Looking like you’ve got your act together when toting around a toddler or two is a struggle. Your pre-baby beauty regime doesn’t cut it in the two minutes your working-mum morning allows yet you still need to look like you’re totally handling life. Board meeting + bed head = not a great look.
This is where a sneaky #MumCheat comes in. We’re pretty au fait with the idea of a gel manicure (no drying time, lasts for weeks, no chips) but were you aware that you can apply the same long-lasting solution to the rest of your beauty regime?
If you’ve ever run out of the door without a swipe of a hairbrush let alone a blusher brush to do the nursery drop before racing to the office, this is for you. These ‘smart beauty’ tricks and treatments are all about reclaiming back vital minutes from your morning so you don’t start every morning in a mad rush….
GET A BRAZILIAN
Blowdry that is. How you landscape your nether regions is your call. They’ve earnt themselves a bit of a bad rep in the past for damaging hair but the new breed of brazilian blowdries (or Keratin Treatments) care for your hair while removing the frizz. Think of it as Shellac for your hair; the results are smooth, speedy and long-lasting. A great technician should be able to work with the formula to add strategic volume too. And because you can ditch the daily blowdry/straightener struggle, your hair will be stronger, longer and healthier. But let’s face it, the main reason a Brazilian is worth its weight in gold is because it shaves valuable minutes off the morning routine. Just blast dry and run. It’s a pricy treatment (I see Zoltan) but invaluable if you are short on time. I’d recommend looking on Treatwell to find a reputable, local salon running a discount.
GO WITH A FAUX GLOW
Gemma swears by a sneaky at-home spray tan to help her look alive when she’s feeling far from it (she uses Spa By Car) so swayed by how amazing she looked at Belle’s birthday party last week, all glowy limbed and radiant, I copied her and booked a spray tanner to come to my house lastnight. Once Leo was in bed, instead of collapsing on the sofa, Nichola from Fake Bake arrived and set up camp in my spare room, pop-up tent and all. Ten minutes later, I’d been spritzed. The trick here is to ask for the 60 Minute Spray Tan – it’s a rapid developing formula infused with specialist tanning accelerators. Leave it on for an hour for a subtle glow or three for a deep, dark tan. The main point is that you can wash it off before bed so there’s no stained sheets, just total glowiness come morning. (I ordered my spray tan from Secret Spa)
DITCH THE MASCARA
Leo has lashes to die for. Long, thick and dark, they cast shadows across his cheeks in certain light and when he looks at me from underneath them, I melt. Girls of the future beware. Me? I have to squeeze a curl from beneath a pair of Shu Uemura lash curlers and add two coats of my favourite Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara to get the lashes of my dreams. But that takes time, of which I no longer have. And, I’m guessing, neither do you. Although mascara formulas these days claim to do it all (curl, separate, lengthen and tint) there aren’t many that really live up to the miraculous claims, trust me. I’ve tried lash extensions before and although the results are long lasting, they take at least 90 minutes to be applied. Not a chance.
Enter the
perm/tint/extension hybrid treatment. Your lashes are painted with a trio of clever formulas leaving them looking darker, thicker and with a distinct curl.
Imagine waking up after a night of broken sleep actually looking awake. Well, here’s the proof….
…and it lasts. I had this done five weeks ago and I’m yet to go near a mascara.
FYI: I’m wearing NO mascara in these pics.
