Let me tell you a little story about a woman who walked into Boots today and had a complete brain freeze (read silent panic attack)! A woman who used to fly around the world with a make-up bag full of Dior, Benefit and Clarins, who every day had her make-up as perfect as she could, nails done, eyebrows waxed and roots never showing.

Slightly off my usual topic but in a way it is kind of related. You see I like to make pretty things and spend hours pouring over pictures of fabrics and handmade items and quilts, but one thing I have neglected is to make myself pretty!

These days it’s all about saving time and getting out of the door as quickly as possible, after all it’s not just me I’m getting ready anymore. So it’s tinted moisturiser, a quick brush of bronzer and a lick of mascara. Hairdressers are booked bi-annually and nails are trimmed short! Don’t get me wrong I’m happy(ish) with this arrangement, I certainly wouldn’t change being a mum for anything in the world and yes I’ll be honest I would rather spend money on fabric, but when did I get so lazy!??

We have a family wedding on Saturday, Mabel will be a Flower Girl so all the stops need to be pulled out. Hence the trip to Boots. A lovely make-up assistant took pity on me wandering aimlessly around with the pushchair feeling completely lost and out of my depth! Deep down I’m thinking I don’t want to spend a load of money for something that after Saturday will probably sit in my poor old make-up bag and rot, but at the same time I want to look nice and like I’ve made the effort.

I only realised how bad I’d got when after a 5 hour drive up to a family wedding in Yorkshire last August I had come all the way without a scrap of any eye shadow or eye liner and had to make to do with my “day-to-day look”. My family of course love me and I didn’t say anything but it’s at that moment then I felt like I’d let myself down. I have become the cliché of a mum, comfy jeans, converse and messy bun. It’s comfy and definitely more practical and it makes me happy, but it’ll be nice to put on some lipstick and look a bit like the old me for the day!

Can we achieve it all as mum’s? Can we have the perfect house, the perfect look and perfectly dressed child? Some women can! I think this mama will have to make do with her jeggings, scruffy bun and an extra hour to a bit of sewing. Even if it does mean I make a bit of a fool of myself in front of the young girl behind the make-up counter at Boots! Having said that I think I will start to claim myself back a bit and be less mum, I just need to find the right balance!

So please, if you have any tips on how to achieve it all, or if you have some great make-up tips for busy people please comment below!

Anyway I managed to get some bits in the end, being a sucker for packaging the majority was from Soap and Glory as sadly my budget doesn’t stretch to Benefit. I’ve had an experiment with the look and hoping I don’t look too clown like. Just to even out the balance again I bought myself a pair of “mom” jeans from Primark, I’m happy to accept I’m no longer in my 20’s and will wear my “mum uniform” with pride.