This review is going to answer the age-old question, “Does stretchmark minimizing cream really work?” Actually, it’s going to also answer the questions, “Does body firming gel really firm?” and “Is there an eye cream that can make my eyes look like they got at least 6 hours of sleep?” You’d think the answer would be no because that’s a lot to live up to, but the answer is YES, YES and yes!

First, the info. Belli is a line of skin care products that “pamper and protect.” With three collections (Pregnancy, Motherhood and Baby) Belli meets the needs of each stage using the highest quality, safest formulations. For example, Belli Pregnancy is the only skin care line in the world that is teratology screened. What does this mean? It means the company has “[searched] through over 16 million medical research articles in over 5000 international journals, excluding ingredients linked to birth defects or other problems with pregnancy.” Belli Motherhood is LactMed screened so it is free of ingredients harmful during breastfeeding, and Belli Baby is screened for xenoestrogens (chemicals that can act like hormones and interfere with normal development of the reproductive system). Before Belli I didn’t even know xenoestrogens existed!

After learning about Belli’s background and philosophy I knew I would be reviewing a quality product. I felt no need to test their body washes and lotions; I was pretty sure they would live up to Belli’s reputation. (It has a great one, by the way—just Google Belli skin care.) And I’m currently not pregnant—been there, done that—so the Pregnancy line was out. That’s okay because I really, really wanted to test Belli’s Stretchmark Minimizing Cream, Body Firming Serum and Eye Brightening Cream...for purely selfish reasons of course. I have four kids, you know.

The Stretchmark Minimizing Cream is supposed to “reduce stretchmark length and irregular surface area by up to 52% and stretchmark depth by up to 72%.” Now, I’m not sure the percentages and you better believe I won’t be gracing this review with before and after photos, but I do know I saw a slight difference in my stretchmarks after using this cream. I started using it in November and it took a little while for me to notice a difference, but then again I was only using it in the AM and the directions say AM and PM, so theoretically it would take about 8 weeks…which is where I’m at and where I’ve finally noticed a difference. I don’t suffer from the red type of stretchmarks but I do have those faint white lines and a few smooth, shiny type stretchmarks (TMI, I know) and this cream managed to lighten the faint white ones and tighten up and fade the other. I wasn’t a believe until week eight but now it’s a “YES” in answer to “Does stretchmark minimizing cream really work?”

Now for the Body Firming Serum...again, no before and after photos on this one either. Belli’s firming serum is designed to “lift and firm your breasts, buttocks and abdomen” and help “restore, repair and nourish slackened skin.” Good to know because after nursing four kids I’ve got some serious slackage going on. I applied the serum to all three areas and though I didn’t notice a big difference in the buttocks and abdomen (fortunately I don’t need too much firming in those areas) I did see a difference in my breasts…or rather, my husband did. (Okay, I did too but it’s much more fun to say he did!) I am being totally honest when I say he made a comment that let me know the Body Firming Serum was doing its job. After engorged milk ducts and gravity taking their toll I didn’t think anything would help but this stuff did—that’s a big “YES” for the “Does body firming gel really firm?” question.

Last but not least is Belli’s Eye Brightening Cream, which “revives and illuminates tired eyes…[and] hydrates delicate skin, lightens dark circles and minimizes the appearance of fine lines.” Really? Does it really do all that? Well, it does at least do two of the three: minimize the appearance of fine lines and hydrate the delicate skin around the eye. As for the dark circles, I’m not sure this eye cream did the trick. Of course I’m a seriously sleep-deprived mom so it didn’t have a snowball’s chance, but I have used another eye cream that did seem to help with dark circles better than Belli’s. I will say it did have a more immediate effect perking up my eyes once applied than others have, and that’s a big bonus if you’re heading out the door and need a quick pick-my-eyes-up. For me this eye cream was only a “yes” in response to the “Is there an eye cream that can make my eyes look like they got at least 6 hours of sleep?” But if you read the customer reviews you’ll find the Eye Brightening Cream was a resounding “YES” for others.

Kudos to those who’ve stayed with me this entire review. I hope it was worth it! Now, Belli’s higher price tag may make you think twice, but once you’ve thought twice, make the investment. Your body—and you—are totally worth it! My believe? A little investment now saves me a much bigger investment (i.e. surgery) later.—Emily

* Promotion! Belli is offering Daily Dish readers 10% off their order. Simply enter code “BELLIVIP10” at checkout. You will also automatically become a Belli VIP member and receive a coupon for 15% off your next purchase! Offer expires October 1, 2009.

tags beauty, Belli, Belli Motherhood, Belli Skin Care, Promotion, skin, Skin Care

This entry was posted on Monday, January 12th, 2009 at 10:23 pm and is filed under Daily Dish. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.