Credit: Mike Kobal
Kenza Fourati is five months pregnant with her first child from her husband, Ayman Mohyeldin— a television journalist for NBC— who she tied the knot to in an intimate wedding ceremony in Georgia in April. The Tunisian beauty, who currently resides in New York, was the first Arab Muslim model to appear on Sports Illustrated. Fourati started her modeling career at the age of 16 after winning the Elite Model Look competition. She went on to walk the runway for renowned designers such as Armani, Céline, and Valentino among others and front the pages of international fashion magazines including Vogue Paris, Elle and Grazia. Here, she talks to Vogue Arabia about her pregnancy skincare regime, stretchmark prevention, and how writing letters to her unborn child relaxes her mind.
On Her Skincare Regime
My skincare routine is pretty minimal. My must-have products are rose water, witch hazel, Embryolisse Crème, and Dr. Colbert’s Eye Cream. Since I got pregnant, my skin got significantly more radiant and my hair thicker, so I keep my makeup pretty streamlined. I’m a firm believer that your lifestyle plays a key role in the state of your complexion. Living in a polluted city like New York, I try to go on hikes upstate as much as I can.
On Preventing Stretch Marks
After a shower, I slather my limbs with coconut oil or rose oil and pat dry. I use a dry brush to exfoliate several times a week to keep my skin smooth. Before bed, I apply Ducray’s Ictyane Crème.
On Working Out
Ironically, I’ve been working out more now that I’m pregnant. I opt for Pilates and prenatal yoga regularly, and avoid the more aggressive workouts I used to do, like boxing.
On Diets
My husband and I are both foodies, so we want to make it a point to expose our child to different cuisines, even while still in the womb. With him [my husband] being Egyptian-Palestinian, and me being Tunisian, Middle Eastern and North African cuisine holds a special spot in my heart.
On How She Relaxes
Early in the pregnancy I experienced intense bouts of mood swings, and yoga definitely cleared my mind. Long walks with my dog and writing letters to my unborn child also helped in soothing me.
