Practice makes perfect, or better, sometimes.

[Sarah Doepner]

I sometimes find myself in a hurry to dress and get out. Either I've been distracted or people have lingered too long and delayed me. Most of the time I end up forgetting something; earrings or something in my purse, but I'm able to get out and be somewhat presentable. I attribute that to all those times I spent trying on the things in my closet, mixing and matching, starting with a new skirt and seeing which tops work and which don't. It's also the time spent doing makeup, again practicing with different foundations or eye shadow or lip color and getting to know what the minimum is rather than going for the full night out glamour look. Just the practice of doing my eyebrows and mascara has taken that process from being one that created tension, took for ever and almost resulted in tears to something I hardly think of any more.

So don't be put off by comments that the time spent dressing up and changing multiple times during a free afternoon. That time is an investment in beauty in a hurry should you ever need it. It has brought my time down from well over an hour to less than 20 minutes, less if I don't have to shave or remember to get earrings. How has practice helped you?

[Dana44]

Yes practice helps a lot. My makeup can go on a lot faster and the brows are the hardest part. But I have them better now and a lot faster at doing them.

[GracieRose]

I can relate to your comment about forgetting things when dressing.
I wear a pair of women's prescription glasses when I go out. I have a checklist in the glasses case to go through before I go out. It is amazing how often I run across an 'oops' in the list.

[Sarah Doepner]

I can relate to your comment about forgetting things when dressing.
I wear a pair of women's prescription glasses when I go out. I have a checklist in the glasses case to go through before I go out. It is amazing how often I run across an 'oops' in the list.

I've got two pair of glasses with a more feminine frame, a pair in a masculine style and one that's almost good enough to be uni-sex. Too many choices can be a problem, so it's that last pair of glasses I wear most of the time now just in case I forget. I've actually forgotten in the other direction and worn my "girl" glasses around family a couple of times. No disaster but it lead to at least one of my granddaughters figuring something was a little different about me.

[NancySue]

Years ago, I was told two wonderful bits of advice. One: "The more you practice, the better you'll get" and "If, at first, you don't succeed, try and try again". These are both absolute truisms. Sports, hobbies, job, work, etc. and, for me, especially my dressing, I.e. makeup, fashion, etc. I should've taken a picture of my first application of makeup and now, with the ease of application of Mascara, eyeliner, highlighting, etc. is no problem. While I love dressing, makeup is most enjoyable, except for slipping a sheer pair of hose on freshly shaved legs.

[Jaymees22]

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.. How do you get out the door? Practice, practice, practice. It certainly helps cut down the time needed and it also helps to realize that less make up is usually better.

[SkylarLee]

I have been practicing doing makeup and initially it was taking 1.5 hours but now I am down to 45 minutes. My biggest issue is with eye makeup. I am never satisfied with how I put on eye shadow and false eyelashes are still perplexing me. Sometimes I can get it right on the first try and other times it takes me 15 minutes to do one eye.

[Nikki A.]

Practice does make things go faster. Also with practice you have a better idea of works and you don't waste time.

[Cherylgyno]

Practice has always been a good part of the fun. I don't remember timing myself in the late 60's. When I got a job Mom had me pay her for all of the makeup that I had used. I am just guessing, I think that it takes me 30-45 minutes.