How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? - YouLookFab Forum

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How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

goldenpig

(website)

Veteran

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning and what is your beauty routine? Just curious what the average amount of time spent on getting dressed and personal grooming is, and how complicated your steps are?

For me, picking outfits is the greatest time suck. I spend almost zero time on hair and makeup which is why the hairstylist's suggestion that I start hot rolling my hair seems very impractical for my lifestyle.

I do:
Shower--3 min
Wash face-1 min
Brush teeth-1 min
Brush hair--30 sec
Clean glasses--30 sec
Deodorant--15 sec
Picking outfit and getting dressed--5-10 min including taking outfit pics
Eating breakfast/checking email/YLF--0-10 min (depending on if I'm late)
Swipe of Black honey lipstick--15 sec

That doesn't include taking care of the kids which adds about another 1/2 hour. So it's usually at least an hour to get out the door (sometimes I can do it in 1/2 hr if the nanny takes care of the kids), with minimal beauty routine (no blowdrying or hairstyling or full makeup). How long does it take for you?

Dressing

44 replies

Latest reply was from

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

I get up exactly one hour before I have to leave the house for work. In that hour I:

- get up and have shower/wash hair
- put the coffee on
- get dressed (outfit hanging up - I get my clothes ready the night before)
- put on makeup (moisturizer, Bare Minerals foundation, swipe of blush, mascara)
- put gel in hair
- wake up hubby
- take WIW pics and post
- clean litter boxes and feed kitties
- make breakfast and eat
- brush teeth
- wake up teenage son
- put breakfast dishes in dishwasher
- pour coffee in "go" mug
- put on lipstick
- out the door

Diana

Veteran

I can do it in 5-10 minutes if I really need to, but I prefer to take my time. I don't do hair or makeup, and I generally shower at night, so mornings are just brush teeth, wash face, apply moisturizer w/sunscreen, brush hair, put on clothes. Most of my stuff is already in my bag (I don't switch bags daily) so I just need to toss a few things in and I am ready to go. Choosing my outfit probably takes the longest but I can always go for a FFBO if I am pressed for time. I never choose my outfit ahead of time unless it's a special occasion.

I like to take my time over my coffee and breakfast though so I usually give myself 30 minutes to an hour in the morning. That also gives me time to check email, check YLF, take outfit photos if I feel like it, etc.

Lyn D.

Veteran

That seems very quick to me!
I need around 1hr if I am just putting-on work-out gear and basic make-up. If I need to wash my hair and dress properly add another 1/2 an hour.

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

I get up at 6:00 and don't leave until after 7:30. I spend the greater portion of my time relaxing, drinking my tea and surfing the web. I shower in about 10 minutes, spend less than 5 drying my hair, 2-3 minutes for make-up, 5 minutes to get dressed,5 minutes to brush my teeth and put on lipstick. I sometimes throw together a sandwich, take a pic and roll out. Usually it is about 30-40 minutes actually getting ready.

Abie

Veteran

I shower at night. In the morning I have about 10-12 minutes for myself. To get everyone up, ready, and out of the house is about 50 minutes total. In my time I

Brush teeth
Wash face
Apply serum
Spray hair with water
Run a wide tooth comb through it
Lightly scrunch hair with a flour sack towel
Get dressed

I drop my daughter off at daycare then go to the office. There we have a dressing room across from the gym. I take no more than 5 minutes, usually around 3 to

Apply BB Cream
Apply UD Sin Primer potion
Laura Geller Eyerimz to my top lash line
Curl eyelashes
Apply Mascara
Apply Blush
Apply lipstick
Scrunch a little Curlisto Unruly Paste into my hair
Snap a couple of pictures in front of the mirror

Victoria

(website)

Veteran

I usually shower and wash my hair at night so in the morning I just spray my hair with water and restyle. Total time-5 min
As for the rest, it usually takes me 1.5 hour because I don't like to rush and I lay out all my clothes, accesorries, jewelry, etc the night before as well as preparing my lunch for the day.
From everyone posts, I also realize that I wear a lot more makeup than most ladies here because I wear full face every day-BE powder, blush, eyeliner, shadow, lipstick, gloss, the whole shibang. I guess I grew up in a family of women who always did that so to me its like brushing my teeth.

rae

(website)

Veteran

I also usually shower and choose outfits at night. Sometimes I have to re-choose in the am if I'm not feeling it. Honestly, I don't even brush my hair in the am! If it looks wonky, I will rub in some wax... NOT including my laze about/read news/post to blog time, my routine only takes about 10 minutes.

- rinse face, seconds
- apply moisturizer, 10 seconds?
- brush teeth, 1 minute
- apply BB cream, seconds
- blush, 10 seconds
- lip color, 10 seconds
- perfume sprits, seconds
- changing clothes, 5 minutes
- appraisal, editing of outfit, 2 minutes

I might do more with my hair, but I am not practiced at it and injure myself with hot rollers, curling irons, and the like. Major scars and pain here. I like my hair straight enough that I am not willing to become practiced at this particular skill. o_0

cjh

(website)

Veteran

My routine is long and includes many tasks. I've heard and read often to do all the prep the night before, but usually too tired to do everything. I get up about 5:30, make breakfast For myself and DH, usually cooked eggs of some sort, pancakes or fruit/yogurt/granola, and lunch for DH to take to work.

After he leaves, I read the paper, drink coffee and usually some chore such as take out trash, empty dishwasher, pay bills, write cards to mail, or water flowers. Sometimes I sew for 20 minutes, or do a crossword puzzle, or write my grocery list. I make the bed, tidy the kitchen, pack my gym or running clothes, make myself a lunch.

Then around 7:00, I shower, do makeup and hair, dress, and leave home after 7:30. So I guess it takes me over two hours, but if I only had to do grooming and dressing, it would be 1/2 an hour.

Anonymous

I can shower, do my hair, make-up and get dressed in 30 minutes. I don't pick out my clothes the night before, but I do think about what I'm going to wear while I'm in the shower.

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

Milliseconds. I'm lucky if I get 30 seconds alone in the shower in the morning.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I wake up an hour and 15 minutes before I need to leave. I don't have to fiddle too much with wardrobe, since uniforms only have so many iterations. I spend the first half hour having coffee and making breakfast, 15 minutes showering (I have lots of hair), 15 minutes 'primping' on hair and make up. The other 15 goes to random dilly dallying/chores and/or wardrobe or hairstyle tweaks.

deedee1221

i do nothing...10 mins tops i wake up at 525 shower,brush teeth. log into work.... no dressing required

velvetychocolate

Veteran

I'm embarrassed to say that it usually takes me one hour to get ready in the morning. I could shorten it up, if I have to...but the usual time-frame is one hour.

put coffee on
shower - wash hair, condition, shave legs/underarms, apply Neutrogena sesame body oil post-shower
pat face dry, then...
eye cream
moisturizing serum
sunscreen
get coffee from kitchen, carry into washroom, place on vanity
rouse doggie from his sleep and let him out into backyard to do his thing
when sunscreen is dry - might apply a primer (latest is L'Oreal Studio Secrets)
let doggie back in, give him a treat, fill his bowl with breakfast kibble
wash hands
apply concealer around eyes and any red spots
apply foundation
blush
get more coffee from kitchen
eyeshadow base (just a sweep of neutral colour or something like Urban Decay eye primer)
eyeliner
curl upper lashes
apply mascara
Burt's Bees lip balm
lipstick

get more coffee from kitchen

Remove towel from hair
Comb through tangles, and part hair
apply Kerastase Cimente Thermique styling cream/leave-in conditioner
blow-dry hair with a flat paddle brush

pad into bedroom...try to find something to wear.

I tend to make a joke about this to my husband, saying that I need "a lot of work".

Truth is - I spend a good fifteen minutes or more in the shower - love the hot water, the way it wakes me up, end up shaving legs, arms etc. in there too. I'm just not that quick in the shower. I'm also one of those "slow to wake up" people. You don't want to even try talking to me if I haven't had my shower or my coffee.

As you can see, I get myself all ready before even thinking about clothes. I'm not sure this is such a good thing, but this is how mornings are for me lately.

kimana517

(website)

Depends on the day. A lot of times I know what I'm going to wear the next day. If I don't, it's usually because it's an at-home day and what I wear doesn't really matter, so I just throw on jeans and a top. I rarely shower in the morning, so my getting read is just washing my face (2 minutes?), putting on moisturizer and what little makeup I wear (5 minutes?), and putting on whatever clothes I've already chosen (3 minutes?). When I had long hair I had to assess what it looked like, if I wanted it up or down, if up, which style, and then do it. It took a lot longer than glancing at my pixie 'do, finger-combing the crazy stuff to where I want it, and smiling. =o) If I am going somewhere that day, I have to decide which shoes, and sometimes that takes me a few minutes. So, really, it doesn't take me very long at all. But I've always been pretty low-maintenance. I also don't shower more than every other day because I have dry skin, scalp, and hair, and I do well in heat so I don't get sweaty very much.

cciele

Veteran

If I don't need to take care of the kids, it takes about 15 minutes to get out the door after waking. I try to do as much as I can the night before (shower, pack food, pick out clothes, pack purse/bags). So my 15 minutes is spent:
- Bathroom
- Take medicine/supplements
- Brush teeth
- Wash face
- Sunscreen
- Dusting of powder foundation
- Blush
- Eyeshadow
- Lipstick (sometimes)
- Hair brushing/pull back with barrette (rarely) -- usually finger comb
- Get dressed

I eat breakfast at work while I'm sorting through my e-mails/to-do lists.

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

5 minutes tops.

fashionista

Veteran

I take about half hour to get ready from shower to dressing up.
My excercise and yoga practice of about 1 hour is excluded here.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

It's so interesting reading everyone's routines. I remember the early morning drill, I am so glad I work a swing shift now, it's much more in keeping with my own bio rhythms.

I get up late (between 9 and 10 am) and often I have to start working immediately on office type work (payroll, taxes, reporting, menu printing) demanded by a small business. Other days I loaf until I work on the restaurant floor 3 - 10:30 pm. When I'm working from home or loafing I'm un-made up and super casual. These outfits never get posted on YLF.

My pre-work routine: At 2:15 I step in the shower, wash my hair, moisturize, blow dry, apply sunscreen and make-up, and get dressed within 30 minutes. Getting dressed choices involve which dark pants, which black belt, and which white shirt to wear, that's it, so it's really quick. The beauty of a uniform.

My YLF WIWs are all taken on my days off or when I have a day doing purchasing/sourcing/hauling away from the restaurant.

christieanne

Veteran

Wow - y'all are fast!
I like about an hour and half total but usually I make lunches, coffee/breakfast and need a few minutes of wakeup time so that is about a half hour.
Drying my hair takes the biggest chunk of time. Even when I had super short hair, it seems to have a mind of it's own and takes some blow drying. I have a feeling I am going to need to do a few days wardrobe planning in advance with this new job otherwise it will take me forever in the morning. I am kind of glad it's summer vacation as everyone else will be sleeping and out of my way.

In the past, I usually went to work at 5 or 6am and have a feeling I will be the early morning leader again. I actually like that better as I get out of house without waking anyone (I don't get morning hug but also no morning grumps...DH can handle it with kids old enough to do their own things).

ManidipaM

Veteran

I typically need about an hour to 'get ready' to my satisfaction at a pace I enjoy. But I *can* be rushed into leaving in 10, in which I will be grumbling all the way to the car or whatever...

Of course, I notice the roster for getting ready varies for each of us. I admit I often 'fill in gaps' with internet time, especially in the early am, when I tend towards grumpy and unsociable. But that's not a must. The basic template is:
- decide what to wear, or collect items if already planned
- change bags if I feel up to it
- check condition of shoes and clean up/polish if needed
- get coffee (am routine)
- eat breakfast (or a snack if later in the day; I get hypoglycaemic, so usually don't leave home for any considerable amount of time without topping up)
- mini wash-up or shower
- do hair while sunscreen, deo, body lotion/oil absorb or dry
- check eyebrows, tweeze if needed
- add minimal makeup (typically lipstick and eyeliner)
- get dressed
- add accessories
- put phone and any other last-minute bits into bag; often add a scarf
- turn off laptop if bringing along
- fill water bottle or get one out of the fridge; pack that
- check outfit and rearrange/adjust if necessary/have time
- quickly neaten my stuff around the house (I often end up with a lot of open bags, boxes, suitcases to get at my clothes and accessories)
- bag up laptop if bringing
- get shoes on & maybe take photos
- fish keys out of bag, collect assortment of bags (laptop, water bottle, lunch?) and head out

Louise

Veteran

I'm not really a morning person and I'm very lucky that I don't start work till 11am. I usually get up about 9 and wander downstairs to start my lunch and get breakfast which I take back to bed and catch up with the news, weather, YLF, emails and Facebook. I may read some of my book too which takes me till 9.45/ 10am. I then hop in the shower for about 15 mins, washing my face in the shower, wrap hair up in a towel, clean my teeth, put on deodorant and under wear then eye cream and facial sunscreen. Run morrocanoil through my hair and scrunch their styling cream in the ends then I leave it to air dry. Get dressed take breakfast things downstairs and tidy up, finish packing my lunch. Back up stairs to do my make up now my sunscreen has finally sunk in. A sweep of mineral foundation, curl eyelashes, apply mascara, sweep through with eyelash comb, apply blusher or bronzer and coloured lip balm. Put on perfume, accessories and shoes, grab coat and bags then out the door at 10.40 if I'm walking or 10.50 if driving which gives me an extra 10 mins to read my book. X

Irene

Veteran

I'm reaaally slow in the mornings so everything takes double time.

I have breakfast first, about 15 mins
Pluck eyebrows -this I do every two days. Takes me about 3-5 mins
Shave and shower (with washing hair) in about 7-10 mins
Then i'ts creamy time! This takes about at least 5 mins since I have to apply four different products, and in one case it's a mixture of two. I might have to add in an antibiotic cream too.
Then I rinse with face with a miscellar solution, and apply mosturizer. If I'm feeling it, some mineral powder too. That takes 3-5 mins.
Then I comb my hair, and do not dry it in summer.
I apply deodorant.
Get dressed. Might not like my outfit and thus change it again.
Get my bag ready -including stuff that's out, or adding another bag if I'm taking my computer etc.
If I lunch out, i get ready my lunch as well.
And then I use about five-ten minutes to get my sister ready as well and take her to school.

It all takes me about an hour, most of it spent on transitioning between one thing and the other. Many times I don't know what I was about to do, and go back and forth all the time. Told you I was slow!

Vildy

Veteran

I don't work outside the home, so that's a factor. One of my friends used to invite me out at a moment's notice and used to marvel that it took me only 10 minutes to go and I'd always look good. I don't shower just before I go out. I don't fuss with my hair. If I did have to go out to work I would have to settle on an easy-care haircut.

I usually grab an outfit I like that I already know works well. I used to have an immense amount of clothing and found that instead of being able to dress in no time flat, I would be standing in front of my closet and trying to choose from amongst way too many good choices. It could take me an hour or more and I started to feel like Marilyn Monroe who could never get anywhere on time.

I find that I need to keep either a selection of shoes or a few GoTo pair that I'm wanting to wear all the time, otherwise I can get all the way dressed and just stand there in bare feet until I have to start over again.

I wear makeup every day but not foundation. I might wear foundation if I could find anything that equaled my old Max Factor Ultralucent, long ago discontinued. So I wear nothing on my skin, not sunblock, not moisturizer. I swipe concealer in a C or backwards C shape over my purple inner eye circles. I've just switched to eye liner pencils from liquid. I line above and below my eyes. I put mascara on the top lashes. I quickly brush a thin, light layer of blush over my entire cheek area, starting on the apples and thinning out from there, flicking some up to my temples. I use lipstick (Revlon works for me) that doesn't need a liner to stop it from bleeding.

That's it.

Sarah A

Veteran

I usually get up and throw on an outfit in hopefully 5 min or so (I typically think about it but don't lay it out the night before). I typically shower at the gym after working out so the rest of my morning routine just involves breakfast, coffee, and teeth brushing plus getting the kids ready. I often end up at the gym with just trying to fix my crazy hair with a bit of water. No wonder hats figure prominently in my looks!

after workout, I shower, shampoo every other day, and put on spf moisturizer. I also mostly dry my hair (two pushes of the button on the gym,s old style wall machine) and try to get it to turn under a bit.

FWIW, I find the turned under bob to require VERY little effort. In fact if I don't dork the bangs up by sleeping on them straight up at night it looks fine rolling out of bed. The precision of the cut is key, more blunt and undercut. when I tried to soften it with layers it was much harder to keep from flipping every which way.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

It doesn't take me much time to get ready, but since I am my own boss, I often spend my mornings puttering around, taking care of things around the house, playing with the dogs, going for a run, laundry, catching up with email and online forums, etc.

Once I get into "get ready" mode, it usually takes me a half hour, depending. It takes less time if I don't have to wash my hair or shave my legs, or do something like groom my eyebrows. And picking out an outfit is quicker on days when I'm just going into the studio to do some framing or going out to shoot, than it does if I am going to see a client or run errands.

I spent so many years having to be up early and rush to get out the door that I actually really enjoy that I can take my time now. I really don't like being rushed!

I do wear a little makeup everyday. Tinted moisturizer, a quick sweep of blush, a little eye pencil and shadow, mascara, and lipstick or gloss. Takes less than 5 minutes and I look and feel much more "together"!

Anonymous

Ten minutes. I shower the evening before work. I pick my outfit out the night before work. I have straight hair that requires a simple comb through. There is no thought process or decision making going on in the morning. I am out the door in an easy ten minutes.

BUT prior to leaving I have to drink a minimum of one mug of coffee and read the news on the internet. That means I get up an hour and half before I actually leave. I often wonder why I just read the news and don't work out like Sarah A?

mrseccentric

(website)

Veteran

oh what a fun thread! i love reading all these things, i am just nosy by nature i suppose

well, i'm a house spouse, so i have no deadlines. Plus, i have chronic pain and it takes about 2 hours for the am meds to kick in enough that i can move fairly freely. I was never good at getting out of the house quickly, so you can imagine what it's like now!

But i love waking up very early, so i just do that to give myself time. I also like a big breakfast (oatmeal with fruit, nuts, etc.). i prepare and eat my breakfast, drink 4-5 cups of tea while catching up on internet stuff, possibly doing some writing and photo editing for the blog. I wash my bod and hair during the day (due to nerve damage i have to sit on the side of the tub to wash, it takes a while). Curly hair means i can do 2 or even 3 days between 'washes' (i'm a no shampoo gal). I always air dry after throwing on some gel or gel mixed with conditioner or hand lotion. When dry i put on wax, hand lotion, or whatever and spritz water on any weird parts. It only takes a minute or so.

Washing my face takes around five minutes. I've been doing that oil cleansing thing, which takes time but has totally calmed down my rosacae and perioral dermatitis. Now i don't have to use gallons of meds for a so-so result! Try it out if you have sensitive skin!

Gosh, i wear a full face of makeup compared to you all! But it takes me generally 7 minutes. On makeup forums they always talk about 'the 5 minute face' so i like to time it to see how close i get. For some reason i always clock in at 7 minutes! That's face primer sometimes, eye primer, foundation (where needed), concealer, powder, EDM soft bronzer, eyeshadow (2-3 shades), maybe eyeliner, powder on brows, tubing mascara, liner or lipstick and gloss or chapstick.

To make it easy, i keep all my daily products and brushes in one zip loc gallon bag. I take a hand towel and lay it out on the counter, then dump everything out on one side of the towel. As i use each item, i put it to the other side of the towel or in the open-set bag. i also use the towel to wipe off brushes when needed. At the end, i plop it all back in the bag and no makeup spills to clean up on the counter!! (hubby can spot one speck of face powder at twenty yards, can't sleep until he has drawn it to my attention and i have identified that speck as, yes indeed, face powder).

Actually dressing takes maybe 5 minutes. I keep up on laundry and ironing and keep my closet, dresser drawers and jewelry in good order. i straighten everything out once a week, this also helps me to remember what i actually have. For me that makes a huge difference in how easy it is to get dressed. I switch purses. i have a couple of cosmetic cases (like that come with Clinique gift with purchase) that carry all my purse stuff so i just toss those in whatever purse i'm taking that day.

It is possible for me to get out the door in 20-30 minutes as long as i have everything done the nite before. Breakfast made, purse packed, clothing laid out, hair decent, etc. But it's brutal. The funny thing is i am such a morning person! Family and friends love to make fun of my 'morning sunshine life is beautiful' persona.

Happy Day Everybody! steph

Anonymous

Including a bath/shower.

Half an hour.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Fascinating to read all the replies!

And they make me realize that I don't really know! It's a little different for me every day.

Some days I'm out the door in five minutes to my exercise class. Then it takes me another hour and a half after that to get ready...but that included making breakfast and lunch for my daughter, breakfast for myself (and eating it) and finally getting showered and dressed. Even though I work at home I usually put on a spot of makeup (at least moisturizer and lip gloss). I usually let my hair air dry but depending on humidity levels I might need to flat iron the bangs before I go out; it takes about a minute, tops.

Picking outfits can take time, so I try to do that in advance, usually the night before. It's fun to think about when I am winding down and makes the mornings easier. I look at the weather and consider what I'll be doing to make it practical.

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