5 beauty products every pregnant woman should treat herself to.

Sigourney Cantelo is qualified to speak on all matters of pregnancy beauty. Not only because she’s an ex-Vogue beauty editor, creator of Beauticate and spa and salon directory Beauticate Go-Tos, but because she’s already a mum. If you’ve ever felt that pregnancy has thrown you a curve ball beauty-wise, Sigourney has all of the answers.

1. A hardworking curling tong.

“I never thought I’d say this, but probably my GHD curve classic curling tong. I have always been totally uncoordinated with curling my hair (curl it which way!?) but in recent months I’ve actually been practicing and finally – at the age of 34 – I’ve learnt to tong my own hair! Proof that you CAN teach an older dog new tricks.

Actually ‘styling’ my hair while being pregnant has made me feel that little bit more glamorous than just leaving it ‘wash ‘n wear’ like I normally would. I figure that even if I’m waddling and my feet are too swollen to wear nice shoes, if my hair looks done I feel one tenth of the way there! I’m sure the tong will be relegated to the bottom drawer again once bub arrives, but it was nice while it lasted.”

2. Arm yourself with products that battle pigmentation.

"Sunscreen is so important to prevent pigmentation that flares up when you’re preggo – I really like the La Roche Posay 50+ Anthelios XL SPF50, as it’s inexpensive but a beautiful light formulation, perfect for wearing under makeup and the size is perfect for stashing in your handbag. I used to stock up on it when I traveled to France but you can get it in Priceline now. Also, I know people harp on about it, but rosehip oil is incredible- I use the Trilogy Rosehip Oil as a moisturiser most days. It helps with pigmentation, too."

3. El cheapo coconut oil.

"Coconut oil – the type you cook with. It smells so damn delicious, lasts forever and really quenches thirsty skin. I leave a big tub on my bathroom bench and dip into it daily. It’s got antibacterial properties too, which has got to be a good thing for expecting mamas. Also Epsom Salts for the bath, which I add a few drops of lavender oil to." (WATCH: Jamila Rizvi shares the five things no-one tells you about pregnancy. Post continues after video.)

5. Natural perfumes

"Commercial perfumes are full of synthetic ingredients so if you’re trying to steer your beauty routine down a more natural path you should look at using natural perfumes –I love Aromantik Merchants of Menace, and Ayu Perfume Oil in Souk is incredible – very strong and rich."

4. Embrace active ingredients.

"For a beauty journalist, I’ve been pretty laissez faire about my whole routine in general actually. I’m not sure if it’s laziness or dog-tiredeness or just not really wanting to use a whole lot of highly processed products on my skin, but I’ve been very minimal – lots of face and body oils and not much else.

My pigmentation has gotten quite bad lately so I’ve been forced to address it with some slightly more active ingredients like Vitamin C and niacinamide with some heavy duty mineral makeup to cover it, but if I was on a desert island and didn’t have to go out to meetings, etc, I’d be pretty happy with a tub of coconut oil and a bar of goat’s milk soap."

5. Splurge a little on some makeup winners.

"All natural makeup from RMS beauty – the lip2cheek cream, $48,  is based on coconut oil and gives you a really gorgeous, happy glow – and Josie Maran Argan Enlightenment illuminising Wand, $40, is a super natural highlighting stick that’s so easy to use but contains no chemical nasties. It also contains skin-loving argan oil which is a win." (Post continues after gallery.)

 7. Invest in lash extensions.

"It is a splurge but if there’s one thing I can’t recommend highly enough, it’s lash extensions. They are expensive and high maintenance (you should go for infills every two to three weeks) but they’re the best beauty investment for busy mums and mums-to-be because you can completely skip doing your eye makeup in the morning and walk out of the house feeling relatively ‘done’.

You also save time taking it off at the end of the day. I’ve calculated that I’m saving at least half an hour a day in makeup application and removal – which is three and a half hours a week! That’s worth it’s weight in gold to me. The trick is finding a good lash technician (I go to Love Those Lashes in Sydney’s Paddington- there’s also one in Melbourne), because if they’re applied incorrectly they can fall out or damage your lashes, and if you get them too long they can look a bit OTT. To give my lashes time to recover, I always take a break over winter for a few months and then get them again in summer – they’re great for holidays and swimming, too."

What are your go-to beauty products when pregnant?