Here’s another warm weather outfit, made from my capsule within a capsule.
What does your get-ready routine look like in the morning? I’ve been working on getting mine down to the bare minimum, and here’s what I’ve got so far:
- Three minutes \ Wash + dry bangs: I wash them quickly in the sink.
- Two minutes \ Minimal makeup: I use five products that hardly require any technique or blending to get right — you can see them here.
- Two minutes \ Fix hair: This is my current technique to get beachy waves with a straightener. It looks complicated, but don’t be intimidated — it couldn’t be simpler. After a couple of tries, I had it down. Best advice? Be sloppy — don’t overthink it. And if I’m running super late and don’t want to deal with waves, I either straighten it and put this stuff in it to give it a deconstructed, lived-in look, or I throw it up in a top knot. And if it’s looking a little dirty, I spray in a little of this cheap + surprisingly natural dry shampoo.
- Four minutes \ Put on outfit that was laid out last night. I definitely still get caught up in the “What should I wear?” trap, so laying it out the night before is important when I’m trying to get out the door lightning fast.
- Four minutes \ Make a Nutribullet to go, grab my bag (that I packed the night before), and get out the door!
All in all, it takes 15 minutes. Not bad.
What’s your routine? Got any time saving tips to share?
Shirt: Anthropologie
Jeans: old from Gap (similar here)
Shoes: old from Madewell (almost exactly the same here)
Bag: Nordstrom
Bracelets: Moulton
Necklace: Moulton
I find that the more I prepare or plan out the night before, the more time it saves me. I always pick out my clothes, pack my bag, set up my coffee maker and even kind of set up my breakfast the night before!
Your system is my kind of system. I’m all about setting out an outfit the night before a busy morning, otherwise I’ll be shopping my closet for FAR too long!
That’s really cool! I love how you have everything so well planned out- I usually take a while with my hair and makeup in the morning, but really that’s kinda unnecessary. I mean, who doesn’t love a good messy look on those late days? Haha. I’m so happy that you blog about your everyday life and you’re such a healthy, happy, energetic person. You are so beautiful and I just love your ideas. xoxo
Oh dear, your efficiency makes me sound like the slowest person on the planet! This morning, when I didn’t even have to get my kids through their morning routine (as they had a day off with Daddy), I woke up at 5.30 and managed to get myself out of the house at 6.40… Maybe some preparations on the night before would be quite useful ;D Have a great weekend!
I LOVE this outfit. You are officially my style muse. And I wish I was as badass as you about getting out the door in 15 minutes. Mine looks more like 45 … :-/ I should work on that.
Love your routine! I still don’t have a capsule wardrobe but I do have a small one. I only have two pairs of jeans, one white pair of pants and one pair of neutral colored shorts. I don’t ever take more than 30 seconds to decide what to wear since I have so little. I just change the top part and I’m out the door! I wear only my wedding ring and a dainty necklace everyday and change my stud earrings depending on mood. For my handbag, I always have it ready as well. I have this system where I divide everything into small clutches. I have 2, one carries important things like wallet, chapstick, keys and sunglasses, the other carries the lipstick I’m wearing that day and a couple items that change day to day. When I want to change from my medium sized structured handbag to my small messenger I do it quickly doing it like this! I read a ton of blogs but yours is def one of my top faves!!!
Happy Friday Caroline!!
Love this classic look! I am desperately searching for a good white button up that doesn’t come out looking like a wrinkled mess after being washed and isn’t completely see through :-/
Would you recommend this one?
I have a thinner button up that I never end up wearing because it REQUIRES ironing before wearing. (not happening)
Hi Brittany! I’d definitely recommend this one. I barely even know how to use an iron. ;) The fabric has great weight + drape — it almost feels stone washed. It comes out of the dryer with a couple of wrinkles, but they look appropriate for the shirt if that makes sense. xo Caroline
I bought this white shirt last year upon your raves. I loved it so much I also bought the khaki one. I do steam them if I wear them to work, but for weekend and casual I leave the few wrinkles in.
I have a few dresses/skirts/shirts that come out horribly wrinkled after washing, and ironing is pretty much the bane of my existence. Enter – hand steamer. I have this one. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I9KW5WO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Because yeah if I have to iron it, its probably not going to be worn.
the answer to my lazies!!
this is so awesome, i freaking HATE ironing (and honestly, have used it once after 4 years of owning one).
thank you!!
You know someone was going to ask, right? :) What’s your favorite recipe for the Nutribullet?
You look cute and put together with so little effort. I wish I only had myself to get ready in the morning bc w/ 3 little ones it doesn’t matter how much I prepare the night before, there’s always an “incident:” that keeps me from leaving on time, LOL.
I’d love to hear what types of smoothies you make in your nutribullet!
Keep up the good work on this awesome blog.
Save more time by adding all “dry” ingredients (fruit, veggies, protein powder, supplements, seeds, etc) to your bullet the night before, then add your wet ingredients (water, milk, yogurt, nondairy milk) the morning of! You’ll save at least a couple of minutes! Also try making delicious overnight oats the night before and package individually in mason jars, so you can just grab and go. https://maywebeallergyfree.wordpress.com/2014/03/06/my-breakfast-of-choice-vegan-overnight-oats/
So smart, Anne-Michelle! Thanks! :) xo Caroline
Wonderful! I went on two trips a few years ago that prioritized getting ready very, very quickly in the morning. Like, five minutes to be up, dressed, and out the door headed to breakfast (to be fair, it didn’t include breakfast or things like brushing your teeth). I still keep that mentality, and can go from in bed and asleep to fully showered, ready, and out the door in half an hour. Need to work on that whole “choosing the outfit the night before” thing though. At the moment, I decide what I’m wearing during whatever song I have set for my alarm. It sometimes works haha
I love this outfit! So clean, simple and put together! I want a shirt like this so bad! I have a small frame but have a bust and the buttons always buckle even if I have room in the shirt seems like, which means you can see inside from the side. hope that makes sense. not the cutest. lol anywhoo this looks lovely!
best!
Outfit perfect! I so enjoying waking up to your uplifitib posts + finding inspiration! Thank you. My routine? Don’t over think it- grab the clothes and go! I can do hair and makeup in 5 but I am lucky because my hair is low maintenance just a spritz and a shake usually- messy beachy.
Now to finally buy this white top….
Happy Friday Caroline
I make my own dry shampoo – if you go for daaaays without washing your hair, it helps to save money. I make mine from a mixture of baking soda, corn starch and just a tiny bit of essential oils. It also helped to train my hair to go longer without washing or using dry shampoo.
I am so looking forward to the days when it is warm enough to wear outfits like this again!
I have a 1 year old and it usually take me about 25-35 minutes to get everything ready to go in the morning – sometimes longer if he gets into some sort of mess ;)
I’m not a morning person so it takes me about 15 minutes to “wake up” where I just rest and stretch before starting my morning. Thanks for all the time saving tips!
Love this routine, and I will definitely be using the hair tips. I recently got a lob, and feel clueless when it comes to styling. Also, I think this is probably one of my favorite outfits so far!
A white button down and jeans are definitely one of the uniform outfits. And for me, the hardest part of my morning is to stop hitting the snooze button and actually waking up LOL. :p
http://www.thepeculiartrouth.com/
I’ve been curious about your makeup actually – does the redness reducer/tinted moisturizer work as well as a light foundation for you? I’ve been hoping to stop using foundation, but haven’t found a tinted moisturizer that covers up dark circles/discoloration well…
Also glad to know other folks wash their bangs in the sink :)
I knew I had to be out the door early for dance classes yesterday morning, so I set out everything the night before, to make a fast breakfast and coffee. I had my bag, travel mug, and water bottle ready to go. It was also record low temperatures, and I knew I would draaaaag getting dressed in chilly clothes, so I eliminated a step by showering the night before and sleeping in some of the clothes I knew I would wear in class.
Good thing, too, because as it turned out, I overslept!
I’m definitely trying to iron out my morning routine. It will NEVER be 15 minutes, but I hate being in a rush — so I’m just trying to eliminate that. Kind of funny — yesterday morning I realized I was out of dry shampoo (I’ve been using Dove, which is okay) and swung by Target after work to pick up a new can. Of course, they’re all out, and there’s no good alternatives on the shelf. I went straight for the travel products aisle to pick up a cheap little one to get me by and picked up that Herbal Essences one for the first time. I used it this morning and really liked it and was pleasantly surprised to see it mentioned here!
That white button-down is perfection! My morning routine is pretty quick–I shower and lay out my clothes the night before, so it’s just a matter of getting dressed. If I’m doing fieldwork that day, I don’t bother with makeup, but if I have meetings at the office, I do a very basic routine of sunscreen/mascara/illuminator/lipgloss. Then I head straight to my espresso machine and start my daily injection of caffeine :).
I have about 10 minutes from the time I get out of bed until I leave for work, though my alarm goes off a bit before that. I eat breakfast and coffee at work, so at most I have to grab some food from the fridge as I head out the door. I use the same bag all the time, so I will add any snacks or new knitting stuff to it the night before.
I have very short hair, so either use a spray bottle or stick my head under a sink- have to compete with the cats for space at the sink since they want to drink for both sinks in the morning! Sunscreen and a bit of foundation and/or concealer is it for makeup most days. A couple pairs of shoes live in my car since otherwise I am prone to forgetting them.
I love this post. My stylist just did the same beachy waves technique when I got my hair cut earlier this week. Will also have to give the Bumble & Bumble product a try, since I need quick and easy. :) Thanks for sharing your tips!
Outfits like this are my favorite on you!!
Love this! Definitely a classic style. Off to buy a white button up for autumn over here!
Love this routine :) I agree it’s good to pack your bag and get things ready the night before.
Emma | ohflowerchild.blogspot.com
Nobody Would want to be near me if my morning routine were only 15 minutes
I don’t think there’ll be a day when I could actually do everything within 15 mins… It normally takes an hour for me to wake up, put on my face, get dressed and eat breakkie!
I LOVE your blog. Your style is so comfy and realistic while looking chic and I love the idea of being minimal (as a chronic impulse shopper who lives in a tiny apartment). I’ve already pared down and have been doing pretty well on curbing impulse buys. How in the world do you get makeup and hair done so quickly??? Even with a minimal amount of make-up (foundation, blush, sometimes lipstick), it takes me at least 20 minutes to do make-up and hair
I am a nursing working mom with a baby…..so my mornings are nothing speedy. But I do find if I plan ahead, pack my bags, make bottles, pick out my clothes…..I can be on auto pilot. Also when I have an extremely busy week I plan out all my outfits ahead of time. Because if I’m working a ton, the last thing I want to do by Friday is think of a “work appropriate” outfit. =) It’s a little extreme, but it works for me. <3 you Caroline!
Oooo, I’m dying to get a nutribullet for a quick breakfast. What are some of your go-to recipes?
Wow, I’m impressed! I’m not very good at getting out the door quickly. I wear my hair naturally curly, and have a minimal makeup routine, but it still takes me forever. I think the key is getting things ready the night before. I’m always hunting around for my keys, then I’ll rember that I forgot breakfast on the way out. I’ll take this as inspiration to get it together the night before!
This outfit is perfect! So simple, classic and beautiful…
Efficiency is one of my favorite things :)
Coffee brews while I take a 5 minute shower.
Hair dries in a t-shirt while I put on deodorant, moisturizer, and sunscreen.
Put on an outfit I picked out the night before.
Apply eyebrows (I have ZERO eyebrows and am massively jealous of your “caterpillars”), mascara & lipstick.
Take hair out, shake, grab lunch & some fruit from the fridge.
Put on outdoor layers & go!
So nice to know I can be out the door & headed anywhere within 20 minutes.
I too have (had!) zero eyebrows. Having to get up at 4.30am for work meant that sometimes I applied rather wonky eyebrows! I recently had permanent makeup done (i.e. cosmetic tattoo) and now have eyebrows – yay! Cannot recommend this highly enough, it has totally changed my appearance in the best way. Now with even just lipstick applied I look `done’. Of course, you need to thoroughly check out your technician before going ahead. Mine spent longer drawing what she was going to do and choosing the appropriate colour than actaully doing the procedure, which was great. It was also rather pricey but I actually spent a lot on eyebrow pencils over a year!
This outfit is lovely simplicity. I think it’s one of my favorites you’ve posted! The feminine shoes make it.
hello! love your blog :) wondering what kind of flat iron you use for the waves? does it have the rounded edges? I tried the technique this weekend and ended up with a kinky mess!!!
That white shirt is perfect. Not one thing I don’t love about it.