Have you ever seen that commercial with the mom who doesn’t have the time to pay attention to her appearance? All of the sudden, she buys Suave (or something like that) and she’s revived, the goddess that she used to be before beauty (and probably general hygiene) had taken a lower priority in life.

I admit I’ve felt like that for a while. Keeping track of Ben, working long hours and just trying to exist have really taken a toll on my beauty regimen. There was a time, not too long ago, where I wouldn’t be caught outside the house without some lipgloss and eye liner. Now I’m going everywhere with my face unwashed and looking like death. I’ve seen enough Today show and InStyle segments and articles stating that moms should take some time off for themselves, and I haven’t really done that…til last week.

I used to have a makeup addiction, even during this black hole time of non-beauty I’d still buy some lipgloss if it caught my fancy. I love lipglosses, lipsticks and nail polish. It’s been a while since I’ve used any of the things I’ve bought. Any of you seasoned YWIM readers may recall the days when I used to regularly update the webcam on the sidebar and post pictures of myself. But as of late (A.B. - After Ben, as I call it) I can’t recall when the last good picture was taken of me. A picture where I actually look presentable and I would actually post it on the internet.

So the other day, I decided to treat myself and do a bit of shopping at the local beauty store. I bought some makeup, and even some perfume - Vera Wang’s Princess. I chose that one because I went to a stripclub with some coworkers (back in the days when I actually HAD coworkers I went out with) and the stripper I was tipping smelled really good. We had a conversation about her perfume and she mentioned she was wearing Princess. Really sweet and nice gal. So when I was at the store, I tried it out on myself (because you know, scents smell different on everyone) and although I didn’t smell as good as the stripper (is that a good thing?) I did like the scent.

Then yesterday, out of the blue, I decided I needed a hair cut. It had been more than six months since I’ve gotten a haircut (it could even be a year) and the last time my hair was cut I had gone to the woman who does Dave’s hair since I no longer work downtown (sorry Jack, I still love you). I didn’t like the cut at all, and her style of cutting hair (using a razor to create texture) is not something I liked. But now I’ve got this grown out shag of hair, and the only way I can make it look presentable is to curl the hell out of it (but which looks really good, though it takes a LOT of time to do).

I did some searching on the internets for a local shop with good ratings, and they fortunately had an opening. I headed out, asked for about 2 inches off and *gasp* bangs. Wasn’t sure if bangs were a right choice, but it’s just hair, right? It grows back. Luckily the guy who was doing my hair told me I had a cowlick on the side of my head and that I should get my bangs cut at the opposite side. You can’t really tell I have any bangs since I asked for long, sideswept bangs, but I think they still look nice.

So here’s the most current picture of me - in black and white since a) it looks nicer and b) there was a yellow cast on the original that I just can’t get rid off and I would rather not look like I have jaundice.

Tags: Photography, Product Pimping, Motherhood //