If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, STYLECASTER may receive an affiliate commission.

There’s more to a summer look than the clothes you wear. It’s about the glowy complexion, the confidence you carry and of course, how you smell. That might come out a little weird, but you know how they say, “Look good, feel good”? We think it’s better to tweak it to say, “Smell good, feel good.” It’s true, though. If you smell like a million bucks, it’s probably going to show in the way you walk and the way you talk. 

The ultimate summer fragrance has got to be one that smells like a tropical paradise—the perfect balance of warm and sweet. It should be luxe and complex, rather than the smell of the body sunscreen we all wore when we were younger. Lucky for you, and us, Sol de Janeiro’s Brazilian Bum Bum Cream exists.

At its core, it’s a body cream that functions to moisturize, smooth and firm skin. Cupuaçu butter, guaraná and açaí oil get full credit. That’s all amazing, but what it’s really known for is its addictive scent. With notes of vanilla, salted caramel and pistachio, shoppers seriously can’t stop sniffing this heavenly aroma. I can personally confirm that as soon as you untwist the tub, the fragrance transports you to a tropical island with nothing but the ocean breeze in your face and sand tickling your toes.

As wonderful as this all sounds, the price tag is just not what we like to see. It hurts our hearts and our wallets to say that one jar costs $48. We know it can be hard to justify a nearly-$50 tub of body cream, which is why we sought out to find alternatives that won’t break the bank.

From Tree Hut, OGX and more, we dug up five Bum Bum Cream dupes that both smell magnificent and make your skin silky smooth. So get your arms, legs and buns out because you’re about to receive endless compliments and questions about what’s got you smelling like a golden beach goddess.

RELATED: If You Love Le Labo’s Santal 33, Give These Scented Candles a Try

Photo: Tree Hut.

Tree Hut Tropic Glow Firming Sugar Scrub

Though not a body cream, Tree Hut’s sugar scrub smells just like Sol de Janeiro’s cult-favorite product. Almond, golden amber and Australian sandalwood will have you slaying all summer long. The scrub additionally tightens skin and increases skin elasticity, like the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream. Use it in conjunction with Tree Hut’s whipped body butter for the perfect tropical pairing. 

Photo: Tree Hut.

Tree Hut Tropic Glow Firming Whipped Body Butter

Cupuaçu butter, guaraná, pistachio oil and natural shea butter make this firming body butter as close as it gets to the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream. Not only are the skincare ingredients very similar, but the smell is, too. Its key notes include almond, golden amber and Australian sandalwood. Sounds pretty spot on, if you ask us.

“I’ve been using Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Cream for a couple of years now and never thought I’d find anything I liked as much. I was wrong,” wrote one Ulta shopper. “Wow! I absolutely LOVE the light, whipped texture of this body butter. Great moisturizer without the heavy, greasy feel of most I’ve tried. Such a yummy, delicious scent! Not overpowering or too rich. This feels soooo good on my skin and soaks right in. I like to use it after shaving my legs for the nice glow it gives.”

Photo: OGX.

OGX Extra Creamy + Coconut Miracle Oil Lotion

Coconut oil is the star of this lotion’s formula, but tiara essence and vanilla bean extract also help to hydrate and nourish. The non-greasy formula melts into your skin just like the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream does.

“Perfect dupe for the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, at a third of the price! The scent is amazing and the lotion is so thick and creamy,” wrote one reviewer.

Photo: Soap & Glory.

Soap & Glory Smoothie Star Body Butter

Sexy-smelling and looking skin? Count us in! Slather Soap & Glory’s Smoothie Star Body Butter on every inch of your body for velvety smooth skin. Five key ingredients make this lightly-whipped body butter so dang good: pistachio oil, almond oil, coconut oil, shea butter and cocoa butter. It also has an addictive, mouth-watering aroma that smells like pistachio and vanilla.

“In all my 38 years, this is the first brand that actually lives up to its claims. Get so many compliments when I wear this,” explained one Ulta reviewer. “This smells like pistachio ice cream from Baskin-Robbins and it has amazing moisturizing power that lasts. I got tired of running out of Bum Bum Cream and it got expensive. So grateful to have discovered this brand.”

Photo: Advanced Clinicals.

Advanced Clinicals Collagen Body Lotion

If you’re sensitive or allergic to fragrance but still want firm, bouncy skin all over, our e-commerce writer, Brittany Leitner, found the perfect alternative for you. It’s Advanced Clinicals’ Collagen Body Lotion, which tightens skin and makes it appear ageless.

“Within about a week of slathering after every shower, I noticed my butt was looking better. The appearance of cellulite and overall sagginess was going down, but perhaps the most noticeable improvement was that my butt finally felt as soft as my face,” she wrote in her review of the product.

Many people think of stomach acid as a nuisance that causes acid reflux, heartburn, ulcers, and GERD. In fact, an estimated 20% of Americans suffer from Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD); that’s nearly 67 million Americans!

However, I’m here to tell you that stomach acid is NOT the villain we all think it is! In reality, the actual villain is the exact opposite… inadequate, low levels of stomach acid!

In my previous article, I covered how acid reflux is often the result of LOW stomach acid, which causes the lower esophageal sphincter between the stomach and esophagus to remain open, allowing stomach acid to enter into the esophagus. Surprising, right?

The Importance of Stomach Acid

An adequate amount of stomach acid is absolutely vital for strong, healthy digestion. Low stomach acid, on the other hand, is synonymous with weak digestion which results in gas, bloating, abdominal pain, feelings of indigestion, abnormal bowel movements, and often acid reflux.

Stomach acid protects against infections by killing unwanted pathogens that could otherwise lead to an infection or imbalanced gut microflora. In fact, proton pump inhibitor use, which results in low stomach acid, is associated with increased risk of C. Difficile infections and community-acquired pneumonia.

Low stomach acid also decreases the absorption of proteins, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that are necessary for muscle function and bone density. As a result, low stomach acid can contribute to frailty in elderly people.

What Lowers Stomach Acid?

Stomach acid tends to decrease with age. In order to maintain adequate levels of stomach acid, it is important to know what you may be working against. As I discussed in my previous article, proton pump inhibitors are extremely powerful at lowering stomach acid.

Another contributor to low stomach acid can be the presence of Heliobacter Pylori, a bacteria that initially reduces stomach acid, but eventually can lead to gastric ulcers. According to PubMed:

“H. Pylori infection can be diagnosed in 90-100% of duodenal ulcer patients and in 60-100% of gastric ulcer patients…. After eradication of the [H. Pylori] infection, the risk of recurrence of ulcer disease is reduced to below 10% for gastric ulcer disease and to approximately 0% for duodenal ulcer disease.”

If you have a history of an ulcer, you should definitely be tested for H. Pylori. Other diagnoses that are related to low stomach acid include hypothyroidism and hiatal hernias.

Additionally, an inflammatory diet, chronic infections, environmental toxins, medications, stress, and food intolerances all contribute to digestive inflammation and lowered stomach acid.

Finally… How to Strengthen Digestion!

1. Practice mindfulness around and during meals. Try taking 5 slow, deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth before beginning your meal. Try offering gratitude for your meal before eating. Be sure to pay full attention to your food while eating and avoid any distractions like your phone, television, etc.
2. Eat slowly and chew your food excessively!!!
3. Space out your meals by at least 3-4 hours and avoid snacking between meals to allow for complete digestion and gastric emptying. It’s also important to avoid eating within 3 hours of bedtime to allow for full digestion before going to sleep.
4. Stay hydrated between meals, but avoid drinking beverages during your meals or shortly before or after meals. Water, milk, and many other beverages can dilute your stomach acid and weaken digestion.
5. Follow simple food combining (or “food layering”) practices. This includes eating easily digestible foods first such as starches and other softer, cooked foods followed by harder to digest foods such as raw vegetables and meat. If eating fruit, try eating it alone or at least 20 minutes before a meal rather than during or after the meal.
6. Try eliminating dairy and/or gluten for 4-6 weeks. These are common food sensitivities that can lead to chronic inflammation in the gut. Better yet, consider an at-home food sensitivity test to help you identify any unknown food sensitivities that may be contributing to inflammation.
7. Try taking digestive bitters about 20 minutes before meals to help get your digestive juices flowing. If you have trouble remembering to do this before meals, you could take digestive enzymes with your meals instead; these won’t necessarily help to increase acid production, but they will help your body break down and digest the meal.
8. Consider supplementing with Betaine HCl during meals to increase stomach acid levels. While some doctors suggest a more aggressive approach, Dr. Ruscio suggests taking just 1-3 capsules with meals.
9. Identify and rebalance any underlying gut problems (such as H. Pylori as mentioned previously) by working with a functional medicine doctor or an experienced integrative health practitioner. At-home functional medicine lab testing can be extremely helpful to check for imbalances of yeast, bacteria, and other culprits that can lead to low stomach acid. The use of probiotics and other supplementation to support the health and balance of your digestive system may be warranted.
10. Establish a plan with your doctor or licensed health care provider to wean off of your acid blocking drugs!

Tips by the Sixty and Me Community

Here are some BONUS tips that have been offered by Sixty and Me readers themselves that they have found to help them personally!

• Eat an early dinner and don’t eat after dinner.
• Sleep with the upper body elevated.
• Cut out fruit juices, bananas, and commercial yogurt with fruit.
• Eat 2 spoons of grated raw red skin/yellow inside potato each morning.
• Drink baking soda and water.
• Eat Manuka honey, sip on slippery elm tea, and chew fennel seeds.
• Stay active.
• Take 1 powdered ginger capsule daily.
• Drink ¼ cup of Kevita fermented coconut water when experiencing acid reflux symptoms.
• Chew gum after meals.
• Cut out all alcohol.
• Mix 3 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar in a glass with 1 tsp. honey, then fill the glass with water and sip with a straw throughout the day.
• Avoid onions, tomatoes, and citrus fruits.
• Consume a few papaya tablets after meals as needed.
• Drink 2 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar (diluted) before bed and before breakfast.
• Drink 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar in small glass of blueberry and pomegranate juice.
• Take digestive enzymes before AND after meals until reflux resolves.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Have you tried any of the 10 digestive strengthening tips provided in this article or any of the tips provided by other Sixty and Me readers? Did they help to strengthen your digestion and improve your symptoms? What else have you found to be helpful? Did your doctor help you wean off of your acid blocking medications?

I believe that small changes or in many cases, being aware of what you love and honoring who you are makes a tremendous difference in how you feel. Style is way beyond what you wear, lovelies, it’s how you wear what you love and the image you are portraying.

Here are four ways to embrace your age with not only style, but grace:

Practice an Ageless Mindset

We are bombarded with labels once we hit middle age, and it doesn’t let up as we enjoy more birthdays. This is why I founded Fiercely50ish. Our age doesn’t dictate who we are, and believe me, I will not allow people who have not experienced what I have, and in many instances are decades younger than me, tell me how I should act.

Everywhere you look the word anti-aging pops. We’ve been ‘led to believe’ that growing older is a crime, and we should be doing everything in our power to STOP the process. Well, I’m capable of many things, but stopping time is not one of them. And many choose to use the many products available to put the aging process on the shelf, but I don’t. Why? Because I choose to practice an ageless mindset.

What does this even mean? It means that I live my life without leading with a number. My age is my age, and I cannot do one thing about that. But what I can do is show gratitude for where I am right now.

I’ve ditched the term, ‘anti’ and replaced it with ‘pro’ when used before aging. I love my age, and I don’t listen to others, especially those who are not my age, tell me how I should be feeling and to combat where I am in my life. I’ve worked hard to get where I am, and I am proud, and I want the same for you!

Age Is an Image

I couldn’t agree more. It has really been the foundation for building my Fiercely50ish business. I get to help Midlife women (and beyond) to portray who they are simply by what they wear. As Rachel Zoe, the iconic stylist says, “Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.”

It’s so rewarding to see my clients realize how important this is and to embrace their experiences, really identify what they love and weave that into their wardrobe. If you really think about it, how we show up can be creative and fun.

Every day we have a blank canvas to create. Depending on where you’re going or what you’re doing, you get to decide how you are showing up. It’s exciting when you realize you are in control of what you are wearing, and how you are wearing it, lovelies. Yes, we wear the clothes, they do not wear us, remember this!

Step Into Your Power

Remember when Good Witch Glinda told Dorothy at the end of Wizard of Oz, “You’ve had the power all along, my dear.” I have this statement framed and see it every day. It’s a reminder of who I am and what I can accomplish. And the same is true for each of you wonderful women.

As I mentioned earlier in this article, society has deemed that women over 50 and beyond are invisible. This is simply not true. We are necessary, relevant, and needed.

I help amazing women from their 50s to their 80s and beyond find their power. It’s so liberating when we discover how we can make a difference. Some of my clients have been inspired to make some big changes when they find their power. Several returned to work after a few years of retirement. Others launched their own business based on finding their power and dissolving doubt to overcome obstacles. Are you ready to step into your power?

A Big Bowl of Self-Esteem

I have this bowl in my closet. On the outside it reads, “Big Bowl of Self-Esteem.” Inside the bright yellow bowl there’s more messages that tell me:

• I’m Talented
• I’m Brilliant
• I’m Good Looking
• People Like Me

I want you to have your own bowl of self-esteem. Perhaps it’s a love letter to yourself that you place in a prominent spot where you’ll see it daily. Maybe it’s a treasured trinket or photo that makes you happy. Whatever it is, get it out and place it front and center so you can see it and be inspired to love who you are and continue to be inspired. We all need reminders that motivate how we feel about ourselves.

When we are inspired and motivated, our inner-critic who often shows up uninvited, mine sure did more times than I wanted – until I focused on the positives of who I was, and even more so, as a woman in her 60s. There’s no room or time for listening to her – she doesn’t speak the truth! Replace her doubts and negativity with your self-identified ‘big bowl of self-esteem’!

Aging is a gift, and we get to pick the wrapping paper and bow. I truly believe this attitude serves us well and should be our mantra. Don’t you? When we reframe, the magic happens. Confidence dissolves doubt and our attitude changes.

I want to enjoy this time of my life. And this, lovelies, is what I want for all of you. Every. Single. Day!

You now have the tools to age with not only style but grace! Enjoy your age, embrace who you are and have fun in the process!

Each month I create Fiercely50ish style tips. My group loves them, and you can join in as well. I’d love to see you there!

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Have you tried to age with grace instead of stopping the aging process? What’s in your pro-aging toolbox? Do you think style has something to do with it as well?

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, STYLECASTER may receive an affiliate commission.

I’ve always viewed Augustinus Bader as skincare for the filthy-rich; I placed the brand on an imaginary pedestal that was out of reach from folks like myself (A.K.A. not a celebrity or trust fund baby.) I mean, Bader has built a cult-like following that includes high-profile names such as Jennifer Aniston, Hailey Bieber, Kim Kardashian and Victoria Beckham, so it begs the question: Is Bader just another overpriced brand aimed at those who can afford luxury, or does it actually live up to its hefty price tag? 

For my fellow commoners, I decided to put the ever-popular The Rich Cream to the test to measure the legitimacy of its hype. Spoiler: I hate how much I loved it.

The Rich Cream is Augustinus Bader’s OG daily moisturizer and will run you upwards of $290 for its 50ml size. It’s clinically proven to target signs of aging effectively by boosting elasticity, building a stronger skin barrier function and preventing transepidermal water loss (which is speak for bringing plumper, more hydrated skin.) It also acts as a daily shield against environmental aggressors and restores stressed-out skin to a calmer state.

Augustinus Bader.

Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream

The formulation was run through user trials to better determine its results ahead of placement in the wild (the beauty market), and the feedback was quite positive. Around 95 to 97 percent of subjects said their tone and texture looked “dramatically transformed,” their skin was firmer, lifted and more supple, and that fine lines and wrinkles had also “dramatically improved.” 

You may be wondering how this differs from other anti-aging creams out there that ultimately promise the same results. The answer is simple: Augustinus Bader brings over 30 years of patented and formulated technology to its skincare. TFC8, or Trigger Factor Complex, was inspired by over three decades of cutting edge research on skin healing and tissue repair by Professor Bader, a pioneering force in stem cell biology and Doctor of Regenerative Medicine, per the brand’s website.

Now, let’s get into how the cream feels, because that was the winning point for me. It comes out of the tube like pillowy Fluffernutter but glides onto the skin like butter. It’s definitely emollient (I typically prefer lightweight creams to thicker ones), but I actually like that aspect. It doesn’t take much to cover the entirety of my face, and it sinks in with ease upon application.

Since I don’t have a ton of wrinkles, I can’t speak on its anti-aging benefits. But I will say, it didn’t provoke my incredibly fickle acne-prone skin and instead left it absolutely glowing. Considering the thicker consistency, I prefer to apply the cream at nighttime and allow the ingredients to work their magic while I sleep. That said, it absorbs so fast, you could easily proceed into your makeup routine afterwards.

I doubt I’ll dish out money on a replacement once this bottle runs empty, but I honestly wish I could. I can see why celebrities keep their cabinets stocked with Augustinus Bader skincare products, and if I were filthy rich, I’d do the same. It lives up to the hype, I just wish it were cheaper (cries in poor.)

Dolores Catania’s Black and White Floral Maxi Dress

Real Housewives of New Jersey Instagram Fashion April 11, 2023

It was Margaret Josephs’ birthday on April 9th, making her one of my fellow Aries—a surprise to none of us with her fire-y personality and love for bright, bold colors. While we hope she had the happiest of days, this post is about Dolores Catania’s black and white floral maxi dress which we got a peek of in an Instagram birthday wish to Marge. And though it’s out of stock, the fact that there are many, many listings on eBay for it is just the icing on the cake.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Click Here to Shop her Free People Yesica Dress

Photo: @GregoryZarian

Originally posted at: Dolores Catania’s Black and White Floral Maxi Dress