Everything I’ve learned about beauty I’ve learned from my mother. Seriously. Remember the Clarisonic? Mom found it first. Bare Minerals addiction? Madre. QVC? Mama! So in honor of Mother’s Day (May 8 is right around the corner, people), I’m going to pass on a little of Mom’s wisdom to you.
Wear sunscreen.
I don’t look much like my mother. Where she weighed less than one hundred pounds upon high school graduation, I was already in a C-cup before the end of eighth grade. I take after my incredibly Irish paternal grandmother and burn sitting too close to a window on a dull winter day, my mother once tanned with Crisco.
Key word being once.
You bet I'm wearing sunscreen and giant sunglasses.
She beat it into my curly-haired childhood head: wear sunscreen every day. Reapply when you swim or sweat. Don’t forget the tops of your ears. Hate the smell of sunscreen? I don’t blame you! Try one of the powder-based sunscreens like that sold by Bare Minerals ($28). Not only will you be covered by its SPF 30, you’ll also get a little extra coverage in one of three shades: light, medium, or dark.
I especially love this sunscreen in the summer because I can so easily toss it in my purse without worrying about it getting gooey or exploding like traditional creamy sunscreens. Also, for those of you sun worshippers who aren’t so great at applying and reapplying, there’s no expiration date!
Don’t forget your hands.
Botox your crows feet! Plump your lips with collagen! Tuck your post-baby tummy a la Posh Spice! Lift the skin of your knees to your heart’s content! But cosmetic surgery for your hands? Not quite so easy.
Age spots are easy to get and difficult to cover, and a hand lift is apparently something they only do in Jersey. You don’t need to have a weekly manicure or deck yourself out in distracting rings, but always remember to moisturize and protect yourself from the sun’s rays (are we noticing a theme here?). I’m all about things that multi-task: Aquaphor ($6.99 for 3.5 oz.) has made my lips incredibly kissable – if I do say so myself – as well as my winter-weather hands soft and de-chapped while this Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion ($8.99) has SPF 15 so you only need one product.
Size matters.
When I was still a teenager (in a time before Rachel Zoe ruled the world – I recommend this read from The Hollywood Reporter), my mother decided to invest in a good pair of sunglasses. The frames she tried on were large enough to cover above her brows and below her eye sockets with arms thick enough to block the sun as though it did not exist. I thought she was being ridiculous and bordering on an Elton John costume.
No, this is not my mother, but she won't allow me to take her photo...ever.
Alas, I was wrong. Not only did I become a big fan of giant shades, but I realized that they would help me keep my eyes looking young. Their giant protection keeps me from squinting, thus creating crows feet, and also saves my skin from soaking in the negative UVA and UVB rays that zap skin and turn it into leather.
One of my favorite pairs this season is this classic style in lavender by Bvlgari – but since there is no way I’d ever pay $290 for just about anything, I’ll be sticking to something like this from Forever 21 for just $1.50. Don’t you just love mass-produced items sometimes?
Looking for a gift still?
Gifts.com might be able to help you send Mom some beauty love with their celebrity mom types and gift quizzes. Who doesn’t love a little internet quiz?
