On Being Lazy at Being Girly

Lately I've been trying extra-hard (read: actually trying) to avoid the oft-achieved frump-tastic style of the new mother.  Auto-correct is hating me right now.


Let me clarify a little bit: I've always been the girl for whom the 'bare minimum' would totally cut it in regards to hair, makeup, style... so if you're like me and you're a new mom, I've put together some of the things that are making this goal a little bit easier for me in the present.   If you're not like me, you probably discovered all these things or their equivalent when you were fifteen or before you learned the true value of 7 hours of consecutive sleep.  To me, sleep > looking good, but when you're a new mom, you're playing a dangerous game if that's your system of operation and you're expected to appear publicly.  I'm trying this new stuff and lo! apparently, when you look good, you feel good too.  Or maybe vice versa.  I don't know.  Hmmm.  Maybe Mom was onto something in high school when she repeatedly begged me to stop buying t-shirts with writing on them and to indefinitely boycott the Sun-In brand.

1. Revlon 'Just Bitten' Lipstain  I own this in the shade of Frenzy, whatever that means.  I like lip stain because it's not messy, doesn't smudge, and instantly makes one look as if she's really put some makeup on.  I really like this wand's gloss end, too.  Buy it here for $6.74
2. Coppertone Gradual Tan Stop tanning.  Stop it now, it's soooooo bad for you.  Now that we've got that out of the way, let's be honest: there's really no substitute for the true Vitamin D's glowing effect on your poor, baked skin.  But this is close.  I'm working on about 3-4 days of applying it, and I don't look like I visited [insert sunny place here] or anything, but I am a color that isn't orange, and I like it. Buy it here for $9.49.
3. Origins Facial Brush Despite my obsessive tendencies, I'm not very good at long-term habits; i.e. face-washing, vitamin-taking, resolution-keeping.  But this brush makes me excited to wash my face.  Only $4 at Dillards!
4. Skinny Belts OMG if you don't own one yet, who are you?  Even I own one, and it took me two years to figure out who Ke$ha is.  Every morning it seems like I'm stopping myself from adding a skinny belt to my outfit.  They really help to cinch your outfit in and after childbirth, it's a glorious thing to behold.  Go crazy.
5. A Weekend Away As a new mom, this one is clutch.  A girl needs to feel like a girl, and that might just mean sitting around with peers who enjoy to an equal extent the literature of J.K. Rowling.  So do it - drive yourself somewhere for a weekend or an afternoon, and leave the tot with your (willing) husband.  Go ahead, plan on it.
6. Recycle Don't keep things in your closet that don't look good on you.  Seriously.  If they're in there and you're not wearing them, donate them to someone else.  If clothes don't fit properly but you can't bear to let them go, have them altered.  It's better than wearing things that you don't feel happy in, and it's much better than having clothes collect dust in your closet.  I sort of realized that recently and even though my closet is slimmer, I always know I'm going to feel good in what I choose to wear.
7. Get Yo Herr Did Spend some money and have your hair cut and, if coloring is your thing, colored.  I've found that spending $80 on my hair is a MEGAFAST way to get me up earlier in the mornings to actually style my costly coiffure.
8. Maybelline Stiletto Liquid Eyeliner I put this product on my list, but I'm still really bad at using it.  You'd think as an artist I'd be adept at makeup application, but you'd be wrong.  Therefore I don't know if this eyeliner is the best - it's simply the first I've used.  I don't like that it's super easy to smudge off after I finally get it put on right (mine is not waterproof) but it is a nice feature the first six times I try to apply it most mornings.  $5.99 on  this website.
9. Got 2B Fat-tastic Mousse I don't usually like hair products (sooooo much effort bla bla whine whine), but I like this one.  If your hair has some natural body, use a small amount to secure the waves after your hair has completely air-dried.  If it doesn't, use some while your hair is wet and then style it to bring out some volume.  Easy peasy lemon squeezy.  Also, I don't know why the "9" is backwards.

 And don't forget the most important route to feeling your best - strive to be purposeful in word and action.  (Proverbs 11:22)  After all, YOU and your heart are the real treasures: outward beauty is just an accessory!

Calling on my fellow clueless women, exhausted mommies - what did I forget?  Any drug-store discoveries I ought to know about? What are your favorite things?