It’s funny I should be here talking to you about mama-to-be beauty because when it comes to beauty I’m quite frankly useless. I’m 31 for heavens sake and have only just started a real skin care regime and my make-up bag should definitely be more sophisticated than it is but hey ho.

I don’t know how you find/found it but pregnancy can, at times, feel a bit alien. All these things are changing with our bodies that we haze zero control over. I’m finding that this time round, I feel a need to be trying to have more control over these things. The main things I feel like Im losing control over at the moment are; my skin (mainly on my face), my hair (jeez it’s frizz-tastic), my expanding waistline (an obvious given), cramp in my lower legs (seriously, wtf) and my inability to sleep resulting in sore eyes.

I’m using the following things to try and combat the issues I’m having. I’d also like you advice on some areas, you guys are SO good at recommending products that I know you’re going to be able to help me and many other fellow preggers’ out.

My Face

I have never had what I would consider ‘good’ skin. I suffered with bad acne as a teenager, I am a prolific spot squeezer (gross I know but I think it comes from a need to try and get rid of them in my naive youth). I had started to suffer with random breakouts from about 14 weeks into the pregnancy. I trawled the aisles of Boots in the vein hope of trying to find something that suggested it could cure my red, dry, oily, crappy skin. Obviously I was very unsuccessful. I don’t know if the breakouts were due to an imbalance in oils due to pregnancy or whatnot but I decided to go and have skin mapping done with Dermologica. I have a few friends who use the brand and they all seem to have a lovely epidermis. So, 15 minutes after a series of questions and a lovely lady looking far too closely at my skin I came out with a sample pack for normal/dry skin. Although my skin isn’t 100% better, it certainly looks a lot clearer, a lot brighter and my breakouts have significantly decreased to well, none! I’ve had one spot in 5 weeks! Huzzah! I have also stopped with scratching, squeezing, generally messing with my face which must be helping.

I also had a facial 3 weeks back and my word it was amazing. I’ve had facial sin the past that were just a bit blah but this was incredible so I am booked back in for another one next month. What a treat eh! And some much needed down time to boot.

My (tired, tired) Eyes

Sleep is an issue. I’m sure like most ladies in a pregnant state I’m up at least 3 times a night, wether that’s to visit the loo, attending to my toddler or with horrendous hip pain from lying in the wrong position. As a result my eyes look dreadful. They are so… puffy. To help in disguising my dark circles I have been using Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum Corrector. They sell it in a variety of shades and depending on whether you suffer with a redder eye or a greyer under eye depends on the sort of shade you need. The idea is that it balances out the darkness and so when you apply your concealer over the top you end up with a more balanced overall colour rather than a much lighter under eye than the rest of your face.

So that’s dark circles covered but what about this awful puffy-ness?! What can you recommend? I’ve seen great things about Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Eye Rescue. Have any of you used it before? There seems to be a cheaper alternative in Benefit’s aptly named ‘Puff Off’ but this seems like more of a day to day fixer rather than a long term help?

The Bonce

I have naturally curly hair, I don’t wear it naturally very often because it’s just a bit mental and years of straightening have turned that curl into more of a wavy frizz. Anyway, something has happened and that weird wavy frizz has been creeping into my normally curled-with-the-straightners ‘do of choice’. That is until I went to a new hairdressers and they put a few squeezes of Wella’s Luxe Oil through my ends. Wow. It smells lush and my hair is now looking so much sleeker and I feel so much better about it. It’s not greasy and you just end up with swishy gorgeous smelling hair.

The Waistline

This baby is going to be huge. I am about 4 weeks ahead of myself in terms of bump size compared to this point with Leo. It feels massive. It feels heavy. But it’s all very wriggly which makes me very happy. But carrying it around means that things hurt and ache and my body needs some overall tlc. I don’t really weigh myself but I hopped on the scales at my Mom’s a couple of weeks back to see I’d gained about 11lbs so far. That would explain the achy legs. And I can feel the start of pelvic girdle pain. Enter Bloom & Blossom Indulgence Bath Oil. I’m not generally a bath person but this stuff is such a treat. A few cap-fulls in your nice warm bath and you get out with what feels like brand new skin, a lighter bump and a lighter mind. It smells lovely and your skin feels so well moisturised. I can’t recommend it enough.

The Leg Cramps

What on earth?! My calves seem to have some sort of mind of their own and are randomly cramping… Which I hear is a very normal pregnancy symptom. I am trying to keep stretching to help aid in reducing the cramps and I am attending aqua yoga (ladies…. Go to this if you have a class in your area) and I take Leo swimming once a week where I try to get a bit more weightless and give the old legs a rest. And the only other thing I can think of to help alleviate this and get the muscles a real revival is to get myself a pre-natal massage. Have you had a pre-natal massage before? Any other suggestions on things to help relieve the strain on the old baby cows?

What beauty products/wellbeing techniques are you using to help you get through pregnancy? Are there any other lotions and potions I need to know about? And what about the Charlotte Tilbury eye cream? Is it worth the investment? Are there any specific beauty treatments you’ve been having since being pregnant? Thanks in advance for sharing x