Spa Day — by Guest Mom Joslyn Taylor

Shortly after the birth of my first daughter, I commented to a girlfriend that taking a shower (complete with leg shaving and hair conditioning) was akin to a full day at the spa in my pre-baby life (not that I’ve ever spent the entire day at a spa, but you get the idea). Given that showering has morphed from a necessity to a luxury, I’m always seeking out products that play double-duty — like a body lotion that can substitute for perfume or a moisturizer that thinks it’s foundation. Lovely packaging doesn’t hurt either. Once I discover something, I tend to snap it up in multiples and use it forever.

Some of my current favorites:

• Stila Convertible Eye Color – This plays the role of both liner and shadow and requires little to no precision (or skill for that matter) when you use the nice little smudgy thing at the end.

• Bobbie Brown Shimmer Lip Tint - This isn’t your average goopy, overly glossy, “teenagery” lip gloss. It’s nice, shiny, pretty, grown-up lip gloss in the best possible colors.

• Bumble & Bumble Hair Powder – This product has saved me on the (unfortunately) frequent occasions when washing my hair simply isn’t a possibility. It’s makes two (or three) day hair into totally presentable hair again.

• Rescue Beauty Lounge Wild Rosemary Pamplemousse - On rushed nights, I use the prospect of a squirt of this body wash on a bath pouf to lure my daughter into taking a quick shower in lieu of a long bubble bath. The really pretty packaging looks great on a bathroom counter, but the smell is the clincher, as its herbal, woodsy vibe conjures up memories of my northern California childhood. The time saver here is that sudsing up with this virtually negates the need for perfume.

• Smith’s Rosebud Salve – This tiny tin of salve is a true multi-tasker…pretty package, smells lovely and works on lips, eyes, cuts, burns…the list goes on.

• Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer – I originally read about this moisturizer in a magazine and decided to try it based on the glowing review. Surprisingly, it completely lived up to the hype and is now the item that I always buy in multiples for fear of having my daughter squeeze the entire tube out to use as finger paint in a renegade art project. Not only does it contain SPF 20, but it literally melts into your skin and eliminates the need for foundation (read: three steps all at once). The best part? It creates the allusion of a full night of sleep, even if you have bags under your eyes that would rival a sleep deprived POW.