[quote]Going out with no makeup? At least put some lip stick on. You never know who your going to run into,”[/quote]  my mother used to tell me before I left the house. To this day, those words still ring in my head on even the busiest of mornings.

My most tried and true beauty rituals stem from my mother. She taught me how to paint my nails, do a roller set, and the importance of the right color foundation. When I wanted poker straight hair, she encouraged volume. When I wanted to wear my hair down, she insisted half up half down looked best on me. Guess what hairstyle won on my wedding day? Yup. A voluminous Brigitte Bardot-esque half up style.

She spoiled me early with higher end makeup–my first foundation was custom made at the Prescriptives counter. She’s a “Maxinista” when it comes to fashion, but a glance in her bathroom reveals brands such as Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, and Chanel encased in luxe packaging.

Today, it’s turned into more than just primping. Beauty excursions and conversations are activities that we enjoy doing together. My mother is the first person I think of when I want to trek 45 minutes away to go and sample foundations from Armani…reminding me to go out side and check the foundation in natural light.

In honor of Mother’s Day, A Beauty Loft team shares some of the best beauty advice and memories from their mothers:

[dropcap]J[/dropcap]ennifer:My mom started selling Mary Kay when I was a kid, so makeup and the focus of makeup was always around. She taught me to use matte ivory shadow on my brow bone to accent my eyes, she showed me how to put blush on in the hollows of the cheeks (not on top of the bones) to create shadow. She taught me EXFOLIATE EXFOLIATE EXFOLIATE, then moisturize. I think the most memorable thing my mom taught me was how to ‘pamper’ yourself, but while taking care of yourself. She would boil water and then turn it off and put her face over the steam to give herself a facial, then take a long hot bath, pluck her brows, and then moisturize like crazy.

My mother has LONG crazy curly red (natural) hair and it has always been her ‘thing’. She can get out of the shower, throw some product in it and walk out the door… 3 hours later when it’s finally dry, it looks fantastic. At 48, my mom is definitely the hottest mom on the block! I’m sure the gorgeous long red hair, motorcycle (Yes, she rides a harley!), perfect makeup, and toned body (thanks to P90X) helps!

Grooming and self care has always been important to my mom and she definitely passed it onto me…. well, that and a love for some serious stilettos! If it has glitter on it, chances are my mom will like it! Most importantly, my mom taught me to express myself. I was allowed to paint my nails, wear makeup (tastefully!), dress different ways (respectfully!), and have sleepovers full of nail polishing and ‘dress up’ as a kid. I definitely attribute my career to my mother’s influence and it’s a good thing she did b/c I LOVE my job!

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]tephanie: Growing up, I can without a doubt say I learned the ways of beauty and femininity from my gorgeous Mom. I’d take note watching her daily beauty regime accompanied by her vast collection of makeup and skincare products. Whenever I was alone in our bathroom I’d sneak a peak, shuffling through her colorful makeup bags at all the new lipsticks, perfumes, and creams (usually from Clinique, my mom’s go to brand).

My mother has been a true Beauty inspiration for me, teaching me to take pride in my appearance and enjoy the art of making myself up each day, one of the great perks of being a girl! The scent of Red Door perfume wasn’t the only thing that stayed with me from Mom, it was also the great beauty tips I’d hear replaying in my head. The most recent one has been, “Take your makeup off before bed and wash your face!” I admit that I am guilty of pre-bedtime laziness when it comes to my skin and all I can think of is hitting the sheets, but I hear my mom’s voice in my head, “even Beyonce’s mom tells her to take her makeup off!” She has great skin and only wishes for me to take care of mine early on. She is often purchasing for me Philosophy Purity face wash and Ponds cleansing towelettes to make sure I break this bad habit. Mom knows best right?

Happy Mother’s Day!