Since I have become a mommy, I am going many more days without makeup. And, when I do wear makeup, I wear a lot less because I just don't have the time. But, I still want to look polished instead of a hot mess, so I'm working on prioritizing my makeup routine. I wanted to share with y'all some tricks I have learned along the way!
I like to make my life easier by doing a few things in advance to cut down on my makeup time in the mornings.
1. Groom and tint your eyebrows.
If it's in your budget, I would highly recommend going to see a brow expert and having them wax and shape your brows for you. Once you get a really nice shape, you can usually do your best to maintain it for a while. If not, you can use something like the Anastasia Brow Stencils to help you get a good shape for your face.
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I also like to tint my brows and have found I actually prefer to do that part myself because it is so easy. I have been using this kit. My brows are pretty light without some tint in them, so it does a lot to add some color to my face. If I do this every 3-4 weeks then I don't have to worry about filling them in most days.
2. Figure out a hair "short cut"
Since I moved to Alabama, I have had to figure out a way to deal with my hair in the humidity. I have tried all sorts of products expensive and drug store brand. Most of them help temporarily, but by the time I left the house or did anything- I'd already have a frizzy mane. So for me it has been worth it to get a Keratin Smoothing treatment done once or twice a year. I have found that Groupon or Living Social usually has one for a decent deal ($100-$140) versus the $300 you would pay if you just walked into a salon. Make sure you are careful with this though, only go to a reputable salon because you don't want your hair fried! After I get this done to my hair, it dries more quickly and is less frizzy-worth every penny in my opinion! And, since I don't dye my hair I justify that I can spend a little on the treatment a couple times a year.
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| Left: Hair before Keratin treatment Right: Hair after Keratin treatment |
I shower and wash my hair in the evenings, and then in morning I just have to fix a few wonky pieces. If I'm in a real time pinch--I wear a ponytail, but at least the ponytail isn't a frizz ball!
3. Self tan your face.
Now, I don't do this year round. But, I would recommend applying a facial self tanner in the evening, before bed. Then when you wake up the next morning, you will notice it helps to camouflage some of the redness or discoloration in your skin, and you can get away with less makeup! I like this one because it's not super "bronze goddess" looking, it gives you a little bit of a healthy glow instead.
4. Take good care of your skin.
Not a day goes by that I don't take my makeup off and wash my face at night. Your face and eyes will look so much better in the morning if you do this. There are some people that are just blessed with really good skin, and they can sleep in their makeup and still look great. You are probably not one of them. Just take care of your skin and you will need less makeup.
5. Pick your top 3
When you only have 3 minutes to get ready, pick the 3 most important things. This will be different based on each person and what they need. For me, since my eyelashes are blonde I need mascara to look alive. So my top 3 things would be BB cream for SPF, a little coverage and glow, blush or bronzer so I don't look dead, and mascara for my eyes. Then I'll swipe on a tinted lip balm for some color on my lips on my way out the door (this one doesn't count since I carry it in my purse and can do it while driving).
Also, if you haven't looked into eyelash extensions, they are fabulous! Not so fabulous is the price and the maintenance. But you will love waking up with eyes! When I had them I would just slap on some eyeliner and mascara on the bottom lashes and not even wear any other eye makeup. It is a great time saver in the mornings if you can sit through the 2 plus hour appointment.
My friend Vivian, who I used to work with ages ago was recently on Studio 5 sharing some tips on how to prioritize your makeup routine. She is a fabulous artist and I love to see her work!
I found this segment really helpful because I have been teaching my clients how to do this for some time now, but she really articulated it very well. When you are short on time in the mornings, you should just target your major concerns and simplify your makeup routine. You can watch the video here.
I am working on more posts about how to prioritize and simplify your makeup routine--so stay tuned for those!
Tip #6, Believe in your own natural beauty and don't wear make-up at all. Chap-stick is my only cosmetic.
ReplyDeleteMost purchased cosmetics actually leach moisture and nutrients from your skin causing you to wrinkle and age faster so that you need to buy their products more instead of less. Either make your own home-made cleaners and moisturizers and leave the rest out completely. If you need colour, try some of the DIY lipgloss recipes which use gelatin or Kool-Aid as colour and you'll get stained lips that won't loose their colour for hours.
I am 36 years old and the mother of an 18 year old son and often get mistaken for his 22 year old sister instead. Sure genetics play a part, but since my mother (wears lipstick and eyeshadow once in a blue moon) looks to be about 15 years younger than her sister (who is younger by 7 years) who has always had a "beauty" routine involving heavy cosmetics and over-the-counter products, I'd say it is more about the natural look than anything else.