Former Miss Australia Titleholder, Survivor Contestant and Psychology Graduate

Photography: Melinda Cartmer. Hair & Makeup: Georgia Hull. Styling: Liv Rahme.

Beauty Citizen: Well, you’ve been a busy young lady, congratulations on your new addition, the divine Luka.

Monika Radulovic: Ohh yes, I certainly have, and thank you so much! Motherhood has honestly been incredible so far! Luka is a little angel.

BC: We love the pregnancy story you shot with Mel for Beauty Citizen, thank you! You look absolutely amazing, was your pregnancy as good as you looked?!!

MR: I have to say that I was beyond lucky during my pregnancy. I was one of those rare women who didn’t have morning sickness or any crazy food cravings or aversions. I also had great energy throughout and my hormones felt balanced (apart from a handful of crying breakdowns) so I felt really normal and like myself apart from growing a baby.

However, my pregnancy wasn’t totally perfect, don’t worry; in the final 2 months I suffered from crazy swollen legs and feet (Shrek feet as they were affectionately called) and in the final few weeks I had bad sciatica pain in my right side which meant every step I took was excruciatingly painful and by the end of it I literally couldn’t leave the house because of how painful walking even a few steps was!

BC: Let’s chat about pregnancy and postpartum hormones, apart from the obvious, did you find it affected your skin and hair in a negative/ positive way?

MR: I didn’t have anything too drastic change with my skin and hair. However, funnily enough, I remember that backne (back acne) was one of the very first pregnancy symptoms I had! It popped up as soon as I found out I was pregnant at 4 weeks, with the top half of my back completely covered in pimples almost overnight. And then a few weeks later it disappeared just as quickly. And my hair has been amazing actually; it doesn’t get anywhere near as oily as it used to which means it stays looking fresh for longer. Even now being postpartum, I only need to wash my hair every 1.5 weeks or so! That’s crazy for me because before pregnancy I’d have to wash it every second day to stop the roots from looking oily.

BC: How did you deal with the hormone changes, did you have to alter your skincare routine to accommodate these changes?

MR: No, I could continue to use the same skincare routine throughout my pregnancy, which essentially was a collection of natural, organic products from MooGoo and Inika, as well as pure Rosehip and Tamanu oils.

BC: After a baby, the luxury of time is definitely impacted, what are your ‘post baby’ time-saving beauty tips… because you still look insanely gorgeous

MR: Oh, that is SO sweet of you to say! For me, doing a few quick things to my face in the morning makes all the difference and helps me feel more confident and put together. These include brushing my eyebrows and filling them in, curling my lashes and adding some Inika bronzer and highlighter (both organic and toxin-free) which I feel really helps give my face a natural, healthy glow. I then finish off my everyday look with my favourite Burt’s Bees tinted lip balm (in rose) which gives my lips the most beautiful colour while keeping them hydrated.

BC: Obviously, as a psychology grad, mental health is super important to you, how do you keep yourself so grounded and sane in the fashion and beauty world where comparison is the thief of joy?

MR: That’s one of my all-time favourite quotes; that comparison is the thief of joy- it’s SO true! Basically, I always try to stay in my own lane; to focus on what’s going on in my life instead of looking out at what others are doing and comparing myself to them. Sometimes that’s much easier said than done especially with social media being at our fingertips 24/7, so when I find myself starting to feel bad about myself or my life as I’m scrolling through Instagram, I turn it off and name 5 things that I’m grateful for in that moment. It’s virtually impossible to feel bad and grateful at the same time!

BC: You won Miss Universe Australia 2015 and went on the represent in the world arena, incredible!. What was the journey like to that point?

MR: It was such an incredible, whirlwind journey and experience being Miss Universe Australia and representing my country on the international stage (The Miss Universe competition was the second most-watched event after the world cup!) It was such an adventure and so much fun!

BC: How did winning that prestigious event impact your life?

MR: It opened up the door to so many amazing experiences. Before that point, I was modelling full-time, so being Miss Universe Australia gave me a platform to speak my mind about the things I’m passionate about, and represent the brands I genuinely believe in as “Monika” not just a brunette that happens to fit the model brief. It was really empowering and started my current career. I’m forever grateful for the whole experience.

BC: You then went on to compete in Celebrity Survivor Australia. That’s one crazy show, mentally and physically, was it as unforgiving as it looks?

MR: Ohh my gosh I still can’t believe I did that! It was by far the most challenging experience of my life and really pushed me to my limits both mentally and physically. And what you see on tv is what you get- a minuscule amount of rice and beans for food, sleeping outside on the ground and having the same 5 pieces of clothing to wear for 2 months! But I have to say I’m SO proud of myself for getting out of my comfort zone and never giving up. And I lasted 46 out of 50 days before getting voted out which isn’t too bad for someone who had never even gone camping before!

BC: No facials and blow-dries on that show!!!

MR: Haha, definitely not! But I have to say; I didn’t wash my hair or face with anything but sea water and obviously had no beauty products, but my skin has never been so good! It was literally flawless and so soft. And my hair (for not being shampooed for almost 2 months) was in such great condition! The sun, saltwater and Fijian humidity did wonders it seems!

BC: If you went on survivor again and you could take 3 beauty products, what would they be?

MR: Definitely my favourite Burt’s Bees tinted lip balm, some coconut oil to moisturise my face and body (and cook with- I love a multi-purpose product!) and a razor would have been nice- I didn’t have a chance to get laser hair removal beforehand so my underarms and legs had seen smoother days by the end of my time on the island!

BC: Now, you are a total babe! Talk us through your morning beauty routine…

MR: Super simple, especially now with little Luka. I cleanse my face in the shower, apply a serum and moisturiser and follow it with my quick and easy daytime makeup look (as I described above). Nothing too exciting but it works!

BC: What’s the best skincare tip someone has ever given you?

MR: Good skin comes from within; what you put into your body and your lifestyle truly affects the health and appearance of your skin.

BC: And your secret to that flawless skin?

MR: As boring as it sounds; I drink lots of water to hydrate and plump up the skin, and always wear sunscreen on my face when I’m out and about. One skin secret I swear by is drinking collagen peptides every single day which helps to boost my skin’s collagen from the inside out (it also helps prevent stretch marks so I amped it up during pregnancy).

BC: favourite foundation, mascara, bronzer, blush, lipstick and brow product?

MR: I have to say, the majority of makeup I’ve been using over the past year has been by INIKA. I love that their range is completely natural and non-toxic (which is really important to me) and all the products are fantastic so I highly recommend them.

BC: You have fabulous hair, we'd say that gorgeous beachy-wave is your go-to style, how do you achieve that on a day to day basis?

MR: I just use a curling tong by GHD to achieve the actual waves (I just curl the sections freehand, with no distinct separators). Then once the waves have been achieved I spray the look with Moroccanoil’s Dry Texture Spray (my fave!) and finish the look with some dry shampoo in the roots for added volume.

BC: Can you share any hair hacks you have learned from the pro’s along the way?

MR: That dry shampoo can do everything! From years of being in the styling chair with talented hairdressers and stylists, I’ve seen it utilised in many ways. As well as being a hair refresher in between washes, it’s also great for adding volume to clean hair and I sometimes even spray it all over after styling my hair; it gives great texture and volume. Another tip I’ve taken away is to take the “less is more” approach with many hairstyles. I’ve really taken to the effortless hair trend after having my hair styled like this so often by hairstylists (as opposed to really meticulously perfect styled hair). So now I don’t worry as much about getting an immaculate style and embrace the imperfect, laid back look.

BC: You’re a natural beauty, what’s your daily makeup routine?

MR: Thank you so much! Basically the day to day look I described earlier; brush my brows, curl my lashes and add some bronzer, highlighter and tinted lip balm.

BC: What’s your night out makeup/ hair look?

MR: As above, but I’ll put on some foundation first and add a winged eyeliner and mascara for some eye drama. I love a bold red lip too!

BC: Thank you so much for chatting with us Monika and for sharing the gorgeous images of your baby bump.