5 Tips to Get Ready in a Snap

I cannot begin to tell you how many times I've been asked how long it takes me to get ready in the morning, how I always look 'put together' or 'perfect', etc. The truth is, I don't feel put together. I don't think I feel any different than anyone else who is navigating through their 20s. After thinking about it for a long time, I realized that I am just a very routine person. When I have somewhere to be in the morning, I do the exact same morning routine. I've perfected my morning routine to be something I don't even have to think about when I do it anymore. I just get up and start. Below are the small things I think help make you look like you don't try, yet always have your life in order. 1. I have my go-to makeup look for work. I don't stray away from this. Ever. The only time it changes is if I have extra time or I play with new makeup and love something enough to add it into my current routine. That means when I sit down to do my makeup, I don't even have to think about what I'm doing. I do the exact same thing everyday. I use products that I know I love. Ones that are familiar, I know how to apply them perfectly in a very short amount of time. This makes getting ready for work such an easy task. Although it might look like I've gone through a ton of work to put makeup on in the morning, the truth is -- my work makeup look takes less than 10 minutes. Shop my everyday makeup items here: 2. I have an outfit "equation". What I mean by that is that I wear basically the same thing every day. There are a few variations, but they're all very simple. My summer outfit equations are:

Jeans + Neutral Top + Neutral Sandals/Flats + Bright Accessories

or

Jeans + Colored/Patterned Top + Neutral Sandals/Flats + Neutral Accessories

It sounds really boring, but there are endless possibilities. This makes getting ready so effortless for me. I choose my top first, then I just add in the other elements to complete the equation and off I go.

3. I've been told for years how bad it is to wash your hair everyday. I just couldn't help myself for the longest time. I finally am at the point that I don't have to wash my hair everyday (my favorite dry shampoo is here). When I wash it, I like to at night so that I don't have to dry it in the morning which cuts more time off my getting ready time in the AM. I have a handful of hairstyles that I alternate between at any given time. You can see some of my favorite hairstyles to do in under 5 minutes here. Practicing a few of your favorites and having them ready to go in your back pocket is a key element of getting out the morning quickly.

4. Keep your handbag organized and have it ready to go in the morning. I, personally, like to carry a work bag with my laptop in it. That being said, I don't want to carry two bags so I transfer my handbag stuff into my work bag the night before. I keep everything in separate pouches so I can easily transfer them between bags. I can switch from my work bag or swap out my handbag for the day in a matter of 30 seconds. Fumbling through your stuff and making sure you have everything in your bag in the morning can be such a time waster.

5. Eat the same thing for breakfast or prepare it in advance. I eat the same thing almost everyday. I know that's not realistic for some people so if it's not for you, then maybe prepare your breakfast in advance. There are some great breakfast muffin and bar recipes that you can freeze in advance. I like to have a green smoothie in the morning. Since I make it so often I can literally get everything out, make it, clean it all up, and have it ready to go in the car with me in 3 minutes.

Bonus #6. Clean everything up as you go! This is a habit that I had such a hard time breaking. I'm sure we've all grown up hearing our parents tell us to clean up our toys so we'd know where to find them next time. Well, the same goes for being an adult. Honestly, I just got the hang of this about a year ago. When I get ready in the morning, I just simply put my makeup back in its drawer as I finish using it. The next morning, it's so much easier to find everything because it's where it belongs and I don't feel that stress of wasting time looking for it.

I hope these tips helped you. If you have any other tips that you do, let me know in the comments! I'd love to hear what you guys do to get out the door in a hurry!

xoxo,

Sarah