Morning mayhem and madness

Since the arrival of His Eminent Highness, order in the morning has become a thing of the past. And of course when it comes down to his needs versus mine, I lose hands down.

But one can only pull the disheveled chic look so much before the boss starts noticing. So I have had to be very clever about how to cut down the morning beauty routine yet still make it out the door looking reasonably put-together.

There is absolutely no science to this, I warn you. And it might come back and bite me in my wrinkled ass some day but here they are:
• I stick to basics in the morning – wash, moisturise, go. No toner, no exfoliation, no special serums or eye creams. The frills can be saved for the night when there’s time to lovingly pat in the anti-whatever creams and let them do their miracle work.
• Develop a 5-minute makeup routine. It’s not impossible, just takes lots of practice to get things down to a pat. Foundation that blends well, a good set of brushes and cheek powder are my best friends.
• Get bangs. Seriously. I’ve managed to shave another minute of my morning routine since I got bangs simply because they hide hastily plucked and drawn brows. Alternatively – and I’m seriously considering this – get eyebrow tattoos. Just think of the time savings!
• Skip the blow dry. It makes my hair frizzy anyway. I just towel dry, comb and smooth on some leave-in conditioner. Done. If your hairstyle doesn’t allow for this no-fuss routine then maybe you need a new style.

For better and probably more well-researched tips on beauty time savers, check out our November 2011 beauty spread on how to look beautiful on the go, Beauty in a Jiffy; get a sneak peek of this story on our website.

The curse of the working mommy is...

...a tummy. That unsightly blubbery bulge you have to suck in every time you wear Lycra.

I know officially we tell people it’s a war scar to be proud of. I bore a child/children. “Pregnancy was the most incredible experience I’ve ever had. So I’ll take the stretch marks. I’ll take the sagging boobs. I’ll take the cellulite I can never get rid of,” said Jessica Alba in Self magazine. Sure Jess. And where are those stretch marks and cellulite pray tell? Those? Please!

I love being a mom as much as Jess does but the truth is I would much rather be one without a lower tummy that walks ahead of the rest of me.

My mom was a svelte 48kg with a 23-inch waist line when she married my dad. Then kids happened to her. With each successive child, she kept more of her post-baby weight until she was a 20kg heavier than when she started. I think after that she just thought ‘Screw it’ and gave up.

Now, I swore I wouldn’t let that happen to me. I want to be a yummy mummy – or at least one that looked reasonably palatable.

But 19 months on, I am still looking down at my squishy bits. A desk job and toddler do nothing for your figure, I tell you.

My butt is glued to the chair most days (that’s another body part that is growing its own zip code!). I eat at my desk so I can finish up early to rush home to my son. Dinners are usually after 9pm when the prince has gone to bed. And then it’s bedtime for me too. Which part of this spells weight loss and tight abs?

So I’m resigned to the fact that these bits are here to stay. In fact, I’ve grown quite fond of them. Maybe when the boy goes to college. Then I’ll lipo myself into shape and go on a cruise.

Don’t break up with your moisturisers yet

About a month ago, I decided to call things off with my trusty skincare brand of the last five years. Like a relationship that has gone sour, I woke up one morning and found my skin dry and taut. Hoping to literally save my face, I tried a repair serum from the same brand. My skin retaliated by turning hyper sensitive.

In a panicked state, I cleared the bathroom shelves and rushed out to get a new range of products. And when that didn’t work either, I got another brand and for good measure, oral skincare. A few hundred ringgit and about five moisturising essence later, my temperamental dermis finally settled down to its usual self.

Retrospectively, I realise I had committed carnal beauty sins. Like expecting a product to work in three days or produce miracle results immediately. The fact is there are lots of great products but no miracle workers, as Dr. Schultz puts it so succinctly and clearly in this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ4rduiq-7I). Take a listen before you break up with your moisturiser or date a new one.

To your hair stylist be true

For me, fidelity to my hair stylist is right up there with the Golden Rule. Admittedly, it is not always easy to find the one stylist you want to give your hair to forever. I’m one of the lucky ones. I have my Danny. We have such a secure relationship that I don’t even need to tell him

what I want done. I just sit, grab a magazine, sip on my cup of Chamomile tea and let him work his magic. I never know what to expect – Danny loves to experiment – but I always leave looking and feeling like a kabillion.

It wasn’t always like that though. I spent many years ‘dating’ all kinds of frogs in the hair world. My fault. I met my prince back when we were both free of greys and weighed quite a few pounds less. But the folly of youth led me to wander. I flirted with many but none knew my hair the way Danny did. After enduring yet another ghastly hair cut, I decided to go back to Danny with my roots showing. Danny, God bless his soul, took me back without fuss even though we both knew I had cheated.

My cheating days are behind me now. To my Danny I will be true because the right hair stylist is like the right man or a best friend – irreplaceable.

Coming To Terms With Aging.

A while back I bumped into a former uni mate. He had gained quite a bit around the middle, and his hair was thinning. My first thought was, wow, we're getting old. I don't feel like I look very old yet, but I do have some gray hairs, and wrinkles around my eyes. I've also noticed that it takes cuts and scrapes (and mosquito bites) longer to heal than it used to. Are you comfortable with growing older or are you doing something to preserve your youth?

Young At Heart

How far should you go to look younger, feel younger? Or should we embrace aging gracefully and face come what may? Share with us your thoughts and personal experiences about having to act your age (or not) with regards fashion, beauty and general outlook on life!