mornings

Babies & Beauty Routines

How does a woman’s beauty routine change after her first child is born?

The early morning is a curious time of day — a heavy sense of tired greats you as you wake, but slowly throughout the morning things become lighter, clearer, louder, busier, rushed. There are the usual things on the agenda: coffee, shower, breakfast, beauty routine, and be sure not to forget your keys as you run out the door.

Now, let’s add the needs of a newborn baby. What part of your routine stays, and what goes? If there’s ever a time a woman faces a complete overhaul of her beauty routine, it’s when her first baby is born.

Alison Egan, a local Chicago Montessori teacher and mother of a six-month-old baby boy, thought that all her experience with children would prepare her for her own child, but it didn’t: “I thought it would be easy since I would have one child compared to 20, but it wasn’t. I can’t hand Harry back. He’s all mine.”

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We asked Alison to share with us what her beauty routine was before she had her son, Harry, and what her beauty routine was after he was born.

Alison explained: “My routine is a lot different now that it was before I had Harry. Before I was much more focused on my skin rather than make up — I spent a lot of time on cleansing and moisturizing, with minimal time spent on makeup. The makeup I wore was tinted moisturizer, some bronzer, and mascara. As for my hair, I spent much more time on it pre-Harry. I’d straighten it and style it frequently.”

It’s clear to see that Alison had much more time to primp and prep when the morning could be all about her, but after she became a mom, the mornings turned into messy buns and a bit of lipstick.

“After I had my son, concealer became my new best friend. And coffee. And usually sunglasses. I began to forget all the regular aspects of my beauty routine, especially the basics. I’d forget to put earrings in. Or mascara. Or my lipstick. Then of course, just as you put on a beautiful top, baby spits up.”

 

We were curious: Why did it change so much?

Alison explained, “getting ready is all about getting Harry ready. If I have an hour, I usually have to get him ready. 50 of those minutes are for him, and that’s it.”

With kids it’s always 80/20, but it’s okay because they need you and you need them. Having a child makes you a better person because it is no longer about you, it’s about caring and nurturing for another person. You become selfless. What once seemed routine or mundane becomes a special event. However, as GIT Mom would say, it’s just as important to take time out of your busy schedule to pamper yourself.

If you’re in need of a pampering session, Blowtique is available for all your needs.

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