MummY TUMMY

Here’s how Hollywood’s yummiest mummies got back into sexy shape

Angelina Jolie The actress lost all the weight gained while carrying Shiloh, by doing yoga as well as drinking ginger root and garlic tea. After the birth of her twins — Knox and Vivienne — eating right was the way to a fitter frame.

Victoria Beckham Posh Spice is a mother of three with another kid on the way… and she has revealed that her strict notion of eating right… fish, fruits, veggies... is the only trick to her weight loss and trim figure.

Heidi Klum The supermodel, who hit the catwalk in thongs just six weeks after the birth of her son Henry, credits breastfeeding for her rapid weight loss along with a workout session on the rowing machine, and small high-protein and low-carb meals, every three hours.

Jennifer Lopez JLo, who was huge during her pregnancy, lost around 40 pounds in four weeks through rigorous three-hour daily workout sessions comprising pilates and cardio, followed by weight training. She is also said to have followed the French Dukan Diet, which allows you to eat everything in moderation, thus bringing down her calorie intake to 1,400 a day.

Bollywood’s best

(From left to right) Madhuri Dixit, Karisma Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Malaika Arora Khan, Twinkle Khanna, Sonali Bendre

Priscilla corner gives you good-hair-day ideas. plus, seven style tips to make you look far from fuddy-duddy

If your skin and hair are looking better than they ever have, you are probably in your fourth month of pregnancy. But you’ll be surprised by the rate of hair loss a few months into motherhood. It’s one of the many side effects of the post-natal stage. According to statistics, the hormonal surcharge that a woman experiences in the early stages of pregnancy, enhances hair growth and radiance of complexion.

However, once the hormone levels return to normalcy, the skin goes back to its previous condition and hair fall begins. But new moms need not fret, as the condition is short-lived. Devote some time for your hair and follow a regular routine to bring back the lost sheen. However, the temporary condition can turn out to be a major problem area if neglected. Here are a few tips to help you tackle post-natal hair troubles:

Haircare

Sleepless nights will leave you stressed out and tense. Take time out for an oil massage or a hair spa. A gentle massage will not only stimulate the scalp and bring the sleeping follicles back to life, but also ease the anti-beauty brain biochemistry that accompanies stress.

Lack of time could see one make less effort to wash off shampoo and conditioner properly. This could lead to the scalp getting choked and make it dandruff prone.

Hot tip: Making coconut oil at home is ideal. Scrape out the kernel of a coconut and heat it on a low flame in a thick-bottomed pan. The oil released thereafter is ideal for treating hair loss.

Hair accessories

They can make the most dull and most neglected hair look trendy in a trice.

Roots looking greasy? Bring out your bandanas. Not only do they keep hair away from the face, they look fabulous when paired with the right casual clothing, given that you will hardly have the time or inclination to wear much else.

Hair looking dull? Pop on some bling! Diamante barrettes slide clips, crystal extensions and perky-coloured hair extensions are perfect pick-me-ups for tired-looking hair.

Hot tip: Braid beads are the season’s hottest hair accessory!

Hair colour

As far as applying hair colour is concerned, breast-feeding mothers should use their own discretion. Go for either a non-ammonia based colour or natural vegetable dyes like henna etc during this time.

To augment red tones in hair: Blend juice from beetroot and two hibiscus flowers and apply the concoction on damp hair. Leave for an hour before washing.

For boosting blonde tones: Mix one cup of lemon juice with two cups of brewed, cooled and sieved chamomile tea. Apply the same on damp hair and keep for an hour. Wash and follow with a conditioner.

Hot tip: Exposing the hair to the sun will enhance these colours.

Hairstyling

Bead head waves: Pile your damp hair on top of head at night in a loose bun and hold in place with pins. On waking, remove pins, flip head over and shake out hair. The tousled, wavy look is just ooh la la! For a further hold, spritz on some spray!

Partial styling: Here, in a bid to buy time, one needs to only iron or curl isolated areas. Iron the fringe or use hot tongs randomly on bits of hair from the sides. You can braid or tie into ponytails only sections of hair. Remember to keep the rest of the hair looking neat as an offset. Use gel or mousse for a more professional finish.

Hot tip: Keeping a set of hot rollers and curling just the crown section will give an overall appearance of bounce and body to your hair.

Haircut

Trim those split ends to keep the hair looking nurtured or go for a wash-and-wear look that needs little or no maintenance.

If you have flirted with the idea of cutting your long tresses, now is the best time to do it. Very long hair requires time to wash and an even longer time to style. So going for any of the layered cuts that will keep the length but knock off the excess weight, that your already-fragile follicles have to bear, is the best option.

Hot tip: Shampoo at night when your baby is asleep. Make sure to treat the hair as gently as possible as the roots are tender. Rough back and forth movements during towel drying are a strict no-no.

Here’s how to use hot rollers:

1. Ensure your hair is non-greasy and dry.

2. Heat the rollers.

3. Collect hair on the top of your head in a ponytail.

4. Apply volume-enhancing mousse and dispense evenly throughout the ponytail only.

5. Take hair in half-inch sections.

6. Roll each sectioned portion of the hair on a hot roller.

7. Keep doing this till all the hair in the ponytail is rolled.

8. Leave rollers until completely cool.

9. Remove the rollers one by one.

10. After all rollers have been removed, slide ponytail band out. Swish your hair around and run your fingers through it.

Turn to your newborn and say, “Hello gorgeous, now you know where you got your good looks from!”

Though fashion is least of your priorities after the baby is born, looking good never hurt anyone! Here is how to keep your confidence going, within your comfort level of course...

Your baby is out but your bump hasn’t vanished overnight. So hang on to your maternity wardrobe for a while. You’ll need those comfort clothes for quite a few weeks following the delivery, till you gradually start coming back to shape.

Camouflaging is the key. The bump looked super cute with the baby inside but not anymore. So your style focus now should be to hide the bump as aesthetically as possible. Dark colours are a good bet in this regard.

Choose the silhouettes carefully. It’s the time to avoid short tops and figure-hugging shapes since that will only draw attention to your flaws. Post-delivery, you are likely to lose the excess flab on your arms, thighs and shoulder much faster than your tummy. So understand your body and choose accordingly. For instance, kaftan tops and maxi dresses are likely to work better for you now than slimmer shapes.

Invest in wraps and capes of every kind for those cover-up jobs. They are forever fashionable and work superbly to layer and cover your problem areas.

Accessorise cleverly with scarves and even long chains that draw away attention from your bulging tummy.lIf you are dying to wear your favourite dress that definitely doesn’t flatter your form anymore, a safe bet would be to resort to Spanx or similar body shapers.

Invest in relaxing beauty rituals like manicure, pedicure, facial and even a luxurious body massage (with your doctor’s permission if you’ve had a Caesarean section) as these will make you appear overall well-groomed and styled. Also, go for a good haircut for a fresh new look. You can’t wish away those excess kilos instantly but you definitely can work in other ways to improve your general appearance.