Laziness when it comes to our appearance is an easy trap to fall in to for any of us it seems, especially for those of us that are at home most of the time. I sometimes find myself in clothes that don’t fit well or look that great, with hastily brushed hair in a sloppy pony-tail just slogging through the day with little motivation and not feeling very creative. That is not the way God created women to look and feel. Look at the woman in Proverbs 31. You get the picture of a lady who is fit (she girds herself with strength), well dressed and put together (she makes for herself garments of fine linen and purple), and industrious (she sews belts for the tradesmen, she works with her hands in delight, she rises early and gives food to her household, she looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness). This is not a frumpy woman just putting out the fires during her day and getting little done of note.
One of the things that helps me feel more motivated and creative throughout the day is dressing nicely, putting on some makeup and fixing my hair. God created women as a beautiful part of His creation, and He also hates laziness, so why is laziness when it comes to our appearance acceptable? I think this is why we naturally feel so much better when we take a few minutes to make ourselves look put together and attractive. Doesn’t it give a boost to your whole day?
I did not learn much about grooming and makeup when I lived at home. I was a tomboy until my early teens, and then in an effort to be modest and feminine I mostly wore long skirts and shapeless shirts. I never wore makeup, my hair was almost always in a ponytail and my eyebrows had never seen tweezers. It’s kind of funny now that I look back on it. 😉
Since getting married I have been trying to learn more about how to take care of my skin, wear makeup, style my hair, wear clothes that are modest but stylish and feminine, and do all the little grooming things that women do- like shaping my eyebrows. It’s been fun! My husband appreciates it too. 😉
I am planning on writing more on this subject in the next few weeks, but today I want to share with you a really easy way I have learned to put some effort into my appearance without spending a lot of time on it. I know most ladies don’t have an hour to spend on hair and make-up in the mornings, but this can be done in about 10 minutes and will make you feel pretty for the whole day.
Ten Minutes To Embracing Your Beauty
Start with a clean face and brushed hair. I straightened mine, and it took me about 5 minutes.
I put my hair up so it was out of the way and put some moisturizer on my face.
Next, I applied some concealer.
After blending the concealer, I applied my foundation, which is a natural mineral foundation made by miss Jackie from Noella Beauty Works on Etsy. I love it and it feels like I’m not wearing any makeup at all!
Next I applied mascara and lip balm. You could apply blush as well of course, but my foundation is pretty sheer and I usually skip that step since my natural skin tone shows through. Make sure if you use blush you blend it well so that it looks natural. The look we are going for here is almost a no makeup look. Your skin will look fresh, your eyes will be beautiful, and you won’t even look like you are wearing makeup.
I usually like to emphasize my eyes more than my lips because of an old horse related injury that left a slight bump on my upper lip, so I usually just wear lip balm or a gloss or lipstick that almost matches the natural color. I LOVE to wear eyeshadow, and if you want to do that and have the time, go for it! But the point of this look is to enhance your natural beauty without taking much time.
SO! Apply mascara and lip balm/gloss/lipstick.
A bit of eyeliner before your mascara can also help define your eyes and be pretty. Just don’t go too bold or it won’t look natural. See there? None of these steps took very long, but your skin has been moisturized, blemishes are covered, your skin tone is even and looks fresh, and your eyes are defined just enough. For those of you who love French style, this is actually a classic French every day look.
Now, I just take my hair down and fix it. Today I just brushed it smooth and left it alone. I put in some earrings, and done! 🙂
Now I must make a confession. I did this today at about noon. I spent most of the morning in my pj’s and aside from making breakfast for Josh and I, I really didn’t do much. After getting dressed and doing my hair, I felt MUCH more motivated and did laundry, cleaned the kitchen, changed the bedding in the kitten’s box, cleaned the bathroom floor, made laundry soap, used a color remover to turn a dress I love from pink to white, and I just got back from a brisk 2 mile walk with my man 🙂 Too bad I waited so long!
Before I go to start dinner I want to remind you that God made you to be beautiful. In just a few minutes each day you can go from looking and feeling like a mess to looking fresh and pretty and feeling more confident while you are embracing the beauty God gave you, and adding a little beauty to the lives of everyone you meet.
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