15 Feb 7 Style Hacks for Low-Maintenance Mums
Let’s face it, when it comes to parenting, the first thing we run out of is time, quickly followed by energy. As we throw on some clothes and hustle the kids out the door, our former style and beauty habits fall, understandably, by the wayside. Thankfully, you can still feel fly as a mum on the run. Here are our best tips for mums who want to feel glam while living their best low-maintenance life.
1. Shellac manicures
Also called gel manicures, a shellac manicure involves shaping the nail and painting it with a special coloured nail gel that is then cured using a UV or LED curing lamp. Once set, the nail colour adds strength to your existing nail, and resists chipping for up to a month. You can also have this done during a pedicure and never worry about slipping on a pair of sandals again!
2. Tinted moisturiser or BB cream
Swap your regular moisturiser for a tinted moisturiser with SPF. You can protect your skin, get a little bit of colour, and moisturise all in one swoop. This is particularly great for when you want to feel fresh but don’t have time to do your whole foundation routine [read: every damn day]. BB creams do much of the same job but can offer more coverage and come in a wider range of colours. For best effect, find a shade that matches the skin tone on your upper chest and make sure to blend well on your jawline.
3. Ombre hair colour
If you like to get your hair coloured it can be a race against time to get your roots done before they dominate your whole ‘do. Instead of colouring your entire head, consider an ombre-style colour that starts with your natural colour at the root and fades into a lighter colour at the ends. This effectively hides your regrowth until you can make time to hit the salon again.
4. Tinted eyelashes and eyebrows
Anything semi-permanent is a dream for a low-maintenance mum look. If you have blonde to light brown eyelashes and eyebrows, pop into a beautician and have your lashes tinted darker, and your eyebrows shaped and tinted. No more rooting around in your bag for a pesky mascara, or racing against the clock to get your eyebrows matching.
5. Find your uniform
You don’t need to be snapping up the latest trendy wardrobe ‘pieces’ to feel stylish while short on time. Have a think about the things you feel good wearing, and find a way to make them your wardrobe staples. When you find a dress you love and could wear every day, snap it up in every colour! Love your jeans and band tees? Own it! You can even throw a blazer on top to dress it up if you want. Cute leggings and an oversized button-down shirt? Perfect! Basing your clothes on a staple set of items in cuts and colours that you feel great wearing makes picking an outfit you love so much easier!
6. Accessorise!
Having a ‘uniform’ doesn’t mean looking the same every day. Spruce up your look with bold, fun jewellery that can change the vibe of your outfit immediately. The best part is that throwing on a chunky necklace or cute watch takes only seconds compared to playing runway in front of your mirror!
7. Cosmetic tattoos
If you literally never want to worry about certain beauty products ever again, have a look at cosmetic tattooing. On offer are eyeliner tattoos, eyebrows, lip colours, the whole shebang. Our advice is to be cautious when selecting a particularly “on trend” style to mimic with your tattoo – we’re pretty sure our dramatic eyebrows aren’t going to stand the test of time. But a dark nude or soft pink on your lips might be just the ticket to helping you feel glam every day with close to zero effort.
