Mommy Makeover: How to pull off a quick classically chic holiday look

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How to pull off a quick classically chic holiday look.

By Kristin Caliendo

Photos by Shannon Fisher Photography

 

My style changed after having kids. When I was in my 20s, I never left the house without makeup. My tresses were also always styled and my clothes required dry cleaning.

All that faded away once I became a full-time mom. What used to be familiar now creates a bit of unease. So, getting glamorized for holiday festivities tends to put me on edge. Slinking into a pair of heels, showing a little skin, and accentuating my assets now just seems like a lot of work.

Well into my 40s and two kids later, there are certain things that leave me baffled. Shopping for undergarments is no longer a joy, but a chore. And I never dreamed I’d be swapping lace for built-in lifts and underwire. Then there’s picking out the perfect shade of lipstick for the holiday photo ops. Lip plumper, lip firmer––it’s all made to make us moms look more beautiful. Frankly, I feel more beautiful letting nature do what it’s suppose to do when I’m wearing my hubby’s old dress shirt, sporting a quick dash of ChapStick, while picking up the kids from school in my broken-in flip flops.

But, to celebrate this merry time of year, I decided to ease of out my comfort zone and my faded blue jeans. I ventured over to Sephora to try on every type of red lipstick. Mattes, glosses, stains, shiny, not shiny, smudge-proof, kiss-proof… How can one not feel overwhelmed with the options? Did I mention I had my 5-year-old son tugging on me, hysterical the whole time? It wasn’t long before I took a deep sigh, put my ball cap back on, and ducked out quicker than you can say jolly old St. Nick. 

An obvious glutton for punishment, I went back to Sephora the following weekend––alone. No doubt, the staff recalled my previous visit. Francheska McElroy welcomed me back with a chuckle and we quickly got back to business––trying to find me the perfect shade of red lipstick. Thankfully, she also gave me a couple makeup pointers along the way.

I really wanted to break out this year and be bold and share this experience, especially for those who can relate. Mothering can seem anything but glamorous at times, but that doesn’t mean you can’t dress up. I had my doubts about pulling off a glamorous holiday look. But, in the spirit of this magical season and with a little help, I think I pulled it off. Here’s how you can too.

 

GET THIS HOLIDAY LOOK

PRODUCTS

Too Faced Melted Matte in Lady Balls, $21

Sephora Gel Lip Liner in It’s Cherry, $12

Dior Airflash Spray Foundation 300, $62

NARS Blush in Super Orgasm, $30

Urban Decay Glittery Eye Shadow in Half Baked, $19

 

APPLICATION

 To apply the Dior Airflash spray foundation, spray it on your hand first, gently rub it to warm it up, and then apply to the face with your finger tip or a brush. This super duty foundation provides flawless coverage and hides imperfections. I asked McElroy how to play up the eyes and how to apply the eye shadow. “You’ll want to use shades of brown to accentuate your eye color,” she says. She used Urban Decay eye shadow in half baked as a base shadow. To finish the eyes, she used an angled brush to contour the outer edges of my eye with a coppery gold and filled in the crease with a neutral brown matte shadow and highlighted the brow bone with a light cream-colored matte shadow. “You can also put a little shimmer along the brow bone as well,” she says. FYI, follow McElroy on Instagram @frannypak32 for more makeup tips and inspiration.

After you apply the liner and lip color, line the outside of your lips with concealer to hide any imperfections and makes the red pop. Hint: I didn’t have a lip liner brush handy for this, so I used one of my kid’s finer tipped paintbrushes.

To tie it all together, I splurged and had Sarah Twietmeyer of Sleeping Beauty Skin & Lash Bar apply a half set of lash extensions which not only look absolutely fabulous but saves me time everyday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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