Part of a college student’s worst nightmare is having an 8 am class. It’s super tempting to just throw on some sweatpants, or even stay in the pajamas you slept in; sometimes looking presentable seems like an impossible task. However, there are some days that it doesn’t hurt to look good at an 8 am class. Plus, I know I feel a lot better about myself when I feel put together and not like a complete bum (except I am still guilty of the sweatpants and messy bun days). But how do you look good for an 8 am class? Here’s a few simple tips I’ve discovered from many years of waking up early and mastering an under 20-minute morning routine.
CLOTHING: I usually pick out what I want to wear the night before. Picking out an outfit early in the morning takes me 10 times longer than it does picking it out when I’m wide awake. It saves me some time, and I’ve learned a variety of ways to make leggings look fancy.
HAIR: I generally don’t like putting a lot of heat on my hair, but I have mastered the side braid. Braiding your hair to the side takes about a minute, and looks like it takes more effort than it actually does. On the days I do want my hair to be straight, I’ll straighten it once the night before, and take a few minutes to touch it up in the morning.
MAKEUP: Leave your makeup out the night before, and if your makeup routine usually takes a while and is too much effort for 8 AM, a little mascara can go a long way.
PERFUME: If you’re like me, you have a wide variety of body sprays in your room. My personal favorite is a (now discontinued) body spray called Enchanted Apple from Victoria’s Secret. It takes maybe 10 seconds to put on a body spray.
However, there will still be those super cold days when you never want to leave your bed. Just remember that sweatpants days are just as important!