It’s been a long week. And sometimes the pace of New York City can outpace you. But then you get stuck in traffic and are forced to slow down and a moment like this happens. When suddenly this hard, fast city is just Central Park trees out the window on a perfect fall day. And my big girl curls up on me and she’s warm while the breeze through the window is cool and, just for a moment, a really potent moment, I cherish her head on my lap and, in the rare stillness, I am flooded with love.

Then, as if on cue, the horns start honking and the traffic jams and the Taxi TV starts up and it’s all very loud. But it’s also all ok.

Have a happy holiday weekend.

(Expect some traffic.)

As a mom past a certain age and with limited time for extra curricular beauty, I tend to skip a lot of makeup trends because they’re either too experimental or require too much energy. (Hence, BeautyMama’s mission.) There’s a life stage for neon eyeshadow and purple hair—and then there’s the more straightforward beauty of motherhood.

That said, I tend to have a lot of fun with nail polish. It’s quick, it’s temporary and I can share it with my daughter. I can get really into trendy polishes: black, white, beige, caviar effect, glitter, nail art—I’ve donned it all. Sometimes a great manicure can really make a day just a little bit better.

Nails inc is one of my favorite polish lines. It’s a very fashion-forward nail brand. This is probably not the line where you’ll find your ultimate nude. (Although the polishes are all really wearable.) Their collaboration with the ultra-cool, very fashion-y Alexa Chung produced some of the most interesting polishes I’ve ever seen. The line features six polishes that each have their own “fabric” effect. As in, leather and lace, silk and sequins, camouflage and cashmere. Literally. It’s so so cool. And don’t worry, it’s formulated without parabens, sulfates and phthalates

Check out the whole line here. And look out for photos of my black leather effect nails on my Instagram feed!

So last week, before my trip to Madrid, I went to Sephora to load up on travel-size goodies. And as I was grabbing spontaneous colors of Laura Mercier’s fabulous Caviar Color Sticks, I did a mindless grab-and-go with this eye primer. I had never seen an eye primer come in a range of shades the way concealers or foundations do, so I got curious. But I reserved hope because I’ve tried many primers and I’ve never found one that did anything remarkable for my oily lids. (That feels kind of gross to admit, but I’m all about truth here.) Inevitably, my eyeshadow creases within mere hours, be it powder or cream. Be it layered or alone. I’ve always been sort of resigned to having to touch-up my eye makeup a few times a day.

Until now.

Now, I have four words for you:

CREASELESS.

ALL.

DAY.

LONG.

This product is straight-forward: It’s an eye primer that does what an eye primer should do—keep your eyeshadow put. But here’s what it also does: it covers discolorations and blemishes, it soothes with vitamins and antioxidants. It creates a smooth brightness that perks up the eye on days you don’t want to wear eyeshadow.

I wear Flax, but there are six colors in the line to suit every skin tone.

File this under: Must have.

Jennifer Garner is one of my favorite BeautyMamas, not least because she is so funny. I love her impression of Ben Affleck here. Doesn’t she seems like such a cool, regular and relatable mom? Except maybe for her movie star hair—which I’m dying a little bit over.

Alexandra Wilkis Wilson is a co-founder of Gilt.com, the flash-sale fashion site that forever changed the way we shop on the web. She recently became the CEO of GLAMSQUAD, an in-home, on-demand hair and makeup service that’s giving blowdry bars a run for their money. I’ve been a fan of GLAMSQUAD for a while now. It’s fast, convenient and the quality of the service is top-notch.

Wilson’s move to GLAMSQUAD was the news of both The Wall Street Journal and Womens Wear Daily. If Wilson catapults GLAMSQUAD the way she did Gilt, women across the country are about to change the way they think about how, and how often, they get their hair and makeup done.

Wilson might have excited the suits on Wall Street with her move, but I’m happy to see the world of professional beauty become more accessible. Wilson is a girl’s girl visionary. With Harvard Business School roots and cascading strawberry blond hair, she also managed to start a family in the midst of her growing success. Now, as the mother of two young children and at the helm of a burgeoning new business, Wilson shares her outlook on life, work and the benefits of a great blowout.

We started off with a beauty rapid fire:

Dewy or Matte

Matte

Bold Lip or Eye

Lip

Hair Up or Down

Down

Last Beauty Purchase

Urban Decay De-Slick Oil-Control Makeup Setting Spray

Desert Island Product

Sunblock!

Here’s a glimpse of Alexandra’s must-haves. I’m intrigued! So many cool brands:

1: Erno Laszlo 3-9 Balm

2: Chanel Rouge Double Intensite′ Lip Color

3: Tata Harper Rejuvinating Serum

4: Iconic Anti-Aging Skin Preserver

5: Peter Thomas Roth BB Blur SPF 30 Beauty Balm

6: Hard Night Good Morning Eye Cream

7: Miracle 10 Cleanser

8: Youth Corridor Boost 2.0

9: Dior Diorshow Mascara

Must Have Make-Up

Bobbi Brown makeup brushes, Eliza’s Eyes Brow Shaper Gel, MAC Prep + Prime Translucent set powder, Urban Decay Naked 2 palette. Diorshow Mascara and Chanel Rouge Double Intensite′ Ultra Wear Lip Color.

Lip Service

I am not particularly loyal to one shade or brand of lipstick or gloss, I am always trying new ones, but let’s be honest— Chanel does great packaging!

Her Go-To Evening Look

An awesome blow out, long dark lashes and a strong, lasting lip.

She Keeps Secrets

My biggest beauty blunder? Not on the internet please!

Main Event

I am not that good at doing my own hair, so hallelujah for GLAMSQUAD.

Biggest Beauty Indulgence

Facials at Dr. Adam Kolker’s office. His aestheticians are amazing.

NYC Black Book

I get my cut and color at Vartali Salon, I get my skin checked for sun damage at Dr. Gervaise Gerstner and I get my facials at Dr Adam Kolker. Products? I buy those online and also love the new Birchbox store. And now that GLAMSQUAD is here, my go-to process for getting ready just got a whole lot easier!

Best Face Forward

GLAMSQUAD’s The Dreamer is our signature look that makes me feel like a million bucks, since I LOVE big lashes and a great lip color. It makes me feel like me, but better!

Iconic

I admire women who have aged gracefully because they took good care of their skin throughout their lives

When Motherhood Minuses the Minutes

I have less time to spend on myself so I have had to become more efficient! I now trust the professionals to take care of me when I don’t have the time to!

Truth

Motherhood is not for sissies! It is hard work! Motherhood has made me more appreciative of my own mother and my grandmothers.

The Children Notice Everything

(As in, hair done or undone. Makeup on or off.) Of course they do. Kids have amazing intuition.

She Means Business At Home, Too.

My kids know that I am strict about their sunblock and they cooperate when I lather them.

Lessons from Grandma

Less is more.

Lesson for Her Children

Beauty comes from within.

The Balance

I try and take it one day at a time and do the best I can. It helps that I am hyper organized.

Dream indulgence

An afternoon of pampering sounds pretty amazing!