Think Fast: Get Ready in 10 Minutes or Less

Scenario: It’s 8:30am. You sit straight up in bed, covered in a cold sweat as your eyes dart straight to your buzzing alarm clock. Shoot! You’ve overslept and needed to leave, like, 10 minutes ago! So how does one get ready (and actually look good) when you’re down to the eleventh hour?

It’s easy! You just need to be prepared and I have just the plan for you:

1. Cushion your time with the right clothes. Have two emergency outfits ready at all times based on the season. This means, go home tonight and coordinate two failsafe ensembles. Try them on, make sure you like how they look and keep them in mind when you’re in a pinch. If all else fails, go all black and wear a fun pair of shoes along with one quirky accessory.
2. Use your stash of double duty beauty products. All of the multitasking beauty products are truly a modern marvel. Who knew a cream stick blush could double for lipstick and provide SPF protection? To get fresh on the fly, wash your face with cold water to revive your complexion. If you are able, use redness relief eye drops to wake up your tired eyes. Next, apply your favorite tinted moisturizer with SPF in it. Then use a cheek stain on the apples of your cheeks as well as your lips to add a healthy flush. Finally, take 10 seconds to curl your lashes and swipe on 2 coats of volumizing mascara. Trust me, curled lashes is the best way to make yourself look awake—it really opens up the eyes. As for lip color, you can apply lipstick or gloss en route to your destination…
3. Know your knots. Unless you are one of the lucky few that wake up with perfect hair, I suggest knowing your topknots, ponys and buns.Note: If your hair is particularly greasy, be sure to have some dry shampoo around to absorb excess oil.
4. Eat on the go. I’m not a big fan of eating on the run, but it’s important to be well nourished so you can start the day on the right foot. When you’re in a time crunch, snag a banana or granola bar on your way out the door.
5. Arrive with grace. It’s important to keep things in perspective and not get too caught up in your mistakes. This is something that applies to all aspects of life. Mistakes happen and sometimes there is nothing we can do aside from letting it go. The world is not going to end and tomorrow is already waiting for you. If you’re late for a meeting or something very important, be sure to acknowledge your tardiness and apologize for the offense. Usually, it’s a good idea to let those who are expecting you know that you are running late. It’s the courteous thing to do. More often than not, people will understand. We’ve all been there. Needless to say, by remaining calm and collected you will be able to turn your frazzled day around instead of riding the crazy train straight into a full-blown bad day.