Top Beauty Products for Yummy Mums-To-Be

Pregnancy may be a time of joy and excitement, but let’s face it, it’s not all youthful glow and ample bosom. Nine months of having a little life-form somersaulting at 3am, adding anything between 10 to a million pounds to your body, it’s exhausting. The days of negotiating an aisle with dexterity and grace are a distant memory.  But fear not, there are beauty products out there to help…

Illustration by Rose Sturdy

Combat stretch marks with… Clarins Stretch Mark Control, £37

Every mum-to-be needs a helping hand when it comes to stretch marks, no matter how supple their skin. Clarins Stretch Mark Control is a perfume-free lotion which contains a number of plant extracts to help fight the cause. Upon application you can feel a slight soothing tingle as the product stimulates the skin. It helps to protect the skin’s elastin, reduces redness of existing stretch marks and stimulates the repair of new ones – perfect! A top tip is to start applying before marks appear. 

Kick the cankles with…  Cowshed Udderly Gorgeous Leg and Foot treatment, £18.50

‘My feet look like pig’s trotters…’ Oh the joys of pregnancy. Hot weather and a big bump is a one-way ticket to the chunkiest ankles in town. Soothe swollen legs with Cowshed’s Udderly Gorgeous Leg and Foot Treatment, which is wonderfully cooling after a long day of being significantly rounder than before. 

Banish dark spots with… Clinique Even Better Dark Spot Corrector, £29

A common by-product of pregnancy is Melasma, the discolouration of skin, thanks to all those lovely hormones. Discolouration usually lessens several months after giving birth, but for the interim this serum by Clinique helps to even skin tone and prevents the appearance of new dark spots. In true Clinique style, this ‘damage eraser’ has a gentle formula, so it’s suitable for use on the face too.

Pamper and restore dry skin with… Lancôme Nutrix Royal £39 for 400ml 

This super nourishing body lotion by Lancôme is the ultimate pamper product if your skin is dull and tired. It smells like a holiday to Mauritius, and leaves skin seriously soft thanks to its intense lipid repair formula.

Cleanse and re-energise with… Champneys Blissful Bump Shower Cream, £6

The Champneys Blissful Bump range has a powerful punch of ginger, and their moisturising shower cream is a great way for tired yummy mummies to re-energise. It might not quite make up for a whole sleepless night, but every little helps!

What are your hero pregnancy products? Comment below, tweet @PoutOutProud on Twitter or write a message on the Pout Out Proud Facebook page xx

Quite Possibly The Best Shower Gel Ever...Original Source Coconut

Original Source Shower Gel in Coconut, £2.20, available now

I'm not normally one to rave about shower gels. In fact, I'm usually so underwhelmed by the fads of patchouli-jasmine-herbiscous shower 'foams', that I'd rather opt for the fragrance-free mild exfoliants instead. 

But as you may or may not know, I TOTALLY LOVE COCONUT. I'm nuts for it ('scuse the terrible pun) so I had to try this new edition by Original Source. It smells SO amazing that I now look forward to using it in the shower. What's more, it didn't dry out my skin at all. Afterwards I liberally applied coconut body butter by The Body Shop, and I got great compliments for the rest of the day. A shop assistant even asked what product I'd used. Coconut heaven! 

I occasionally have little outbreaks of psoriasis on my elbows, so I stay away from any moisturisers or shower gels with a fruit base. The citric acids can irritate skin conditions - the same goes for eczema - so avoid the fruity ones if you're prone. Nut based products like this one (along with brazil, vanilla, shea) have a much more soothing quality.

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Skin Saviours: Australian Bodycare Face Cream and Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips

Australian Bodycare Teatree Oil Balancing Face Cream, £11.05, Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips, £7.99

Cleanse, tone, moisturise, hang upside down from the tree of life... there is literally no escaping the odd troublesome breakout. From the humble pimple to a smattering of unsightly blackheads, they are always waiting to pop up as we least expect.

To combat outbreaks, I rely on a face cream by Australian Bodycare after my cleanse and tone regime. It's thick without being greasy, and the tea-tree is amazing for soothing and repairing skin. I often find that I'll have a break out because my skin is dry from the weather, contrary to the popular belief that all spots are caused by oily skin, so this rich moisturiser really works for me. 

For the dreaded T-Zone (Why does this have to exist? Why?) I opt for Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips for an occasional de-clutter. Never try and dig out a black head before it is ready as this will leave you with nasty open pores. If you can't resist the squeeze (guilty, your beauty honour) then wait until they are clearly raised to the surface, so quite dark in colour, and gently apply pressure on either side. 

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Bye Bye Blemish: Benefit Erase Paste Brightening Concealer

Benefit Erase Paste Brightening Concealer, £17.55 (usually £19.50) available from Debenhams

Christmas parties, mulled wine, late night shopping... I, for one, LOVE the fabulous festivities. However, upon examining my face in that oh-so-telling bathroom mirror (you know the one I'm talking about, the one that you avoid at all costs when you have a horrendous hangover) I've come to realise that all this festive cheer has left me looking, well, a touch haggard. Dark circles have set up shop for the long haul, alongside little bags and tired eyes.

There is a saviour out there, ladies and gentlemen! Banish those imperfections with Benefit Erase Paste Brightening Concealer. It eradicates those pesky booze-induced blemishes in an instant, keeps unsightly dark shadows at bay, and generally helps to create the illusion of constant perfection. Hurrahs! Mulled wine for everybody!

This little pot may be a bit of a splurge, but a little goes a long way. The paste is really concentrated and quite thick, so it stays put all day long. Use a concealer brush to apply before foundation.

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Get Flawless: MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation SPF15

I've made that ever-so dangerous move. I visited the MAC counter in Selfridges and asked for their recommendations. And now I want EVERYTHING. I'm not entirely sure just how this happens, but when you sit in that mildly uncomfortable chair, close your eyes and allow the MAC make-up artist work their wonderful magic, you may as well give them all of your savings, right there and then. 

'But it really is worth it', you will utter as you hand over your weekly food allowance in lieu of some Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (which is, coincidentally, one of the best products for enhancing facial contours whilst still looking natural)

So yes, I made the leap. And yes, I am now a MAC foundation convert. I purchased the Studio Sculpt SPF 15, £24, available from MAC cosmetics, as I wanted a medium coverage which still has a luminous, glowy appearance as opposed to matte.

Studio Sculpt has a really thick liquid consistency, it's a gel based foundation which is fantastic for dry skin, which is best applied with a foundation brush. It's also buildable, so you can layer the application to create a high coverage. Here's a before and after picture, featuring my dear friend Anna...

I would recommend leaving the foundation for a couple of minutes before applying any powder to the skin surface, as it does set after you apply it. I'd recommend buying the complimenting Mineralise Skinfinish Natural powder, £21, to apply over the Studio Sculpt for an utterly flawless finish.

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Banish Dull Wintery Skin

There's nothing worse than dry, dull, wintery skin. And it's so easy to forget that those little skin cells need some TLC when they're permanently covered by layers of chunky knits or woolly tights. I must admit, I'm a repeat offender when it comes to winter-skin neglect. I often ponder about the potential train-wreck which would ensue should an unintended night of passion arise... Anyhow, I digress.

My luxury winter splurges are Champneys Spa Indulgence Distant Shores Body Butter and Scrub, £10 each, available from Champneys.com The exfoliating scrub banishes old, tatty skin and leaves you super soft and rejuvenated. It also contains grapefruit, lemon and orange peel oils which naturally boost the skin's appearance.

The Body Butter is wonderfully rich, perfect for a good dose of rehydration. But my fave thing about this pampering duo is the smell. Mangoes and citrus, a tropical holiday delight on the coldest of British evenings. Brrr!

Get Illuminated! Sun Beam or High Beam?

If you don't have an illuminator in your life (and no, I'm not talking about the ever-lasting glow of true love... do behave you soppy romanticists) then you seriously need to sort it out. Get that fine ass down to the nearest beauty department, pronto.

Which is exactly what I did, just two weeks ago, after I made the fatal error (for my bank balance anyway) of trying out a friend's new purchase: Benefit's High Beam. A few little dabs and my oh my, I felt positively radiant.

Upon approaching the counter I was all ready to part with my hard-earned dollar, when the sales assistant threw a significant curve ball my way: "Why don't you try the new Sun Beam illuminator?" Nope. I knew what I wanted. No side-tracking. I wanted the High Beam. High Beam. Finito.

"It's brand new in to our store today. We haven't even put it on display yet..."

Uh-oh. One sentence and I flaked. I'm a little ashamed to admit it (please don't inform Mr Halifax of my weakness) but I just had to buy both products there and then. I'd like to pretend it was all for your benefit. But really, it was simply to benefit my love of Benefit.

Anyhow, I digress. The whole point of this blog is to help you decide which illuminator will work the best for you, so you don't end up teetering on the edge of bankruptcy like me...

Sun Beam: The Pros
You will sexify summer with Sun Beam. If you're a fan of bronzer and tan, then Sun Beam goes above and beyond to enhance your sun kissed skin. It's light but effective, and blends in so easily, just like High Beam. The golden-pink shimmer is just enough without being tacky, perfect for adding definition in the summer months. I love popping a few cheeky dabs to my cleavage area too, perfect for glamming up those evenings on the hacienda on holiday.


Works best if you have...
A natural tan. Enhance medium to dark skin tones with Sun Beam's golden glow. You'll look super sun kissed and beach beautiful. Combine with a few spritz of Tigi's Catwalk Salt Spray for the perfect summer locks.

You can buy it from...
FeelUnique.com, 13ml, £18.50

High Beam: The Pros
It isn't one of Benefit's best sellers for no reason. If magical fairies squeezed the essence of pearls into a bottle to create a subtle, dewy, shimmering glow... then you'd have yourself some High Beam. Okay, maybe I'm over-selling it a touch. But it does look amazing, and it is so easy to apply (see image below) A few sweeps of High Beam and you have instant cheek bone definition.


Works best if you have...
Fair skin. If you have the complexion to make a porcelain doll jealous, then you must invest in this. Trust me, it will transform your life.

You can buy it from....
FeelUnique.com, 13ml, £18.50

Top tips for application
Here's a dandy little guide to show you how to optimise your illumination. Now that's a tongue-twister and a half...

The Dab Guide - To illuminate or not to illuminate?

- Three dabs on the most prominent line of your cheekbone
- One dab underneath your eyebrow, again following the most prominent part of your brow bone
- A dab on both edges of your forehead (where it is almost like a corner)
- A dab in the centre of your forehead to brighten up your whole face
- I like a little dab on my chin too, but have a little experiment with that one!