How to Get Out the Door Looking Confident and Composed When You’re Running Late  

We all fall victim to this early morning disaster. This is usually what happens: you’re exhausted, so you hit “snooze” one more time. After what feels like four minutes, you check the clock only to realize you overslept and have less than thirty minutes to get out of the house. You turn into a frazzled mess trying to leave on time —  and then that chaotic mentality seems to edge its way into the rest of your day.

If you’re a snooze button fanatic, and this kind of morning sounds all too familiar, that doesn’t mean you have to swear off those extra minutes of slumber completely. You only need to do a little planning! Consider this your morning doomsday survival guide:

Shower
Unfortunately there may be mornings where showering is just not going to happen, especially if you are prone to staying in longer than you should. Doing that wastes minutes you don’t have to spare! Thankfully, there’s a quick and cheap alternative: no-rinse bathing wipes. They’re not ideal, but frantic mornings and smelling like a foot aren’t either.

Hair
When you’re really pressed for time, washing your hair becomes a luxury you can’t afford, which is why dry shampoo will be your magical new best friend (if it isn’t already). Spray about six inches away from your roots, wait a couple minutes before massaging your scalp to distribute the product evenly, and then you’re ready to style. And if you still feel this is not the day to have your hair hanging in your face, not only are top knots and braids quick to do in the morning, they’re popular hairstyles still, and any face shape can pull them off.

Makeup
Your decisions become ruthless at this point, since you don’t have time to do your full makeup routine. There’s no time for a smoky eye and contouring, but there is time to pull off a flawless look. All you need to do is focus on a few key areas:

• • • Face: BB cream saves you time on late mornings since it acts as a moisturizer, a primer, and a foundation. Follow with concealer for any blemishes and dark circles, add some blush or bronzer, and finish with a translucent powder to keep it set.
    • Eyebrows: Sculpted eyebrows should already be a part of your daily routine, and it’s definitely not something you should ever skip when running late. There’s a reason for the current obsession with eyebrows- every woman looks more polished with well-groomed arches, regardless how minimal the rest of her makeup is. Time is precious, so stick with the brow pencil and spooley brush when running late to quickly shape, fill, and blend. You’ll find that pencil/brush combo can be a huge time-saver on a hectic morning. 
    • Eyes: Curling your eyelashes and a couple swipes of mascara will suffice on these days. Even though it’s more of an “au naturale” look, your eyes will still pop and you’ll look more awake. If you do have an extra minute to spare, you can line your upper lash line with a little bit of eyeliner, but use a pencil since it’s quicker and easier than using a liquid liner. 
    • Lips: Since the rest of your makeup will be minimal, you can quickly glam up your look with a colored pout. Whether you go with a striking red or a soft pink, you’ll instantly look more put together. Trust me, this trick works like a charm and no one will ever know what kind of morning you had.

Outfit
We all have various go-to outfits, and a late morning is a great reason to wear one! You won’t waste any time debating if you look fantastic in it or not because you already know the answer. This also means you’ll still walk out the door the confident woman you are, regardless how chaotic your morning may have started off.

Meals
Emergency meals do require planning ahead, but it’s completely worth it to save time in the morning with a frozen grab and go breakfast/lunch. It’s very easy to keep these meals healthy, and it also saves you money since you don’t have to eat out. Not sure what to make? See “Healthy Meals To Go” article, with some easy plan-ahead breakfast and lunch recipes!

If you can’t live without your caffeine in the morning, instant coffee will be your saving grace. It’s not quite the same as a fresh-brewed cup, but it has come a long way in terms of taste/quality. All you need is hot water and that won’t ever take you more than a couple minutes to make. Isn’t it better to have any kind of coffee instead of no coffee at all?

Last Line of Defense

If you think there’s a chance you’ll wake up late, set an “uh-oh” alarm with the most monstrous sound that goes off at the latest time you need to be up to leave the house on time. Even for the most experienced snooze button pushers, it’s hard to sleep through a police siren going off next to you.

Remember, this guide is to get you through those mornings when you’re running behind, not to change your routine completely. That said, some days a few extra minutes of sleep are worth the frenzy, and now you’ll still look and feel like a polished beauty when you walk out the door.