I’ve read in some well-meaning parenting magazines that the secret to looking fresh and awesome despite sleep-deprivation lies in a “quick” makeup routine that is five times more involved than what I would do before going to a party. Thanks but no thanks.
I give you two images to consider. First, this is me immediately after childbirth:
Next, this is me after having my eyebrows and eyelashes “done” by a professional:
Next time, I vow to have my eyebrows and eyelashes done before labor and delivery so that I can look just a tad bit more awake during any pictures that may be taken. This is probably more a red-head and blonde issue, so you dark hair or dark-skinned beauty queens can feel free to ignore me.
My suggestion for you is that you schedule this as part of your birth plan (contractions 5 minutes apart, hit the eyebrow salon!) or take one of your few, brief outings away from the baby to have the professionals dye you a makeup job. Tint those lashes, dye and shape the brows, go even crazier if you want (watch out for those hormones though — you may hate it!). This is far more efficient than daily make up application and allows the truly lazy among us to look somewhat put together with little effort.
Then, just grab some tinted lip balm and you’re ready to leave the house. Just wait for those compliments to start rolling in (“have you lost weight?” and “motherhood really agrees with you” maybe). 
If the feminist inside you is repulsed by this suggestion, simply move on to the next activity suggestion. I won’t be hurt.
I’d also suggest running in for a quick face tuck too, because all of my ‘in labor’ photos have since been destroyed due to the dreaded ‘Pregnant Lady Fat Face’ syndrom.
Must be a common new mom problem… I just wrote about taking better care of myself on my blog. I recently invested in some Bare Minerals makeup for a quick everyday look. I already get the brows done, and you are making me curious about tinting the lashes. I’m very very blond and my naked lashes are bascially invisible!
Aw, you’re cute!
And I totally could use a massage, new panties and new shoes, in that order!
I went today and got my brows done and bought new undies. It was a good day! I think every mom should have some Benefit Benetint for her cheeks.
Yeh! This advice rocks!
I had my eyelashes and eyebrows tinted in anticipation of childbirth and love my first pictures of me with baby (the ones when he was a week old are another matter…), but I would also recommend
- the french polish (remember you will holding baby in all these shots), and
- the fake tan, to ward off the exhausted pale-face look.
My friends have all laughed at me when I’ve mentioned this before (shallow as a puddle…) but you wouldn’t get married without make-up on, and far more people will see these photos. If you look good, you feel good, and you’re not going to have another chance to get made up and manicured for a few months if not a few years!
This is awesome advice. I really should get my lashes tinted one of these days.
My other tip? Mix some peachy colored cream blush or mineral blush with your moisturizer. One step, about 5 seconds and it makes you look like you got a full night of sleep!
i stumbled onto this activity right before i gave birth and man i LOVE my birth photos!
I am a redhead too and my after birth pics are blinding! Why are dark eyelashes so critical to visible eyeballs?? Not quite finished with the bajillion night feedings (he is 8 months!! Yikes) as soon as I get some rest I am hitting the panty dept! Yahoo!
Are you kidding?? You look like you are barely wearing any make up at all! I would need a full-on M.A.C. artist on loan from Nordstrom’s to look that good, not just Bonnie Bell lip gloss LOL. But, good note–plan to bring some makeup to the birth. If I have a girl, we can wear matching nail polish for her first pictures
Ha! I’ll cop to avoiding getting my hair wet (re: de-straightened) as I labored in the shower. I was red-faced to find that after all that, the post-partum wave was actually quite lovely. Now, I could go for a post-drop-off and pre-pick-up tweeze as I navigate the sitter, preschool and playdates.
I love the lipstick you are wearing in the second picture!
I got the brows did and mah hair done about 3 weeks before I gave birth — but all that was unintentional, since, you know, the kid showed up 8 weeks early. LOL
My post partum pic (well two of them anyway) is FAB! lol
[...] a shower while home alone with your baby. Trust me, this skill will serve you well. Be girly 16. Tweeze, dye, and feel pretty. 17. Think with your melons. What’s more girly than that? 18. Start a Ladies Night or [...]