I admire mothers that take the time to look great in public. Caring for a child that can do little to nothing for them self is hard work. If you are a mom to a newborn baby, you know that getting to take a shower every day is a luxury. Needless to say, packing up the kids to leave the house can be a huge production. Honestly, who feels like devoting a lot of time to their own appearance after overseeing the appearance of little ones? I believe that every mom really wants to look fabulous, most just do not want to devote the time to it or do not know how to look great in a small amount of time. I connected with the always fabulous mom of two young kids, Make Up Artist Niki Monty to get her Top 5 Make Up Tips for Busy Moms. Here they are!
1. Begin with a Clean Canvas – applying makeup is simplified when the skin is properly cleaned and groomed. Be sure that the skin is properly cleaned, toned, moisturized and that hair removal (waxings, etc) have been taken care of. This bi-weekly – monthly maintenance will make applying your makeup quicker and drastically enhance the finished look. The most cost effective and results proven products I’ve used is the Artistry Essentials skin care system which offers a balancing system for oily skin and a hydrating system for dry skin.
2. Use a Tinted Moisturizer and/or Liquid Foundation for Protection and Coverage – one of the top makeup myths is that foundation is harmful to the skin. This is false in so many ways. Foundation and tinted moisturizers actually act as barriers between free radicals and your skin. As mothers, we’re often on the go and extensive exposure to sun, weather and the like are inevitable. If you prefer light coverage and want something that will brighten and protect the skin without a lot of coverage, a tinted moisturizer is great. Use your finger tip to apply a dime-sized amount beginning in the middle of your face and working outward. If you prefer more coverage use the same amount and method to apply liquid foundation (preferably with SPF), followed by a pressed powder. *If neither of the aforementioned options provide enough coverage use a concealer to cover blemishes, dark spots and the like. MAC Prolongwear Concealer is the BEST, it’s in liquid form and a tiny dot goes a long way. Artistry and NARS both manufacture great tinted moisturizers, they differ in price (NARS being more expensive). Loreal True Match, MAC’s Studio Fix Fluid and Giorgio Armani’s Luminous Silk are all great liquid foundations with varying price points. Loreal True Match and Ima
n also offer great pressed powders at CVS and Target.
3. Keep Facial Hair Groomed – for ideal makeup application and overall look, women should keep facial hairs at a minimum. While daily shaving and plucking can be somewhat tedious, wax removal is ultimately better for the skin. Most women who have moderate – normal hair growth can go two weeks or more without waxing. Less than two weeks is not recommended unless you have rapid hair growth. Schedule wax removal and brow maintenance to prevent daily shaving and tweezing.
4. Use Lipstick and Liner – in recent years women have shied away from lipstick, creating a generation that prefers gloss for convenience. While I love a great lip gloss, lipstick lasts much longer. With gloss you find yourself applying the product more because it’s not as dense and pigmented as lipstick, resulting in short lived appearances of sheer, shiny lips. If you love the shine that lip gloss offers try using an amplified lipstick or putting a gloss over top of your lipstick. Lip liners also seem to be a thing of the past, however they’re the best thing to keep your lipstick from feathering. If you prefer a single color lip and don’t like the contrast between liner and lip color, use a liner that is the same color as your lipstick. Another option is to fill the entire lip with lip liner and top with a gloss for shine, this way you get long lasting pigment and shine without using 3 products. Drug stores have great options for lip color, although you can’t sample the colors most have generous return policies and will allow you to refund/exchange opened cosmetics. If you prefer to try before you buy you may want to purchase from a department store, which may increase your price but will allow for sampling and professional consultation. IMAN, MAC and YSL have great, quality lipsticks.
5. Liner and Mascara are Musts –eyeliner and mascara are the two most budget friendly beauty fixes. Never spend a lot of money on mascara with the intent of looking like the models on the ads – if you want optimal length and volume use faux lashes and call it a day (lol). Seriously, most mascara ads use a model with several layers of lashes and insist that by paying $30 for mascara your lashes will miraculously transform into what you see in the picture; not true. If you naturally have long, voluminous lashes, a good $7 mascara provides sufficient enhancement. If you have short, sparse lashes, a good mascara will enhance them as well. In order to provide the most drama and length you may want to consider a pair of faux, natural looking lashes. My 2 favorite mascaras are Maybelline’s Great lash for length and L’Oreal Voluminous for Volume. Eyeliner is also a good quick fix, shaping the eyes and minimizing the appearance of bags and wrinkles. L’Oreal Infallible 16 Hour Eyeliner is perfect for everyday use and is sustainable for long days without smudging. 
Supermom Tip: Take the time to step up your appearance. Your appearance speaks to others before your words are able to. Look your best. You deserve it!
*Artistry products can be purchased at nikimonty.com, via the “Shop” tab. For questions, readers can email Niki at info@nikimonty.com.
Make Up Artist Niki Monty
(Photo Credit: Clark Bailey Company)
