Hello New You: Easy Ways For Busy Mums To Reinvent Themselves
With the demands of modern motherhood taking up so much of our time, effort and attention, it’s little wonder that many of us have the time to obsess over our appearance the way we used to when we were younger. While we may still retain an interest in clothes and makeup it becomes more abstract as we become more entrenched in motherhood. “That’s a nice dress”, we may think, “But obviously I could never buy it because it’d be plastered with semi-digested banana bites within 4 hours.”. While it’s only natural that our priorities change after childbirth and of course we put our children’s needs ahead of our own, but that’s no reason to let your self-image fall by the wayside.
Thus, after a while many new Mums start to feel a need to reinvent themselves. After all, a new look is a great way to show the world that you’ve changed; you’re more mature, you’re more grounded and you have a new outlook on life… But that doesn’t mean that you’re no longer fun, no longer lively, no longer young and no longer… Well… Hot! If you’ve spent too long as a dowdy hausfrau and want to show the world what a yummy mummy you’ve become then a new look is a great way to do it.
Likewise, if you’ve recently gone through a separation and your life has been a tornado of letters from family solicitors and complicated questions from the kids, you might decide that now’s the time to get back out there and find happiness. You want to show the world the new you, the you that’s ready to take on the world and show it what she’s made of.
But I don’t have the time (or the money) for a full makeover!
I can hear you saying it now. Your every penny (and spare moment), is dedicated to your kids. It’s absolutely true that the notion of putting themselves first is anathema to Mums. After all, selflessness is the very nature of motherhood. But ask yourself, what sort of Mum do you want to be? Do you want to be the dishevelled sad sack who fades into the background at PTA meetings or do you want to be the glamorous Mum who turns heads on her way to pick the kids up from school? Admit it, you’d like for your children’s friends to wish they had a Mum as cool, as glamorous and as beautiful as you. You owe it to yourself and your kids!
Plus, the good news is that reinventing your look needn’t cost a fortune in personal shoppers, stylists and expensive and invasive cosmetic procedures. It’s simply a matter of making a few judicious choices…
It all starts with the hair
Your hair is a defining feature of your look and if you want to make a change, this is the best place to go bold or go home. Your hair is one of the first things that both men and women notice and has a profound psychological link to your self-image. Thus, it’s intrinsic to making you look and feel different.
If you’ve always worn your hair long, you’d be amazed how many years a shorter cut can take off you. While combining a cut with a new colour can give you new vibrancy and energy. On the other hand, if you’ve typically always had short to mid-length hair and have always dreamed of long, flowing locks then there’s no need to wait months for it to grow out or spend a fortune on expensive micro-ring extensions.
The market is full of temporary human hair extensions which are quick and easy to apply; taped as they are into your hair using hypoallergenic tape. They are extremely versatile and can be worn up or down, as well as being used to create highlights or an ombre look without the need for damaging chemicals.
Remake-up
Most of us establish a makeup look that we’re happy with early on in life and stick with it throughout our adulthood because… Why not? However, you’d be amazed at how easy it is to transform yourself if you mix things up a bit. Eyebrow shaping can really change the look of your face and take years off you, while the shape of your eyes themselves can be changed with the creative use of eyeliner and false lashes. Your lips, meanwhile, can be made kissably plump with a collagen infused lip plumper.
Out with the old and in with the new you
Finally, it’s time to take a good hard look at that wardrobe. You can almost pinpoint the moment where you started dressing for comfort. While you should certainly retain some *ahem* child-proof clothes, it’d undoubtedly time to inject some glam into your wardrobe. Throw out the dowdy, the baggy and anything grey and load up on bold colours, spaghetti straps and plunging necklines. Go for colours that are bold yet neutral so that you have more options for mixing and matching.