A former Vogue beauty editor on postpartum hair and the £9 moisturiser she'd recommend
MUMISH Meets... Lisa Niven-Phillips
Like clothes, my relationship with beauty has changed such a lot since becoming a mum. I was wholly unprepared for how much my skin and hair would change - and not just throughout pregnancy and during the fourth trimester, but still now, nearly a year and half after my second baby. Lots of product that used to work don't anymore, and there's new stuff I’m thinking about when I look in the mirror. Mainly how to no look so tired.
There's also so much I no longer have time for. I don't need to tell you how precious and scarce getting-ready time is once you have a baby, so I’ve had to reassess and figure out what the essentials are. What can I really not leave the house without doing and what can I let slide. Efficiency plays a much bigger role now.
But then there's also a level of indulgence that feels more important. The little luxuries that make me feel human again after a full-on week. And like my body is still mine and not just the kids’.
On the issue of beauty and babies, there's a lot going on. Which is why I'm delighted to have beauty journalist Lisa Niven-Phillips as my next MUMISH Meets.
Lisa was a beauty editor at British Vogue for seven years, before going freelance and writing for The Guardian, Harper’s Bazaar and Porter Magazine, among others, as well as working with several luxury brands. She really knows her stuff. But where beauty can often get a bit faffy, Lisa keeps it down-to-earth and easy-to-follow.
She's also a lovely friend of mine. We had our first babies during the Covid lockdown of 2020, and spent our maternity leave walking around London Fields in the cold and rain, trying to get the babies to sleep and chugging back coffee as we swapped notes on feeding, nap routines (or lack there of) and wine consumption.
AND she always smells clean and looks glowy. So here we go… MUMISH Meets Lisa Niven-Phillips.
FG: How many kids do you have and how old are they?
LN-P: Two. Willem is almost four, and Joel is one and a bit.
FG: How has your approach to beauty changed since having children?
LN-P: I think I cared more about how I looked previously, whereas I’ve relaxed a lot since having children. Partly because I barely ever look in the mirror now - if I turn my back for more than 30 seconds my youngest will be making a beeline for some sort of hazard. In practical terms, I am definitely drawn to easy, multi-tasking make-up, and a sort of daily beauty “uniform” I can apply without having to think about it. I’ve never spent ages on my hair and make-up - I’ve always been fairly lazy in that sense, despite my job - but now I really value speedy solutions.
FG: Is there anything you didn't use or do before having a baby that you do now - and vice versa?
LN-P: Mascara has gone from being a daily staple to something I wear perhaps a couple of times a week. I stopped wearing it in the newborn days with my first, when my life felt upside-down, but now I quite like the mascara-free look, so just wear it when I feel like it. If I’m going out it’s an easy way to upgrade my “day” make-up. I like Glossier Lash Slick and Merit Clean Lash, which both have a really natural look.
One thing I do now that I didn’t before is moisturising my body from top to toe every single day. I started in pregnancy, and then I liked the ritual, so it’s something I’ve kept going. It feels like the least I can do for myself, in terms of self-care! I’m not into scented body lotions or oils, I just like a fragrance-free, ultra-hydrating body lotion that makes your skin really soft. Naturium’s Bio-Lipid Body Lotion is great, as is Kiehl’s Creme de Corps. Honestly, I just love the basic Aveeno lotion which I also use on the kids.
FG: So much happens to skin and hair during pregnancy and postpartum. Can you share what changes you experienced and which products helped?
LN-P: My hair has had a hard time. I’ve always had quite easy-to-care-for hair, and lots of it, so when the usual postpartum hair loss kicked in I wasn’t really worried. But what I wasn’t ready for was the regrowth… Around seven months after having a baby I basically get sideburns, and a halo of frizz from all the new, short hair poking through. I’d love to say I have a solution for that, but really it’s a waiting game. The main thing for me both times was to look after the condition of my hair - I am obsessed with The Body Shop’s Banana Hair Mask, which smells utterly delicious and really works - and smooth down the frizziest bits with Hershesons’ Almost Everything Cream.
FG: Traditionally there hasn't been a lot of conversation around what happens to your body during the fourth trimester - so much came as a surprise to me. However, it feels like there are more beauty/self-care brands helping to illuminate things, Frida Mom being an example. As both an industry insider and a mum, what's your take on this?
LN-P: I agree, Frida Mom is great. What I particularly like is that the product names are pretty no-fuss - postpartum isn’t a time for euphemisms or trying to make very un-cute things seem cute! Their Instagram is great too, for demystifying the fourth trimester and talking openly about things like stitches, scars, and breastfeeding. They’ve really pitched it right.
As well as brands, I think there has been a huge rise in individuals - celebrities, influencers and also just my friends - being honest about what really goes on in that period. Sagging skin, c-section scars and stretch marks were things we never really saw on Instagram previously, whereas now we’re all used to a birth announcement being followed up by a selfie of a new mother in disposable underwear. Ashley Graham has been really transparent about a lot of the challenges, as has Chrissy Teigen, and recently Suki Waterhouse. It’s great. I feel very fortunate to have been given some idea of what was to come, thanks to this sort of honesty, and that of my friends.
FG: It's impossible getting to the beauty salon with small kids. What is your top at-home treatment tip?
LN-P: It is, but wow it feels great when you manage it! I love to get a gel mani when I have the chance, but I recently started using Manucurist’s Green Care nail range in between salon visits. There’s this Active Glow product which acts as a base coat, nail tint and top coat in one, as well as offering care benefits - so great for looking after nails between manis. It’s very speedy and no-fuss, and just makes me feel a bit more polished.
FG: My top pre-birth beauty tip is to get a brow tint as it helps make you look more pulled together when you're tired and not wearing make-up. What's yours?
LN-P: All I’m saying is, I got a palm-green pedicure while waiting for my overdue first baby, and the colour proved a real talking point during labour!
FG: Can you talk me through your everyday morning beauty routine.
LN-P: First on my face after cleansing is a vitamin C serum for brightening and antioxidant protection - Skinceuticals C E Ferulic is my favourite. Then it’s a really great hyaluronic acid serum - Skinceuticals again, or there’s a good La Roche-Posay one - and a thin layer of lightweight moisturiser on top if I feel my skin needs it. I’m a bit of a minimalist when it comes to skincare - I hate the feeling of loads of layers of product, and can also get quite shiny.
Make-up begins with an SPF, usually Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen because it’s non-greasy (although to my nose it smells like socks). Then I use Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturiser, which I have loved for ages and ages. It’s such a perfect amount of coverage for an enhanced natural look, and it blends in really well. If my skin tone is uneven and blotchy I use IT Cosmetics’s CC Cream instead, which offers good but still natural-looking coverage. Then I put a bit of Glossier’s Stretch Balm concealer on my permanent dark circles - it’s semi-sheer, so you can’t really go wrong with it.
I apply all of my make-up with my fingers, and often whilst someone under the age of five is trying to get my attention, so I need it to be able to withstand some quite slapdash application. I finish my skin with Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder, which is honestly a dream product. It’s just the most perfect highlighter/powder/bronzer, and in the best shades. I use the Luminous Light shade across the top of my forehead, bridge of my nose and across my eyelids, like a contour product, then also on my cheekbones in place of blush. It makes me look so much more alive, it’s magic. Then a brow mascara - the Kosas one is good, or Glossier Boy Brow.
FG: What is your ultimate treat-yourself product?
LN-P: I love a bath - more now I’m a mother than ever - and all of the Aromatherapy Associates oils are brilliant. I also really like the Susanne Kaufmann Bath Oil For The Senses, which is a real splurge, but smells incredible.
FG: Favourite kids or for-all-the family product?
LN-P: My eldest son is quite eczema-prone, and after trying loads of stuff, it’s the basic Aveeno lotion that what works best for him. I put it on my youngest too, and myself. I also really rate the Weleda Baby Shampoo and Body Wash, and particularly love that it’s everything you need for bath time in just one product.
FG: What could you not parent without?
LN-P: My friends with similar-aged kids. Honestly, I don’t know how people do it without a circle of really honest, no-bullshit friends going through the same stuff at the same time. Them, and snacks.
FG: What would you like to share with other mums?
LN-P: It was my dad, actually, that said to me “if you’re doing your best, then you’re doing enough”. That felt so good to hear in the early newborn days with my first, when I felt totally overwhelmed by the responsibility and all the unknowns. So hopefully that could be helpful to somebody else, too.
The Edit
Aveeno Daily Moisturising Body Lotion, £9.50
Glossier Stretch Balm Concealer, £22
Manucurist Active Glow Polish, £16
La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Hyaluronic acid serum, £36
The Body Shop Banana Truly Nourishing Hair Mask, £18
Two more things…
It's sunny! Let's drink rosé! I adore Mirabeau (Provencal, the perfect pale peachy blush, hints of fruit but not too sweet) but it's usually quite pricey. However, the below is currently on offer for a tenner at Ocado, Sainsbury's and Waitrose. I’m stockpiling to see me through the rest of summer.
I spotted one of the nursery mums in the pub the other day wearing a pair of red Mary Jane flats and – ooof, they looked great. She’d styled them really simply with mid-wash blue jeans, a shirt and a big leather tote. I can also imagine them with a black summer dress. Or denim shorts and a cotton blouse. These are from Flabelus (£98) - a chic handmade Spanish shoe brand that I’ve heard good things about. They have a non-slip rubber sole and comfort cushioned lining, so good for on-the-go days. As they're linen, I wouldn’t wear them in the rain, but I think lovely as a sandal alternative for the rest of the summer and into autumn.
That’s all for now. You’re doing great, Frankie x
such a great piece for a new mom trying to get her sea legs on her new life (me)! popping into the comments to evangelize UltraViolette SkinScreen, to absolutely anyone of any skin type or color but perhaps esp. to Ms. Niven-Phillips who relies on her SuperGoop but feels it smells like socks. (I am not an influencer by any means, except in the very specific and non-lucrative way I want to influence you to try it! https://ultraviolette.co.uk/products/supreme-screen-spf50 )
Great piece. Many link clicking for the recommendations. I know nothing. X