Ever wondered what other women's morning routines were like, and how they prepare for the day ahead? Well, now's the time to find out, because we spoke to four very different women to find out how they wake up and get ready. From 30 minutes to 90 minutes, here's four real-life routines...
The 30 Minute Morning Routine
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"My morning routine is, on one hand, total chaos, but by getting organised the night before and cutting out all unnecessary faffing, I can normally get ready in 15 minutes flat. I don't have much more time than this to spare because I'm an on-the-go, busy woman!" says Rebecca Holman, Editorial Director of Grazia Online.
7.45AM: My alarm goes off, I roll around and groan a bit while my husband gets up and makes tea, puts the radio on and generally acts like a normal grown up. He’s one of those people who wakes up feeling instantly alert and enthused for the day ahead. As you may have guessed, I am not.
7.55AM: I sit bold upright in bed, glug my tea which is now perfect drinking temperature and head straight for the shower. I generally wash my face, brush my teeth, and wash my hair in the shower at the same time. If I need to shave my legs I’ll do it in the evening the night before – no time for that in the mornings.
8.05AM: – I’m out of the shower, and let my hair dry in a towel while I put serum, moisturizer and face oil on. Then I take my hair out of the towel, and brush it through with Tangle Teezer’s The Wet Detangler (which has an easy-grip handle) to remove any knots and untangle my curls. This brush has long and strong teeth that make it super easy - and most importantly, quick! - to detangle my thick, unruly hair. That, my friends, is the long and short of my beauty routine in the mornings. Yep, simple.
8.12AM: – I always decide what I’m going to wear the night before (because I literally can't function first thing in the morning) and have a fairly extensive selection of dresses and jumpsuits – the fewer items that need putting on, the better. After that, I put on some jewellery (I always, always wear earrings) spritz on some perfume and I’m ready to go. My hair is very curly so I leave it to dry naturally most days, and after brushing it with my Tangle Teezer's The Wet Detangler my curls always look nice and separated. I don’t bother with makeup unless I’ve got an external meeting first thing. When I do, I’ll put it on on the train, using my phone camera (just call me a tech goddess). My handbag and coat are waiting for me by the front door – I always make sure my bag is packed with everything I need the night before.
8.15AM: – Run up the road to catch the train at breakneck speed, and catch it with seconds to spare. If I’m lucky my husband will have gone ahead of me and bought us both a coffee from the stall at the station. He’s used to me being a total chaos merchant by now, but not knowing if I’m going to make the train or not each day definitely stresses him out.
8.20AM: – Read the paper and check out the news headlines on my phone; pretend I’ve been up for hours.
The 45 Minute Morning Routine
"Being a mum to a toddler and still working my PR job (which I love!) means that I'm always strapped for time in the mornings, so I tend to get ready in around 30 minutes," says Aimee Purn, Freelance PR.
7.30AM: As soon as my alarm clock goes off, I leap out of bed and head straight to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. I used to love snoozing before I had a child, but now sadly, there's no time for that! Ugh.
7.37AM: Then, I'll jump in the shower (which has to be piping hot!) and hang here for a few minutes. If my hair needs washing I'll do a simple shampoo and condition job, and then brush my hair post-conditioning in the shower to get out any knots. My hair is quite thin and straight so it only takes 20 minutes or so to dry naturally.
7.45AM: Time to go and wake up my three-year-old daughter, Ava, and get her ready for nursery. If it's a particularly good day, I'll get a cuddle and a kiss, but if it's a not-so-good day, there will be tears and tantrums. I never know which one I'm going to get - it's like pick-n-mix in my household!
8AM: Prepare an easy breakfast for Ava (normally cut up toast or a yoghurt pot) and grab a banana for myself. While she's eating I'll whack some makeup on - nothing too fancy, just some concealer, mascara and tinted lip balm.
8.20AM: Drop Ava off at nursery, then depending on my work schedule, head to a client meeting or a local coffee shop to do some work. Then repeat all over again the next day.
The 60 Minute Morning Routine
"I like to look primed-to-perfection whenever I step out of the house as I'm often meeting new potential business partners or pitching my company to new people, so I have to admit that my morning routine is quite long," says Aysha Kaun, Tech Start-Up Entrepreneur.
7.00AM: I like to wake up to music, to set me in a good mood for the day.
7.05AM: Hop into the shower, exfoliate, cleanse my face and wash my natural hair, which is very curly and dry. I like to use a really deep conditioner to give it some moisture as curly hair can normally be quite lacklustre. After conditioning, I gently brush my hair using Tangle Teezer’s The Wet Detangler, because it does a great job of quickly distributing conditioners or hair masks evenly from my root to tips whilst I'm in the shower. Then I'll wash out any remaining hair products and dry off.
7.20AM: Once out of the shower, I'll moisturise my body and pick an outfit to wear (and trust me: this could take a while!). Then, I'll dry my hair with my blow-dryer and diffuser. This really helps to hold in my curls all day without letting them get too frizzy à la Monica from Friends when she falls victim to humidity.
7.34AM: Time for my favourite part of the morning: makeup! I'm really into my beauty products, so I like to experiment with my makeup. On a normal day though, I'll apply primer, foundation, concealer, powder and blush to achieve a flawless base. I don't feel like myself unless I've done my signature cat flick eyeliner, and swiped on two layers of mascara. For lips, I just normally use a lip balm or neutral coloured lipstick. I'll pack some makeup in my handbag too, in case I need to touch up throughout the day.
7.55AM: Make a coffee for my re-usable flask (got to look out for the environment!), and head out to take on the day!
The 90 Minute Morning Routine
"I freelance for a living so I normally work from home or coffee shops. These locations can be quite de-stimulating and I often find it hard to concentrate. But I'm definitely most productive after I've exercised in the mornings, so I tend to incorporate a gym session into my morning routine where I can," says Ruby Norris, Freelance Journalist.
6.30AM: After my alarm's gone off, I'll browse on my phone to check social media for a few minutes, before getting up to brush my teeth, wash my face and apply my morning moisturiser.
6.39AM: I'll throw on some gym clothes, pack my gym bag, which consists of water, a change of work clothes and my trusty Tangle Teezer’s The Wet Detangler. It's super lightweight and perfect for painless detangling when my hair is wet, sweaty and extra tangled after a gym session - every woman needs this in their life! Then, I'll head down to the tube station. My gym is only two stops away from my flat, which is super handy (I may or may not have moved to Parson's Green for this very reason).
6.55AM: Arrive at the gym just in time to start my 7am HIIT class. This gym instructor takes no survivors, so I know it's going to be a really good workout. I'll probably hate him by the end of this hour.
7.45AM: Exercising done, now it's time to freshen up. I jump into the gym shower facilities (which are super swanky), to quickly cleanse and wash my hair which is now dripping with sweat.
7.51AM: I'll get changed into a more appropriate work outfit if I'm going into an office, or something more comfortable if I'm working from home or a local coffee shop. Then, I'll apply some foundation powder and mascara to make me look ready to take on the day (and I need all the help I can get after that HIIT class!). Then, I'll speedily brush through my long wet hair ( the handle on the Tangle Teezer’s The Wet Detangler helps me reach the ultra long sections at the back with ease), apply some hair oil to stop it from going frizzy, and tie it back into a low bun. This way it will look slick all day.
8.00AM: Time to make my way into work.
Tangle Teezer’s The Wet Detangler, which comes with a handle, is available in five colours and retails at £11. You can buy it at Boots and tangleteezer.com.
