Why I Choose to Wear Makeup as a SAHM: And Three Tips to Make It Easy

I’m a stay-at-home mom, and I wear makeup almost every single day. I know, feminists everywhere are lighting their torches and sharpening their pitchforks as they prepare to come after me and demand I take it back. The thing is, consider myself a feminist, too, but I have specific reasons why I wear makeup as a SAHM.

Disclaimer

You may not agree with my thoughts on this, and that’s okay! But I do ask that any and all comments be respectful and kind.

I don’t, by any means, believe that a woman has to wear makeup to be beautiful, or that she should do it because she thinks her husband won’t be attracted to her. Nothing could be further from the truth! Read on to learn why I choose to wear makeup as a SAHM.

My upbringing

My mom is a cosmetologist by trade, and always wears makeup. In fact, there are very few times I can remember ever seeing her without any. She’s beautiful, by the way, and absolutely doesn’t need to wear anything.

I started wearing makeup around age thirteen. I had pretty bad acne, and though I took incredibly good care of my skin, I still felt self-conscious about it. So my mom began letting wear foundation and powder, and I started wearing blush and eye makeup as I got older.

Makeup as an adult

I was brought up in a household where you didn’t go out without your “face” on. And I kind of took that with me into adulthood. However, in college, it became a little less important to me as I balanced working almost full time, taking eighteen credits a semester, juggling a double-major, and holding leadership positions in my sorority.

Of course, I always wore makeup when I had time, and definitely for special events and dates, but it wasn’t quite a big deal as I thought is was in high school.

I landed my first “real” job out of college in a government agency, where the dress code was business professional. I always made sure my hair and makeup were on point, and always had a tube of lipstick nearby, just in case.

These days, I’m not opposed to a makeup-free day every once in a while, but for the most part, I don’t really feel complete unless I have my “face” on.

Why I continue to wear makeup as a SAHM

Everyone knows the transition to motherhood is a tough one. Maybe your birth story didn’t go the way you planned, or you struggled to breastfeed. Or perhaps you were just so exhausted that the last thing you wanted to worry about was putting on your makeup.

I get it; I’ve been there.

Those first few weeks and months with a new baby are pretty intense as you and your spouse learn how to be parents. I made a point to try to shower every day, but I can tell you, there were very few days that I even considered anything more than chapstick and maybe mascara.

But as I transitioned from working life to mom life, I decided I still wanted to wear makeup as a SAHM. Even though most days, no one sees me except my baby, I still take time to put on makeup almost every day, and here’s why:

First, it makes me feel pretty

And who doesn’t want to feel pretty?? I promise I’m not really vain. I absolutely understand that true beauty comes from within and it’s my heart and attitude that makes me beautiful. But I also believe that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and I should glorify God with it (see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, ESV). And I believe that a temple should look nice and be well-cared for.

Second, it’s respectful to my family

It’s tempting to just put yourself together before you leave the house, or when people come over. But I choose to wear makeup as a SAHM because I want my family to understand their value to me. They are the most important people in the entire world to me, so why wouldn’t I want to look my best for them?

I want my son to grow up knowing that his mama respected him enough to care for her appearance around him.

Finally, it’s honoring to my husband

Please don’t take this the wrong way. I don’t choose to wear makeup as a SAHM because I feel like my husband requires me to. In fact, it’s just the opposite. He’s expressed many times that he doesn’t mind if I get ready every day because (his words) I’m beautiful no matter what.

So this isn’t some sort of weird, authoritarian, patriarchal, oppressive relationship. My husband in no way requires or expects me to wear makeup or do my hair every day.

But, I choose to wear makeup as a SAHM because I love my husband. Part of a healthy marriage is to constantly date your spouse, and you wouldn’t go on a date without looking your best, would you? I honor my husband by looking my best as often as possible.

Of course, this doesn’t happen 100 percent of the time. There are days that I just can’t get the fifteen minutes away to put on my makeup. And that’s okay! Because I don’t have the pressure from my husband, I allow myself those occasional days where I look a mess.

For example, I’ve had days where I woke up to a weevil infestation in my pantry, or the baby is teething and clingy and weepy. There have been times where I’m knee-deep in some decluttering project, and I just can’t seem to get ahead. Those are the days I just let things be, and hope for the best.

Tips if you choose to wear makeup as a SAHM

Now that you know my heart behind why I choose to wear makeup as a SAHM, here are my best tips so it’s not a stressful thing.

1. Don’t take a ton of time

Unless you happen to be a makeup artist or beauty guru, there is no need to spend a ton of time making sure you achieve that perfect winged liner or smokey eye. Very few of us moms have that kind of time. I personally take only fifteen minutes or less to do my makeup (usually less).

2. KISS (Keep It Simple, Sweetheart!)

Unless I’m going somewhere really special, I stick to these basic makeup products: foundation and concealer (to mask those under-eye circles because, uh mom life), blush so I look less dead, a teeny bit of highlighter on my nose and chin, eyebrow pencil to fill in those thin spots (thank you, pregnancy), eyeliner (sometimes), mascara, and lip gloss. Easy peasy!

3. Get your routine down

Most of the time, I try to do this little makeup routine before my son wakes up, but that doesn’t always happen. On the days it doesn’t, I either take him in the bathroom with me and let him play with some toys on the floor, or take the first fifteen minutes of his morning nap time to do it.

Before I joined the mom club, I used to spend thirty to forty-five minutes each morning working on my makeup. But seriously, what mom has time for that nonsense? I learned that speed is vital, so I practiced until I can pretty much do my makeup in my sleep. But I don’t recommend that.

So that’s why I wear makeup as a SAHM. It’s not because I feel pressured from society, or my family, or anyone else. It’s just because I want to. I enjoy feeling pretty. And I enjoy demonstrating my love and respect for my family to make myself pretty for them, too. So if you want to wear makeup as a SAHM, do it! And if you don’t, then don’t! You have the right to decide for yourself. Use the tips above to simplify the process, and you’ll be surprised at how little time it actually takes.

Do you wear makeup as a SAHM, or no? Tell us in the comments!