Um, we have none, so we must turn this over to someone who knows about such things. A request came in for us to make some recommendations for how to look like you’ve gotten a full night of sleep and haven’t had your skin and hair ravished by monstrous hormonal changes over a long period of months.
Susan Wagner, who normally blogs about fashion, did us the generous favor of responding with tips, grace and humor below, and isn’t she just the best?
Dear Rookie Moms,
I haven’t looked through the RM archives, but I’m wondering if you’ve done a post about post-baby beauty secrets. I’m talking the eye creams for the dark circles, the hair products for the newly limp hair post nursing, the 30-second make-up tricks for moms on the run. I’m sure there are many moms — like me — that could use your wise tips for not looking like a train wreck after two kids!
JK
Ah, the post baby days; nothing is better than bringing that wee little bundle of joy home with you. At least until you look in the mirror. Then maybe it’s not so great.
The first weeks home with a baby (and by “weeks” I mean “months and possibly years,” if we’re being honest) can take a toll on your looks. But it doesn’t have to be that way — there are some simple tricks that anyone can use to look better. Here are my three favorites.
The simplest way to keep yourself looking good is to take care of yourself. Eat right, drink lots of water, get as much sleep as you can, of course — but that’s not the end. Make time to wash your face every day; if your skin is in good shape, you won’t need a full face of make up to look good. Use a gentle face wash; I like Neutrogena’s Fresh Foaming Cleanser, which is gentle enough for any skin type). In the morning, follow up with a light moisturizer with SPF, always. A tinted moisturizer will give you a little color and coverage without any extra effort.
JK asked specifically about eye creams for dark circles. Try an eye cream with caffeine in it; the caffeine constricts the blood vessels around your eyes and reduces puffiness and dark circles. Eating an ounce a day of dark chocolate can also increase the blood flow to your skin and reduce dark circles (yes, really!).
What if you’re taking good care of your skin and yet you’re still looking tired and wan? Here’s my super quick morning secret: skip concealer, which often just highlights the flaws — instead, use a wee concealer brush to apply foundation only where you need it. I use foundation on my eyelids, to even out my skin tone, and under my eyes, for those dark circles; I’ll also apply a wee bit on any blemishes, because who needs that? And that’s it! Set the foundation on your eyes with a little powder; add some mascara and blush and you’re good to go. Seriously.
You don’t need a full face of makeup to take the baby to Gymboree; a few strategically applied products will make you look fresh and awake and pretty. And it will only take five minutes, promise.
JK also asked about post-baby hair; as with skin, take care of basic maintenance. Don’t skip hair cuts — it’s easier to style your hair when it’s healthy and the right length for your style. Plus, a hair cut is an hour to yourself, which is a good thing for everyone. Seriously.
In terms of day-to-day styling, the secret is that less is more. We all know how hard it can be to get a shower every day when you’re caring for a new baby; instead of worrying about washing your hair every day, use a dry shampoo to string your hair along one more day. My friend Sarah James (who is about to be a mom again herself, and who has the best hair ever) recommends Big Sexy Hair Volumizing Dry Shampoo. Spray it in and go. So simple — and so good for your hair, especially in the post-baby days.
And if all else fails, wear big sunglasses and hold the baby out in front of you. No one will even notice your hair or your dark circles. (You know I’m right.)
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Do you have more beauty secrets to share?
Want more of Susan? She can be found at FridayPlaydate.com.
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Find some cute sporty clothes that can be worn to bed and also out in public. At least that way you’re comfy if you want to take a nap, but could run to the store or invite guests in if you need to. Plus, I always felt like a shower (if possible) and changing my clothes gave my day a little purposes or “start”, even if it was 3 in the afternoon by the time I got around to it.
I think the sunglasses and holding the baby out advice is the best though. The cute baby will really be the one getting the attention!
Yes! What an inspired post! These tips have all worked for me too. Clean skin, regular haircuts, a little makeup – all so important. Makeup-wise, I think it’s vital to apply what you know makes the most improvement to YOUR face – everyone’s different. I have uneven skin tone so foundation or tinted moisturiser makes a vast improvement; eyeliner and a little eyeshadow gives my eyes much-needed definition. By contrast, my friend Amie has lovely creamy skin so foundation is little-needed, but she finds lipstick and mascara are what brings her face to life.
Whenever I look truly tired and run down I use my Garnier depuffer eyeroller, works like magic! They just came out with one that contains caffeine, haven’t tried it yet though.
thank you for posting this!
The single cosmetic you should always have is a concealer. It takes 30 seconds tops to apply it, and it makes a huuuge difference !
For the hair: add flax seeds and seaweed to your diet, get a shampoo without SLS, and ditch the plastic comb in favour of one from horn, bakelite (bohn) or wood. If you use a brush get one with natural bristles, plastic or metal bristles belong in a bin ! Oh, and cut down your salt intake. I´ve implemented all these changes and my hair looks better than ever before, and I´m not even through with nursing yet.
And another thing: fit yourself with a bra. If you´re wearing a stretchy, badly fitted nursing bra, your breasts won´t recover. For more on the Bra Matrix, read this: http://eternalvoyageur.xanga.com/651169092/the-bra-matrix/
send me about treatment of black circles around the eyes
I took the approach that beauty and health both begin on the inside and the results show up on the outside. I used a nutritional program that helped my skin, my hair, my mood and also gave me energy and helped me get quality sleep at night…. not to mention quickly lose the baby fat. This worked for me… but I am not a makeup person, I don’t even own a concealer and I am 26 years old!
Smachbox Photo Op under eye brightener. It’s not a concealer, so doesn’t settle into lines. It brightens up the undereye area and makes me look (almost) well rested. For days at home, I use some tinted moisturizer, a peachy lip gloss, and a swipe of this stuff under my eyes, and as a highlighter just below the eyebrows. On work days, I add a light colored eye shadow (just a little luminescent to further brighten, but not age-inappropriate sparkely), and mascara on upper lashes only.