by Liz W

Having a baby is perhaps the most life-changing event in any woman’s life, and many new moms (obviously excluding those who grace the pages of gossip magazines) find themselves slipping deeper and deeper into the all-natural mom look as they put their baby first and their beauty routine last.

Even if you aren’t blessed with a full-time nanny, there are still plenty of easy ways to keep yourself feeling gorgeous every day, even when you only have seconds to spare.

The daily challenge of sheer exhaustion is almost always accompanied with puffy dark eyes, unkempt hair, and little or no makeup, leaving new moms with low self esteem, which is never a nice way to feel when you should be rejoicing over your new mommyhood.

One of the first things many women do after having a child is cut their hair, as they feel they can no longer maintain their longer locks. If short bobs are just not for you, then with dry shampoo and a hot air brush you can look like you’ve had a professional blowout in minutes. The best part about both these products is that you only need one hand for the whole look from start to finish.

Start with a quick spritz of Oscar Blandi dry shampoo over your roots, then wait a few seconds until it is dry and rub your hair with your fingers. Next, using your hot air brush (and only one hand!), smooth away any frizz or kinks to your dry hair just like you would with a blow drier and a round brush. This really short and easy process only takes a few minutes and having full bodied, beautiful hair will boost your self confidence by a mile.

If limited shower time is a problem in the morning, try switching your showers to night time, after your baby is down for the night. This will give you more time to indulge on those luxury-before-baby shower-time activities, like shaving and exfoliating. The hot water could also help you unwind and lead to better more beautifying sleep.

With your clean, smooth skin, perfectly bouncy hair, and a few solid hours of sleep, the last step in your quest to be a hot mom is a quick and fool proof makeup routine. The more things each product can do, the better.

First, find a moisturizing foundation that is easy to apply, and can also be used as a concealer, a sunscreen, and a moisturizer.

Then, kill three birds with one stone, with a triple duty cream blush, that also can be used as a lip gloss, and bronzer. This will drastically improve a tired complexion and bring life to your face.

Sticking to the liquid makeup theme, take a tiny dab of eye gloss and sweep it across your lids. Then, add a double coat of mascara to your lashes and in 3 minutes flat, you have gone from looking worn out and weary-eyed to energized and elegant with just a few products.

Taking some time out for yourself is really important when you have young children to care for.  The better you feel about yourself, the better mother you will be to your little ones; but looking great doesn’t mean you have to spend hours at the spa or in front of the mirror, you just need a few quick fixes that can be easily applied for effortless beauty.