all your different hairstyles.

After checking out several different stores and speaking with different sunglass experts, you should find a pair that you love and that will also protect your eyes from the elements. After all, who says that style can’t go hand-in-hand with practicality?

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We all crave super soft baby skin, but unfortunately, we rarely achieve it. There are so many products on the market today, but it often feels like none are really working. To the beauty rescue comes monoi oil, a centuries-old product that has been used for generations in Polynesia.

Monoi oil is actually coconut oil, so highly refined that it easily acts as a replacement to the human body’s natural oils. The monoi oil on the market today is a fine blend of coconut oil and Tahitian Gardenia flowers (Tiare), which produces both an amazing scent and a product that will make your skin as smooth as the day you were born.

There are several varieties of monoi oil available on the market today: For $15, Bath & Body Works offers Tahiti, Sweetie, a delicious body lotion. $25 will buy you Sephora’s LAVANILA Vanilla Coconut Body Butter. And $36 will help you sooth your eyes and smooth away wrinkles with Zia Natural Skincare Ultimate Eye Cream.

After the first use, you’ll be an easy convert to the amazing moisturizing and smoothing properties of this age-old secret. And in addition to the benefits to your skin, monoi oil will leave the gentle scent of coconut on your skin, following you quietly through your day.

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There are a few shows in my life that bring me back to a time when all was good and right with the world. Entertainment was made up of mindless good natured comedies like My Three Sons, The Brady Bunch and Gilligan’s Island. Well Gilligan’s Island Alumni Dawn Wells aka Mary Ann just went and ruined it … thanks … jerk. Mary Ann was busted last October for erratic driving and the police found four half smoked joints and two cases of marijuana. Oh sure you are going to bring up a few years back that somebody sent Bob Denver aka Gilligan some marijuana (purely for medicinal purposes) and Dawn Wells was high on the suspect list, but never charged or implicated, but in my reality that never existed or happened. Judging by her mug shot above Dawn just might have been out on a run for some munchies at the time …

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Since being under the watchful eye of her Dad Jamie Spears Britney’s exploits have actually been declining, while those of us in the celebrity blog gossip world miss that, I do sincerely hope she is getting her act together. So that brings us to some actual REAL Britney Spears News! Since Britney has been occupied they cam up with a new idea for the music video for her next single. The song Break the Ice is the third single from the Blackout album, and the animation features a highly stylized animae version of Britney. After Britney’s last VMA performance having a cartoon of her performing is probably a good thing

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