My favourite Stretch Mark Tummy Oils

Good thing I already had a very clean, toxin-free beauty routine before I was pregnant, so I was able to continue most of my favourite skin care (e.g. Edible Beauty) , body care and makeup.

My skin has become much drier though all over the body and of course I am also trying my best to avoid any stretch marks and keep my growing skin firm and elastic and hydrated. It's also a nice ritual to celebrate this changing and growing body and honour all this hard work it's doing.

I really enjoy my daily oiling sessions :)

Truth to be told, no matter how much oil and moisturiser you use depending on your individual skin, hereditary conditions and how quick you are growing stretch marks can not always be prevented.

Because I am a bit of a beauty nerd, I have tried and used quite a few different all natural and organic tummy oils. Here are my favourites:

Divine Mum's Tummy & Body Oil
Beautiful bottle, luxurious feel and a very pleasant and super subtle scent.
I was able to tolerate this even when I had morning sickness.
This gem can be used by Mum's AND babies of all ages including newborns.
It's very hydrating yet absorbs the fastest from all the oils I have tried, which makes the use even more practical. The bottle comes with a pump, which makes my life so much easier, no mess or oil spills here It's a real favourite, yet the most expensive out of my selection.

DnA Elements Mama Belly Oil
It has a light citrus scent and goes on very rich, which makes it great for massage. And the evening, however, it takes a little longer to be fully absorbed.
The bottle is sleek and beautiful, yet it has a big opening which makes the dosage a little tricky.
It comes at an affordable price in a sleek stylish glass bottle. (not pictured)

Weleda Stretch Mark Massage Oil
This one just exudes wellness & relaxing! The scent is very soothing and beautiful to me. It absorbs into the skin beautifully and is a really great choice for a pampering body treatment. It can be used before, during and after pregnancy and has been developed with midwives and doctors. I really enjoy using this one and enjoy the scent now in my second trimester. I think it will remain a favourite for my belly and breasts after birth as well. If you are particularly sensitive to scents in the beginning of your pregnancy simply wait a few weeks.

Last but not least

Edible Bubba Vanilla Dream Oil
The Baby massage oil is a real treat gourmand lovers. Created for babies it's too good not to use on pregnant grown-up bellies and bodies. I have always had a weakness for a good natural vanilla fragrance. With it's extremely gentle and hydrating ingredients this one is a real winner to be used on Babies skin (including newborns) and works as a perfect body oil for breastfeeding mamas, (as it's all edible your bubba will be safe to suckle on your skin!) It's the perfect massage oil with it's rich texture and doubles as bath oil (when you add it to the bath with a little of the Orange Blossom Baby Hair & Body wash or your regular shower gel. I like that this one is a real multi-purpose oil and is perfect to use on the baby as well. I will keep stocking up on this one!

As this is my first pregnancy I am researching and trying out a lot, but for a beauty lover like myself, that's kind of fun. I hope this was helpful to you.

If you have any favourite cruelty-free pregnancy products, please share in the commentsI would love to hear from you! And of course, I keep you up to date with my most discoveries.

Winter Skin Good Bye with Eco Tan

This Winter has been feeling extremely long. I am still sipping hot tea next to the heater while typing this, so I guess it's safe to say that I have gotten used to the mild temperatures here in Australia. I am even getting a little bit pale.Naturally I am a medium skin tone, tanning very easily and I do get pretty dark during the Summer months. My skin is yellow toned and I feel it looks best sun kissed. I believe all skin tones are beautiful from the fairest milkiest white to the darkest chocolate brown, and of course we all suit our natural skin tone. As makeup artist I observe skin tones constantly as it's important to find the right colour match when applying makeup. My yellow skin can get a little sallow in Winter so I do prefer a little bit of a tan glow.

I am quite low maintenance (for someone working in the industry) with my personal beauty routine and really like products that work and a beauty routine that I can do at home. While spray tans are super popular here in Sydney (and thank goodness there are now certified organic self tan options available!) I prefer a quick DIY job in my own bathroom.

Self Tanning at home So I was very intrigued when I heard about Winter Skin by Eco Tan. Winter Skin is a lotion in a pump bottle, which is a body moisturizer with a hint of buildable self tan. It's THE solution to just warm up your skin, super easy to use. It has no stinky fake tan smell and keeps the skin hydrated. I simply exfoliate with the Extreme Exfoliating Glove in the shower and use the Winter skin as I would my usual body moisturizer and then wash my hands thoroughly. Done! If your knees, elbows and feet are dry make sure you exfoliate and hydrate them before using any self tan. This one is pretty foll proof though, as the colour is just a believable little hint of tan. No need for a tent or cleaning the bathroom afterwards, just a quick and easy thing to do. It can be used a few days in a row until you achieve the desired colour. Love it! It really helps as well to even out the skin and I feel ready to expose my legs now that Spring is around the corner.I might need a bottle for Summer to even out any tan lines before the wedding...(I will let you know if I do and if it works!) I think this is great for beginners, anyone with very fair skin, or people like me that find it too stressful to go for beauty appointments. If you however want a deep professional spray tan, Eco tan actually has professionals that can do this for you.

Why Organic? If you know me or have read this blog before you know how passionate I am about anything organic. To me it's the best lifestyle to ensure we can sustain this beautiful planet in the future. Organic food and cosmetics protect the environment, the animals and also our own health as humans. Of course I could go on and on why it is so important, but chances are you know this already. Otherwise I might write up a separate blog post.

Of course I all for the quality certified organic ingredients throughout the whole Eco Tan range. It has been tested in Australia to be toxin free and it's also vegan. I recommend this range to all my brides, if they are thinking about getting a fake tan for their wedding day. Of course always book yourself a trial appointment for a tan before the wedding day,so you can confirm the right colour and also make sure you don't have any allergic reactions. Now we can all get a truly healthy glow! In time for Spring...

A date with the bathtub- Weleda Time Machine

The nights are still pretty chilly over here and having worked some late nights lately as well as doing quite some intense yoga sessions, my muscles were in need of a soak and massage.

I haven't even used our bath tub since we moved into our apartment almost a year ago. When I lived in Berlin years ago the bathtub was the place to find me on days off and cold winter nights. I almost forgot how good it feels to have a bath! While the bathtub brings back memories I stepped even further down memory lane by using a beautiful Weleda bath milk. Weleda is one of the brands my hippie parents used when I was little and that I have adored all my life. It's the go to green beauty brand for everyday essentials. We lived in Germany and my Mum who is a Naturopath has always been into organic and green beauty products. Weleda has just brought out a new Arnica Muscle Soak, that called my name. It actually smells of an Swedish Sauna to me, which must be due to the birch, rosemary and lavender used. Where I grew up in Northern Europe saunas are very popular and are part of our culture. By the way: Did you know we recently visited Northern Germany, Denmark & Sweden? If you are interested in Scandinavia and our adventures check out our personal blog here. It's our personal project about happiness, photography and travel but mostly all the small things that make life so wonderful.

But back to my wonderful bath experience: I feel bathtime is one of these special pampering times that are so important for self care, just like meditation or exercise. I think I will continue to have baths until Spring arrives! I soaked for a little while in the warm water before bed and had my bed already warmed up with hot water bottles. I can't even remember a thing, I passed out as soon as I snuggled up. Highly recommended!

"Skin Food" is another hero product by Weleda a healing intensely moisturizing balm, soooooo good for feet, elbows or dry hands! It's one of these cult beauty products that has had no reason to change formula since 1926. It has a huge celebrity following as well and is a staple in many professional makeup kits, including my own, especially during the Winter months. Free from parabens, artificial preservatives, colours and fragrances. Skin Food is not tested on animals and is suitable for vegetarians. (this one is not vegan it does contain lanolin)

Weleda is one of the brands that takes green beauty to the next level, they grow most their ingredients in their own biodynamic organic gardens. Exotic ingredients they usually buy from sustainable fair trade projects, ensuring there are no sprays or pesticides used. This way they ensure that they are able to use only the highest quality ingredients while making sure they are sourced in a way that is ethically, socially and environmentally responsible. Extra green smoothie points from me there ;)

Liv's Holiday Edit & Inflight Beauty Essentials

When you read this I am holidays! We are on a three week Europe trip, on the hunt for the latest in design, organic luxury makeup & skin care we are in Copenhagen & Stockholm to discover the beauty secrets of Scandinavia while enjoying plenty of fikas (the swedish culture of coffee breaks throughout the day!) And also to catch up with family and to spend precious time together.

Here are some of the items I packed in my personal beauty bag for the holidays: Intelligent Nutrients Lip Care - Lip Delivery Antioxidant Gloss in Pink Hibiscus so yummy, healthy, hydrating and just enough colour. Eco Minerals Coco Eyeshadow - the perfect brown shade to be used as eyeliner, brow powder or eyeshadow. LiliLolo Eyeshadow Palette- a beautiful palette of neutrals in a very travel friendly small compact Carol's Beauty Tanning Oil - An all organic oil for a beautiful natural tan, the sunny days in Europe are far and few between, so I can do with a little help. Trilogy Ultra Hydrating Body Cream, very hydrating but also pretty, it contains a little bit of Mica for a healthy sheen, very lovely for the legs. W3ll People Narcissist Foundation Stick concealer & foundation in one in a stick, perfect for travel! Ere Perez Almond Oil Mascara in black- My go to Mascara. Zuii Organics Eyebrow pencil - This one is new for me, it has a great shade and is precise to apply, without the need of a sharpener.

the list goes on.... I am not the best in traveling light, ooooops!

Long flights are pretty though on the skin, mine gets very dehydrated, red and dry, sometimes even flakey. It's important to drink enough water when flying, and to stay away from alcohol and caffeine if possible. In addition have established an in flight beauty routine a few years ago. While the products I use change the ritual stays the same. Look out for products designed for dry and deydrated skin, night cremes, oils and hydrating masks. Collect samples or see if your favourite brands sells travel size products. Many brands to offer little sample sizes which are perfect for your inflight beauty routine. Otherwise you can always get small plastic containers and fill up your own. I just did a MUJI run and stocked up on some more. Of course please make sure all your products are under 100ml each and will not exceed 1liter in total, so they fit into a clear plastic bag.

After Take Off 1. Tie your hair back, apply a little natural oil into the ends to lock in moisture. I use Miskin Organics Silk Oil. 2. Remove any traces of makeup with gentle cleansing water with cotton buds. 3. Spritzing with a hydrating face mist I use La Mav Rose Hydrating Mist, spray into hands and pat into the skin. 4. Applying a layer of night time moisturizer or a clear hydrating creme mask & eye cream and let it sink in. Use a second layer and let it dry. You can leave this on during the whole duration of the flight. May Lindstrom's famous The Blue Cocoon is perfect 5. Apply hand balm (the Z'kin One has saved my hands many many times!) & lip-balm and enjoy your flight!

If you are on a very long flight, feel free to repeat the procedure, when you wake up.

One hour before landing: 1.Refresh the skin with a gentle wipe of cleansing water again. You can do this in the bathroom. 2. Use hydrating face mist as above. Apply day cream of choice. 3. Use a concealer where needed. I use W3LL people concealer stick. 4. Apply a tinted lipbalm or gloss and you are ready to roll.