I can’t believe I’m putting this photo on the Internet, but I might as well get real. I was itching to Photoshop my zits and apply some virtual mascara, but I’m resisting the urge, ‘cause this is how I roll. 

BEFORE: I can’t believe I’m posting this photo. I’m even wearing the Ergo — the baby just didn’t make the crop.

My new mom look left an awful lot to be desired. After I had the Trikester, I went twelve weeks without blow-drying my hair; most days it was knotted back in a messy bun as soon as I got out of the shower. I applied make-up only a handful of times, and my go-to wardrobe consisted of leggings and four over-sized flannel shirts I requested for my birthday.  As you can see, it wasn’t pretty.

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Before the baby I’ll admit to being lazy on the weekends, but when I was working I felt the need to look polished. For me, a professional look is “done” hair and make-up (check out this thread for an interesting discussion on make-up at work).  For me, maternity leave was like one long weekend – no real reason to doing anything beyond the bare minimum.

Now that I’m back to work and life is starting to settle into our new “normal” I’m ready to get back in the game. Last week I decided it was a time for a new look to match my new life. Now that I’m a mama, my beauty priorities have changed. I no longer have twenty minutes to blow dry, and the Trikester just started grabbing my hair and giving it a good tug. It was time to cut it off.  I also needed a change – I don’t want to fall into the habit of being a slouchy mama (at least not every day), and I wanted to do something to bump up my self-esteem.  This new mom needed to feel a little “hip.”

It was time for a hair-cut; I’m calling it the post-baby chop. Here’s my new ‘do in all its newly cropped glory. 

AFTER: A little make-up and a haircut can work wonders! Side note: No, I do not dye my hair. It’s a “birthmark” or something? I’ve got super pale blonde streaks in the front and back, and my eyelashes and eyebrows on one side of my face are blonde. #weirdo

Cutting my hair short forces me to do something with it every day. I can’t just scrape it into a ponytail. It’s also fantastic because it takes about five minutes from start to finish – I don’t even need a brush to blow-dry. The only downside is that there’s no “emergency” look for those mornings when I just don’t have five minutes. I haven’t quite figured out how to conquer that yet.

While I was at the whole makeover process, I got myself some new glasses, too. I didn’t want to break the bank, so I ordered a pair online for $50. I used a photo to “try them on” online, but it’s not quite the same thing as picking out a pair in person.

My new specs – don’t know if I’ll buy a pair online again. I loved the price, but I think it might be worth paying a little more to try them in real life.

What do you think? Wear the glasses or leave them in the drawer? Mr. Tricycle thinks they give me bug-eyes and he vastly prefers my old pair. I won’t be AT ALL insulted if the general consensus is to scrap this pair of glasses. What’s your vote?

Did you change your look after you had a baby?