Beauty Tips For Busy Moms

I don’t know about you, but when I wake up in the morning the last thing I want to do is spend a lot of time getting ready…especially after those arduous nights of dealing with teething. Unfortunately for me, I’m not one of those fresh-faced people that can just get up and go – and I curse those of you who are. When I wake up in the morning (even after eight hours of sleep) I look like I hadn’t slept in weeks. Don’t believe me? Just ask my husband, I’m sure he’ll attest to the fact that I’m a visual train wreck in the A.M. Thankfully it’s what’s on the inside that counts….right? Right?? Anyway, suffice it to say that I need all the tips, tricks and secrets that I can get in order to get myself up to par with the rest of the ladies out there. I’m definitely not a beauty expert – I’ll leave the real tips to the fabulous Makeup Junkie, Joy. But over the years I’ve manage to build up a nice little reservoir of trade secrets that help me not only look better, but save time – and as a mom, isn’t that what it’s all about?

1. First things first, in the battle of the alarm vs. the shower, the snooze button always wins. You really can’t put a price tag on those 10 extra minutes. So, in order to combat the flat, limp hair, use your fingertips to rub some loose powder on your scalp. It minimizes the oil and gives you some automatic body that helps you go another day without a lather. Don’t expect it to look like you just walked out of Donato’s with a fresh blow out, but it will certainly do the trick.
2. I find the best (but more importantly fastest) way to apply foundation is with your hands. Not only does it help blend into your skin better, it’s easier to spread it evenly over your skin. Just make sure your hands are clean before you start.
3. I don’t like wearing liquid liner to work, but I find the pencils don’t last very long and I’m certainly not about to reapply at the office. I’ve even tried buying really expensive liners that promise to stay on all day, but don’t. Fail. A simple trick to keep your liner lasting all day is to use an angled brush and black (or brown depending on the liner colour) powder liner and dab it on over the pencil liner. This literally makes my liner last All. Day. Long.
4. The secret to great skin while *cough* aging *cough* is simple – moisturizer and sunscreen. I used to hate using sunscreen on my face because it clogs my pores and causes breakouts. That was until I discovered noncomedogenic products. I only found out about them recently (thanks T) but they’ve been working like a charm. Alternatively, you can get a powdered spf, which I like to use as a double for loose powder. Now I can apply sunscreen daily and not worry about slathering on the extra cover up to hide the breakouts.
5. Putting bronzer on strategically helps your face look slimmer. Suck in your cheeks and apply the bronzer to the indent (just below your cheekbones) and it’ll look like you’ve had an instant facelift.

There you have it. My top beauty tips for busy moms. If you have any tips to share with me, I’d love to hear them. I can seriously use all the help I can get.