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When it comes to feeling great I also believe looking great goes hand in hand with this concept. The way you carry yourself on the outside can be a reflection of the way you feel on the inside. And when the inside isn’t feeling so great sometimes we can trick our body into thinking we feel amazing by looking amazing, reverse psychology!
With a couple minutes and these 5 easy steps you’ll get ready to take on the day as a mom once again. First things first
1) LET’S DO SKINCARE
When you read the word skincare you may be intimidated into thinking you need some long ritual and several products in order to achieve better looking skin. The reality is your skin will thank you with simply just washing your face!
You only need TWO things to make this happen: a face wash and a moisturizer. Look for an affordable face wash that you can keep repurchasing to use everyday.
We all have different skin types so searching for one that’s good for combo skin is always a great option. My personal favorite and one i know many others love is the La Roche-Posay purifying foaming cleanser
I don’t know about you but whenever I see bubbles I feel like it’s working. Cleanser isn’t one of those things you do once and automatically see a difference. You do it because everyone says you should and over time your skin thanks you.
Once you’ve washed your face you may be feeling a little dry and that’s where moisturizer comes in to finish the job. Whether you have oily or dry skin moisturizer is a MUST. Let me list a few reasons why:
- Helps skin stay young
- Reduce appearance of blemishes
- Fights wrinkles
- Protects the skin barrier
Your moisturizer doesn’t have to get too complicated, many double in with other ingredients to help with your areas of concern. The one I’ve repurchased many times is the Mad Hippie Face Cream
Aside from it containing clean ingredients you can’t go wrong with the other properties it has to offer like reducing skin redness and fine lines. I will say the tube is pretty small but a little goes a long way.
Now that your skin is feeling nice and plump let’s go into the next step
2) FIND YOUR PERFECT UNDER-EYE CONCEALER
You’re not tired (okay maybe you are) you’re just using the wrong products. As we age our skin naturally becomes less hydrated. There are many factors that play a role in this, from sun exposure to changes in hormone levels.
So, What’s a girl to do?
Find an under-eye concealer that’s creamy and hydrating. One with ingredients like hyaluronic acid will not only help lock in moisture but also help with creasing and lasts longer. My favorite one is from Kosas
This one has hyaluronic acid plus caffeine as key ingredients. The reason these ingredients are so important is because you not only want something that will temporarily cover your fine lines and dark circles. You want something that will put in double the work and help repair the issues over time.
Another popular favorite that’s more affordable is the e.l.f. Hydrating Camo Concealer
Both these options offer several shades, which goes into the next important thing when picking the right concealer
Choosing your perfect shade
It’s no secret that we have all had one too many sleepless nights. Before anybody hits you with the “you look tired today”, let’s find a shade that will cover those dark under-eyes.
We first have to figure out your skin’s undertone, whether it be cool, warm, or neutral.
An easy way to determine that is by checking the color of your veins from the inner wrists.
Are your veins green or blue?
If they appear blue or purple go with cool. If your veins are more green, choose warm. And if you can’t quite decide if they’re more blue or green and you’re stuck in the middle, then welcome to the best of both worlds, you’re neutral. Most concealers will list a W, C, or N after the shade number letting you know what the undertone is.
Once you know your undertone you can look in the mirror and notice what color your under-eyes are. Depending on your skin tone, most people can tend to have purple-ish or blue-ish hues.
While we won’t get into the color wheel, the way you balance a color out is by choosing the opposite color from it on the color wheel.
People with lighter to medium skin may opt for golden, peach, or pink colored concealers. Darker skin may benefit more from an orange shade.
Both the Kosas concealer and the e.l.f. Hydrating Camo Concealer i linked above have a wide range of shades to choose from.
To summarize, when choosing a concealer, the three things you will look for are:
- Consistency
- Undertone
- Shade
And voila! Just like that your face is looking refreshed, plump, and awake. Now let’s do something about that hair.
3) On the go hairstyle
Lets face it, the days where you would throw your hair into a messy bun and call it good are over. These days it’s all about the “clean girl” look. The best part is your hair doesn’t necessarily have to be clean, it only has to look like it.
Let me tell you all about it.
Whether you have long, short, curly, or straight hair this is for you.
First, stop washing your hair everyday!
There are many benefits to not washing your hair daily, the first one being saving you time. As a mom we both know there’s not enough of that. Among many other things, not washing your hair everyday can help restore shine and be less prone to getting oily and greasy.
If you’re currently an oily hair girl you may be thinking, there’s NO way. Listen, you’re in charge here, what your hair needs is some training. Hair training is where you slowly reduce the frequency of hair washing. This way your scalp starts getting accustomed to being rinsed less often and naturally minimizes oil production.
This is a slow process so in the meantime experiment with some “clean girl” hairstyles. What I have noticed most of these styles consist of is some sort of sleek, pulled back look. If you’ve got some hair grease, use it in your favor and skip out on the hair gel. You can opt for a slick back ponytail or bun. Maybe throw in a hair clip or do a half up. It’s time to stop hiding your ears and show your face to radiate confidence. Here are some ideas to try
Your Game Plan:
- Wash your hair on a day you have enough time to style it
- Rock your styled hair until it starts feeling dirty or oily (possibly 1-2 days)
- Transition into your “clean girl” look (should not require any heat)
- Wash hair and repeat process
This process will help preserve your hair color longer. You’ll be using less heat which means less damage. Not to mention all the time you will be saving and best of all you’ll look amazing everyday.
4) Staple wardrobe
It’s time to ditch the yoga pants outfit, unless you’re actually going to workout.
I know throwing on those stretchy pants and a t-shirt in the morning seem like the easiest thing to get your day started. The reality is it takes the same amount of time to throw on a different outfit, and still have the same level of comfy.
Putting yourself together can come accompanied by a confidence boost. Yes, it’s hard to have that motivation on a regular basis, especially if you don’t plan on leaving your house that day. What if I told you loungewear still counts as an outfit?
Yes, keep reading
Let’s keep it very simple by making the pieces you choose to wear be
- Comfortable
- Versatile
Nothing says confidence like feeling comfortable.
Confidence stems from the same feeling as comfort. When you’re not comfortable you are often not at your very best. The tips I’m providing are on how to look amazing, but the truth is the perception of beauty is relative. We all have different views on what we think looks amazing.
The true key to looking amazing is feeling confident.
You must start first with the building block which is comfort. One’s level of comfort can vary per person, and this also applies for clothing. For me this means clothing that’s casual, airy, and doesn’t fit tight. You can never go wrong with a matching set. Let me show you a few i found on amazon
Not only are these sets comfy but dare I say also put-together. You will have all the moms turning heads at school pick-up.
The next thing to have success and put the least amount of thought and effort into what you wear everyday is making sure your pieces are versatile. This means choosing pieces that are mostly neutral with maybe a color of choice you can throw in every now and then . This will give you maximum use out of your clothing items because you can mix and match them in many ways.
So you find 5-7 pieces, both tops and bottoms each, that you feel can be worn interchangeably. Start with looking to see what you already have in your closet. Make sure these are items you love and feel good in. Keep it very minimal so you can make use of your items. Then allow for a refresh or a new batch of clothing for each season.
When you dress in loungewear or basic pieces there’s a little trick to elevate your look and make it seem like you tried extra hard.
5) Dainty Jewelry
Marilyn Monroe said it herself, “diamonds are a girl’s best friend”. Although diamonds are way out of my budget, let me tell you how to look like a million bucks.
You don’t need to get rid of your tacky jewelry, just put it away and don’t wear it (sorry not sorry). This is one of those instances where less is more. Something about dainty jewelry can really take your look to the next level while still looking effortless. While it may be small in size, it can make a big impact on your style.
The main detail about dainty jewelry is that you want to pick a metal that suits your undertone (we discovered this in step 2). So if you are cool toned choose silver and if you are warm then gold looks best on you. If you like breaking the rules then you can mix and match metals.
Pick a few pieces that you can wear everyday, some options are:
- Delicate necklaces: thin metal chains with maybe a charm or pendant that shows a touch of interest
- Small hoops/huggies: These hug close to the ear for a minimal look
- Stud earrings: metal earrings with a statement jewel for an innocent touch
- Thin rings with small details: You can always stack these for a more elevated look
These don’t have to be expensive pieces, when i say silver and gold i only mean the color. Choose a metal that doesn’t cause irritation to your skin. Jewelry that says nickel-free, sterling silver, stainless steel, and platinum are hypoallergenic (and cheap).
Adding these few and small items will really make a statement to your look.