Morning ladies! I wanted to share a few tips about how to pull together a look in very little time. Once you become a mother your life changes in so many ways and one of those is that you have SO much less time for every day things. In fact the average mother apparently has just 17 minutes of “me” time per day. I remember going to my NCT class and one of the exercises we were asked to do focused on how having a baby might affect your daily routine (they of course used an extreme scenario where the mother didn’t even have time to take a shower!) I have definitely found that having Mila in a routine has been a huge help for me as it has always allowed me to plan my schedule around hers and lets be clear having a baby is all about planning. Yes I love clothes and I might look very pulled together but trust me I have moments when I certainly don’t feel that way. There are a few simple rules I like to follow in order to help look a little more glam on a daily basis.
1. Always carry a pair of sunglasses with you! You cant always get away with wearing them seeing as the UK tends to have miserable weather a lot of the time. But you would be amazed at how sunglasses can hide a multitude of sins and turn up the glam factor. I have been wearing Illesteva sunglasses for SO many years now because they really suit my face shape and the good news is they seem to universally suit most faces. There are other brands I love such as Freda Banana and Fendi but I wear my Illesteva’s on almost a daily basis. I have quite a few pairs but to be honest always go back to the black or tortoiseshell Leonard styles.
2. Make an effort with your hair. Ok I actually am really bad at this. I try to find the time to go for regular blow drys and haircuts but this for me is definitely the one thing that I don’t do enough of because my hair is quite easy to manage. But its amazing what a difference groomed locks can make so its worth putting in the effort. I absolutely LOVE Ruuby App – you can get a beautician to come to YOU and these days I get everything from manicures and pedicures to waxing and eyelash extensions done in the comfort of my own home. Much easier when you have a baby!
3. Invest in accessories. You might have noticed that I have a little bit of an obsession with shoes. I actually don’t buy handbags very often – my husband very kindly spoils me at Christmas and on my birthday so I tend to leave it to him! I have a few Chanel bags and these days those and Goyards (because you can throw everything into them!) are pretty much the only bags I use because those are my personal favourite brands. However if you don’t want to spend as much you can invest in good quality bags from brands such as Mansur Gavriel. You might have noticed if you follow my Instagram that even if I am wearing a more casual outfit I always have statement shoes and a statement handbag with me! What I invest in most are shoes. I wear a lot of highstreet clothing brands such as Zara and Topshop because I genuinely believe that you don’t have to spend a lot on your outfit as long as you have some amazing accessories to polish off your look. I rarely buy shoes from the highstreet because they just don’t last and after one of two wears they can even loose their shape. Even if you invest in one pair of flats and one pair of heels, you can literally throw on an outfit in about 5 minutes but add your killer accessories to your look and voila you are good to go. Shop some of my favourite statement accessories below:
4. If in doubt, wear black. I have often worn all black even when I was really young. Of course I add colour to some outfits and I love brightly coloured dresses. But even my grandmother used to say to me when I was young “why do you always dress like you are going to a funeral!” But the truth of the matter is there is nothing more chic or elegant than wearing all black and its such a quick fix if you don’t have a lot of time. Just grab an LBD or a pair of cropped black jeans (I love Frame) with an oversized black knit and you will look like you put in much more effort than you did.
5. Remember its the little things. Such as nails. Going for a regular manicure and looking more “put together” can make a world of difference.
6. Plan ahead. I like to take just a little bit of time out of my Sunday to plan for the coming week and see what I will wear. Of course the weather can change and you might have to think on the go but if you roughly plan your outfits instead of scramble to put something together during a busy morning then you will feel and look much better. There is nothing worse than being in a rush and pulling everything out of your closet and thinking “I have nothing to wear!”
7. Invest in a capsule wardrobe. I love having statement pieces but its sometimes good to think about your wardrobe more as a whole and invest in pieces which you can mix and match with other pieces. Then you can easily come up with lots of looks. Think about the essentials such as a leather jacket (I wear mine with everything), a few good pairs of jeans, some simple good quality t-shirts, a cashmere jumper, a denim shirt etc. And then let the statement pieces be your accessories.
8. Put on some statement jewellery. Earrings. Or big rings. I LOVE the brand Soru I wear their pieces all the time because they are such statement pieces so you don’t have to layer lots of them together or even think about it. You can put on a pair of their hoops and instantly it lifts your entire outfit.
9. Buy some chic leggings and sweatshirts. If you plan on going to the gym or running errands in the morning before getting into your daily outfit, you may as well do it in style. I wake up at 6:30/7am every morning depending on when Mila wakes up and then often run some errands straight away so I usually opt for a comfy outfit for those rather than spending time getting ready for that.
10. And finally find a makeup routine that is simple and quick! I don’t wear a lot of makeup I have never really used foundation or powder but even so I have had to cut down the time I take to apply it. I have now learned to put on my makeup in about 5 minutes. Have a think about what products suit you – for me its all about a little bronzer, black eyeliner, lots of mascara and a nude lip. Making an effort with this can give you so much more confidence. You can find all my makeup essentials below:
Hope that helps a little and wishing you all a glam-filled weekend xx