Brittany Gray talks about her hands-down best beauty essentials for busy moms, for that little bit of a pick me up to feel their very best.
I must admit that this is by far my most impassioned video and topic to date and goes way deeper than just discussing beauty essentials for busy moms. It’s about being a mom and how easy it can be to lose yourself in the daily chaos, amazing as it is, of motherhood. And of course, it’s about showing you some tips and tricks to help tired, disheartened and overworked moms get their groove back. Though I’m speaking from my own experience as a mom, this isn’t just for moms. It’s for anyone who has been feeling down, who has been feeling depressed, who is going through a breakup or is having trouble at work, anyone who is anxious or feels like they’ve lost a bit of themselves. If you need a pick-me-up, I’m here to help you feel empowered again, to look and feel beautiful and rediscover that inner Goddess!
After my first child, my daughter, I was fortunate enough to bounce back fairly quickly, but after my son, my second little bundle of joy, I found myself feeling very down, anxious and as though I’d lost myself. For me, one of the ways I brought a little bit more joy and self-confidence back was by finding products that I absolutely loved and could get excited about. So let’s dive into that list of beauty essentials for busy moms – products that can help bring you out of your funk, lift your disheartened spirit and raise you up to the powerful, exuberant woman you are!
HAIR
After the birth of my daughter, I realized I had actually lost noticeable amounts of hair in different places, or little patches, on my scalp. I felt unattractive and self conscious. I started taking these Hair, Skin and Nail Gummies by Nature’s Bounty. They have biotin in them, which is the secret ingredient in helping your hair grow. Don’t give up after one bottle. It took a bottle and a half for me to see the difference; my hair started to grow back beautifully and my eyelashes grew longer as well!
I wanted to touch a moment on hair loss in women. Many women have experienced some hair loss over pregnancy, many others due to stress, anxiety or any number of other reasons. There is a trick to helping cover up that thinner hair line while you wait for your gummy pills to kick in and help give you back that fuller, more lustrous hair again! Take your eyebrow powder and a larger brush, dip into the powder and just use it to fill in any spots that are looking a little sparse. Voila!
SKIN
When I got pregnant I found that my skin was very sensitive, I’d break into little rashes on my face and I didn’t want to use any chemical heavy products on my skin. I found a drugstore Coconut Oil by Nature’s Bounty that is fantastic. I used it at night to hydrate and cleanse my skin as well as heal irritations. It really is an amazing natural product that you just smooth into your skin. Simple as that!
There are some days that I find myself feeling a little drab, dry and dehydrated. A quick fix for me has always been a facial mist spray. Lavender and Chamomile Facial Spray by Mario Badescu is very calming, so not only does it help bring life back into your skin, but your stressful mom moment has just gotten a little more chill. Bonus. You can use this product after you’ve cleansed, before applying makeup, after you put on your makeup up, to help set your foundation…you get the idea. You can pretty much use it any time! Having a mist in your arsenal is a beauty must. Admittedly, many of us fail at keeping properly hydrated with our 8 plus glasses of water a day. A mist can help keep your skin hydrated and give you a bit of a glow, but let’s face it. The mist can’t help with your daily water intake. So drink up. The last little mist secret I have is that using it on your face after you’ve applied all of your makeup will help bring back that luminous skin that may have been dulled by cakey foundation and powder.
After an exhausting (but rewarding!) day with the kids, sometimes the last thing you want to do is trudge into the bathroom and do an entire night time cleansing routine. Sometimes, you just want to crash. So I always had a package of cleansing wipes handy on my bedside table, they really were a godsend! I used the Costco Cleansing Wipes, the most bang for your buck by far! You can even have your coconut oil on your bedside table as well and give yourself a little night time cleansing from the comfort of your covers. How good is that?
SCENTS
Of course when you’re a mom with kids of any age, you want to feel and smell fresh…but when you’re a new mom in particular you want to fight that spit up and spew by feeling as fresh as you can, with the absolute least amount of chemicals so you don’t irritate your little one in your attempts to feel more human! I still love Endless Summer Perfume by Clean. You’ll smell wonderfully fresh while cradling your newborn in your arms. This perfume has some great natural ingredients, so there is no need to feel guilty for wanting to spray on a little perfume near baby. Another scent I adore is Clean Classic. The wonderful thing about the Clean company is that it’s eco friendly, vegan, gluten free, cruelty free and non toxic. It doesn’t get much better.
BRONZE + SHIMMER
One thing that always helps give me that pick me up, and I know there are some women out there who feel the same way, is feeling like I’ve gotten a little sunshine on my face. Looking as though I have a tan honestly makes me feel brighter. Vita Liberata Self Tanning Anti Aging Serum does just that, and the bonus is that it also has natural anti aging ingredients as well as giving you that sun-kissed glow you’ve been missing, so it’s a brilliant little two for one!
LIPS
Didn’t your mama ever tell you to just go and put on some lipstick and you’ll feel ten times better? Well, mama wasn’t wrong. I’ve always felt putting on some lips raises my spirits and helps to make me feel more confident and lovely. I’ve always been a diehard pinky-peach-nude tone girl when it comes to lip colour. Everyone has a different colour that works for them, so have fun exploring different shades and tones to find the lip colour that makes you feel beautiful. For me, I really love Bellissima by Stila. I like to wear Stila with a nude lip liner and because it’s an all day stay matte lipstick I usually pop on a little bit of gloss for an extra shimmer and healthy looking glow. It’s a wonderful peachy-nude shade and as soon as I put it on it makes me feel great. I feel like I look more awake, more alive and looks fabulous with a tan! I am also a big fan of NYX Silk Indulgent which I talked about in my February Favourites video and is that similar peach-pink-nude shade that suits me so well.
Laneige Lip Glowy Balm is another wonderful lip product. It’s in the same family as the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask that everyone raves about and offers a little pigment for colour. I love to use the mask at night and use the balm for extra hydration. If you don’t love using lipstick everyday, the balm adds that little bit of healthy colour in a more subdued way. The perfect word for these two Laneige lip products is “comforting”. I find with some lip balms that I feel more dehydrated after long use, but this one feels like you’ve pampered your lips, scrubbed them and hydrated them throughout the day. All in one product. It’s amazing. I will say, if you have to choose only one Laneige product I’d start with the Sleeping Mask. But the balm is the perfect product to compliment it when you’re ready for the next lip buy!
BROWS
I find that my brows are really central to my whole look, they frame my face and without giving them their proper, full look I just feel incomplete and unfinished. When you’re in a rush (i.e. a new mom!) of course you don’t always have time to do lashes and all sorts of other makeup. But if you can spend a little bit of time to clean and brush up your brows it can give you a really lovely, polished look without having to apply a full eye or face of makeup. The new Anastasia DipBrow Gel has a lot of pigment and is easy to use. I personally use the blonde shade, I just brush it through my brows and it gives them a nice lift. Using the gel with a good skincare regime and you’ll look and feel pulled together even if you’re only rushing to the supermarket or the gym and don’t have time for any other face prep. I’ll pop on the gel with a little cream blush in the morning and feel good heading out the door.
FOUNDATION
If you’re planning a date night, a girl’s night or have the extra time to get a little more gussied up, I’d recommend finding a foundation that really gives you that fresh, full nights sleep, just left the spa luminous glow. For me, Carter Beauty’s Half Measure Dewy Foundation and their HD Full Measure Foundation do the trick. The Dewy I wear everyday as a great pick me up to look refreshed but not feel like I have a full face of foundation on. The HD foundation I wear for events or when I know I’ll be having photos taken. But really take your time to find what works for you and makes you feel hydrated and fresh. I really do recommend the Dewy, it reminds me a lot of the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. The Armani foundation can run a bit steep in price, however, so the Dewy is a really terrific and affordable option.
I admit when it comes to being overworked, tired and always on the go, it really does help to have a few tricks up your sleeve to keep your glow on. Mac Prep and Prime Light Boost Highlighter is like a highlighter without the shimmer. I put it on under my eyes, on top of my concealer and it has a yellowish tone so it offers a very good amount of brightening. When you blend it out, it gives you that more awake, well slept look! You do need a little more time in the morning to add this to your routine, but if you’re able to, it really does help you look and feel more alive.
I am a huge fan of dual products, and Stila’s Convertible Colour dual lip and cheek are amazing. They also have a wonderful consistency, they stay put and they are easy to blend, just a simple and foolproof cream blush that you can apply to lip and cheek. Peony and petunia are lovely, one is more neutral the other more pink- peach, so choose what works for you! They’re a must have.
TEETH
A bright, white smile always helps me to feel like a better version of myself. The Crest 3D White Strips in the one hour express are awesome. I put them on while I’m in the shower or finishing a project when you know you won’t have to eat or drink for an hour. They really do work!
EYES
If you’re always struggling to cover up that little line of red in your waterline under your eye, your secret weapon is NudeStix Magnetic Luminous Eye Pencil in Gilt. Just apply it to the waterline to give your undereye a subtle lift, it can really bring a bit of extra pop to your eye colour, as well!
The last product I want to share for your arsenal of beauty essentials for busy moms and any woman who just needs a lift from the outside in, are our Fancy Face Stardust Gel Under Eye Patches. I love these, I put them in the fridge to cool them then put them on under my eyes while I have my morning coffee. They’re brilliant and so easy to use. I start my day looking and feeling refreshed…even though there is a good chance I didn’t rest much at all! Here’s to moms and busy women everywhere who totally get that!
Hair, Skin and Nail Gummies by Nature’s Bounty // @naturesbountyca
Coconut Oil by Nature’s Bounty // @naturesbountyca
Lavender and Chamomile Facial Spray by Mario Badescu // @mariobadescu
Costco Cleansing Wipes
Endless Summer Perfume by Clean // @sephoracanada
Clean Classic // @sephoracanada
Vita Liberata Self Tanning Anti Aging Serum // @vitaliberata
Bellissima by Stila // @stilacosmetics
Nyx Lip Lingerie // @nyxcosmetics
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask // @laneigeca
Laneige Lip Glowy Balm // @laneigeca
Anastasia DipBrow Gel // @anastasiabeverlyhills
Carter Beauty’s Half Measure Dewy Foundation // @carterbeautycosmetics
HD Full Measure Foundation // @carterbeautycosmetics
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation // @armanibeauty
Mac Prep and Prime Light Boost Highlighter // @maccosmeticscanada
Stila’s Convertible Colour // @stilacosmetics
Crest 3D White Strips
NudeStix Magnetic Luminous Eye Pencil // @nudestix
