Yahoo Lifestyle Megan Gale Talks Beauty, Motherhood And Perspective
Megan Gale. Photo: Getty Images.
Congratulations on becoming a mother! How are you finding work/life balance at the moment, and how has your beauty regime changed?
Thank you! I'm just getting back into it, so I think it will take a little while for everything to really gel, but so far, so good!
In terms of beauty, there's definitely a lot less time for it (laughs). It's a selfless job being a mum. It's nice to be pampered, but my baby is my number one priority, and that's how it should be.
As time goes on and he gets a bit more into a routine, I think it'll get easier. I'm all about time management right now!
Which beauty products are you addicted to right now?
Definitely dry shampoo. I don't have the time I used to when it comes to things like washing my hair! I'm also using concealer, blush and bronzer much more. I'm lucky that I have a whole host of L'Oreal products at my fingertips.
In terms of going out or creating a look, I like to focus on my eyes, so I use lashings of mascara.
How about skincare?
I'm really impressed with the new L'Oreal Revitalift Laser product. I love the whole concept of correct and protect. Prevention is really key when it comes to skincare. I've been lucky with my pregnancy in that I haven't had any breakouts or pigmentation, which a lot of women suffer from. I went the opposite way. My skin is actually the best it's ever been, so I was very lucky in that sense.
L'Oreal Paris recently signed 69-year old Helen Mirren as an ambassador in the UK - what are your thoughts on that?
L'Oreal have almost been the pioneers in encouraging people to look towards women who are a bit older - I mean look at Jane Fonda, who's 74, and Andy McDowell, who must be in her 50s. I think that's incredible - obviously the brand has its younger ambassadors like Barbara Palvin, and then the more mid-range like myself and Naomi Watts - but in an industry that is so youth-focused, it's so refreshing and inspiring that these women are being held up as ambassadors.
marie claire recently won Fashion Magazine Cover Of The Year - while you were on it! How do you feel about that?
I was so happy! For so many reasons. Firstly, because it was something that I agonized over - it wasn't just me being photographed pregnant; I was also nude. And that was really confronting for me. While I really wanted to celebrate my pregnancy, I knew it would have the potential to create controversy or backlash. I didn't want to offend anyone.
But once I made the decision to do it, I was so passionate about it. It was also really important for me to have a great team, which of course I had with Jackie and the rest of the magazine. I knew it would be incredible. And then to be rewarded for it was truly amazing. I was thrilled.
The May issue of marie claire with Megan Gale on the cover.
Working in media, do you feel pressure to always look so good? Or are you able to keep everything in perspective?
I definitely keep it in perspective. Your mind does start to go, 'oh my god, I'm getting back into work again', and you've got cameras where there aren't meant to be any.
We went on holidays a couple of weeks ago and the whole time I didn't get a chance to go into the ocean. For me, that's just not on - I've got to have at least one swim!
So we were up in Noosa and we found this private beach that you literally had to scale down a cliff to get to. Shaun (Hampson, Megan's partner) and I took off early in the morning and climbed down there and it was just beautiful.
But we'd been in the water for three minutes when Shaun spotted a photographer hiding in the bushes.
It was my first time in a bikini since giving birth and I felt very vulnerable. It's not like I'm not used to it, but because I was on holiday I wasn't expecting it.
While you do feel self-conscious and you aren't necessarily the same physically before you had a baby, you do have to put it into perspective and just go, 'my god, I grew a human in me. My body did weird, incredible things getting him out of me and I'm feeding him still'. You can't put too much pressure on yourself - how important is it to look the way you did before? If you don't, it's not a big deal. For me, it's not about being thinner again, it's about being strong and resilient and healthy and fit so I can look after my son.
If you could go back and give advice to your younger self, what would you say?
That's such a great question, I need to have a great answer for it! (laughs). Do you know what though? I don't think I would say anything, because I believe the way life throws things at you is meant to happen. I don't think you should have regrets. That's what life is about - your mistakes shape you in a certain way, so you become the person you're meant to be.
