We have all been there. You’re nursing your newborn baby, finally home from the hospital. Been up all night, maybe you got 3 or 4 hours of sleep… if you’re lucky. You’re playing around on your phone, then realize, crap. Tomorrow is the newborn photo shoot! I look like a truck hit me, and I haven’t seen a shower in days, let alone touched my makeup bag!
Well, I’ve been there, twice. Being a MAJOR cosmetics junkie, I always stock-piled my favorite items before having my babies so I wouldn’t ever be without my faves! Here I’m going to share my secret stash with you, because, I’m cool like that.
New Mom Beauty Must-Haves
This is THE most amazing product for those of us with dark eyelids. It instantly brightens up your eyes and blends well with eyeshadow primers. Sometimes I wear it alone, if I’m running late and need a quick fix, or it’s always used as my base to brighten my eyelids. I truly hope this never gets discontinued, because I’ve been using it for YEARS and love it!
Pro Longwear Concealer (M.A.C. Cosmetics)
For the longest time I searched high and low for the best under eye concealer known to man. I’ve always struggled with dark under eye circles (probably warrants its own post – Ha!) even before having babies… must have been the long days/nights at the office… and I FINALLY found this gem a few years ago, and even though I’ve tried others in between, I’ve always come back to my Pro Longwear! It’s truly amazing. It brightens, covers and blends beautifully! I’ve even worn it to the gym after work and it stayed on through a pretty sweaty workout session! For my money, this is the only concealer new moms need. Period.
Brow Wiz Eyebrow Pencil (Anastasia Beverly Hills)
I just recently (past 3 years or so) have become obsessed with my eyebrows. Back in the day, I was a plucker/tweezer, then went to waxing… now it’s all the rage to have thicker eyebrows and I desperately needed to fill in my brows while I grew them out (or in – whevs). Again, I’ve tried all kinds of pencils and Anastasia truly stays on, the color matches perfectly and with soft strokes, it looks TOTALLY natural! They also have 9 different tones to choose from. It’s even stayed on while I was in the pool! For new mommies, to help frame your face and add a little extra something without looking “done up” – eyebrows must be filled in and shaped. I literally cannot leave the house without it, and if I do (accidentally of course) I totally feel naked without my brows!!!
Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Sin (Urban Decay)
For the new mommy that used to wear eyeshadow everyday, but now with a newborn or multiple kiddos, just don’t have time to play around with a pallet… this is for you. I have this in 2 colors, and wish they’d come out with more shades. It’s like having a shimmery eyeshadow and primer all in 1. I love the wand, and the way it stays on all day can’t be beat. Love!
Hypnose Drama Mascara (Lancome) (Waterproof & Regular)
If your hormones are still going nuts after having the baby, and you’re still crying at E V E R Y T H I N G, this is my pick for not running or smudging, but still giving you the best, curliest, longest eyelashes. Of course use an eyelash curler too, but even without a curler, Hypnose Drama still gets the job done. (I can probably do a whole post on mascara… I’ve save that for another time).
Lip Balm (DoTerra)
Dry lips, dry skin, dry hair, and living in the desert doesn’t help. After having a baby you are SO dehydrated and you’re always (or should be) drinking LOTS of water… and keeping those lips nice and soft to kiss your new baby is so important. I think I have a lip balm in every diaper bag and every room of my house.
So, when you come home with a new baby, you’re constantly washing your hands (at least I am) because you’re changing TONS of diapers, cleaning, and trying to keep germs at bay, especially if you have an older child at home already. This leads to extremely dry hands, which for me, my skin gets really rough and very uncomfortable. In comes Exceptial. My dermatologist actually recommended this to me, so you KNOW it’s gotta be good! It’s over-the-counter, I got mine at Walgreens, and not expensive. I saw a noticeable difference almost within 24 hours. Really great product. Highly recommend.
Detox Dry Conditioner (Dry Bar)
My secret weapon. My new found love. My lost-on-a-deserted-island product. I cannot live without this. Thank you Dry Bar for coming out with this. With a new baby, I think I wash my hair maybe once a week (and get away with it) because of the Dry Conditioner. I’ll either blowout my hair or just wash and style one day, then the rest of the week, use this product along with maybe a touch up iron or curling iron, and I’m done. BAM! Amazing. My hair isn’t frizzy, it completely smoothes out the “slept-on” look and I just love the scent too! Top it off with a little hairspray, and I’m good to go.
I hope you found these products helpful, and can get you through the first few weeks and months when your new baby is being super needy. I find it helpful to put a little makeup on in the morning (not a whole lot) just something to make me feel human again. You just gave birth to a BABY, give yourself a break and enjoy the moments, and take lots of pictures! At least your eyebrows will look good in the photos! 😉
xoxo, L
