It’s no secret that I became a mom in the height of the pandemic, back in 2021. Having your first child is a life milestone, one that is life changing. Once you have a child, you have a young human being entirely dependent on you, and it’s your actual job to keep that baby alive and healthy and raise them to be a functioning, contributing member of society.
No wonder so many young women these days do not want to have children! It’s a huge responsibility. To be very honest, ever since I started noticing a trend that young women were saying they did not want children, especially during the pandemic I was both dismayed and perplexed. Children are a blessing and nothing else in life will allow you to grow like becoming a parent–if you are willing to really give of yourself and embrace your new role as a parent and not try and cling to the days of your youth.
But that’s a topic for another day I think. Today’s topic is how to continue to present a presentable face to world as a mom. And of course, no woman ever needs a full face of make up in order to present herself to the world. But women have been finding ways to beautify themselves for centuries (millennia? probably) so let’s not pretend that make up isn’t something that makes most of us feel put together and beautiful.
Motherhood, however, can mean that some of our routines for getting ready for the day become more challenging. Hence, we need to modify those routines. One of the things I needed to do was make my routine quicker. And that’s what I’m here to share with you today: how to speed up your routine.
Less is More
I have always loved playing with colour and products. I’ve used nearly every make up there is: primers, concealers, foundation, powder, BB creams, blushes, eyeshadows and so much more. But after a while of experimenting and using a variety of products I caught on to something, and I’m here to tell you that less is more. You really do not need a ton of products or a lot of time for your make up routine. I have a small number of products I use regularly and they are enough for day and night looks and really, all I ever really use now.
Because let’s face it ladies, unless we are going on camera, we don’t need as much as the industry would like to sell us. If you are a public figure and regularly put your face on camera as a Youtuber, you are definitely going to want to do a fuller face, but otherwise I would suggest skipping a lot of the products and keeping it real simple.
What products do you need then?
This is what I use:
- powder foundation
- blush
- highlighter
- mascara
- brow pencil
- lip colour
I think you can agree, that’s not a lot. And if I’m being really honest, I often skip the highlighter, which I generally only place on my nose anyway. So essentially, after washing my face, I put on a mineral powder which has good coverage, then I layer on my blush and highlighter and quickly do my brows and lashes. Then I put on some sort of lip colour–sometimes a gloss, sometimes a bolder lipstick, and then I’m off. If I’m feeling extra fancy or have some place to go, I will do my eyes by beginning with eyeshadow and eyeliner and then finishing off with mascara. But if I’m just going to work, or heading out to run errands with my son, I skip that nine times out of ten.
Build In Extra Time
So, my first tip less is more, is the most important I think. But, I really have found it necessary to do more than just minimize my make up routine. I also make sure I have enough time to do my makeup. While putting on such a minimal amount of make up doesn’t take a lot of time, it does take five to ten minutes to do, especially if I fudge the mascara. So I make sure that I give myself that time by either doing it while my son and husband are otherwise occupied, or getting up a little earlier to do it. This way, my hubby isn’t waiting around with my son while I’m trying to rush with my mascara wand. Honestly, the only time I get up earlier to do my make up is if I’m going to work, so it’s not like I’m always putting off sleep to get something–whether make up or something else–done. I love and need my sleep and I make sure I get it.
Where do you find that extra time?
Get up fifteen minutes earlier. Get ready before you need to (as in, way before you get your kids ready for that birthday party) and the last one I use is to do my make up in stages. So I might do my powered and blush and then apply my mascara and brow pencil later on before I head out the door.
Quality Products
Tip number three is one I strongly believe in. Buy quality products! If you have good quality products, it’ll apply quicker and stay put. Plus, quality products allow you to use less of them and contain less toxins. I really dislike the idea of using personal care products that contain chemicals so I try and buy products that are as clean as possible. I personally prefer a mineral powder and while I have a two in one cheek and lip tint in a solid stick form, I still prefer a powder blush. Having good quality make up, is in my opinion, key to being able to achieve the look you want quickly and effortlessly. I have switched a lot of my make up over to Mineral Fusion but I still use brands like Two Faced for lip colours as I still tend to prefer lipsticks over glosses and tints etc.
And investing in quality brushes is a game changer too. I don’t use a lot of brushes, really just a powder brush, a blush brush (I like the angled ones) and then a couple of eyeshadow brushes, but I made sure to get good quality brushes so that applying the products was a breeze. I personally like the Quo brand brushes and I have bought several sets over the years (I hate trying to wash my brushes so I choose to replace them over time) and I’ve always liked the selection the brand offers as well as the quality. I’ve tried a couple of other brands here and there, but Quo is the one I prefer and use.
Pro tip: quality doesn’t have to break the bank! Some brands offer what seems like amazing quality but are filled with chemicals, and I would stay away from those. Do your research before putting an unknown to you brand all over your face.
Put on a Smile
Ladies, remember to smile! As Marilyn Monroe said, “a smile is the best make up any girl can wear.” Your kids and husband will always be happy to see you smiling and think you look ten times more beautiful for it.
I really do think that quality products, building a little extra time into your routine and simplifying your routine will go a long way towards you getting through your make up routine and feeling put together and ready to smile and face the day. That’s really what all moms want, to feel put together and presentable.
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