It surprising to hear “you’re the lady on TV” when I’m out and about. Not because I forget what I do for a living, but rather because my two looks are entirely different.
I guess I’ve been lucky. Many of my colleagues have been told they look, taller, skinnier, and even prettier in person. (Seriously how do you respond when someone says that?)
For me, it’s the classic battle of mom life vs work life. Let’s compare…….
Clothing:
My “mom life” attire pretty much consists of jeans, leggings, yoga pants, t-shirts, and sweatshirts. I’ll wear tennis shoes, flip flop, or whatever comfy shoes are by the door that I can slide on while running out of the house.
When on camera, I’m in a dress, shirt, slacks, blouse, blazer or some combination thereof. My heels or boots coordinate with my outfit even though you usually don’t see them on camera. I do admit to keeping a pair of slippers at my desk for when the heels start to hurt (shhhh, don’t tell).
Hair:
At home it’s a pony tail or messy bun. In winter I can sometimes get away with just putting a hat on to hide my messed up mane.
For work, I still try and keep my hair routine pretty simple. A good blow dry and a little straightening of the locks will suffice since I usually wear my hair down. On the rare occasion (pretty much only if my son decides to let me have an extra 10 minutes in the bathroom to get ready), I’ll add some curls.
Makeup:
This is probably the biggest difference in my two looks. At home and on the weekends I’ll wear VERY minimal makeup. It’s not because I don’t like to, rather I try to give my skin a break from the days at work where I have to wear heavier products. Moisturizer with sunscreen, a dab or two of concealer, a little press powder, Chap Stick and I’m good to go.
The harsh lights of a studio coupled with the improvements of HD cameras have caused television news anchors and reporters to up their makeup routine. I can recall seeing other people in the business off camera and thinking “that’s so much makeup” (believe me it was a lot, clowns and drag queens would have been impressed). Seeing them on air, they look fresh faced with just the right features highlighted.
I have very pale skin (thanks to my Polish/German heritage) so I’m already at a disadvantage. If I don’t have some type of foundation on I tend to look washed out under the lights (think how people look when they are sick with the flu and then you’ll have a pretty good picture). As a result, my on-air makeup routine consists of moisturizer/primer, concealer, foundation, cream blush, powder, and bronzer. Then of course there’s multiple eye shadows, liners, mascara, and lipstick to finish off the look.
Chances are this dual look lifestyle is similar for you. Your colleagues see you presented more professional, business-like and refined. Your spouse and children see you making dinner, cleaning the floors, and taking out the garbage, jobs you normally wouldn’t do in a skirt with a pair of sky high heels (props to you if you do).
So if you’re out at the grocery store, movies, bank, or post office and you come across someone that looks familiar but you can’t quite place it, chances are you might have run into your local television personality, living their life off air.
The TV Mommy 