SMOONSTYLE

Nothing beats a walk in the park to clear your mind and fill your lungs with fresh air.

We are lucky in Germany to experience a very sunny and warm autumn and have the forest at our doorsteps. Comfy shoes and clothes are a must when you dive into nature. 

Being a new mom means almost no time to get ready for the day. Make up needs to be quick and easy. Not much fussing with lots of different eyeshadows and make up brushes.

My basic mommy proof make up products are cream eyeshadows and cream blushes. You can apply them with your fingers and you are ready with your eye make up. Cream blushes can also be applied with your fingers, but I always use my foundation brush to apply it with. 

The key products for this look are MAC Indianwood Paintpot, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua B10, Kryolan Coral cream blush, Shiseido BE333 lipstick.

My 5 minute make up, if V doesn't wake up in between ;)

Sensodyne Tooth Paste Whitening and Normal 75 ML

A staple in my everyday routine. I do prefer the normal above the whitening. Whitening tooth pastes are not the best option when you have sensitive teeth and brush your teeth 4 times a day. It dries out the corners of my mouth.

MAC Studio Fix Powder NW20 15g

My powder foundation since years. Absolutely love it, have switched to NC20 though because it fits my current skin tone better. The coverage is amazing. You can use this on your own or for extra coverage to set the liquid foundation with.

De Tuinen Day and Night Cream Aloe Vera 50 ML

Contains green tea and 70% aloe vera concentrate. A great day and night cream for sensitive mixed skin. Gets absorbed by the skin really well and doesn't leave a sticky layer.

Balea Waterproof Eye Make Up remover 100ML

Great make up remover for waterproof make up. I have switched to Maybelline at the moment because my current mascara needs something stronger.

Kerastase Nutrive  Bain Satin Shampoo 250ML (normal slightly sensitized hair)

This shampoo smells like the typical green soap my grandmother had in her bathroom. You love or hate it. It cleans the hair thoroughly and the scalp a bit too much. I found it to dry out my scalp and that happened every time after I used this shampoo. Won't get it again.

Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Conditioner 250 ML

A great conditioner without paragons, petroleum, mineral oil or artificial colors. It is quite pricy, especially if you have long hair. The scent is amazing. The packaging is a disaster. It is super difficult to open when your hands are wet. I don't like twist caps at all.

Avene Eau Thermale 50 ML

This have been my savior during the super hot summer days. Swelling up like a balloon is no fun. I used this for cooling my body down. You can also use it after you've saved or after a sun burn. I just needed to cool down my inner oven which suffered a lot this summer.

Kryolan Skin Refreshing Spray 50 ML

Thanks to Kryolan I had more options to keep my cool. This skin refreshing spray is super great to wet pigments, or the aqua colors. If you want to get rid of the powdery finish of your make up, it makes it look more natural.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunblock SPF 45 141g

If there something I hate about summer, is to lather on the sunscreen. This is an amazing product. You don't need to use your hands anymore, you can just spray it on. The mist reminds me a lot of the Avene and Kryolan face mists. Super fine and very effective. Unfortunately it is only available in the USA. I will be stocking up on these babies next time I am in America.

Garnier Ambre Solaire Light and Silky Sunscreen SPF 30

Another great option for people that don't like to mess around with lotions. This one still needs some rubbing after spraying it on, but it is not super sticky and has a pleasant scent. Bought this one in the Netherlands.

L'Oreal Hydra Active 3 Make up Remover for dry and sensitive skin 20 ML

This is supposed to be a great dupe for the Bioderma Crealine/Sensibio. It can be cheaper than the Bioderma Sensibio if you don't buy the two pack in France. I always get my Sensibio when I am in Paris and get the double packs. L'Oreal did a great job with the Hydra Active 3, but I still prefer the Bioderma since this product will empty super fast. For traveling I would prefer L'Oreal, but I have been filling up traveling sized bottles with my Sensibio for years now. If you can't get your hands on the Sensibio, this is a good alternative with the same result. It's great for sensitive skin, doesn't irritate and get's rid of most of the make up (non waterproof) really well. I still always wash my face with a face wash after I've taken off the make up with the fluid and cotton pads.

As you might have noticed, my eye make up is going through a pink phase. It instantly brightens up my eyes. One of MAC's most popular, but very unspectacular in the pan, is 'All that Glitters' that has a Veluxe Pearl finish (my favorite). It is a super soft pink eyeshadow that is very natural. A really good option if you don't want to go too extreme.

On the lips I am wearing MAC's Dressmaker Dressmaker. It was a limited edition, but I am sure that it can be found on Ebay.

A super affordable dupe for All that Glitter is a eyeshadow trio from Wet n' Wild called 'Walking on Eggshells'.

I wanted to take the time to inform you about Hypnobirthing and how it has worked for me.

Hypnobirthing stands for a calm, natural birth. You are free of fear and filled with belief that the woman's body is designed to give birth and that it is a beautiful experience. It teaches you to relax your body and conditions to relax once you listen to the relaxation exercises and birth affirmations. The breathing techniques are different to the ones you might know and they do make all the difference. Besides that you don't push the baby out, but exhale while birthing the baby.

It also gives you tips and tricks how to keep your endorphins high and fight the adrenaline. Endorphins are the strongest 'pain killers' there are. Adrenaline on the other hand tenses your body for action. For giving birth it is crucial to relax your body and work with the contractions and to let go of all the tension and enjoy the miracle of giving birth.

The partner plays a vital role during the preparations and actual birth. Unfortunately many men feel like they cannot be of any help during birth, but that is absolutely untrue. The dads are very important for the women to feel at ease. You will be doing this together.

When I discovered that I was pregnant, one of the first thoughts that came to my mind was giving birth and all the stories I've heard about giving birth. So far I've never heard birthing stories that were not filled with excruciating pain and trauma. You will always hear women talk about what went wrong and how much it hurt. They then conclude the story with: 'Don't worry, once the baby is there you have forgotten all about it'. Well, that is reassuring. You first still have to go through hell to then return to heaven on earth. That is quite the journey and I was honestly scared of it.

When one of my dearest friends told me that she was pregnant, too, and wanted to try out Hypnobirthing, I wanted to know more. She was talking so passionately about it so I ordered the book right away. My friend was taking part of the official Hypnobirthing Classes. I first wanted to read the book to see if it was really something for me.

When I decided to also take the classes, I couldn't find anyone who still had space for me. Luckily the woman who was giving the classes in the Netherlands agreed to meet with me on Skype for a couple of sessions. We worked together on some parts and it was nice to just talk to her and release the fear that I attached to giving birth. I felt confident and really wanted to make it work. I was free of fear and really looking forward to it.

Let me tell you that I had the most beautiful birth ever. I practiced the exercises (breathing, relaxation, visualisation etc.), I also bought the music that was used for the relaxation CD and listened to that as often as I could. With and without headphones to also make the baby hear the soothing sounds.

My delivery took only 7 hours after I was induced and Vincent came swimming into the world in the birthing tank. He is a very calm baby. Just as all the other hypnobirthing babies that entered the world in a calm way. I didn't use any pain medication. It was a birth like nature intended it. My endorphins kicked in and there was no pain.

I wish all women the beautiful birth that I had and can wholeheartedly recommend Hypnobirthing for you. Even when you are a sober minded Dutch girl like me. Giving birth doesn't hurt. I tell you that it does work!

One thing that is really important is to write a birthing plan. Describe your ultimate birth and preferences. A lot of women never think about it, but the caretakers at the hospital really appreciate it and can guide you better through your birth. My hospital didn't have a lot of experience with HB and because of my birthing plan they knew what to do and it all turned out wonderful. No weird surprises, all according to my plan.

I would like to thank: Oliver, Linda, Kathrin and Karin for guiding me through this wonderful experience. I could not have done it without you!