Moms are the Original Beauty Influencers

Her skin looked nearly flawless in the magnifying mirror as she traced the tint along the apples of her cheeks. I was young but not naive—I already knew my mom was beautiful. I had watched her morning routine countless times before, but this was the first time I noticed the tint. “I love this hint of color. The trick is to look like the best version of yourself—and not anyone else,” she mused before I snapped back into reality. I didn’t listen to any of her beauty tips when I was ten. My eyeliner attempts were comical, and my blush never sat right. But, years later, while some might “phone a friend” for beauty tips, I text my mom.

My mom always reminds me that confidence is just as important as SPF. She still guides me away from “experimental” treatments—she insists that we have to be gentle to our faces. Because of my mom, I’ll always carry a collection of bold lip colors, multipurpose SPF, and a signature fragrance. Like many moms, she cautions me against an over-reliance on straws and notes to apply the serums down to your décolleté, too.

This is the virtual Mother’s Day card for the moms who taught us everything we really need to know about beauty—long before TikTok trends and tutorials. After all, most of us will agree that our moms influence us more than anyone else. So, Mom, this one’s for you. These are the tried-and-true gifts that will always remind me of you. PS: If you’re shopping for your mom, she’ll love these too.