How To Look Great In Your Baby’s First Photos

Flushed Face

Warm hospital wards, hormones and exhaustion can leave skin looking flustered with high colour. ‘Although it’s great to have a rosy flush of colour on your cheeks, take down extra redness with Lily Lolo Corrector Powder in Blush Away [£7.99, lilylolo.co.uk], which can be worn alone or over foundation,’ says make-up artist and skincare expert, Nathalie Eleni. This natural, oil-free powder also conceals blemishes and won’t irritate delicate skin.

Cleanse and glow

If on the other hand, your skin needs a glow pick-me-up, try this. ‘If you're able to jump in the shower, or can't easily get to a sink, mix a 5p sized amount of Liz Earle Gentle Skin Exfoliater (from £5.50, uk.lizearle.com) with your usual cleanser and remove with water or a warm, damp flannel,' says Nathalie. It will deeply clean pores and increase circulation to bring a healthy glow back to your complexion. For a quick bed-side, skin-balancing fix, Neal’s Yard Organic Face Wipes (£5.50, nealsyardremedies.com) are brilliantly gentle but thorough.

Hydration boost

Moisturiser is a definite must, but ramp up the effects with added illuminating properties. ‘Try the very suitably named Paparazzi by Sepai (£48, Selfridges.com) - a lightweight, cell repairing moisturiser with subtle iridescent pigments to make your complexion so radiant you will look like you’ve visited a spa, not spent hours on a labour ward,’ says Nathalie. We also love This Works In Transit Camera Close-Up (£30, thisworks.com) which acts like a mask, moisturiser and primer in one. Conditioning oils plus a tiny hit of caffeine will rev up a grey complexion.

Skin perfect

You may not even need foundation, but if you do, a lightweight BB cream, such as Balance Me BB Natural Perfection (£26, balanceme.co.uk) will give skin light coverage and a dewy glow.

De-puff eyes

No doubt your eyes will be sparkling with pride at your new addition, but if they’re looking a little on the puffy side, try Origins No Puffery (£24, origins.co.uk). ‘It’s a brilliantly cooling roll-on for exhausted eyes,’ says Nathalie. ‘It works quickly to perk up, de puff and refresh eyes like no other.’ We also love the soothing effects of Simple Kind To Eyes Revitalising Eye Roll-On (£5.49, boots.com).

Eye bright

If the lack of sleep is showing under your eyes, conceal any dark circles with Chantecaille Bio Lift Concealer, £57, uk.spacenk.com. ‘It conceals everything and the moisture bar through the middle and added vitamin E prevents product sitting in fine lines, so you will look wonderfully rested,’ says Nathalie.

Healthy flush

The harsh camera flash can wash you out, so a touch of colour on your cheeks will give your skin a lift. 'I love Glo Minerals 3-in-1 Colour Stick in Doll Face [£11.95, glo-minerals.com],' says Nathalie. 'It's a beautiful creamy, peachy-pink blush that looks great on the apples of cheeks, but also patted onto lips too.’

Skin tint

Taking your skin tone up a golden notch can hide less than perfect skin and give the appearance of a full night's sleep. 'Time Bomb Holiday in a Bottle gives a very realistic, kiss of colour to your face,' says Nathalie. 'Apply with your fingers blending right down onto your neck for a healthy glow.’

Eye opening

Wearing tonnes of mascara straight after birth may feel too much, but Max Factor Lashfinity 3 Day Mascara (£18.99, boots.com) strikes the right balance between definition and a natural finish. ‘This gives more of the look of freshly tinted lashes than heavy mascara, so looks incredibly natural,’ says Nathalie. ‘It's also sweatproof and lasts 3 day - bonus!’

Fix frizz

‘For crazy curls that need taming, or calming frizz, work in a nourishing serum,’ says Nathalie. We love John Frieda Frizz Ease Nourishing Oil Elixir (£9.99, boots.com), as it contains hydrating and repairing argan oil. ‘Work a couple of pumps through med-lengths and ends to tame frizzy flyaways and re-boot curls.’

Smart tie

You may want to tie your hair up during labour, and using Invisibobble The Traceless Hair Ring (£3.75, feelunique.com) instead of a regular elastic means you can do so without leaving kinks in your hair. Shaped like telephone cord, it cleverly distributes pressure (so it won't give you a headache mid-push), won’t slip out easily and if you want to take hair down again for photos, it won’t leave a ‘mark’ in your hair. The M&B team are obsessed with them!