This seems like a bit of a strange topic for me, considering I just posted about my journey to becoming a morning person. Well gals and guys and everyone else, before I made the brave decision to dedicate myself to the mornings, I would get out of bed twenty minutes before my classes would start. That is not even an exaggeration. How did I do it? How could I get ready fast, in just fifteen minutes?
Plus, even if you do become a morning person with me (which you should! There’s even a free printable!), no one wants to spend all the time they just gained in the morning getting dressed, doing their hair and makeup, etc.! If you can get ready quickly, why not do just that?
Most of my success in being able to literally walk out the door in fifteen minutes was prepping the night before, but it’s helped by simplifying my morning routine. Mind you, I’m not doing a whole face of makeup in five minutes or making an amazing hairstyle; I’m doing the bare minimum to still look presentable and put together. But hey, it’s college! That’s all you need!
The night before
This is where the prep comes into play! Honestly, I feel like it’s easier to stay up a little later to wake up earlier, than it is to go to sleep later and wake up earlier. Right? Okay, so push yourself to stay motivated for a bit longer at night and it’ll make your morning easier!
Shower
Obviously, showering the night before gives your hair plenty of time to air dry over night and saves you from showering in the morning. But, it also gives you the option to do some different hairstyles you wouldn’t have time to do in the morning!
- Heatless curls. There are million different ways to do this, but I prefer the halo method! This post about heatless curls is really well explained and a great starting point. However, when I do this method I use two headbands, one low on my head and the other high to get higher, longer-lasting curls! Also, feel free to use product before volume and a loose-hold hairspray in the morning.
- Loose waves. Classic. Just double (or triple or quadruple) braid your hair after your shower, leave them in over night, and quickly take them out in the morning for your hair to be ready in no time.
- Messy bun. This one is sort of a hit or miss. Put your hair in a tight bun (and maybe with some french braids for extra flair!) and then wrap it in a scarf or cap for protection. In the morning, it’ll be looser and messier, giving you an effortless messy bun look. Or, it could be a total disaster, but hey! Everyone’s hair is different; it’s worth a short.
Pick out clothes
This is simple and quick, and saves me loads of time in the morning! It’s definitely recommended to try the outfit on to make sure everything fits and looks good together, but if you really know your clothes, I’d just pick it and lay it out! I pick everything and set it out; I hang my shirt on my wardrobe, set my shoes on the floor with my socks inside, and set my bra, panties, jewelry and bottoms on my dresser. Ready, set, get dressed!
Pack your bag
Anything you don’t need that night but you’ll need tomorrow should go in your bag. Planner, notebooks, textbooks, calculator, pencils… everything! Packing ahead saves you time in the morning, but it also gives you time to remember anything you might’ve forgotten!
Fill water bottle
And then throw it in your backpack! I’m a big fan of my four simple Contigo water bottles, and I try to keep two filled at all times so they’re ready to grab and go.
Choose your breakfast
Eating while walking to class isn’t the best way to savor a meal, but it gets the job done. Leaving out an apple and a granola bar the night before make it quick and painless to grab on your way out. Planning ahead has saved me a few times when I realized I didn’t have any on-the-go breakfasts and realized I would need to budget in a few more minutes to sit down and eat something!
In the morning
So this is the fast part. To truly max out on your sleep, you should get up as soon as your alarm goes off. However, for me, I normally give myself time to roll over, complain, groan, and surf Twitter before getting out of bed. Then, I have just fifteen minutes to bust out the rest of the stuff I have to do to get ready! Fifteen minutes doesn’t seem like a lot of time, but when you barely have any time to get ready, you rush! You’ll move twice as fast as you would if you had given yourself 30 minutes!
Easy Hairstyle (5 minutes)
If I did an overnight ‘do, I simply polish up the finishing touches and I’m done! If my hair didn’t cooperate or is messy or I simply didn’t plan anything, I might throw on a cute hat to hide the mess! A fast braid or perky ponytail are also good, quick options. Don’t forget to spray on some quick dry shampoo if you need to look a little cleaner/more voluminous.
Quick Makeup Routine (5 minutes)
I’m not super crazy about makeup, but I do apply concealer on trouble spots and dust on some powder every morning. I use mascara nearly everyday, and most often I’ll add some light shimmery eyeshadow to my eyelids. If I have time, I’ll do some thin eyeliner. I know most people like to do their brows, so that might be some extra time to consider. Doing the same basic routine makes it quick for me! It’s really about practice. I know just the right way to use my mascara wand so I don’t get any mascara on my eyelid… there’s no time for correcting mistakes!
I sweep on some Super Stay Matte Ink from Maybelline (which I got for free from Influenster!). This lippie is awesome because it literally lasts all day through everything, so no worries about smudging or reapplying!
Get dressed (2 minutes)
I do this after hair and makeup to avoid any makeup spills of my clothes (no time for that!) and to avoid getting stray hairs stuck to me. Plus, this is quick! With prep from the night before, I just have to throw on the clothes I had sitting and make sure everything looks good. Easy peasy lemon squeezey.
Grab and go! (3 minutes)
Get your backpack, breakfast, and anything else you left out from the night before. Make sure you have it all and give yourself a good once-over. You can eat breakfast on the way, and stop in the bathroom as you leave your dorm (if you have a community bathroom like me) or once you get to class!
That was quick, right? But, everything got done! Are you a morning person or are you a get-ready-in-15-minutes person? Comment below and share on Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook!
