THE MODEL SERIES: MEGAN GALE

But like any working mum, Megan is well and truly back in the career game.

Here, Gritty Pretty caught up with the Australian L’Oréal Paris ambassador to talk both beauty and babies.

GP: Congratulations on the arrival of River! How have the past seven months been?

MG: “It’s been completely life-changing. It’s certainly been for the better but in a lot of ways, it’s been a huge learning curve. Suddenly, I had this little soul I had to dedicate everything to but, like everyone else, I only have twenty-four hours in a day so it’s been an experience trying to figure out how to balance my time, look after him, spend time with my partner, work and do everything else. It’s been a huge learning experience for Shaun and I. River is so incredible and we’re so in love with him.”

GP: Now that you’re a mother, has your outlook on life changed?

MG: “I don’t sweat the small stuff anymore, that’s for sure. [River] completely comes first. Family is precious, special and important so when you become a mother, your priorities definitely shift.”

GP: When you were pregnant, was your beauty routine different?

MG: “I applied a pure, organic oil (sweet almond, wheatgerm or jojoba oil) morning and night and I didn’t get a single stretch mark. I thought I might because I’m obviously very tall and when I was 14 or 15 years old, I shot up very quickly and I got some stretch marks. Now, they’ve faded over time as they do so I thought I was going to be prone to them whilst pregnant, however, I’ve been lucky. Also, some women get really strong nails while they’re pregnant but mine became quite brittle so I didn’t wear nail polish all that often.”

GP: Now that you’re a mother, what is your beauty regimen like now?

MG: “It’s a lot quicker. It’s a lot smarter, time-savvy and condensed. If I get to brush my hair, I’m doing pretty well [laughs]. There’s the little things I do to save time like using dry shampoo and popping my hair into a top-knot. I try to do quick and easy hairstyles because bubby is grabbing my hair a lot now so I often throw it up and back a lot. If I was going to have coffee with a friend, I’ll pop on a little bit of concealer where I need it, some bronzer and blush and maybe a bold red lip colour. If I get time, I’ll quickly coat my lashes in L’Oréal Paris Volume Million Lashes Mascara and that’s it. [It’s] super quick.”

GP: You’ve met some of L’Oréal Paris’ global ambassadors. Are there any of them that you were particularly taken with?

MG: “They’re all so amazing. Meeting Jane Fonda was a highlight – I was very keen to meet her. She asked me a few questions about Australia and she told me she had been to the Great Barrier Reef. She has a real presence about her – [she’s] quite regal. She holds herself very well and is extremely elegant and sophisticated. Cheryl Cole is also incredibly beautiful – her face is insane. I love that L’Oréal Paris’ ambassadors are all different women – different ages, complexions and personalities. Standing on the red carpet with them at Cannes Film Festival was a real “wow” moment for me. I definitely felt like the odd one out. It was like I had won tickets to go or something [laughs]. That’s what it felt like. I would also love to meet Blake Lively next!”

GP: Naomi Watts is L’Oreal Paris’ newest ambassador. Do you two know each other?

MG: “It’s so exciting! I haven’t met her but it would be great to. She’s an incredible, talented actress.”

GP: Tell us – what’s next for you in 2015?

MG: “We’re looking to push Isola by Megan Gale into the overseas market. With River, I try to stay across the brand as much as I can and luckily for me, it’s a job that I can do a lot of from home. I really want to enjoy the first year of River’s life as much as I can and try to be as hands on as I can be while balancing it with work. I’ve got some great campaigns I’m working on with L’Oreal Paris for the first half of the year and Mad Max: Fury Road is finally coming out. I had a goosebump moment seeing the trailer. Because I had a small role, I did not expect the make the cut in the preview. I’ve obviously seen my scenes but I haven’t seen the film in its entirety so I’m really excited about that. It’s a really exciting time.”

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