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Six Busy Mummy Makeup Hacks


Lets face it, gone are the pre-baby days where I had hours to sit in front of the mirror and perfect my makeup game. Now it’s all about the quick fix, in-between nappie changes, preparing snacks and meals, washing clothes, and chasing an active toddler around the house. . . and the list goes on.

It’s a good day if I manage to shower and eat breakfast before midday, who’s with me here?

So the thought of having to make time to apply a face full of makeup with a crying child in the background minutes before you need to leave might seem overwhelming and not worth the effort.

Well fear not - I have a few quick beauty hacks/easy and quick to use products that might change all that.

By no means am I telling you to put all of these on your face, however taking even a few of these tips and applying them correctly could completely transform the way you look and feel.

Have a read through and pick which ones best suit your needs.

It takes me five minutes to do this look, which is my go to quick makeup look these days. Now granted, I do this for a living, but I estimate once you get the hang of this, it will take no more than ten minutes. For this look I used Concealer to even out my skin tone, corrector for my dark under eye circles, Eyebrow pencil to fill in any sparse areas, bronzer to warm up my face, blush to add a pop of colour, highlighter for some added glow, mascara to open up my eyes and some lip balm to soothe my dry lips.

1.) SKIN – Instead of covering your whole face with a foundation, try using a concealer to block out any blemishes or discolouration.

Using a medium size blending or stippling brush, blend some concealer (I use Nars - Radiant Creamy Concealer) around your nose, chin, between your eyes and anywhere else where you get a bit of redness. You could try Rimmel - Wake me up Concealer as a less expensive option.

NOTE: If you have particularly poor skin or feel self conscious without covering your full face, try going for a light weight foundation or tinted moisturiser that can be applied with your hands instead of a brush - this will save time. Some of my favourites are M.A.C- Face & Body (foundation) – or Estee Lauder - Day Wear (tinted moisturiser).

2.) UNDER EYES – If you’re anything like me, you like to enjoy your child/baby free hours before bed when your kid/s are asleep. This often results in going to bed far later than one would have liked, and in return waking up in the morning with dark circles under your eyes. By simply erasing these dark circles I already feel a hundred times better.

My all time favorite product for this is M.A.C - Prep+Prime Highlighter Pen in colour ‘Bright Forecast’.

The key thing to remember when cancelling out any darkness under the eye, is that you want to apply a peachy/orangy coloured corrector as this is going to work to eliminate those dark grey/blue colours best. These correctors/concealers normally come in light and dark tones for all skin types. You could also try Bobbi Brown - Tinted Eye Brightener or for a less expensive option Maybelline - Instant Age Rewind Eraser. Apply a small amount under your eyes and gently blend in using your ring finer. Press and blend the product in right up to your lash line, inner corner of the eye and side of the nose near the eye.

3.) BRONZER/BLUSH/HIGHLIGHTER – After you use foundation or concealer, it tends to block out the natural colour your face usually carries.

Using a bronzer and/or blush will help to bring a bit of that colour back into your face making you look healthier and more awake.

I place Benefit Cosmetics - Hooler Bronzer under my cheekbone as a soft contour which helps slim the face and add definition.

I then use Nars - Orgasm Blush on the apple of my cheeks and blend upwards and out towards the top of my ear.

Highlighting areas of the face can accentuate your cheekbones and help give the illusion of healthy glowing skin.

I like to lightly sweep M.A.C – Mineralize Skin Finish in ‘Soft & Gentle’ on my cheekbones, however highlighting products come in different shades to suit different skin tones, and its important to find the correct shade for you. I start at the side of the temple and lightly brush down my cheekbone and softly blend on to the apples of my cheeks. Its important to stick to the actual cheek bone and not brush directly under the eye. Using my ring finger I then pat a bit on to my cupids bow (just above lip) to help my top lip look fuller.

Bronzer:

Blush:

Highlighter:

4.) EYEBROWS – We all know the cliché that “eyes are the window to the soul”, and if this is true then eyebrows are the frames to our face. Eyebrows say a lot about someone and just grooming them alone can totally change ones look.

Groomed eyebrows can make you look well rested (which mumma wouldn’t want that?), and you can also get away with wearing little to no makeup when your eyebrows are properly taken care of.

Current trends state that over plucked eyebrows is a thing of the past and that thicker more full eyebrows are the way to go.

If shaping your eyebrows doesn’t appeal to you then, simply try plucking some of the stray hairs and filling the brow in. You could use any of the below products to achieve flawless eyebrows

Pencils: These are often used as a corrective tool - they are good to use to extend the tail of ones brow, sharpen an arch or fill in any gaps and sparse areas.

Buying one with a spooly brush (looks like the head of a mascara brush) at the end is an extra bonus. Brush brows with spooly after, to ensure a more blended natural brow look.

Try Anastasia Beverly Hills – Brow Wiz or Hourglass – Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil.

Powders: A brow powder is great for someone who already has great shaped eyebrows that may feel slightly sparse in some areas. They are good for slightly intensifying what’s already there. Brow powders are best applied with an angled firm brow brush.

Try Anastasia Beverly Hills – Brow Powder Duo or Smashbox – Brow Tech.

Gels: Eyebrow gels are super quick and easy to use. They can be applied on a clean brow to add a touch more depth and colour or can be applied over powder or pencil to add extra definition and set the hairs in place. Apply lightly so as not to stain the skin under the brow. When looking for a gel, whether it is clear or tinted, look for a water resistant formula that doesn’t dry flakey, too shiny or crisp.

Try Benefit Cosmetics – Speed Brow or Bobbi Brown – Natural Brow Shaper & Hair Touch Up.

Pomades/Creams: Eyebrow pomades tend to have a stronger colour payoff to many other brow products. It’s best to fully master pencils and powders before moving on to a cream product. Again this is best applied with an angled brush. It is best to concentrate this product on the tail end and arch section of the brow, leaving the head of the brow nice and soft.

My all time favorite is Anastasia Bevery Hills – Dipbrow pomade.

5.) EYES – They say your eyes tell all, your age, your struggles, your sorrow, and for us mums, how little sleep we got the night before.

Take on board these key makeup tips and you will soon be able to camouflage many of these unforgiving signs around your baby blues.

I’ve divided this section into subheadings so we can properly hash it out.

Crows feet: Otherwise known as laugh lines or plainly the wrinkles next to our eyes. The first thing we all need to accept and realise, is that no amount of makeup is going to hide a wrinkle, in fact it is more likely going to accentuate it, however there are ways in which we can minimize the visibility of these laugh lines.

For starters, avoid using foundation and powder in those areas; instead softly blend concealer around any discoloured parts of the eye and just under. Evening out the skin tone alone will make the face look more alive and younger.

Eyelashes: Eyelashes, like our eyebrows, tend to thin out, get dryer and more delicate as we get older. Here is where our good friend mascara comes to the rescue. Women tend to underestimate the instant change a few coats of mascara can make to ones appearance. Not only does mascara make your eyes ‘pop’, it wakens up the face, defines the natural beauty of the eye and pulls any look together. When applying mascara, try focusing a heavier amount on the root of the lash and wiggle the wand side to side making sure each lash is coated, then swipe up applying the least amount of product on the tip of the lash. This will help lashes look more defined, balanced and less clumpy. Keeping an old, clean mascara wand, can be good for brushing out any lumps that may form, just remember to wash it regularly.

Some of my all time favorite mascaras are Bobbi Brown – Smokey Eye Mascara,

Dior – Diorshow Mascara and Benefit Cosmetics – They’re Real Mascara.

*Please note, wearing waterproof mascara on a day-to-day basis is not recommended, as it is often difficult to properly remove. Pulling the skin in such a sensitive area can encourage skin to droop and wrinkle as well as pull lashes out.

Nude Liner: A great way to brighten, and open up tired eyes is by wearing a nude, flesh coloured eyeliner on your bottom waterline. This area of the eye often looks pinky/red and slightly bloodshot. Using a flesh tone instead of the traditional white liner will ensure a more natural look, while still lifting the eye and making it look bigger. This is a great tip for woman with smaller eyes too. Wearing dark liner on the waterline will always make the eye look smaller and drawn together, whereas wearing a flesh tone colour will give the illusion of brighter, wider eyes.

Wearing a waterproof liner is going to provide you with a longwearing look that will last all day.

My favorites are Rimmel – Scandal’Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner in colour ‘Nude’,

Benefit Cosmetics – Eye Bright, and Smashbox – Always Sharp Waterproof Kohl Liner in colour ‘Bare’.

6.) LIPS – To be absolutely honest, I don’t wear much on my lips anymore. Pre bub, I use to love rocking a painted lip, whether it be bright, dark or nude, however now my lips are permanently stuck to my little ones cheeks, which makes wearing lipstick a little difficult.

My tip to good-looking lips is this; make sure they are smooth and moisturised. Changes in season, as well as stressed out lip biting can often result in sore and chapped lips.

I treat my lips with Lush – Lip Scrub (my favorite flavor is Mint Julips).

Simply scrub all over your lips, and either lick or rinse off (its sugar).

After giving your lips a good exfoliating it’s always good to give them a thorough moisturising.

I love to use Elizabeth Arden – Eight Hour Cream, I’m not sure why but the smell is slightly nostalgic to me, reminding me of my grandma. It’s a very comfortable lip balm, which adds a hint of shine to your lips.

If you want to add a hint of colour, I recommend going for a neutral shade that is similar to your natural lip colour. This way it wont require a huge amount of time and concentration to apply, and if it wears off during the day, it wont look obvious and blotchy. Some easy to apply and comfortable lipsticks/gloss’s I like are Clinique Chubby Stick – 01 Curviest Caramel and Hourglass Extreme Sheen Gloss – Canvas.

7.) ACCENTUATE WHAT YOU’VE GOT AND BE YOURSELF! – The most important thing here is to have fun and be yourself. Highlight that gorgeous pale skin, let those freckles shine and embrace the way you look. You will find you love the way you look naturally a lot more.

Obviously choosing the right shade concealer and lipstick isn’t at the top of most mumma’s priority list, but if you have managed to make it to the end of this post, it means you are interested in refining your look in the quickest way possible while still maintaining your awesome mummying ways! Being a mum is damn hard at times, but feeling good about yourself and taking the time to care for you makes those stressful times a tad bit easier! Good luck!!!! If some of these tips have worked for you, take a shameless Instagram selfie and tag @katefranklinmua in it and what you used so I can see your beautiful face!

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