The Ultimate Guide To Mummy Maintenance - A Blogger Collaboration

Over at Moderate Mum, the lovely Charlene has brillliantly answered my question on dealing with your identity shift once you become a mum. So in return, I'm answering this question...

..."You seem like you've got your beauty groove down...With the time and practicality of keeping up with all the womanly grooming I used to love pre baby, I'd like to know, what's your ultimate guide to mummy maintenance?"...

I feel ill-equipped to answer this, being a self-confessed slummy mummy but I have gained a lot of confidence since I had my son - or as I see it, I give a shit less. If I want to wear make up/look nice, I will, if I don't, I won't. However, it's massively time dependent, so I just like things that make me feel good, which in turn I think make me look good. Here's what works for me.....

Hair Colour
I have really dark hair so never coloured it due to expense/faff. Now I have lots of little grey fuckers hairs so needs must. I am really enjoying trying out life as a red-head. It's an easy change, took an hour or so to do and I feel really good about myself! I think it's something nice and fun also. I use this shade

Eyebrows
I've always had a bit of a thing about a well plucked eyebrow. It's one of those things that just brightens your whole face without people being able to put their finger on what you've done...I tend to get mine threaded 2-3 times a year (it's about £10) and then maintain the shape myself at home.

Foot de-hobbitting
Having nice nails - hands and feet - can really boost my mood. To this end I've started bunging a quick bit of foot-scrub on my tootsies in the shower every few days and slapping on the moisturiser and socks before bed. My feet and nails look much better and ready for a quick bit of polish when the sun arrives!

Manicures
Not posh expensive ones, just investing in decent polish and a shiny topcoat and then ear-marking time to do it. I do my nails on a monday evening after all chores are done. I settle down to watch Revenge and by the end my nails are done and dry . I then go to bed so no risk of damage. My favourites are Dorothy Shoes nails using the shades below. For the record, glitter polish hides chips really well. Also, if you're a fan of Rouge Noir colour polish, update your look by going for a dark green or navy blue.

 Make up routines
This is a case of really knowing what works for you and for what occassions. I have 3 different looks depending where I'm going and how much time I have. I know exactly what order to do it in and what products I need. I can do my make up in 10mins or 20 as a result. Even with "assistance" from Toddler45 who loves applying make up to himself. He's a whizz with a powder brush!

Tutorials - Buzzfeed
A lot of mums I know struggle with the image changes post-baby. The hormonal soup we're in often results in changes to skin, hair and size, so sometimes we don't know what suits us any more. On my frequent night wakings I have spent an *embarrasing* amount of time on Buzzfeed. Which has its uses. 

Not just to tell me what's happened to those 90's hunks I loved (erk) but they have some great make up, hair and clothing tutorials on Buzzfeed Beauty. I learned most of my eyeliner tricks on there. So if you're up at night or have some spare time, check out those tutorials. Pinterest is also great for this and Bloglovin makes it very easy to find beauty bloggers.

Tip - remember that you don't need to look Pinterest Perfect. It's more to give you ideas about what might suit you and new things to try - and then adapting them to work for you and your life. You might also like this post.

Accessories - Amazon
There is little opportunity to shop solo as a parent. Particularly for accessories, which need a bit more time than a smash and grab shopping trip allows. This is where online shopping is your friend - and Amazon in particular. 

You can try all sorts of new jewellery, scarves, leggings, tops - whatever takes your fancy - for very little cost at all. This can be reflected in the quality but for a quick perk me up, or way to change your look, it's really good. Recently I've bought a pair of black spiked hoops and some blue galaxy style leggings, both for less than £5. 

If you're looking to splash a bit more cash and get something unique, you could do worse than try Stella and Dot. It's relatively new to the UK but featured in quite a few fashion mags already so perfect for birthday and Christmas pressies. Their statement necklaces and charm bracelets/chain are fab but I love my tech wallet in cobalt best.

Soooooooo that's my best effort at mummy maintenance - what are your top tips and links - do share with us below!


Thank you and goodnight,

Stupidgirl has left the building.