Balancing Motherhood & Beauty: Tips for Skincare, Hair, Makeup & Personal Style As A Busy Mama

We’re here with some very talented pros from the hair, personal style, make-up and skin care industries to talk tips & tricks! If you want to revamp your selfcare routines in a way that fits your lifestyle as a busy mama come get ready with us! 

Before we get ready, let’s talk about why I am blogging about beauty tips for moms. The Modern Mama Hub Blog is a positive space for parents right? “Don’t we just hear about parenthood experiences or challenges from you?” I think one of the biggest challenges mothers face is finding that balance between individualism and their roles as moms. So this piece came to mind as a way to foster the importance of maintaining that balance in a fun way.

We’re going to dive into how you can create routines or "best practices"as a busy mama for skincare, hair, make-up and personal style. These tips can serve as a staple to keep you feeling your best and like your most authentic self on a daily basis.

“Beautiful skin requires commitment not a miracle” - Enzo Laszlo

A good skincare routine lays the foundation for a glam look. Helping us prep our skin is Adrienne, Owner of Glow With Addy. Adrienne is a certified Esthetician, specializing in skin care. Her love for skin care started young and accelerated once she started experiencing adult acne. 

Adrienne’s goal is to help those struggling with acne find their confidence again. Adrienne is dedicated to helping women understand their acne & the effects of the female hormone cycle on the skin. She also hopes to help normalize NORMAL looking healthy skin. Adrienne offers in-person facial treatments, in-person skin consultations and more! Let’s steal a few skincare tips from a professional Esthetician’s playbook.

One reason I stopped wearing makeup for awhile was because I would dread the process of taking it all off at the end of the day. I also found my skin seemed to have more issues when I would wear makeup because I wouldn’t follow a “good routine" and I’ll be honest, I wasn’t cleaning my supplies like I should.

So what is a “good routine” when it comes to skincare? I think the better question for us busy moms is what is a “simple routine” that covers the essentials. Adrienne says the most important skin care routine you can stick to on an ongoing basis as a busy mama can be broken down into four easy steps: 

Cleanse

(Lightly massage the cleanser in for about a minute. Pro tip, be cautious with skin scrubbers. If you use them, you want to be very diligent and thoroughly clean and sanitize them each time so that bacteria does not collect.) 

 Treat 

(targeted serum to their skin concern)

Hydrate

 (moisturizer)

Protect 

(spf)

**You can use the same products morning and night for steps 1-3! 

You might be wondering if there are any glaring mistakes in your skincare routine. Adrienne says “when it comes to acne/breakouts, it’s drying out the skin with harsh products. (Toners, salicylic acids, OTC acne treatments)” 

Adrienne elaborates “these harsh ingredients do in fact dry out your acne... they also damage your skin's barrier causing more dryness, and allowing for more bacteria to enter the skin resulting in more breakouts. Contrary to popular belief, if you have acne, you NEED to be using a good moisturizer.” Adrienne also highlights the importance of using SPF. 

Do we really need to invest in high end expensive skin care products? Adrienne says “this is a hard question… because it’s different for everyone! However, generally speaking, a double cleanse duo, exfoliant, antioxidant serum, a good moisturizer and of course, SPF should do the trick!” 

If you really want to enhance your skincare or you’ve just had an overly hellish week with the kiddos you should consider a facial! 

Why? Because there are so many benefits to facial treatments! 

Things like… 

- relaxation 

- increased circulation (de-puffs)

- regular skin analysis 

( P.s While Adrienne says she doesn’t diagnose, she has sent multiple clients to their doctors about spots she was watching on their skin.. Turns out, it was skin cancer! Adrienne says skin cancer doesn’t always look scary and abnormal. She adds, having a professional monitoring your skin can be super beneficial)

- clarifies the skin and removes dead skin cells 

- helps to brighten the skin and even out skin tone

- manage acne

- professional skin care product recommendations tailored to YOUR skin 

(no more guessing or google)

I totally thought a facial would last like a weekend kind of thing. To my surprise, Adrienne says “The results of a facial vary depending on the type of facial treatment! Typically, the results will last for 4-6 weeks. However, the immediate “glow” will last around a week. Especially when using a good at home skin care regime! (Just like working out, consistency is key!) The results also vary depending on lifestyle, and age.” I’m adding a facial to my Christmas wish list for sure! 

Postpartum hormones are the gift that keeps on giving. For me, the gifts I got were hair loss and the occasional zit. I asked Adrienne if there were any particular products that combat hormonal acne. She said “Benzoyl peroxide or retinol.” She adds, “If you are pregnant or breastfeeding I would suggest benzoyl peroxide with the consent from a doctor OR a sulfur masque/spot treatment instead!” Adrienne cautions that “Retinol is not safe to use during pregnancy or breastfeeding.” 

What is the consensus for the best way to prep your skin for a moms' night out? Adrienne says, “If you want your skin to look it’s best under makeup.. you need exfoliated and hydrated skin!” 

Here’s what Adrienne would do to prep her skin for a night out:

Cleanse 

(with a gentle, hydrating cleanser)

 Exfoliate 

(use a GENTLE scrub, like the peptide micro scrub, or the hydrating enzyme mask from Glymed Plus)

 Moisturize! 

(My fave is Comfort Cream with Aloe Vera from Glymed Plus)

Adrienne adds “and don’t forget your lips! Use a gentle lip scrub and a lip balm (or nipple cream… it’s the best, I promise!) to finish off your skin care routine.” 

To conclude our skincare tips, I will also share with you the wise words of an intoxicated man I overheard on the city bus in college. “For the best skin, drink water.” I mean he’s not wrong right? 

“Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself” -Charlotte Tilbury 

I went about six months without wearing any makeup after my son was born aside from a random day here and there. When I did put makeup on, I could be caught taking my finger and smoothing some eye shadow on my eyelids and then scraping the mascara bottle to swipe on what's left to my eyelashes. (Yikes) 

I knew of the perfect person to help me from myself. Madison, Owner of Madhouse Beauty! Madison is an amazing Make-up Artist skilled in Bridal, Events, Special Effects and Photoshoots. 

I am probably dating myself here, but I have been obsessed with Urban Decay’s Naked Palettes since highschool. I remember waiting in line at Sephora for the Naked 3 palette when it came out. The nostalgia (and age) of most of my eye shadow palettes got me wondering if makeup expired… Let’s be honest, when’s the last time you replaced your makeup as a busy mama? 

Madison says, “The makeup artist in me says yes, replace expired makeup because professionally it is important to make sure your products are not expired. But if you ask the mom me I would say who has the time or money to spend on worrying about expired makeup. I use so much ‘expired’ stuff daily and I’m still alive. Survival mode baby!” 

She adds, “That being said- I think there are some products we actually need to make sure we are replacing or cleaning often. Your brushes should be washed at least once a month (so annoying, I know). Your mascara and liquid eyeliners should also be replaced every few months (I don’t like the thought of getting bacteria build up in my eye balls). Pressed powders and eyeshadows you can clean using alcohol spray and a Kleenex which should keep them good for a long time. Foundation, I would say is a case by case basis. Does it look the same? Smell the same? Apply the same? I have had foundations for up to 3 years and still use them on myself if they are not showing any signs of being off. At the end of the day, as long as you’re keeping your stuff clean and paying attention to any formulation changes then I think you can make it last longer than the expiry date on the bottle.” 

Being on a mat leave budget, this is great news! The news got even better, I asked Madison for her thoughts on investing in high quality makeup and whether it was worth it. Madison thought that it was important to invest in quality makeup products like brushes and skincare. When it comes to actual makeup though, she finds that drugstore products are just as good (and sometimes better) than the ‘high quality’ brands from Sephora. Madison says, “If you’re going to invest in products that are going to help you look your best, buy a set of good brushes and make sure you’re taking care of your skin with good quality skincare.” 

You would be surprised at how many people have asked me if I am anemic. Just kidding, you probably wouldn’t be. I am part of the pale people party for sure. Which makes it incredibly overwhelming for me to think about matching makeup to my skin tone. 

Naturally, matching skin tone was one of my key questions for Madison. She says “Don’t try to match your face, or your ‘body’. Your face will always be the lightest part and your body is going to be the darkest usually. Match your neck and chest.” 

Madison notes that another important thing is to know your undertone. She says “Are you pink, yellow or more neutral? There’s tons of ways to find out if you search online.” 

Has anyone else been matching their foundation wrong their entire makeup wearing life? I one hundred percent have been holding foundation bottles up to my face and sheepishly asking whoever was with me if it would “work”. 

Sidebar story, but funny I promise. My dad used to travel a lot. He went to Hong Kong one time and noticed there was a Mac Makeup outlet. Being a father to a makeup obsessed fifteen year old; he thought he would go in there and pick me up something. 

He brought the Mac makeup bag home and I was so excited. Girl Dad of the year. Unfortunately, when I opened the bag, I saw he picked a foundation of all the things and it was as orange as a tabby cat. I wore the foundation for like two weeks knowing that I looked like an oompa loompa.(Sorry for ratting you out dad but I swear you made someone chuckle). 

Speaking of makeup mistakes, Madison shared there are a few common ones we might be making. 

Madison says common mistakes she sees include “Thinking that all the products that go viral on TikTok are going to work on you. You have to always consider your own skin when doing your makeup. Are you dry? If yes, then you should probably stay away from matte foundations and go towards the more dewy hydrating ones and use less powders. Pay attention to your own skin and your own features when doing your makeup. Trial and error baby! If you don’t know what’s going to look best on you then just try it out and see.” 

If you’re wondering how you can set yourself up for the best makeup application success, Madison says “Skincare, skin prep and quality makeup tools such as brushes and sponges! These things make all the difference.” 

If you’re looking for some makeup inspo, I would highly recommend taking a peek at Madison’s work! Madison shares “To all the mamas out there- you are doing amazing. Don’t let motherhood dim your sparkle, you’ve still got it! It’s so important to try and find time to focus on you and do the things that make you feel good. A happy mom= a happy baby!” 

“Invest in your hair, it’s the crown you never take off!” - Anonymous

Talking hair with us is Amy, Co-Owner of The Curly Red Head Salon and Designer Level Stylist. Amy has an extensive portfolio of certificates in colouring, blonding, extensions and more! She even worked on a cruise ship and in Europe doing hair for awhile. How cool! 

I again wanted to know about expired products. I have a lot of hair products that have been kicking around for awhile. Amy of The Curly Red Head Salon says “Yes, it is important to not use expired hair products. If the product has expired, it will just make the hair harder to manage and potentially threaten the hair's integrity.” 

I also asked Amy what her thoughts were on investing in quality products. Are they worth the investment? Amy added “just like with everything else, the food industry, the vitamin industry, the skin care industry etc. Companies put so many harmful ingredients into products. A good product line will not only perform well but really care for your skin and hair.” 

I started getting into quaility hair care products after a bad set of highlights that fried my hair and never looked back. After ten years of highlights, I've been there done that with a lot of hair care and I found that the drug store shampoos left a lot more residue, didn't lather as well, left my hair really dry and didn't have the results I was looking for overall. I know it can seem like a big leap to pay up to forty dollars for a shampoo compared to six dollars at the drug store but if you do have the means to make the investment I would say that for me personally it made a big difference.

When it comes to styling your own hair, Amy says “make sure your hair is 100% dry or the hair will start to do whatever it wants. Use quality products to ensure the results you want. Make sure you're also using a quality heat protectant if you're using hot tools. Always know that the healthier your hair is, the better your styling will turn out.” 

Now for the moment you’ve probably been waiting for… Is there anything that can be done to help combat that postpartum hair loss? 

Here are Amy’s tips & tricks for postpartum hair loss: 

• If you're not on any vitamin regiments at this point, get back on them. Especially a vitamin B Complex (if Dr. Okays it)

• A quality thickening hair growth shampoo set is always helpful. Eufora makes an excellent one.

• Firm head massages daily brings the fresh blood to the scalp, feeding the hair as well as removing any impurities that could be on the scalp blocking the hair from coming through.

• We also have a great hair growth Serum by Revive7 which can help speed up the process of bringing your hair back. - However, if you're not using a great shampoo first, it won't help. We need to ensure optimum scalp health for better growth. Which is helpful regardless so always staring with good shampoo is key.

• As well as a scalp scrubber to use with your shampoo. (All if these things we have at our salon for you) 

• If you do have a troublesome scalp, we can do an amazing scalp treatment to revitalize it

• Tape in extensions can also help bridge the gap between postpartum hair loss and the time it takes to get you back to normal

• A thickening Serum can help when you blow dry to at least make the hair you have appear fuller

• Stress management (I know that's a hard one) but your body is a temple- the healthier you are in mind and body- the faster and better your hair will grow and feel

• Always happy to give more in depth info in a consultation if anyone has more questions or wants to discuss further as well

"Style is a simple way of saying complicated things"- Jean Cocteau 

Now it’s time for the part I personally struggle with the most… The outfit! From working from home life to pregnancy to postpartum my closet is kind of a mess. You’ll find a lot of sweatpants, casual clothing and cozy sweaters in there. What is harder to find is a cute going out outfit. 

My boobs are sitting a little bit (okay a lot) lower than they did before the baby. So when I put many of my previous go to outfits on, I was a little bit disappointed. 

So, I’m really excited to welcome Erin of Valley Vogue Styling Co to our getting ready crew. Erin’s specialities include colour analysis, closet audits and accompanied shopping appointments. Erin started her journey as a Stylist after having her first baby. She found her passion for finding clothing that complimented her postpartum body and empowered her to put her most authentic self forward through style. Now, her mission is to help other women do the same for themselves and find their confidence through their clothes. I love Erin’s quote, “Having a good sense of style is not saying “hey, look at me!”, but rather, claiming your space in each room you enter, stating “here I am.”

I asked Erin what her advice was for mom’s looking at their closet for the first time after having a baby for a night out. She says “the first thing to keep in mind is to be gentle with yourself - you just had a baby and while your body has changed and your clothes might not fit the way they used to, remember that you just brought a baby into the world - and that’s freaking awesome!” 

Erin adds “next, I would recommend taking some time to try on some of your favourite items and see how you FEEL in them. If the item(s) makes you feel beautiful, confident and comfortable, these items are the ones to keep and wear!” 

As I mentioned, my closet is kind of a mess. I'm probably going to be getting rid of a lot of items in there because I don't feel like they are really me anymore. I'm also not rich and wanted to know how to start my closet over on a budget. Which led me to asking Erin where the most important place was to put your money when it comes to clothing. Erin mentioned that the key items to have in your closet would be “having proper jeans, base items (tees, long sleeves, camis), layering items and proper/modern footwear is a great place to start!” She adds “the basics might seem boring to add to your closet, but they’re the most important.” 

After getting the closet organized, it's time for outfit selection. Have you ever wondered if your outfit isn’t working? My hand is up, it’s me. I’m always second guessing whether or not something is “working” for me. Erin has a few tips for how to tell if your outfit maybe isn’t working for you. She says “when the fit is off, the quality isn’t great and the outfit leaves you feeling only "meh "." Plus, Erin adds “If the item(s) don’t really jive with your body, complexion, personality and/or lifestyle, there’s a good chance you’ll never actually wear it.”

Did you know that we all have ideal colours? I never put much thought into what my “colours” were to be honest. I just kind of went with the trendy colours like the beiges or green just because I like green. I was really interested to hear that Stylists like Erin can provide an individualized colour analysis. Getting a colour analysis done is actually one of Erin’s tips for outfit success. She encourages to “get a colour analysis done by a professional - skip the vein check and the online apps - they don’t work. The best way to determine your undertone and proper colours is by going through a colour analyst! In the meantime, if you feel washed out by certain colours, you might want to compensate by wearing makeup or avoiding those colours.” 

I also asked Erin if there were any common mistakes people might make when it comes to personal style. Erin uncovered that “Impulse shopping is a huge mistake” she adds “we get too excited to click “add to cart” that we’re not being intentional with what we’re adding to our wardrobes.” Erin says “ensure that what you’re purchasing is a “hell yes” so that you’re actually wearing what’s in your closet!” 

Erin summarizes “putting effort into your style is more than just putting together cute outfits. Having a progressive style allows you to show up powerfully and authentically you. Looking fabulous (and comfortable) in your outfits is not saying, “look at me”, rather, claiming the rooms that you enter with the mindset of, “here I am - I belong to be here.”.” 

As a busy mom, it can feel challenging to find the time to get glammed up. With these tips & tricks hopefully you're on your way to a simplified routine that is easy to consistently follow and helps you feel your best.

Thank-you so much to Erin of Valley Vogue Styling Co, Amy of The Curly Red Head, Adrienne of Glow With Addy and Madison of Madhouse Beauty.