There's lots of changes in your appearance you expect when you get pregnant. For instance, yes, you'll get fat. There could be stretch marks involved. And I was prepared to look even more lackluster due to cutting back on my beauty products and treatments. (You wouldn't believe my roots.) But everyone tells you about that wonderful pregnancy glow, and talks about how beautiful and serene pregnant women look, how your hair and nails become healthier, and the hope is that somehow all that will make up for it.
Well ... not so much. So far I've avoided some of the truly scary affects of pregnancy like "the mask of pregnancy" and dark patches of skin due to hormones. But combine my regular oily, breakout-prone skin with added hormones and not being allowed to use simple treatments like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, let alone retinoids, and forget it. Plus there's the dark circles and general sallowness that come from not being able to sleep. Yep, it's fun!
And it feels like people sort of expect a pregnancy glow from you, they want you to look extra radiant, and that's a lot of pressure. Even though I'm undergoing this beauty detox project, I'm not an earth-mama, I don't need makeup to be beautiful type. And so, I've developed my own routine for "faking" that pregnancy glow.
To start with, I decided early on to accept powder mineral foundation as the most "natural" I was prepared to go on the makeup front. I use Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals foundation, $25, on most days, and my Clinique Superfit Makeup liquid foundation, $21, passed the Skin Deep Costmetic Safety Database test for special occasions.
The products I've added to my routine include:
- Luminizer on cheek and brow bones and the inside corners of eyes
- Radiance powder mixed with my usual powder foundation
- Bronzer with some shimmer
- A light clarifying eye pencil
I've basically ramped up all those tips makeup artists give to get glowing skin or look more awake, and use them all at once. Since I couldn't find a glow-enhancing facial moisturizer that was safe and natural enough for my liking, I started applying a tiny bit of Benefit High Beam, $24, above my cheekbones and below my brow bones underneath of my foundation. I also use Clinique All About Eyes Concealer, $15.50, underneath my eyes and High Beam on the inner corners before applying foundation. If you are getting dark spots or discoloration, you'd probably want to apply some concealer to those areas as well.
I mix a little Bare Escentuals Pure Radiance in with my foundation for an all-over glow and add something like Tarte Mineral Powder Bronzer, $29, even though I'm not typically a bronzer girl.
Finally, I apply a little Three Custom Color Specialists Light Clarifier, $16.50, to the waterline of my bottom lash line to brighten up my eyes even more. And I stick to cheerful, rosy pink shades of blush and lipstick which are everywhere for spring.
It may seem like this whole routine gets pricey, but I already had most of these products in my vanity and you probably have a lot of options too. Look up the products you already have on the cosmetic safety database linked to above to make sure they're safe for you and baby. If you're totally greening and revamping your makeup collection all at once, that will get pricey, so do it a little bit at a time as you run out of something, unless it's really high risk.