I don’t understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little… And then, you never know, maybe that’s the day she has a date with destiny. And it’s best to be as pretty as possible for destiny.~Coco Chanel
As one who believes it isn’t healthy for our skin, hair and eyes to wear make-up, use the hair dryer, and wear contact lenses seven days a week, I try to avoid doing so three days a week. However, I don’t want to look like I’ve just rolled out of bed, either. Even on those days where I’m not planning to go out, I’ve occasionally had surprises where people showed up on my doorstep or I had to run out to take a child to the doctor. Even on those quieter days I am still at work.
As everyone’s hair, skin, and fashion style is different, I’m not going to give a “this is what you should do” speech beyond saying this: start thinking of the bare minimum clothes, make-up and jewelry you can put together to still look put-together.
Here’s what I do on those days I tone it down:
- Don’t leave the bathroom until I’m finished. Actually, I do this every day. I don’t take a shower, pull on clothes, and leave; if I do I’m almost guaranteed to get sidetracked by a kid or some other task and not make it back for a while to do my hair and make-up. I make sure I’m finished before I leave, including shoes and make-up.
- Pull a Sarah Palin. I’m currently growing out my hair, and it’s at that annoying in-between stage with awkward layers that takes a while to style. On these days I put my hair up in a stylish “messy bun,” which I think, on me, looks better than just a ponytail.
- Just do the eyes. The only make-up I put on is sunscreen and eye make-up. Often I add lip gloss. I don’t look ready for the red carpet, but I’m also not embarrassed if the UPS guy makes a delivery.
- Add earrings and a necklace. For I while I didn’t do this, and I was never happy with how my hair looks when pulled back. I started looking at other women who looked nice with their hair pulled back, and noticed they were usually wearing earrings. I added a pair, and–voila!–my hair looked better. Depending on the outfit I’ll throw on a necklace, too.
When I do these things I don’t necessarily save a lot of time; what I do save is wear and tear on my body. I consider it an inexpensive way to fight the signs of aging while still looking good. Also, if I do get a surprise invitation to go someplace where I need to look my best, I’m not that far off from pulling a few more things together. I’m still better prepared for what ever life decides to throw at me.
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