Once upon a time I would start each day with a long, refreshing shower. Then, after donning my carefully chosen ensemble, I would stand in front of my bathroom vanity and paint my face, a fabulous array of bottles and powders and sticks and brushes neatly arranged in front of me.

Nowadays, my vanity area holds a changing pad, my makeup drawer is filled with size 2 diapers and I feel lucky to sneak in a shower every few days. With a two-year-old and two-month-old to wrangle lovingly care for, my morning beauty routine consists mostly of standing in front of the mirror with my boobs hanging out of my nursing bra flaps, trying to keep my kids entertained long enough for me to wash my face, brush my teeth and put in my contact lenses.

It’s a glamorous life, I know.

Obviously any makeup I manage to slather on my face has to be quick and effective or else it simply isn’t worth my time, at least not until my kids are pooping without any participation on my part. So what’s in my makeup bag?

Actually, I keep my essentials in the inside zipper pocket of my purse. Along with some lip balm, several lip glosses (a girl cannot live without the lip gloss, after all) and a tube of black mascara (which may very well be replaced with these mascara tubes), is Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer.

Unless it’s a really special occasion, I don’t have time deal with any powders or brushes or anything that I can’t do while driving my son to preschool (yes, I know that mascara application while driving is not a good habit). But this pretty tube of goodness is just enough to make me feel like I’ve made an effort. I can face the other preschool mothers with my head held high because, dammit, I’ve put makeup on, people!

And tinted moisturizer is perfect for hot summer days when foundation and powder is likely to start melting off your face anyway. What’s not to like about hydration, SPF 20 sun protection, and an even skin tone all in one neat little tube? It’s not exactly like a normal facial moisturizer and I wouldn’t use it solo, but it doesn’t hang heavy on my skin and it minimizes rather than emphasizes those pesky little fine lines, unlike so many foundation/powder combos. Being that it is a tinted moisturizer and not full-on foundation, the coverage it provides is light, which is fine by me most days.

When I have an extra minute (you know, while I’m waiting for that red light to turn or my toddler is particularly entranced by an episode of Curious George) Laura Mercier’s Foundation Primer, which I received in a tiny little sample size when I bought the tinted moisturizer, makes the tinted moisturizer practically float on my face. Then again, $30 for 1.7 fl. oz., I probably wouldn’t pay for it.

Speaking of which, at $42 for 1.5 fl. oz. tube, Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer, which also comes in an oil-free version, is not exactly a budget buy even though a tiny dollop of it goes a long way. I also like Clinique Moisture Sheer Tint with SPF 15 at a more reasonable $26. And CoverGirl Smoothers SPF 15 Tinted Coverage at only about $7 is probably the most popular drugstore variety.

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com.