Finally, This Major Blogger Is Launching a Solution for This *Hush Hush* Beauty Issue
Say hello to Megababe status.
photo credit: 12ish Style
Boob sweat? Thigh chafe? Raise your hand if you’ve been there. Yeah, us too. And it’s why megababe Kate Sturino of 12ish Style is launching her Megababe product line.
Determined to deal with the not-so-chic, but oh so relatable parts of fashion, Kate developed Megababe Thigh Rescue ($14) to deal with the issue. Forget men’s products. Forget rubbing Vaseline on your body. The fashion blogger took matters in her own hands.
The deodorant-like stick, which is available for pre-order now, starts shipping on June 26th. Crafted with ingredients like aloe, grape seed oil to promote collagen production, lime oil for healing purposes, and pomegranate seed extract to protect the skin, it is a toxin-free formula that will keep skin happy, hydrated, and chafe-free. While you’re at it, Bust Dust, which is set to launch mid-July, is a ultrafine, 100% natural powder. Kate calls it the “final word on boob sweat,” because “talc is nasty stuff.”
We caught up with Kate to talk the sweaty motivation and why this is product you’ll want to pull out of your Chanel bag.
Why launch a product line?
I have been dealing with thigh chafe forever! And yet judging by the anti-chafe products out there, chafing seems to be reserved for men and athletes. I was sick of toting a men’s stick around in my handbag, and even worse was having to pull it out in front of people. Even though some of what’s out there does work, a lot of it is full of toxins and none of it is designed for me to pull out of my Chanel bag! And I was done wearing bike shorts under skirts -- the last thing anyone wants on an 80 degree day is another layer!
All I wanted was a non-toxic anti-chafe stick that would make me feel cute and not embarrassed. And year after year I couldn’t find it, so I decided to make it myself.
Tell us about Megababe?
Megababe was born out of a personal need for cute solutions to not-so-cute issues like thigh chafe and boob sweat. Start asking around and will you discover how many women of different shapes and sizes actually deal with these “hush hush” things. So many! I don’t know how or why there came to be a stigma around these very normal issues, but Megababe is here to say there’s nothing embarrassing about your thighs rubbing together or your boobs sweating on a hot day. We’re going to take care of it for you so you can get out there and live your life!
"Megababe is here to say there’s nothing embarrassing about your boobs sweating on a hot day."
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Where can we buy it?
Exclusively at megababebeauty.com ; IG: @Megababe
There you have it. Sweaty girls unite.
MORE FROM OUR BLOG
The Business and Beauty of "Big"
Why rejecting the status quo is smart.
Image credit: The 12ish Style
I’m not small. I'm big. A word I have been running from my entire life. Growing up, all I wanted was to seem smaller, shorter, slighter…anything to blend in with the body types I saw on TV or in magazines.
Before social media, traditional media was the only game in town and there was simply zero interest in showing diverse sizes or encouraging women to be happy in their own skin. Of course, media is different now. And still, sadly, headlines like “Lose Weight” or "How to Get a Flat Stomach in 30 Days” still dominate the messaging; headlines every woman has seen so many times they barely register anymore, leaving behind a general sentiment of “you are not good enough as is."
"I’m not small. I'm big. A word I have been running from my entire life."
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My journey to realizing I am in fact "good enough as is" took place fairly recently. While I've never had overly negative thoughts about my physical appearance, I always felt I wasn't invited to the party. Designers stop at a size 8 or 10. Models are a 0. Any actress over a 6 is considered plus size in Hollywood. The subtext is clear. Acknowledging that I wear a size 14 is not something I would have done four years ago.
But when Man Repeller featured me in an article two years ago on how to dress for a body type that contrasts Leandra's, I saw positive feedback from women across the country and realized I wasn’t alone! I had always assumed a size 4 must be the average (10 years spent working in fashion in NYC will do that to a girl) and that I should try to cram myself into that ideal. But perusing the comments on the Man Repeller story, I could see there must be a whole country full of women like me who wanted to accept themselves but struggled to find a way in.
Boom. That’s when The12ishStyle was born. A place where you dont actually have to rearrange the outfit or hunt for sizes that will fit you because the work is done. Just shop! Accept yourself! Put your confidence on first!
With the average woman in this country wearing a size 16 (turns out it’s not a 4, lol), it’s insane to me that the fashion industry for so long has not only ignored such a huge part of the population, but in doing so, deemed it un-chic to be average. But when Ashley Graham landed the cover of the legendary Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue this past February, that all started to change. Suddenly a whole new conversation has opened up and we are looking at a multi-billion dollar and growing industry that companies are scrambling to join.
"Accept yourself! Put your confidence on first!"
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As for me, I’m thrilled to be on the forefront of this movement. Celebrating my size instead of conforming to existing ideals not only unlocked my own self acceptance but also led to the career I love so much. Of course pushing up against the status quo of any industry isn’t easy or all that comfortable. You might get laughed at or even worse, you might get no response at all. But if you can find an open space and connect with an audience that no one is talking to, it’s worth it.
So many things motivate me on a daily basis. Helping women learn to accept and love themselves is at the top of the list. But so is working to change the status quo. Last year, the plus size industry, valued at $17 billion, made up about 5% of the total apparel market in the US. A glance at the numbers suggests it’s merely a niche market, but with most women in this country wearing a plus size, clearly that’s not the full story. Everyday I see a massively underserved population of women who just want to shop but lack options. As brands continue to wake up, I know this will change over time.
In the meantime, I will be here outside of the mainstream fashion box, continuing to push the envelope. No more running from the word “big” — from here on out I embrace it.
Katie Sturino is a size 12(ish) New Yorker who believes great style can look chic at any size. She started the12ishstyle.com to introduce girls like her who wear sizes 12-18 to fashion forward brands across extended and plus sizes.