We, as women, know how to meet the challenges of juggling work, family, life and looking after ourselves, and, for me, becoming a new mum to Malachi has been the biggest test so far. It's been a full year since I started working with Morgan in Paris Texas Beauty and I feel like I’ve finally found my groove and have achieved a certain level of balance with caring for Malachi, my own needs and my wonderful clients.
My work is my zen space and the highlight of my week. I love my clients and the conversations we have, and I also love having the opportunity to use my brain and to be ‘Lauren’ and not ‘mum’ on a regular basis.
I’ve always been a multi-tasker, but it reached a whole new level when I became a Mum. I’ve learnt to accept the fact that I don’t get a lot of ‘me time’, so I find ways to include Malachi in how I like to unwind. I’ve realised that I need four things to achieve balance:
1. Nature 🌳🌺🌿
2. Moving my body 💃🤸🏻
3. Interaction 🗣💕
4. Creativity 🖌️🎨✍️
And a good face mask or fresh manicure doesn’t hurt either! 😉💆🏻💅
My influence comes from both my Mother and Grandmother, who have always been very well presented and take care of their skin and nails. I've been lucky enough to have been brought up by these two strong women, who stressed the importance of self care (long before it was a ‘thing’). However, what really pushed me to study Beauty Therapy was my Grandmother’s cancer diagnosis. Unfortunately, when she went into a care home, she was no longer able to care for herself as she once could, so I took on that role. I plucked her brows, painted her nails and cared for her skin - I saw the light come back to her face, and the happiness it brought to both of us still sticks with me today.
One of my biggest achievements so far has been realising that I’m capable of being a great Mum and Beauty Therapist. I can be my own worst critic at times and quite hard on myself in all facets of my life, as I want to be at my best, and give my best, at all times. It’s funny that it's taken me 30 years to realise that I don't need to be hard on myself; that I can do anything I put my mind to and my best is good enough. I celebrate this realisation and repeat it to myself every day.
It's important for me to continue to grow, learn and keep making improvements on myself but, in all honesty, I sometimes forget to do things to take care of myself, which I think is quite common for most first time Mum's. I do need to remind myself that it's OK to take an hour to do something for myself, and it's getting easier to do so as Malachi gets older and I feel more comfortable in my role as "Mum". When I take time for self care, my favorite facial treatment is our Earth and Skin Facial. I have a passion for skin and holistic-heath and living, so I feel like I get the best of both worlds with this treatment, especially with the use of our Eco tan products.
The challenges I've faced in my career include the time at the very start of my career, when I struggled to get my foot in the door. But instead of becoming defeated and giving up, I worked harder, I prioritised additional training and most importantly, I kept persevering. I learnt to stop comparing myself to others and trying to follow in their footsteps, and learnt how to believe in myself and follow my own path. I may have had a few false starts but now, I know I’m exactly where I belong.
Sometimes, I don’t know whether there is such a thing as being perfectly balanced in Motherhood and work-life, but I feel like I’ve come pretty close to it so far. Being a Beauty Therapist and helping people has always been very important to me, and a huge part of who I am. I feel like a lot of women can identify with being determined to not lose that feeling within yourself, once you became a Mum.
My support network includes my amazing Partner, who understands how important my work is to me and sees how hard I’ve worked to get to where I am. I'm also so lucky to have a very supportive and accommodating boss. Morgan has been the best thing about working at Paris Texas Beauty. I've never met anyone like her and I am acutely aware of how lucky I am to know her and get the opportunity to work with her. She has, and continues to be, a massive support, both at work and in my personal life ♥
I truly believe that being able to go to work helps me to be a better person, parent and partner. I'd love to have the opportunity to chat to all the new-mum's about this exciting time of our lives, and also, to all of you experienced mum's out there, who could perhaps give me a tip or two!
To book in for a consultation with myself or Morgan, please click here and we're looking forward to seeing you in the salon soon ♥