Rather not look like an extra from The Walking Dead? Follow these 6 tips for feeling more like yourself when you head out the door.
I know how you are feeling…sleep deprived with bags under your eyes and less than five minutes to yourself without a baby demanding to be held.
If you managed to shower today, you are feeling really good about yourself, and you should!
However, if you are venturing out into the world either with your babe or without, I imagine you would like to look more like yourself and less like an extra from The Walking Dead.
The following tips will get you out the door looking like your fabulous self once again in 3 minutes or less, depending on just how much time you have. If your baby won’t give you 3 minutes to yourself, then we have to have a different chat altogether.
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1- Facial Creams
The most important thing you can do for your skin right now is to hydrate it. It is under incredible stress at the moment with the combination of interrupted sleep, possible dehydration, and malnutrition, and the toils of caring for a demanding infant (and possibly other children to boot).
Your skin needs moisture. It i
s the Number 1 most critical step in your self-care that will pay benefits years down the road.
Your skin can age at a remarkable rate at this tender age so treat it right.
I beg you to get into a routine of moisturizing every evening before you crash face first into your pillows or worse yet on your recliner with a baby on your chest.
Then pamper your face each morning with a moisturizer with SPF 30+.
As it is, 20 years from now, our beloved infant’s future friends may confuse us for Grandma at their college graduation. We don’t want to help them along with this incorrect assumption by presenting a face full of deep lines and dark spots! Moisturize today! Time commitment: 30 seconds morning and night.
My Favorite: TimeWise Repair Volu-Firm Day Cream Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30 and TimeWise Repair Volu-Firm Night Treatment with Retinol.
2- Mascara
If you have time for only one primping step before you head out, let it be applying a coat or two of mascara.
Your lashes frame your eyes. Mascara helps your eyes appear more open and alert.
Test it out. Just put mascara on one eye and see if you notice a difference in your appearance right away, then go ahead and do the other. Time commitment: 60 seconds for 2 coats.
My Favorite: Mary Kay Ultimate Mascara in Black
3- CC Cream
If you have another 30 seconds, reach for the 8-in-1 CC Cream. CC stands for Color Correcting and it does just that.
With a consistency li
ke a tinted moisturizer, CC Cream can even out blotchy skin, minimizes the appearance of redness, protect you from incidental exposure to the sun, fights occasional acne breakouts (hormones anyone?), reduces the visible signs of aging, brightens to recapture youthful luminosity, and protects your skin from pollutants found in the environment.
Perfect for walks in the park with your cherub or heading out in the car to the grocery store. It provides light coverage that is actually good for your skin. Bring it on! Time commitment: 30 seconds morning only
My Favorite: Mary Kay CC Cream Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 15
4- Under-Eye Corrector
This step is essential if you have developed a severe case of raccoon eyes. This beauty tool helps wake up tired-looking eyes. Requiring only 15 seconds to apply and blend in, this is a no-brainer for me whenever I leave the house. Apply before the CC Cream step. Time commitment: 15 seconds
My Favorite: Mary Kay Undereye Corrector
5- Lipstick or Gloss
Now if you are blessed with a rosy set of puckers feel free to skip this step entirely.
For the rest of us flesh-toned-lip-ladies, nothing works better to perk up your face and introduce a bit of color and liveliness than a gorgeous shade of your favorite lipstick or lipgloss.
Swipe on as you head out the door. If I forget my lipstick, I feel like I look like a zombie, and for me, that is just as bad as looking like one.
Lipstick has the 
amazing ability to let you change your appearance by your mood.
Feeling demure and sweet, a light shade of pink should do the trick. Feeling sassy? Go for a bold berry or red.
I LOVE a good hydrating lipstick! Time commitment: 15-30 seconds. Can be applied in the car, so really this step doesn’t count!
My Favorite Lipstick: True Dimensions Lipstick in Rosette.
My Favorite Lipgloss: NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss in Pink Luster.
6- Blush
When you add a foundation step like CC Cream, you can even your skin out so well that your natural blush doesn’t show through.
Add a light bit of color to finish your face with a warm glow.
Try a neutral shade that goes with everything and looks most like your natural color when you blush. You will instantly look alive and awake. Time commitment: 30 seconds max. You are worth it!
My Favorite: Mary Kay Mineral Cheek Color in Shy Blush or Strawberry Cream.
Just because you are caring for your precious bundle of joy does not mean you need to walk out into the world feeling less than your best.
There is something scientifically proven about the correlation of how you think you look, to how you present yourself to others. It can give you confidence!
That will come in handy when your precious angel begins wailing at the top of his lungs at the checkout line. And please don’t think you need to spend 20 minutes dolling yourself up to look good.
You don’t need to highlight and contour and diva it out like all those Pinterest and YouTubers would have you believe.
These simple steps above will help you regain your swagger when the rest of you is feeling like you aren’t yet back to your pre-pregnancy self.
Besides, if you are lucky, your lovey will give you a big fat droopy kiss on your face anyway, so don’t get all worked up about it. Just a few little touches are all you’ll need!
To purchase any of the above products, visit my website at marykay.com/Chandra Enter the coupon code LaboyJOY at checkout to receive free shipping on your order as a thank you. You deserve it!
Happy Day!
Chandra is the chocolate-chip loving mother of 2 teenage girls who started over again with a baby boy in her 40’s! She is the author of The Mom’s Playbook to Conquering Softball Season. She gives other moms the tools they need to prepare their daughters for real life. Her content is centered on helping girls grow up to be well-rounded, equipped, expressive, confident, intelligent, capable, kind and independent.
I really enjoy how you have focused on the mother here as well as the baby. I think Mom’s can get so caught up as caregivers that they feel guilty taking time for themselves. This was a great article. I also like your logo and how you have a signature at the end of the post like it’s a letter. What does Laboy mean?