I’m a poky little puppy in the morning, but in my defense, I can barely walk or talk when I first get up.
Every morning, I stumble from the bed to the bathroom and stare at myself bleary-eyed in the mirror. Then, I try to focus on (what should be) a single simple thought: “Must wash face.”
I usually wash with a cleanser, use a toner, a serum, apply a moisturizer if I’m extra dry, and then finish with sunscreen. The routine should take me less than 5 minutes, but when my brain’s still in morning molasses mode, it can take up to six times that long!
I don’t know why… It just does.
It’s funny, but when I was younger, I spent more time in the mornings fussing with my hair than I did with my makeup or anything else, sometimes up to an hour. Now, I usually just let it do whatever it wants, but when I do curl or straighten, neither process takes more than 10 minutes tops.
How about you? What part of your morning beauty routine takes the most time?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Dawn says
Actually dragging myself out of bed takes the longest
frckls says
LOL! Definitely! It takes me at least 30mins to drag myself out the bed since the alarm goes off!
Hannah S. says
Definitely my makeup – I have to do everything in the right order. Although I’m also a sunscreen fiend and applying that from head to toe after showering comes in at a close second XD
Rads says
Ughhhhhhh..the getting up..it’s like gravity is a 100 times stronger in the bed 😐 😐
Chris25 says
I think it would be my eye makeup, depending on how elaborate it is. I wash my face (and shower) at night. In the morning i just apply moisturizer or sunblock, depending on the season.
Nina says
It would be drying my hair. It must be something to do w/ my hair texture but even if I wrap it in an Aquis towel while im doing my makeup, its till takes the better part of 15 minutes to dry. Whats worse is its usually the last 15 minutes when I should be stepping out the door….
Celina says
It seems like my hair but if I’m doing a full face, definitely makeup. Longer if my kids are being extra interested in what I’m doing.
DanaJae says
EVERYTHING!!! It has recently come to my attention (thru my husbands complaining) that I take forever to get ready in the morning! I think it’s mostly because I get distracted so easily when I first wake up. Also my hair takes a really long time to dry, it is really fine and straight but it just holds onto water like crazy and if I don’t round brush it then it looks terrible – someone wanna trade hair????
Brittany says
My hair is the same way, really fine and straight but soaks up water better than a sponge! My hairdresser always laughs about how long it takes me to blowdry it (a looooonnnngggg time!)
TJ says
My hair takes the longest time. Over time, I’ve been able to streamline skincare and makeup, but hair, notsomuch, unless I have a short cut (which I haven’t sported in over a decade, but I’m REALLY thinking about).
Agata says
My hair takes forever. I straighten it and with blow drying it takes about 45 minutes. 1 minutes to do make up but since I work from home I don’t bother with either right after I get up 🙂
eight says
Makeup, especially eyeshadow and eyeliner if I decide to do a more complex look than just one shade that day.
Caitlin says
In the morning, it probably takes me longest to just wash my face and moisturize as well. I actually don’t like being wet unless I am in the shower, bath or pool (it’s the way it feels when the air hits my wet hands, or worse: my wet elbows because water has flowed down from my hands, that I don’t like) so usually I try to procrastinate before I actually do it. Then when I finally start, I want to be sure that I cleanse my face and neck evenly while being purposeful about being gentle… Then pay dry, then toner, have to give that a second to air dry, eye cream, then I use bareMinerals skin revver-upper and some acne-fighting serum around my chin, after that sinks in I apply face cream. I like taking my time with it though, it’s kind of the only time I have to myself!
Teri says
For me it’s the skincare routine too, I don’ wear make-up on a daily base, but skincare s very important to me!
Kate says
Makeup! It’s funny; now that I’ve learned how to do makeup properly, it takes me longer than it did when I used to just slap it on. I also have a pretty regimented skin routine as well. My husband gets frustrated with me so I’m trying to go a wee bit faster in the morning! We’ll see how that goes….
Sunny @ Mostly Sunny says
It probably has to be makeup if I’m wearing makeup! Other than that everything is fast. I don’t do much to my hair (besides shampooing/blow-drying twice a week), and usually I wash my face, put on a toner, serum, lotion, fill in my eyebrows and that’s it!
Xero says
Sometimes, choosing what to wear, and especially if I thought two things would look nice together but they don’t, and then I have to find a combination that DOES look good. But something that almost always takes a long time (though I’m getting better at it) is winged eyeliner. It’s such a pain to get the two eyes to look even!
Jessica says
I agree with Dawn! Getting out of bed is definitely the hardest part and takes the longest. Sometimes I flat out lose the battle, my pillows are a strong opponent.
The rest is pretty easy peasy unless my shadow doesn’t play nice.
Shannon says
It’s totally a toss-up. Some mornings it’s my hair (especially if it’s dirty… I get super fussy when I have to hide greasiness!), sometimes it’s my makeup (if I do full face & eyes), sometimes i’s picking out my clothes. Actually, it’s usually picking out my clothes 🙂 It can be my shower, too, though, depending on how distracted I get. I can forget that I need to be getting ready for work, lol!
Daizy says
my eyebrows, I have hair and they are somewhat thick however they are so light you can’t see them so if i don’t do my eyebrows it looks as if I have none…
Annabella Freeman says
Definitely drying my hair!!! I get bored about halfway through and start reading my emails or doing other stuff and then hubby asks why I haven’t gotten dressed yet!
Ruchita says
It probably takes me the longest to do my makeup. I usually do a full face (foundation, concealer, eyeshadow, blush) and it seems to take me forever. I only do this on the weekdays for work. On the weekends, I’m usually in my PJs or lounge wear the majority of the time. 🙂
Melody says
lol Forget the beauty routine, getting up usually takes too long. I’m a college student so usually i just go to my first class bare face (eek) and put my makeup on when I come home for lunch. Weird I know. But don’t feel bad about taking forever to wash your face; it takes me 30 minutes too.
Blessin says
makeup on lunch..i like that idea!!!
dani@callitbeauty says
Getting out of bed to START the beauty routine :p.
gio says
Definitely my eye makeup cos I like to do complex looks. 🙂
Tina B says
I feel like it all takes too long! I have two kids (age 5 and almost 4) so I get to wash my face then pour cereal. Put toner on, then maybe brush their teeth. Put on eye cream, help them put on some clothes…you get the idea!!
Blessin says
hair and makeup takes me forever!!!!ive been working on my skin so i dont depend on foundation as much..so instead of doing a full face every morning i cut back to eye liner, mascara, brows and gloss….this saves me a lot of time!!!!! check out my video on skincare!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAOtvApJTXc
Marian says
My makeup takes the longest. My hair , a pixie cut, takes no time at all. Makeup takes 1/2 hour.
Beverly says
The grooming I do AFTER the shower/bath–have to apply bath oil onto wet/damp skin, then I must lotion with AmLactin lotion for my extra dry, sensitive skin.
dom says
Definitely my make-up. I rarely wear eye make-up but I must, must, ABSOLUTELY have foundation. My skin texture and color aren’t the best so I’d rather create a flawless skin instead of the full works. That already takes me about 10, 15 minutes. Showering and changing clothes, brushing my teeth and washing up takes about 20 minutes. Then I’m out the door. I think I should wake up earlier :p.
Katherine G says
I agree with everyone on actually getting out of bed! Especially if it is a chilly morning, it’s tough. For me, it varies. If I decide to blow dry my hair and straighten it, that takes the longest – as long as 45 minutes if I am doing it right and taking my time. I usually let it air dry though and French braid it if I am going anywhere after washing it. Sometimes it’s picking out clothes – me and the fiance can do spontaneous things, so I don’t want to be in 5 inch platform heels if we suddenly decide to go for a hike in the mountains.
Makeup and skin care wise – it’s definitely eye makeup that takes the longest. I like my eyeliner to be on just right and I like to take my time with the mascara. Sometimes the face washing can take a while, especially if I am removing makeup at night.
Anna says
Making my coffee!!! I can bang out my daily makeup in 5 minutes flat, but my coffee takes a lot of attention… See, I can’t drink the typical double-double as I have yet to get used to the taste of coffee. Being in med school and all, I still need the caffeine so I’ve taken to making myself mochas/lattes in the morning… the coffee grinding, espresso brewing, milk frothing and actual creation of the drink… Saves me $4-5 a day though, rather than going to Starbucks, so I’ll happily spend a little more time brewing my morning beverage 🙂
Maca says
Showering, but because it includes cleansing my face, shaving my legs, brushing my teeth and (every other day) washing my hair; also, if I’m sleepy and/or it’s cold, I’ll just stay there doing nothing for a while…
Lucie says
I’ve been trying to be good about exfoliating my body every other day and always moisturizing, which takes a fair bit of time. Facial skincare wise I usually just wash and put sunscreen on, moisturizer too if I’m especially dry, but that takes 45 seconds max. (Did you know you’re supposed to put sunscreen on before moisturizer so it can really sink in to your skin? I just learnt that a few weeks ago and it really makes a difference!) On makeup days I can take literally ten minutes getting a perfect foundation base down, lol, so I usually skip it!
corallista says
My everyday makeup is very simple so its my skin care routine that takes the longest but if I’m going for a full makeup including elaborate eye makeup, then it’ll be makeup!
Paris B says
Getting out of bed, as everyone says, takes the longest for me. The rest is relatively quick. But if it is a beauty routine then I’d probably say skincare. I layer on quite a few stuff so that takes a while. Unless I’m taking pains with my makeup, its just 10 minutes for me 🙂
Anais says
Oh, I thought it was just me :)) Time has other dimensions in the morning.. I stay in the bathroom up to 20 minutes in the morning and 4 times less in the evening and in the evening I have to clean up my face plus the stuff I do in the morning… For the make up… well, by the time I have to do my makeup I’m already awake and that is my favorite thing to do in the morning and I use everything (every step of a normal complete makeup) every day :)) I spend around 25 minutes for makeup and I enjoy each one of those 🙂
Twyla says
I’m always rushed … as it takes forever to get out of bed.. then shower… I never take those 5 minutes to lather up on lotion.. Mon to Friday I’m an eyeliner, mascara & blush kinda girl – quick & simple. (and I do my kitten’s blush as she stands up on her hind legs as I do mine as if to wait for her turn.. lol)
Yelena says
foundation, eyeliner and mascara. basically makeup. usually 20mins or so and if i do my hair add an extra hour! yikes. (this is why i usually try to do it at night and even tho i sleep on it and it gets messy i just have to retouch it in the am for about 5mins)
Ana says
Makeup! I need at least 20 minutes
Tiera says
This might sound really dumb, but the thing that takes the longest is just making up my mind! Unless there’s something special going on and I’ve decided on my outfit and hair/makeup in advance, I usually spend way too much time trying to decide what I want to do for the day, lol! I go through a few different things in my head, then peek through my makeup drawers trying to get inspired. Its ridiculous!
EmmyJean says
Makeup in general just takes forever in the morning, that and deciding what to wear! I’m a zombie in the a.m. just staring at the closet still halfway in dreamland haha.
Girl Hearts Makeup says
Eye makeup! That takes the longest and it’s so hard to get both eyes even. I use a buffer brush for foundation so it blends really quickly. Sometimes if I have a lot to conceal that will also take a while… I spent the least time on my hair. A quick ponytail is all I do.
Alison says
I honestly have no idea. Clarisonic-ing takes 2 minutes. Applying moisturiser and sunscreen, two minutes again. Applying mascara, a tint, eyeliner and sheer lip colour can’t take more than ten minutes…
So what am I spending all that time on? It must be just blank mirror-gazing!