L'Oreal/Ken Leanfore
At 30 weeks into her pregnancy, Melanie Vallejo is radiant. Her signature locks are striking – which is no surprise, given that she’s just been named a L’Oréal ambassador, along with model Rachael Finch and singer Dami Im.
The star, who shot to fame on Channel 7 drama Winners and Losers, says she’s had her fair share of makeovers but now goes for more natural looks – taking pride in her features and making very minimal effort with her hair.
“I don’t do too much to it, you know? Like I don’t really dye it! I used to use tongs to curl it, but I’ve been letting it run wild,” she tells WHO.
Vallejo, who lives in New Zealand with her husband Matthew Kingston and their 2-year-old son Sonny, says she’s excited about this chapter in her life.
Meeting for our interview in a champagne bar, the pregnant 39-year-old admits “I miss champagne!”, more than ever before, but she says she is thrilled with herself and the life she leads. Asked if she’s worth it, she jerks her head to one side and gives a toothy grin before answering: “Damn straight I’m worth it! I am very pregnant, get out of my way. Someone hand me pasta.”
Vallejo – who is expecting a girl – admits this pregnancy is “harder because you have to run after a toddler”, but when she found out the gender of her second child, pampering her daughter was at the forefront of her mind.
“I’m like, I can do her hair. Oh my God – all of my hairdressing skills would have been wasted if I had a boy,” she quips.
Vallejo is tight-lipped about any potential names, but she happily reveals her son’s reaction to his mother’s growing baby bump.
“He talks about the baby, and he’ll say ‘have to be gentle’, and I’ll say ‘yes, we have to be gentle with Mummy’s tummy’. He has been asking for an older sister, and I’m like, ‘you’re getting a younger sister’. But no, he gets it and he’s excited, which is good!” she shares.
At the moment she’s enjoying every moment with her firstborn but says her key to juggling motherhood is self-care.
“My mother and I used to joke … kind of seriously, though, but also half-jokingly, and say ‘Babe, you deserve it! Have that.’ So [it’s] that notion that you’re a better mum if you look after yourself,” she says.
While she’s expecting a new baby, Vallejo says she’s very keen to get back into acting and is feeling more empowered as a woman heading into her forties come October.
“I’m actually looking forward to that … Traditionally for women it’s a big milestone. I think a lot of women I respect and look up to, they just kind of get better – you get more confident and you give far less f–ks.
“You just know what you like, and you know yourself better. Yeah, you take less crap,” she continues.
The former Power Rangers Mystic Force actor also revealed her agent is keen for her to return to acting.
“My agent said ‘Come back now … This is the last kid right? We’ll do a job in between if you’re going to have another one.’ But no, I think this will be the last kid and then [I’ll] get back on the screen.”
For more on Melanie Vallejo, pick-up a copy of WHO on-sale now!
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