Home and Away’s Ada Nicodemou’s best tips for new mums

Ada Nicodemou is one of Australia’s most-loved televisions stars. And even though she enters our lounge rooms every weeknight under the guise of Home and Away’s Leah Patterson-Baker, she’s not just an actress, she’s also a mum. And a new one at that.

bh’s Cherie recently sat down with the stunning Australian TV star at the launch of Johnson’s Baby Mum to Mum Project (an app that allows mums to chat honestly and share their wisdom on motherhood), and it turns out Ada is not only full of refreshingly real advice after the birth of her son Johnas, she’s also obsessed with beauty products. Yep, we love her even more now…

beautyheaven: How did the reality of motherhood differ to your views pre-baby?
Ada Nicodemou: I was really surprised that it didn’t come naturally to me. I thought this baby was just going to pop out and I’d know instantly what to do. I thought I was going to be the best mother in the world and he was going to be the best baby, but it didn’t happen like that. The reality isn’t how it’s generally portrayed in the media, and I was really astounded by that.

bh: What has been the hardest thing about becoming a mother?
AN: I’m a real control freak, so the fact that I’m now not in control of situations like when he sleeps, and when he doesn’t, is the hardest thing for me. There’s no guide book that comes with a child, so you’re always second guessing yourself. Going back to work was much easier because I know how to do this, I know exactly what to do, and I’ve learnt all of my lines. You can try to do everything right with a baby, but then it still might not work. 

bh: Do you think the new Johnson’s Baby Mum to Mum Project app will allow other mums to feel confident about speaking up if they’re have trouble navigating their way through motherhood?
AN: Little quotes of pieces of advice are so important when you’re a new mum, and this app is perfect for that. You may see something that makes you laugh, you may learn something new, and it might even remind you that you’re human. I think it’s really important to hear what other mum’s are saying, because they’re probably going through the same thing as you. As women, we really need to reach out to other women more. That’s why this app is so important.

Ada Nicodemou with bh’s Cherie

bh: Do you have any advice on how to maintain your relationship with your partner post-baby?
AN: I had all these ideas of what we were going to do after we had Johnas, like have one date night a week, but you honestly don’t have time. Well, we don’t. My husband works at night as he’s a chef, I work during the day, and we don’t use daycare. We’re all so busy looking after him at the moment, so we don’t really have a lot of time for ourselves. But that will come.

bh: Do you have any favourite baby beauty products?
AN: Well, I actually do use a lot of Johnson’s Baby product. I like to do the whole bedtime routine, so I’ll bath him with Johnson’s Baby Bedtime Bath, which contains the lavender essential oils that I love, and then I’ll massage him.

bh: What are your favourite beauty products?
AN: I’m a real product junkie, so I love a good product. I can’t go past a good body moisturiser, because I love to moisturise my body. It’s one of my rules – no matter how late I’m running, I will always moisturise my body. I love Armani foundations,  and I’ve just started using Rationale skincare. Its products contain active ingredients and they really work.

bh: Finally, how do you keep your hair so long and healthy at the same time?
AN: Well I’m really lucky, I’ve just got good hair. But I always use really good products on my hair, I always use treatments, and I get regular cuts. Sometimes my hair gets blow-dried three to four times a day on set, so I’m very lucky to have such good hair after twenty or so years of acting. 

Are you a fan of Home and Away? Did you enjoy Ada Nicodemou’s comments on what it’s actually like to be a new mum? And if you’re a mum, do you struggle with motherhood sometimes?

Cherie got PhotoReady using…

Face
Revlon PhotoReady Skinlights Face Illuminator in 200 Pink Light
Revlon PhotoReady Makeup in Shell
Revlon PhotoReady Concealer in 003 Light/Medium
Revlon PhotoReady Powder in 010 Fair/Light

Eyes
Revlon PhotoReady Primer, Shadow + Sparkle in 501 Metropolitan 
Revlon PhotoReady 3D Volume Mascara in Black Waterproof

Cheeks
Revlon PhotoReady Crème Blush in 200 Flushed Rougissant