Hey Everyone, and welcome to a new series – “Before and After” – featuring (cough) willing Lifestyle Fifty Readers in a “Before” they get ready outfit, followed by the “After” version, along with their tips for a healthy daily routine. and how they get ready to walk out of the house looking great. Today Leanne shares her morning routine checklist.
Leanne writes a fantastic blog for women of a certain age called Cresting the Hill (scroll to the end of the post for the link to her blog.)
“I used to define my life by saying I was a wife, or a mother, or by what I did as my profession. Now I define myself on my own terms – as a woman in my own right. I’m discovering who I am, and I’m really liking that person! It’s like I’ve reached the “crest of the hill” in life, the climb is behind me and the view stretches out in front,” says Leanne.
Personal makeovers might be wonderful, but I don’t know about you – I’ve never had one. So I rely on hints and tips from my friends, magazines and the internet to help me look my best, feel great, and maintain a healthy daily routine. Which is why I’m very thankful to Leanne today for sharing what works for her.
Leanne’s Morning Routine Checklist
5 points for getting ready in the morning.
- Take a morning walk – if I don’t do that first thing then I know I won’t do it later in the day. As my metabolism slows down in Midlife I need to move more and eat less (neither is a fantastic option – but both are necessities).
- I “do” my hair every morning – not the whole wash and blow dry thing, but definitely a little smooth and style with the hairdryer or if I want to look a little bit snazzier I use my Instyler to give me a bit of bounce.
- I’m not a big wearer of makeup but I discovered a super cheap Mode 2 in 1 foundation/concealer stick that is ridiculously cheap at $3 and helps cover up the dark circles and age “spots” then it’s a dash of mascara and a bit of eye colour and a smear of lipstick – I also love the Nivea Pearly Shine lip balm for a bit of sheen.
- Clothes-wise I work on what needs the least amount of ironing without looking like a scruff! I am loving a lot of the clothes that Millers is putting out these days – really appropriate for Midlife and they often have 40% off sales or free shipping on their online stuff. The dress I’m wearing in the pic came from Millers and was a bargain buy.
- Shoes are another issue altogether – I found the cute little boots in the pic on sale at Target and they’ve been fantastic (but I also admit to loving my ugg boots around the house in Winter!)
PS – My husband offered his 5 points about my morning routine …
- Leave getting out of bed as long as possible
- Crawl into the bathroom
- Complain loudly about how cold and dark it is
- Talk about quitting my job so I can sleep in
- Trudge off for my morning walk
I prefer my version but can’t really deny his either ☺
Here’s me, before I’m ready to leave the house …
And After …
The dress is from Millers Fashion (I buy a lot of stuff there these days) – bought on super duper special (I love a bargain!).
Taking these selfie photos certainly made me appreciate how hard it is to look effortless when you’re taking a fashion selfie!
A big thanks to Leanne for her morning checklist and for tips about her healthy morning habits. And thanks too for her humour and her fabulous before and after shots 🙂 If you’d like to read more about Leanne and her world, then grab a cup of coffee and pop over to Cresting the Hill for a wonderful read. You won’t be disappointed.
Would you like to feature in this “Before and After” series on Lifestyle Fifty? Please send a photo of your Before and After look, with details of the clothes you’re wearing and 5 of your top tips for getting out of the door looking fabulous. Please fill in your details on the Contacts form.
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My Daily Routine – How to get out of the door looking your best in 20 Minutes.
I’m going to have to check out Millers (I’ve never heard of them) when I finish my comment!
You look absolutely FABULOUS in your whole outfit shown!
I adore the cut and color of the dress on you!!!
Woohoo!! You Go Girl!!! 🙂
Leanne, my before pic is really similar to yours! Love being comfy in bed, just have to remember to change before I leave the house! LOL That dress is so pretty and flattering, love it! Checking out Miller’s now!
Hello Nikki, hope you found something nice at Millers 🙂
Wow! That is quiet a transformation. You look stunning in that dress. I like your simplistic approach to your beauty routine. It just goes to show that we don’t need too much ‘war paint’ to look gorgeous at our age!
Love that dress on you Leanne. Alas I rarely have the opportunity to look smart these days, working from home!
Thanks so much Janet – at least you get to wear pretty things for your fashion pics and for those awards nights!
I’d love to get exercise better included in my day (I do a decent amount of “incidental” exercise but now that I’m over some health issues I need to work out where to fit it in! I get up very early to get to work and I really don’t want to get up even earlier than I already do 🙂
I know the feeling Vanessa – I have really had to make an effort to incorporate some exercise into my day. I don’t get much incidental exercise (I sit at a desk all day) so I need to do a little bit each morning or I’ll become a whale! Getting up early is a killer!
The Mode 2 in 1 sounds great. Do you know of any local stockists instead of buying on line Leanne?
I bought mine at Coles supermarket for $3 – and it’s lasting forever 🙂
Hi Jo what a great idea for a series and of course I’m always happy to see my friend Leanne Le Cras. Looking good Leanne and glad to see you getting in your morning walk before the day starts to get crazy. I always think exercise is a great way to set up my day. Loved hubby’s list and you take a mean ‘selfie’.
Aaahh Sue – I can always count on you for a bit of cheer leading – thank you my friend xx
Hi Sue, thank you 🙂 And can’t wait for your guest contribution too 🙂
whether it’s a walk or a yoga routine–if it doesn’t get done as part of the morning routine, it’s unlikely to happen. thanks for the reminder to push myself before the day gets overwhelming.
I’m the same Penpen, if exercise doesn’t happen early on the day just takes over.
Morning routine is so important. My Summit guest speakers all agreed.
I agree. If my morning routine doesn’t go as planned, my day feels completely wrong.
It is nice to get a peak at your life. I LOVE the blue dress,
Thanks Michele, That blue Millers dress really suite Leanne, doesn’t it 🙂
Hi Michele – thanks so much for the compliment – I certainly look somewhat of an improvement on the pj’s and uggs 🙂
Hi Jo – I’m feeling very honoured to be featured on your blog (especially in my pj’s and uggies!) Hopefully my cheap and cheerful approach will inspire other women who don’t have a huge budget but still want to look nice when they venture out of the house. I’ll be sharing it on my social media xx
Thanks Leanne, you are a natural in pjs and uggies! Lol! Be assured you are very inspiring and many of us relate to your approach. Thank you 🙂