You know when you grab your phone to scroll through Facebook while eating the last few bites of your child’s cheese string, and somehow the selfie camera is activated, and you’re like “who is this tired beast who has given up on herself?” We know the feeling too.

As Moms we do our very best to make sure our families are happy, healthy and not on hour 10 of screen time. Our own self-care becomes an after thought. Child has a weird bruise? Drop everything and make doctor’s appointment immediately. We lose a knuckle while grating cheese for a casserole the kids don’t eat? Wrap it in 50 Moana Band-Aids and pour an extra glass of wine after bedtime to ease the throbbing.

We are the glue that holds the family together – sticky and weary, strong, and somehow covered in glitter yet we constantly put ourselves last, daydreaming about when we had the time for a proper “beauty routine.”

The great news is there are easy ways to make ourselves appear well-rested and put-together that don’t break the bank, and they can be done in between diaper changes and before school drop-off. Whether you want to conquer a Monday with a little more glow or have an event that requires a little less peanut butter in the hair and more polish, here are our top tips.

Skincare

Cover that under-eye luggage and unfair adult acne with concealer. Dab it on any problem areas using the handy applicator, then blend with your ring finger so you can pretend you are a true Sephora artiste.

Now this next step might sound “too extra” but trust us, using primer is like turning your face from a gravel country road to a freshly paved runway. It’s magical and you only need a tiny amount.

We don’t mean to lecture you, but every damn day you need to put sunscreen on your face. The easiest life hack is to buy a foundation that has sunscreen in it for 2-in-1 multi-tasking. (You’re welcome.)

Now that you have a glowy even complexion that might even get you ID’d, set your face with a light powder and your skin will be a teen dream.

Eyes

The trick to a no-fuss makeup routine is owning just one eye shadow palette to rule them all. Keep your makeup drawer KonMari-approved with an eye shadow pallette, a genius palette designed by makeup artist all-star Pat McGrath. It has both pretty daytime neutral shades (creamy white, subtle gold and a blush pink) AND also powerful pops of sparkly black, bright purple and sapphire blue for a night-time glow up. The back of the palette even has tips for combining shades for high drama. Just use a good eye shadow brush to apply. We all know the tiny applicator that comes with eye shadow is terrible, right?

If you’re feeling brave and the kids are not demanding a snack/a hug/a change of Netflix show, add some extra smokiness to your gaze with some black eye liner. I do confess that I often skip this step because I am intimidated, but the Katy Kat Eyeliner (created by Katy Perry!) in black is dummy-proof. On one end is the liner that glides on super smoothly and on the other is a smudging tool that will help gently blend the liner where you want it to go. I like to apply it to my top outer eyelid then blend inwards.

Curl those lashes to appear “two espressos alert” then use mascara to coat your bottom lashes then top lashes. Do two swipes up and down with no smudge and the patented round bing-bobber (not the actual name) will fully coat every single lash you have.

Lips

Fact: the Mom on the playground with the red lips always looks more put together than you. She could have a feces-stained shirt and holes in her yoga pants, but if her mouth is colourful, she looks French and amazing. Join her! Gently dab on a bold lip colour, like a good matte lipstick or for a nibbled lip stain look or apply it with a heavier hand for a bold “oui oui” matte pucker.

All told, this routine should only take about 10 minutes, and I highly recommend buying an adorable makeup case to store all your goodies in. Stash it up high so curious fingers can’t pry anything open. This is your secret Mama Glow stash – guard it with your life and have FUN!

Brooke Takhar is a Vancouver-based Mama, humour writer and editor who registered for her wedding at Sephora. She blogs as missteenussr.com, and if you like Caps Lock opinions on coffee, artisanal ice cream, pop culture and parenting, follow her on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.