How to Get Your Gorgeous on in Under 5 Minutes
How to Get Your Gorgeous on in Under 5 Minutes

By Shelley Levitt

Got an hour or two to get beautiful in the morning before you head to work?

Of course you don't!

We all lead jam-packed, overbooked, running-late, forgot-to-set-the-alarm kinds of lives. And that's not going to change anytime soon. Still, with some savvy planning and smart product choices, you can leave home looking polished and near perfect -- even when you're slipping your shoes on as you head out the door. Here's how to look gorgeous in under five.

Embrace Multi-Tasking Products

Drugstore shelves are loaded with genius multi-tasking products that shave minutes off your beauty routine -- without sacrificing results. My morning regimen has a lot fewer steps now that I'm using a tinted sunscreen instead of a separate sunscreen and foundation; a two-in-one shampoo-conditioner; a moisturizing body wash; and an amazing BB cream for hair that controls frizz, protects against hot tool damage, helps to soften and smooth locks and boosts shine all at once.

Do Your Sunday Prep

Every Sunday evening (OK, on some Sunday evenings), I spend an hour or so washing and chopping all the great veggies and fruit I picked up from the farmer's market and putting them in little serving size containers. And to maximize my time, I also apply my favorite self tanner to my legs and a deep conditioning mask to my hair. From the cutting board I go straight to the shower. By the time I've dried off I have healthy hair that will look gorgeous all week long and bronzed skin that's ready for leg-revealing summer dresses, skirts or shorts so I don't need to get into a sweat when I'm deciding what to wear. I also have my fridge loaded with good-for-me salads, sliced fruit and ready-for-the-stir-fry skillet veggies, so making healthy eating choices will be even easier than ordering in pizza. Plus, I feel virtuous and de-stressed -- a definite beauty boost!

Anticipate Insane Mornings

I live in Los Angeles, so I have an earthquake kit stocked and ready. I hope I never have to use it, but I regularly call upon my other emergency kit: Stored in a clear acrylic shoe box I stash in a bathroom cabinet are all the essentials for getting ready when you have absolutely no time to get ready. I call it my "slept-late-gotta-go" beauty kit. The contents include: dry shampoo; a foolproof pot of sheer color I can apply to lips, cheeks and eyelids with my fingertips; a tinted brush-on brow gel so I don't have to fuss with powders or pencils; a volumizing-and-lengthening mascara with a big chubby brush that will pump up my lashes with a single coat, and a body lotion with SPF 30 that has a tiny bit of shimmer to it. Use these products and you can clock out, looking fabulous, in three minutes or less.

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Fashion, Beauty, Makeup & Style Trends: How to Get Your Gorgeous on in Under 5 Minutes