For as long as I can remember, my morning routine has been a nightmare.
I either wake up too late, take too long in the shower, can’t decide what to wear, drop an eyeshadow palette all over the bathroom floor, or have some kind of hair emergency.
And I rarely, if ever, make it out the front door on time.
Of course, motherhood has complicated this little issue of mine even more, and I feel like no matter how early I get out of bed each morning, something always happens to slow me down.
Sigh.
But I’m all about finding ways to be more efficient, and when my daughter started back at preschool at the beginning of September, I decided it was time to make a change.
And you know what?
I have finally figured how to be more efficient in the mornings while still finding the time to make myself look (semi) glamorous.
And since I know I’m not the only woman out there who wants to find ways to get more sleep while still finding the time to make herself look presentable, I couldn’t resist sharing my tips with you.
You’re welcome!
1. Lay your clothes out the night before
For whatever reason, I have always found the task of deciding what outfit to wear to be extremely stressful. I don’t know if it’s because I wore school uniform my whole life, or because I’m just an indecisive person, but I find it physically impossible to find something that’s casual, comfortable, and trendy without trying on the entire contents of my wardrobe, and the entire process leaves me sweaty and cranky and not so fun to be around.
So for the last 6 weeks or so, I’ve been choosing my outfits BEFORE I go to bed each night, and I have noticed a huge difference in my morning routine. I’m no longer frantically trying on a million outfits moments before we leave the house, my daughter is finally getting to preschool ON TIME, my blood pressure is lower, and I don’t have to spend 10+ minutes cleaning clothes off our bedroom floor every afternoon.
You should give it a try sometime!
2. Skip the shampoo
For years, I shampooed, conditioned, blow-dried, and straightened my hair every single morning, even though my hairstylist was constantly telling me how damaging it was to my hair. But when I discovered a lot of my Facebook fans often go A FULL WEEK between shampoos, I decided to see what this whole “shampoo every second day” thing is all about.
(I’m not brave enough to go an entire week.)
As it turns out, skipping a hair wash doesn’t have to make you look greasy and dirty. In fact, if you follow these 7 tips, your hair might actually look MORE glamorous the day after a shampoo.
Who knew??!
3. Learn how to apply makeup in 5 minutes (or less!)
Prior to becoming a mom, I applied a full face of makeup each morning, and I probably spent a good 20+ minutes making sure my foundation was flawless, my eyebrows were drawn in properly, and my eyeshadow looked perfect. Of course, I had no idea how to apply makeup back then, so all of that effort was a complete waste of my time as I inevitably left the house looking like a crazed clown, but that’s a story for another day.
The good news is that motherhood has taught me the art of being efficient, and after spending a lot of time watching makeup tutorials on YouTube, I’ve finally mastered the art of applying my makeup in 5 minutes or less. I may not look like Megan Fox when I leave the house, but at least the kids in my daughter’s preschool class don’t jump in fright when they see me, you know?
4. Opt for an easy hairstyle
When I’m really pressed for time in the morning, but I still need to look presentable, I almost always put my hair up. I know this sounds like MORE work, but there are so many EASY updo tutorials on YouTube, and with a little bit of practice, you can cut heaps of time off of your morning routine while simultaneously making yourself look even more fabulous than you usually do.
I’m serious!
5. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!
I’ve been having a lot of problems with my skin lately. I don’t know if it’s stress, the change in weather, my refusal to drink more water, or the fact that I’ve been working out more, but my skin looks and feels horrible, and I just don’t feel good about my reflection in the mirror. My legs look scaly, my chest and back acne is back, my hands are dry and raw, and some of the cracks on my heels are longer than the Nile River.
It’s horrible.
And when I caught one of the moms at preschool pickup staring in disgust at all of the cracks on my hands at couple of weeks ago, I realized I had 2 choices: I could continue looking like an aged reptile, or I could try some of the skincare products by AmLactin®.
I chose the later.
And I am absolutely AMAZED at the results.
Not only does my skin look and feel healthier, but I also feel more confident during pick-up and drop-off at my daughter’s preschool. And since I’m saving so much time in the morning by being smarter about the time I spend on my hair and makeup, I have ample time to apply moisturizer wherever I need it.
I’ve tried 3 AmLactin® products so far, and I cannot say enough great things about each of them.
AmLactin® Moisturizing Body Lotion, with clinically proven 12% lactic acid, encourages natural skin cell renewal through exfoliation, works deep within the skin, offers long-lasting moisture retention for real relief, and leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth. I love it!
AmLactin® Ultra Hydrating Body Cream is great for extremely dry areas, like elbows and feet, and with it’s clinically proven, patented, and triple action ULTRAPLEX® formula, it gently exfoliates and intensely hydrates for long-lasting moisture and serious relief. My only regret is that I didn’t find out about this awesome product sooner because it is the only thing that has helped treat the ridiculously deep and long cracks I have on my heels!
AmLactin® Cerapeutic™ Restoring Body Lotion also contains intensely hydrating, triple action, and patented ULTRAPLEX® formula, as well as 3 essential ceramides to help heal extremely rough, flaky, and dry skin, and it provides instant, visible results and 24-hour relief. I cannot get over what a difference it has made on my hands!
Now, I know you’re feeling pretty jealous about my awesome new moisturizing products, right?
But there’s no reason to be.
Why?
Because every week, AmLactin® is hosting a giveaway on their Facebook page so you can have a chance to win a 7.9 oz bottle of their newest product, the AmLactin® Cerapeutic™ Restoring Body Lotion, with patented ULTRAPLEX® formula and 3 essential ceramides!! One winner is chosen every Wednesday. CLICK HERE for your chance to win, and comment below for a chance to win $1,000!!
How do YOU save time on YOUR morning routine?
People everywhere are talking about AmLactin alpha-hydroxy skin care. And for good reason – it does what it’s supposed to do. No overpromises or puffery. Their formulas with clinically proven alpha-hydroxy acids gently exfoliate and intensely hydrate dry skin to help it return to a healthy, natural state. For long-lasting moisture and serious relief. Get serious care for softer skin.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Amlactin. The opinions and text are all mine.
