Five tips for stress free mornings.

We all know mornings can have the tendency to get out of control. Multiple little mouths to feed, bodies to dress, shoes to find and butts to get out the door. While I can’t promise your house will be completely rid of chaos, here are a few tips and tricks I use to make sure I’m able to look and feel my best at work after finally making it to the office.

1. Pick out your outfits for the entire week

Sunday is laundry day in our house.

After all the clothes are through the dryer, I have the best chance to take a look at the weather forecast and figure out what I’ll wear this week. This also allows me to take my cycle into account and save those stretchy black pants and flowy dresses for a week that I might be a bit more bloated than the week before. In our last house I had a specific section of my closet reserved for these outfits. In this house, our closets are currently on the smaller side (Carrie Bradshaw would be horrified) so I bought myself a cute black clothes rack on wheels that I can use to organize my weekly outfits and move around my room as needed.

2. Nightly skincare routine

Nighttime skin care saves me major minutes in the morning.

I follow a pretty extensive skincare routine at night - First I double cleanse (oil+cleanser), and then apply two serums, eye cream, moisturizer, a sleeping mask, lip balm, and a lip sleeping mask. Twice a week I also add in a vitamin c scrub and a retinol treatment (alternating days). All in all, this takes about 5-10 minutes depending on how tired/rushed I am. Waking up with fresh, soft skin allows me to keep my morning skincare routine to an absolute minimum and helps my makeup go on easier and look fresh for longer throughout the day. In the morning I double cleanse again to remove the sleeping masks, and then apply eye cream, moisturizer and SPF 50 sunscreen mixed with liquid foundation to bring my skin back to life. 2-3 minutes - tops.

3, French girl makeup (aka the five-minute face)

Watch any french girl makeup routine and you’ll see that French women have mastered the art of a little going a long way.

For workday makeup, I try to follow this philosophy and stick to light concealer under the eyes and around the button of my nose, light bronzer, blush and then target fill my brows. Sometimes I wear mascara but usually just enough so my eyelashes are visible on my Teams or Zooms calls during the day. If I have a big meeting or presentation I might wear lipstick but I’m also totally fine prioritizing SPF lip balm for a subtle, sun protecting shine.

4. The Sunday shower

The Sunday shower is my favourite.

This is my me time, removed from all the chaos of the weekend. The Sunday shower is simple, yet indulgent, and should be customized to how you prefer to unwind. I like to find the perfect playlist, apply my favouite hair oil, turn on the shower to warm it up, and then grab a cold drink in an insulated cup (alcoholic or non). Once you’re in the shower, you can prioritize a body scrub, shave, give your hair a good wash and apply a hair treatment while enjoying whateveryouI chose to drink (I usually go for sparkling water or a gin and tonic with cucumber). After I’m out, I usually do a full body moisturize and air dry my hair to give it a break from hot tools. With strategic hair choices and dry shampoo, I can usually make it to at least Thursday before I need to wash my hair again, and I will usually avoid shaving my legs again for the rest of the week if possible, but will touch up if I am wearing a dress later in the week. Pants are my BFF on Fridays.

5. Do your hair the night before

Yes, you read that right. I try to do my hair while I sleep. Crazy? Think again.

To make it between washes I wrap my hair in a silk head wrap or bonnet, usually in a turban. This is a technique used by Black women to keep their hair from becoming frizzy due to friction against drying fabrics like cotton while sleeping. It is truly a godsend for any hair type and can extend the life of most curls, natural or heat styled. When I wake up, I brush out my new curls/waves/flips and spray with hairspray. 30 second hair? Yes, please.

These are just a few simple tricks I try to use to reduce stress in the mornings and prioritize myself while balancing the needs of my family. Have any tips or tricks to share? Tell us below!