As a mom, beauty is some days non-existent let alone practical when you have 5 super needy, young human beings vying for your attention.
Growing up my mom was June Cleaver reincarnated and looked great no matter what she was doing, so naturally she raised me to follow her footsteps. By the end of High School I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the beauty industry, but how naive I was because before I had my first child, no one warned me of how challenging staying confident, attractive or even somewhat bathed would prove to be after kids.
By the time we welcomed our third child, I was also going to school full time to become an Esthetician, so sleep deprived and exhausted was an understatement, but a friend at the time harshly pointed out I had let myself go and fallen into “mommy mode”.
What the heck is mommy mode?
Well according to said friend, it’s when you’ve stopped wearing pajamas to bed and only sleep in milk stained nursing nightgowns, t-shirts or sweats and remain in those same ensembles all day. It’s also wandering around town as a sleep deprived zombie with no makeup, a messy bun if that can even be accomplished and functioning on caffeine surviving day by day.
None of that sounded like a good look to me but I still wasn’t convinced until I asked my husband what he thought of my fabulous nursing gowns I wore religiously to bed each night and he replied “honey I love you, but if you come to bed again with another one of those nursing gowns on, I’m going to burn them.” Of course we had a good laugh over this but it was then I realized I needed to get my sexy back and quick.
I’m sure many moms can relate to the fact that after a few kids, we kind of lose our sexiness, our sense of style, our confidence and ourselves all in the name of parenting and instead trade it all for what’s quick, comfortable and can handle kid friendly accidents. However, if we neglect to make self care a regular priority, then we set ourselves up for ultimate burn out which ultimately equals looking and feeling a wreck. So if you’re looking for a few easy beauty tips to help you get your sexy back, check these out:
*Drink plenty of water
Many moms run on caffeine and wine to function, but dehydration can cause fatigue, over eating and dry/dull skin so it’s vital to make sure you’re sipping at least 8-11 oz of water a day to flush toxins from your body and give your skin a beautiful glow.
*Rest as much as you can, when you can
This one can be tricky especially for those of us still handling night feedings(such as myself)but adequate amounts of sleep make a huge difference in how you function from day to day. Try to sleep when your little ones sleep and rest when they nap. Dishes and laundry can wait, but dark circles under the eyes are never a good look for anyone.
*Try my Style Makeover Challenge
If you are in need of a little wardrobe pick-me-up, my challenge to you is start with shopping your closets. Sometimes we still have some great, wearable pieces in our closets that have been forgotten about and tucked away so play around with some cute accessory pieces such as scarves, belts even jewelry and re-try on a few things that make you feel beautiful. Don’t be afraid to look good, you deserve it.