Summer has arrived and it’s time for fun relaxing days spend outside swimming, at the lake or spending time with friends and family! Who has time to spend a long time getting themselves ready every day! I sure don’t! I rarely spend more than 30 mins getting ready and that is only on the days when I have to straighten my hair. I am excited to have this great guest post by Darci helping us ladies get ready in 5 minutes, but look like we spent all morning. 
How to Get Ready in 5 Minutes (But Look Like You Spent All Morning)
By: Darci Maxwell
If your life is as busy as the rest of us, getting ready in the morning can seem quite the chore. It seems that you just don’t have the time to get yourself ready and get enough sleep. If this is you (whether you oversleep, or you just don’t seem to have the time), use these tips and tricks to get you out the door in about 5 minutes, but still look like you spent a bit of time getting ready.
Plan Ahead
If you tend to rush around in the morning trying to gather everything before you run out the door, cut down on your morning routine by setting out the things you will need. A significant amount of time is also wasted making decisions like what to wear, what to eat, etc. Planning ahead will cut out this down time. The night before, pick out your outfit and lay it out on a chair or stool in your room, ready for you to slip on the next morning. Pack your lunch the night before, and put it in the front of the fridge so that you can just grab it and go. If you tend to make yourself a protein shake or smoothie in the morning for breakfast, make that the night before as well. If you have a few things that you have to take to work, put them right next to the door, or even in the car if you can. Lay out your makeup, lotion, deodorant, dry shampoo, etc. the night before so that you don’t have to take the time to search through your bathroom drawers to find things.
Combine Steps
Try to find a way to combine the steps of your daily routine to speed it up. For example, instead of taking the time to moisturize your face and apply your foundation, find a hydrating foundation. If you must take a shower, take your toothbrush into the shower with you and brush your teeth while showering. If you use the restroom every morning, try to get partially dressed while in the bathroom.
Simplify Your Makeup
If you don’t have the time to do your full makeup routine, select a few features that you want to highlight, and only do those steps. For example, skip the eyeshadow and liner, and instead only apply mascara. You can add definition to your lashes without taking too much time. Or, you can only apply a bold lipstick to make your lips stand out and make you look a hint classier (bold red lips are in also in style this year). In a rush, you can use your lip color as a blush (if it is a soft pink color). And of course, if you always find yourself rushing in the morning, consider permanent makeup such as eyelash extensions and tattoo eyeliner/eyebrows. You will wake up looking like you already spent half an hour on your makeup.
Quickly Fix Your Hair
Find a go-to hairstyle that you can do in less than a minute. Find something that is quick and easy, yet classy, like a low messy bun or a french braid. If your hair is greasy, keep dry shampoo on hand to quickly freshen your look. Adding a hair accessory such as a hair scarf or a bow will also make it look like you took more time on your look rather than trying to do the fastest hairdo possible. If your hair is truly unmanageable, put on a cute hair scarf or hat.
Accessorize
Accessories make an outfit look “finished” so you can make it look like you took time to get ready, when in reality, you got ready in five minutes. Slip on a bracelet, earrings and maybe a necklace to spruce up your outfit. As stated above, plan out your accessories the night before so that you don’t waste time making decisions.
Finish In The Car
Finish your morning routine in the car on your way to work. If you pre-made a shake, drink it on your morning drive. Apply simple makeup such as blush or lipstick when you are stopped at a stop light. Just make sure that you are safe, and you don’t allow yourself to become distracted while driving.
Do Not Skip
No matter how behind schedule you are, there are somethings that you just cannot skip. Those things are: brushing your teeth and putting on deodorant. People will forgive looking a little frazzled, but if you smell bad, they will know that you didn’t take the time to get ready. You can also add a spritz of perfume to help you smell a little better.
