Your Beauty Basics for Pre-Mum Gorgeousness!

[LondonLady30]

Hi ladies,

Thought it would be fun to start a thread on what your essential beauty tips are for not looking like you've had 3 hours sleep when you've had 3 hours sleep!

Here are my serious big guns for looking good when you are on the edge (not that I manage to keep these up but when I do, I don't know why I let them slide):

• Blow dry (professional) once a week
• Nails done (shellac for low maintenance then you're done for a month)
• Eyebrows threaded and tinted
• Eyelash tint or better still discrete eyelash extensions
• Natural looking fake tan (again professional)
• White eye liner

When I have done these - nothing can stop me believing that I could be mistaken for my 18 year old self ;)

Yours please!

ROAR at these tips

Mine: treat each day that one manages to get dressed as a total success, big pants to contain pp foldover.

Next!

• blow dry (by whatever small child wants to play hairdressers) on endless repeat until I crack and put Shaun the sheep on
• gnaw the raggedy bits off my nails as they break. Find nail file. Get distracted by wine.
• eyebrows plucked once they've grown so far over my eyes that it's hard to see
• leave mascara on for 2 days on the trot after rare night out for that sex-kitten smudged look. (Do not apply fresh contact lenses during this 'look')
• black opaque tights
• red eyes.

Dry shampoo and gin at 10am. On the dot.

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge patted onto apples of cheeks. Doesn't actually matter if you don't finish the rest of your make-up once you have this on.

Really?

Ah I see this may have gone down better if I first explain that after many fun and flighty pre off-spring years where I looked perfectly normal, I now

• Get called (legitimately but lovingly) Gloria and/or Moto Moto by my kids
• Despite not having breast fed for almost 3 years somehow still have leaky boob stains on all my work shirts
• Have to fish items of clothing out of the laundry basket quite frequently or I'd be leaving the house naked

So in the context of this pretty standard mummying, I stand by the above list of frivolity to superficially breathe me back to life! ;) And since this is the beauty and style chat bit (I think..) would like to see if anyone else knows any stuff I can pinch. But the way this thread is going is funny too....(and my husband is watching Death in Paradise so I have nothing better to do ;)

• dry shampoo for the 3rd day running. Hair crackles to the touch

• plait leg hair into cornrows for added interest

• scrape food remnants off jeans. Clean as a whistle

(My serious tip is to drink 2.5l of water a day)

Yes indeed to drinking copious amounts of water.

Regular haircuts.

DON'T WEAR BROWN CLOTHES.

I am going to the spa tomorrow (and indeed 'have time off' is my only real tip) so shaved my legs. I'm missing my pelt Angus was just getting it long enough for plaiting...

I bet you're feeling the cold without it.

I am indeed. Thankfully it grows fast I'll be cosy again by Tuesday next

Ah, when I saw your title about Pre mum gorgeousness I thought it waa about how to look great in labour, which to be fair I did most of your initial tips. I also made sure I was waxed (yes seriously, all over!)

After all the post birth photos that DH was instant on doing last forever!

Most of my friends couldn't believe how good I looked post birth. To be honest it gave me a lift and they didn't need to know the details!

Buy joggers a size up from pre-birth size. You can genuinely say when you pull them on you've got 'dressed' but it feels like you're still in pjs

Good hair and nails makes the most difference to how I feel about myself. Naturally, both of those slip when time/money is an issue.

I have vowed to make time and money for pampering this year so starting this evening I am heading to the salon to get my nails done. I will finanace my beauty stuff (nails, hair, threading and makeup) by using my waitrose card for my morning coffee rather than starbucks and by walking to and from train station to save on busfare. That will save me more than £100.00 per month.

DS is 3 in March and I want to stop this ungroomed person I have become.

Same here lndnmummy, preggos again now and trying to regain some control over what i can whilst letting it all hang out where i cant

Actually a life saver are mobile beauticians. Much cheaper and can come when kids are in bed (happy to reccommend mine if anyone's in london and wants to PM me).

I force myself to have my hair cut every 5-6 weeks and book the next appointment when I am at the hairdresser
I try to keep my fingernails groomed by filing them when watching TV
Apart from this i also need to spend more time on myself.......