‘You need to fix up.’
As you can see it wasn’t much of a conversation – it was pretty one sided actually. It was more of a suggestion / warning / ‘fact’ delivered with the kind of side eye and shade that only a sibling can do without you wanting to throw hands.
I’m not saying it wasn’t true. I had spent the majority of my pregnancy wearing just about anything that could fit – which wasn’t much. I had decided against buying a whole wardrobe of pregnancy items because I knew that I wouldn’t be wearing them for long and we had decided not to have anymore babies after this one. I work from home, so there was no real need to get up everyday and do my hair and make-up – I figured as long as I was showered, that would do.
Then my brother came to visit.
Some of you reading this are going to feel the same way I did at the time – faintly irritated. Being pregnant or having a newborn means you have very little time to yourself and the time you do have is spent catching up on sleep or prepping / caring for your baby. That said, there is some truth to the old adage: ‘look good, feel good.’
The Glow Up
Look, I didn’t immediately rush off to grab the nearest bodycon I could squeeze myself into it. It took a few months after my son was born and I was feeling more like myself…but I didn’t look that way. I decided to sort through my clothes (Marie Kondo style) and the process of throwing out my old tatty clothes was cathartic – but that’s for another post. On a rare free day, I decided to sort out my make-up and hair products. I tried things out as I went and had great fun doing it – when I was done I looked pretty great and felt it too.
Since then I have had more glam days than slummy mummy days, but I enjoy both. I am not the super groomed, shiny haired, Beyonce wannabe I used to be but I have a different lifestyle now and the people I see everyday in the supermarket don’t seem to care much. For now I am going to keep my leopard print heels in the cupboard – my Dr Martens are much more practical on the school run.
Sometimes you need people to just tell you how it is. Shout out to my big bro, who left the comment below. 🙂
While you’re here, check out this darling colour from Glossworks and does anyone have tips on keeping your nail polish from chipping?: