Unfortunately, I admit I am the girl who is always running late. I’m the girl who says I’m five minutes away when really my GPS says 20 minutes. I’m the girl whose friends tell her the party is 2 hours prior the actual time it starts. I’m the girl who’s always getting ready in a rush. It’s a horrible and rude habit, but consequently I’ve learned ways to speed up the process of getting ready when I’m trying to beat the clock!

1. Do your makeup while your hair is air-drying.

Normally girls wash their hair, style it, and then do their makeup afterwards. Instead, I towel dry my hair and leave it to dry while doing my makeup. (Pro-tip: I turn the ceiling fan on to speed up the process). By the time I’m done with my makeup, my hair is 70% dry and blow-drying my hair takes a fraction of the time if I would’ve done it right after the shower.

2. No time to wash hair? Only wash your front part.

Sometimes we just don’t have time to wash our hair, and the dry shampoo just isn’t cutting it. I take the front part of my hair (for some, it may be your bangs or the hair that frames your face) and I shampoo it under the sink. Then, take a large round brush and blow-dry the washed piece. I style this washed section with the rest of my hair, add some dry shampoo to the unwashed parts, and my hair looks fresh and full of body again.

3. Organize your top 5 (or 10) makeup products.

Nothing is worse than trying to find your favorite mascara while scavenging your messy makeup drawer whilst you’re already 10 minutes late. I have one of those plastic makeup organizers (you can find them at bed bath & beyond or the dollar tree) with all of my staple makeup products, such as my foundation, concealer, mascara, etc. The beauty of this organization tip is that when I’m running late, I don’t have to think twice about what products I want to use or having to rummage for a lost brow pencil.

4. Look at old outfits for inspo.

Unless you’re in a dressing room scene in a chick flick, changing outfits 40 times is never fun (especially while running late). Whenever I’m in dire need of last minute outfit inspiration, I look at my old pictures and see what clothes I’ve worn in the past. Looking at past outfits helps me think of pieces I may have forgotten I had, and can visually remind me of a certain item’s fit.

5. Word of advice.

The most life-altering tip of them all is accepting you’re always late and be realistic about your ways. If an event is at 5pm, I tell myself I need to be ready by 3:30pm latest. I think the main reason we run late is because we tell ourselves we should be ready by 5pm, instead of thinking we actually need to be there at that time. Always plan the meeting time to be at least 30 minutes prior. Sometimes we don’t plan to be late, but for some, it is truly a habit. It is tough to break habits, but trust me, getting ready without being in a rush is the ultimate best!