SELF-CARE ROUTINES for TRANSFORMATION

I remember seeing Sarah Jessica Parker in the movie ‘I don’t know how she does it’ .  She was making her mental list before going to bed. Things like picking up kids from school, spending more time with her husband and getting to work on time were on top of this list. When we become wives and/or mothers we tend to put everyone else on top of our needs. We tend to forget that it is important to take care of ourselves in order to keep the calm and balance in our homes. Therefore, I would like to share with you 4 simple self-care routines for a powerful transformation.

Why Self-Care ?

During this difficult time of a pandemic we all feel that it is tough to keep a positive mind and well-being. For some of us that needs to work from home it is exhausting to have the kids and husband 24/7 around the house. As a result, trying to maintain the same routine as before seems unmanageable. In order to achieve harmony at home, it is important to take care of ourselves. If we feel great, we feel empowered to start a new fresh day.

Just simple things like waking up early, taking a shower, putting some clean clothes on and adding some lipstick will give a boost to our self-esteem. We will feel confident, feminine, powerful and ready to conquer. Just remember how you walk when you add a couple of inches to your heels and how you look at others when you are wearing mascara. Those simple things make you feel great about yourself, so important during this challenging period.

Let’s look at these 4 simple ways of self-care routines for a powerful transformation.

#1 – Before going to bed

The most important thing to have a great morning is your bed routine. When kids are sleeping and house tasks are done, try to spend some time on you. You can watch your favorite sitcom or movie. You don’t have to watch the entire movie – at least twenty minutes or something – in order to relax and stop thinking. Sometimes we just need our minds to be distracted in order to relax. You could read a book or a magazine. If you like working out, do a simple fifteen minute routine in your living room. There are plenty of free options on YouTube to watch. If you are into skincare, make your own home spa as a simple self-care practice.

• Use a cotton pad with some micellar water to take off your makeup
• Wash your face with a cleansing gel or foam for your type of skin
• Get your mask on! Wait a minute, not the pandemic face mask (lol) but a facial mask for your skin. HEMA sells different face masks for different purposes* and for a very good price
• Clean your face with lukewarm water
• Use a toner to complete your face cleaning phase
• Finally, add your favorite night cream. Don’t forget to give yourself a good face massage while moisturizing. You deserved it!

*Be sure to read the instructions . Some masks are designed to be used as a final step for hydrating your skin. This means that there is no need to cleanse it off.

#2 – Planning your daily outfits

Every morning, I wake up and I take care of the clothing and lunch boxes of my kids. When I finally have them ready, I find myself with less than ten minutes to get myself ready. I just grab what I can and hurry up. Outside, I see my beautiful children all perfectly groomed. My only worry is if I am wearing the same pair of shoes or if I forgot to put on a bra. I look and feel like a walking zombie. In order to have a more productive morning my second self-care tip is to pick your outfits the night before. If you are too busy to do it during the week, try it on weekends.

Choose five outfits to use from Monday to Friday. You can hang them together or just take pictures with your phone. This will also help you with the laundry, so that you know which clothes you need to have clean. If you need some inspiration, just search it online. I always Google the item I have in my closet (for example a green skirt) in combination with the word ‘outfit’. You can add ‘summer’ or ‘winter’ to get it more specific. Then go to the images tab and inspire! Don’t forget that taking off your pajamas is the first step to transform difficulties into triumphs in your daily routine. You’ll feel extra special when wearing an outfit which was perfectly styled by you. Wear perfume to add that pinch of glamour to your style. Are you staying home? More reason to keep it fancy and feel confident. 

#3 – No-makeup makeup routine

When I think about looking natural, I always remember Calvin Klein’s quote: ‘The best thing is to look natural, but it takes makeup to look natural’. They say that makeup can do miracles. I prefer to think that makeup upgrades our natural beauty. Let me share with you my quick and easy, seven minute no-makeup makeup self-care routine.  

• Eyebrows: brush them and fill in the gaps with some eye-shadow or brow cream. Finish them with brow gel
• Eyelashes: curl them with your favorite tool and put on mascara. Curling your eyelashes will give you an instant AWAKE look. It is amazing the difference it makes
• Under eyes: use a concealer on the same tone as your skin to cover those non-sleeping traces. Not all of you will need this, if you don’t just skip this step
• Face: Use a BB cream or compact powder to even your skin tone. Some of you, lucky ones with perfect skin, can skip this one too
• Lips: Moisture your lips. If you feel like running the world, add color to your lips. Do you wear a face mask for work? Try out this lipstick. After applying, let it dry for a couple of minutes. It’s transfer-proof and it lasts up to ten hours. Wearing lipstick makes you feel womanly and powerful even when nobody sees it. Coco Channel used to say ‘If you are sad, add more lipstick and attack’.

This routine will become easier with practice. You will take less time every day, leaving you with extra time to enjoy coffee or sleep longer. If you have some trouble with curling your lashes and/or shaping your brows, I suggest you get a brow lamination and/or a lash lift by an expert. These treatments are a great investment. They last up to 8 weeks and will save you even more time on those busy mornings.

#4 – From day to night look

There are some days when you are so busy you don’t even have a chance to breathe! So what about your outfit and makeup? Forget it! #rushrushrush. These are the days when you have the need to wear comfortable clothes. What if you have an important meeting or a special event in the evening of that same day?

Here are some self-care tips on how to go from a day-to-night look effortless and feel powerful :

• Clothing: try wearing dark leggings, trousers or treggings. This will make your day go faster especially if you have to bike. Leggings in particular are easy to match with any pair of shoes
• Makeup and hair: you can find many easy and foolproof hairstyle tutorials on Pinterest . For your makeup, I suggest starting with your no-makeup makeup routine. Then add some eye-shadows on your eye crease. Try not to interfere with your eyelashes. Finally, add some bolder color to your lips and you are good to go! 
• Accessories: the biggest secret ever told! Any outfit can get to another level by just adding or switching accessories. Wear your favorite flat shoes during the day and bring your favorite heels for later. You can carry an envelope clutch inside your tote bag, to switch for the evening look. You can also add a necklace or a silk scarf.  If you have some room left, bring a blazer for the extra chic effect.

Self-care & pRODUCTIVITY BOOST

So these were the fantastic four ways to feel more empowered every day. By following these self-care steps your days will become more productive. You will wake up feeling extra special and ready to take over the world. Even if you are working from home, there is no excuse to give yourself a special treatment, every single day.