We’ve all been there. It’s Wednesday morning. You were up until who knows when last night, and dream of a nap as you drag your little ones off to school. Glancing in the rearview mirror, you wonder who that face is looking back. Sadly, days of wearing eyeliner to work and punchy lip-gloss around town are in the past. 

When you are a busy mom, you might feel doomed to a life of three-day old yoga pants and XL-sized bags under your eyes. But being a parent doesn’t mean you need to give up on looking your best, or on getting dressed up every once in awhile! 

This week we brought in business-woman, makeup expert, and local mom; Caitlin Picou, into the office to give us some makeup tips that work for a mom’s schedule. So pull out that old makeup bag from under the sink, and get ready to unearth your fierce dragon mama self!

Caitlin is the owner of Kismet Cosmetics, a boutique cosmetic brand based out of Covington, LA. Her products are sold at boutiques and beauty stores throughout Louisiana. She has partnered with schools like Louisiana State University and Mississippi State, and most recently, Caitlin was a contestant on CNBC’s show, “Million Dollar Buyer.”

Toting around her 8-month old daughter, Ruby, Caitlin looks awesome, wearing flared jeans with a natural makeup look to match. Ruby smiles up at her mom, grabbing onto her pant leg; she is as impressed as we are.

“How do you manage to be a mom, run a business and look cute all the same time?” I ask her. Caitlin laughs.

“Don’t be fooled, a lot of the time I don’t have it together,” she smiles. “The biggest thing about being a working mom is adjusting your expectations to what is feasible for you to accomplish every day. You can’t beat yourself up.” 

Just knowing that everybody struggles along with you is comforting, but when strangers start asking if you’ve slept lately, Caitlin has just what we need to reduce or hide those tired mama under-eye bags. She helped each of us with what we felt our ‘problem areas’ were in no time at all. Now we are Kismet super-fans, and we’re here to spread the word. 

Caitlin’s Tips:

Look Fab in Five

Mornings are crunch time. In-between getting your little ones out of bed and through the front door, a lot of moms don’t have time for long makeup routines. Here are some tricks to get ready in five minutes or less.

• Use a good brown eyeliner. It is a softer color, so its easier on your eyes in the morning.
• Add a touch of bronzer to warm up your face, then finish with an illuminator, and a powder foundation. They go on easy, and will make you look alert and awake.  
• Swipe on a dash of lip gloss; its always an easy go to.
• Mascara is always a must,” Caitlin says. It pulls together any look!
• Insider’s Tip: Don’t be afraid to blink while putting on mascara! “People are always afraid to,” Caitlin explains, “but its totally fine to do. Just start at the base of the lash and work your way up the tip to perfect your application.” 

Carpool Friendly Cosmetics

Need some quick makeup on the go? Whip out these products in that endless carpool line to polish up your look!

• Bring powder with you and a little blush; usually just a little extra touch up can give your face that extra oomf it needs. 
• Lip gloss is a one-swipe guaranteed perk-up.
• Never make the mistake of doing makeup in your rearview mirror! I don’t know what it is about those things, but they make everyone look terrifying. Instead, pull down the driver’s side mirror, or keep a portable mirror in your purse; never let bad car lighting kill your confidence!

Pucker up

Looking for a product that does as much work as you do? Make sure to always keep lipstick on hand. Lipstick is truly a mom’s best friend, and it has the power to pull a whole outfit together.

• Caitlin’s go-to is a bolder lip to spice up things up. Go to a daring red, or a purplish pink to add pizazz to any outfit. 
• Liquid lipsticks are the perfect blend between matte and gloss; toss one in your purse so you always have long-lasting color at your fingertips.
• Not sure what lipstick color works best for you? Go to Kismet’s website for a free color consultation.

Wear-to-work

 For moms who are re-entering the workforce, Caitlin suggests a look that is subtle and refined. This was especially interesting to our interns, who want to make sure they looked cute on the daily as they enter the real-world. 

• Try out some eye contouring (no YouTube tutorials necessary)! Pick a medium color of eye-shadow, and brush it on from the lash line to the top of the eye. Add a shimmery shade on top of the lid, and then swipe a darker brown color into the crease and the outer-corners. Instant professional! 
• Don’t cake on the products. At work, less makeup is probably best.  
• Insiders Tip: Apply your eye-makeup first, this way if you mess up you don’t have to take off all your foundation and start all over.

Get Glam Quick

Have the evening off for once? Spending some quality time with your partner? Here are some easy ways to turn your work makeup up a notch if you want to turn up the heat. 

• Apply some liquid black eyeliner. Black adds easy drama!
• A bolder lip is a great way to transition from day to night.
• Swipe on more shimmery eyeshadow to finish off the look.
• Insider’s Tip: If you want to add mascara to your lower lashes hold the wand vertically, it makes application easier. 

Back-To-Basics 

Want a more natural look? Sometimes just a little something extra does the trick. Caitlin came out with two products to wake up tired eyes and dull, pasty skin. While we were talking with Caitlin she told us how exhausted she’s been as a new mom working full time. “I was sick of waking up with puffy eyes all the time,” she explained. “So I decided to invent a product to fix it.” We were amazed. 

“I wish every time I wanted to change how I look I could say, ‘Oh…I’ll just invent something!'” laughed our publisher, Ann Herren. 

It wasn’t just puffy eyes. Caitlin also created a product to perk up dull skin. Check out her inventions here, and rest-assured that a smile, fresh eyes, and a hint of a tan can make a four a.m. wakeup call seem like a distant memory. 

• Caitlin’s hydrogel eye masks are the perfect way to de-puff your eyes on a trying morning. They will also get rid of dark circles before an event; you can put them on just 10-20 minutes before. This mask is super hydrating, uses natural ingredients, and is full of anti-aging peptides for tighter, more luminous skin.
• Some body bronzer is an easy way to get some tan without committing to it long-term. Caitlin’s special bronzer lotion is like a low commitment self-tanner. It has no DHA in it. (DHA is the chemical behind spray-tans that makes them turn out a little too much on the orange side.) You can put it on in the morning and give it five minutes to dry before dressing. It washes off at night-time; super easy, super cute.

Want some extra tips for a natural makeup look that makes you look awake even when you are still in Z-Z-Z land?

• Snag a yellow concealer; yellow is the perfect color to cover up the purplish undertone of eye-bags. 
• Draw the concealer in the long shape of a V. This helps with contouring, and makes makeup seem more natural.
• Pucker up for some nude or brown lipstick to enhance your natural assets.

Now, who said parenting can’t be glamorous?

By Claire Davenport, our editorial intern.

If you want to see more Kismet products, check out Caitlin’s website here. 

October 30, 2017.