When I became a mum I found my time was incredibly restricted, in fact for the first month at least there is no time for yourself whatsoever. That tiny little bundle of joy takes up every waking minute, even when they’re asleep so I found myself reaching for a few key essentials every day to help make me feel a little more human.
Even though we have a routine established now and I have more time I still find myself reaching for these must haves on an almost daily basis so I thought I would share them with you.
Baby wipes – the holy grail of mum life, these bad boys function as a make up remover, cleanser and toner all in one. They also serve as a baby wipe shower when an actual shower is looking likely. You can use them for almost everything else your baby needs too, nappy changes, dirty faces, sticky fingers, snotty noses, messy highchair, spilled milk, throw up, need I go on? If you’re currently expecting, just take out some shares in baby wipes and stock your house to the brim with them.
Hand cream – everyone has their favourite hand cream they, the one that smells divine and makes you feel a little bit fancy. For me it’s the Clarins Hand & Nail Cream, I used to use it daily before having a baby and I probably use it even more now. I find my hands are constantly in water, washing dishes, washing and bathing the baby twice a day, washing hands after every nappy and before every meal. It’s endless and can leave your skin feeling really dry. Trusty favourite hand cream to the rescue.
Dry shampoo – if you don’t have a can of this to hand every morning are you even a mum? I used to be able to wash my hair every day before work, now I’m lucky if I get to wash it every other day so on those non wash days this stuff is a lifesaver. I mean what did people even do before this stuff came out? talc? Much like the baby wipes, get yourself stocked up on this stuff, in all the different scents just you can change it up and tell yourself you made an effort.
Under eye concealer/brightener – oh the dark eye circles, I didn’t know it was possible for them to be so big and so dark but they are a permanent feature on my face now. It’s not even due to a lack of sleep as I am very lucky to have a good sleeper on my hands. I’m just permanently exhausted these days, from making sure the baby has all she needs whilst also trying to look after myself and the home to now chasing after her every second of the day because she won’t sit still I think I could sleep for a week and still be tired. My product of choice is a tinted eye brightener by Bobbi Brown. If I’m entirely honest, I have a MAC concealer that actually gives me better coverage but you have to pump it out and apply with a brush and frankly I just don’t have a patience for that shit. My Bobbi Brown one has a built in wand and it’s so much easier to put on.
Nail polish – this might seem like an odd choice but bear with me here, I’m not suggesting you should be able to paint your nails a different colour every day. Nope, no one has time for that. Although I do try to make time every couple of weeks to do my toes. There’s just something about having painted toes that makes me feel like I have all my ducks in a row. I feel like an adult, like a woman who can handle whatever the day throws my way. It’s about self confidence so that’s why I’ve added this nail polish to my list.
Hair tie and grips – I am a serious mum-bunner, I mean I don’t remember what I looked like before I wore my hair permanently in a bun on top of my head. I look back at pictures of myself and sometimes I can’t even remember how to do a hairstyle because it’s been so long since I did anything else. I’m going to a wedding at the end of July, I seriously don’t know what I’m going to do with my hair, a bun is all I know. Anyway, my must have mum bun items are those twisty hair bands that hold all your hair together without pinching and pulling and a shed load of grips because post partum regrowth is no joke.
So there we are, those are my six mum must haves that I reach for on an almost daily basis. What are you go to products?
Rachel xx
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