You overslept; couldn’t peel your eyes away from that morning show; or simply couldn’t get your bones out of bed—no matter the reason, some mornings (if not most mornings) call for an expedited routine. Due to our own crippling addictions to the snooze button, a few of us here on Team MDC have mastered the art of a streamlined AM makeup routine that both satisfies our need for cosmetic assistance, and gets us out the door with time to stop for that latte on the way. Here are 5 tips to shave off the minutes on those harried mornings.

 1. Edit Your Collection

One of the biggest time sucks in the morning is searching for things you can’t find—keys, that perfect pink lipstick, your other loafer, you know the drill. Since digging through dozens of lipsticks and multiple colors of mascara is a surefire way to waste time, streamline the process by separating your daily routine products from the rest of your makeup. Chances are you don’t need eighteen different eye shadows to choose from every morning, so save the experimentation for nights out or mornings with that have moments to spare.

 

2. Display the Goods

In addition to separating your routine items from the rest of your cosmetic collection, it’s also helpful to keep frequently used items on display for easy and fast access. Stash the makeup bag and try storing similar items together in separated, transparent containers (a glass tumbler works like a charm!) to eliminate time spent fishing around for what you need.

 

3. Love Low Maintenance Lips

While we love a bold lip for more reasons than we can count, sometimes there’s no time to line, prime and color your pout when every second counts. Instead, opt for a colored balm or sheer gloss that you can apply without a mirror on your commute.

MDC Recommends: Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15; Urban Decay Lip Love Honey-Infused Lip Therapy; Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm

 

4. Flush Fast

Contouring and highlighting aren’t difficult, but they can take a couple of minutes. When you’re really pressed for time, swap out your bronzer and highlighter for a cream or stain blush that’s easy to blend with one hand while you’re chugging your coffee.  And, an added bonus of these easy-to-apply blushes is they can often serve double duty as lip color!

MDC Recommends: The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Stain; Yves Saint Laurent Crème de Blush; Josie Maran Argan Color Stick

 

5. Skip Liner

Liquid eyeliner cat eyes are a staple look for us, but precise lines are not your friend when you’re trying to make it out the door in two minutes flat. Instead of perfecting your liner, apply a couple of coats of your favorite mascara, and wiggle the wand at the base of your lashes to add depth—and the appearance of liner—to your eyes.

MDC Recommends: Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Mascara; L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Butterfly Mascara; Shu Uemura Ultimate Expression Mascara

What’s your number one time-saving makeup trick? Fill us in with a comment below!

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