How to fake your way to glam on the school run

When Hollywood A-lister Cate Blanchett revealed that she has felt judged when dropping off youngest sons Roman and Ignatius at the school gates, she hit on a very real pressure felt by mothers across the globe The Cinderella actress says, ‘You know there’s an extra judgement, like they are really observing how you parent. There is a certain circle of people – and we all get insecure – who ask, “Why can’t she brush her hair?”’

And if it intimidates Cate – who’s used to walking the red carpet and has her own glam squad – what are the rest of us supposed to do? Parenting forum Mumsnet.com conducted a study recently identifying the different types of mothers we encounter on the school run. Topping the list as the most intimidating is The Unfeasibly Glam Mum, who ‘channels Claudia Schiffer, Gwyneth Paltrow or Elle Macpherson in her glossy looks and designer wardrobe’.

Macpherson hit back at the survey insisting she only looked that way because she was on her way to work. ‘I’ve spent two hours having my hair and make-up done and I’m wearing work clothes. It takes 10 minutes to get ready otherwise.’

Whether you are the mother channelling Macpherson’s glamour, or the mum forgetting to brush her hair like Blanchett, the pressure to look good on the school run is hard to ignore. Australian expat Laura Fendy, who lives in Dubai and has two children at primary school, agrees. ‘I’m never going to put myself through a full-on makeover every morning, but I do need a slick of mascara to make myself feel more confident.’

But what if you could do a makeover in just minutes longer than it takes to slick on that mascara? From powder to hide our roots to eye masks that make us look wide awake faking it as one of the ‘The Unfeasibly Glam Mums’ has never been so easy…

If you didn’t get a chance to have your colour refreshed as the school holidays came to an end and your roots tell the sorry tale, Color Wow Root Cover Up will disguise the regrowth in a matter of minutes. Simply load the brush with powder, paint on to roots, and it will look like you’ve just stepped out of the salon after an expensive touch up.

It’s available in six shades (platinum, blonde, light brown, medium brown, dark brown and black) and even has the power to lighten dark roots if you’re blonde.

Celebrity colourist Denis De Souza, who’s on speed dial for the likes of Rachel Bilson and Nicole Richie, explains, ‘It adheres to the hair, and doesn’t come off until you next shampoo.’

Rodial Dragon’s Blood Eye Masks Dh269, Harvey Nichols

Luxury skincare brand Rodial offers a quick-fire solution. The Dragon’s Blood Eye Mask might sound mystical, but the results are very real. It targets the under-eye area, using hyaluronic acid to plump and hydrate, meaning you’ll look younger. As Vanity Fair reports, ‘It eliminates puffiness and dull, tired skin. Twenty to 30 minutes, and your eyes will have a whole new glow.’

Simply apply a pair while you get ready in the morning.

The other school mums might have spent their summers on a yacht in the Med, but the truth is that you spent it hiding away with the AC on full blast. Your complexion doesn’t have to give the game away as tanning brand Vita Liberata has just launched Capture the Light Latte in the Middle East – and there’s no waiting around for it to develop, as the results are instant.

The company’s Shauna Ramskill says, ‘I’m a mother and this product is my saviour on the nursery run. It’s considered by beauty experts to be “better than a BB Cream”.’ The application couldn’t be easier; just add a few drops to tinted moisturiser and it gives a soft bronzing effect that illuminates the complexion and creates perfectly tanned skin. It contains SPF 25 and lasts all day.

Colab Sheer & Invisible Sheer Dry Shampoo Dh39, Virgin Megastore

No time for a wash and blow-dry before you leave the house in the morning? You’re not alone. However, with the arrival of Colab Sheer & Invisible Sheer Dry Shampoo in the UAE, there is no need to scrape your hair back into a ponytail and hope for the best.

Developed by a team of beauty experts, including British supermodel Ruth Crilly, Colab’s different from other dry shampoos as the formula has no residue. So without powdery white marks to give the game away, you can spray and go. Ruth says, ‘The formula absorbs oil and refreshes roots with a residue-free, lightweight finish.’ It also has a gorgeous scent.

Sephora Heated Eyelash Curler Dh115, Sephora

Forget false lashes, intricate cat-flick eyeliner, or endless coats of lengthening mascara, as there’s little time for any of that before you’re herding the kids out to the car in the morning. Instead, fake your way to fabulous by reaching for Sephora’s Heated Eyelash Curler. The tool heats up in seconds and is a surprisingly quick way to add an impressive and long-lasting curl to your flutter.

Whish Coconut Milk CC Body Cream Dh180, SensAsia Urban Spa

We all know it’s too hot for trousers, but how else are you going to hide your pasty white legs? With Whish Coconut Milk CC Body Cream, which will cover skin imperfections in seconds, creating beautiful-looking legs and perfectly even skin when you don’t have time for self-tanner.

The cream incorporates a shimmer and a bronzer, along with pampering and moisturising ingredients including shea butter, aloe and panthenol to give you instant bronze. It also contains a clinically proven skin lightener to even and correct those little skin imperfections.

It takes just seconds to get a confidence-boosting glow.