My ‘Busy Mum’ Beauty Essentials

I think this time of year is probably (well, for me anyway), the time of year where you may well feel a little bit ‘meh’ about how you look. Rain and windswept hair, dry skin, chapped lips and hands, trotters that wouldn’t be out of place in the rhino enclosure at the zoo (yum!)… you get the picture…the mid-to-end of winter is when your body, face and probably hair are crying out for some TLC. 

I must admit that even in the thick of having small children, I’ve always cared enough about how I look to slap a bit of make up on each day so I don’t scare people on the high street, and I’m interested in beauty products that work and don’t cost a fortune. BUT it’s often having the time to have any kind of vague beauty routine as a busy mum, especially if you have a few kids and/or work. 

I need products that are easy to use, yet give me a lift when I’m feeling at my most sleep-deprived and haggard, especially since darling baby number 3 has aged me about 10 years in 7 months with his shocking sleep. 

Here are the 5 easy beauty products I’m loving right now. This isn’t sponsored by the way, but you know, sharing is caring and all that- I’d love to hear your tips and beauty product favourites right now too!

Avon ‘Skin So Soft’

I was first recommended this as an insect repellent when we went on holiday to a notorious mossie haven in Italy, but it actually smells delicious and I use it as my daily body moisturiser when I get out of the shower. I like the fact that it’s an oil spray but not too greasy (so dries quickly) and it’s so easy to rub into your body. I often find traditional body lotions too gloopy and weirdly cold, but this is just brilliant. Sasha says “it smells like holiday” every morning! I often by a pack of three of these from Amazon as I think it works out cheaper overall. 

Oliver Bonas Bergamot & Sea Salt Handcream

I was kindly given this lush handcream as a gift from Instagramer pal just after i’d had Arlo, and it’s just such a great hand-cream- rich but without being heavy or greasy. Since having another baby I’ve found my hands get a lot drier, what with all the nappy changes and extra handwashing that goes with them, but this has really helped. Definitely a good one to keep in your handbag, as well as having a few spares around the house.

The Body Shop ‘Italian Summer Fig’ Eau de Toilette

I adore this fragrance, and it’s one that I wear now on a daily basis as it’s nice and light. Maybe I’m weird, but I’ve always hated wearing a heavy fragrance when I’ve got a baby- I think it’s the fact that they snuggle up close to you and anything heavy seems to rub off on them and I don’t like it. This is divine, and also is cheap as chips compared to other Eu de Toilettes. A spritz of this and I kind of feel ‘lifted’ for the day, even if I’m crazy-sleep deprived. 

Mac Strobe Cream

This is by far my favourite make up product of the past year- a luminious strobe cream that highlights and lifts and makes you look a million times more awake than you probably are. I wear a smidge on my cheek bones, brow bones and temples, and it helps me look more ‘glowy’. Plus, a tube lasts for ages. 

Biore UV Aqua Rich Factor 50+ SPF

This is also one of my best discoveries over the past few years- an SPF that you can wear over moisturiser and under make up that isn’t greasy and dries quickly. Essential when you need to leg it to work or do the school run early-doors! I was looking for what seemed like yonks for the perfect under-make-up SPF, and read about this on a Mumsnet thread about Korean skincare (Google it, the Koreans do skincare VERY well!). It has to be imported from Japan via Amazon (well, that’s where I get it from anyway) and is about £7 but again, a tube lasts a long time. 

So these are my ‘Busy Mum’ beauty essentials- I’d love to hear what your’s are too!

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Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.