You know those days when you are in such a fluster and only have 10 minutes to get ready for work? With such a limited time, what steps of your daily cleansing routine can be left until arrival at the office?

1. Showering + Hair wash

2. Brushing Teeth

3. Washing Face + Moisturising

4. Shaving + After shave treatment

5. Blow dry + Setting of hair

6. Eating Breakfast

Well, in my experience, I would have to do steps 1, 2, 3 and the first part of 5 before leaving home and they can all be done in 5 minutes with 5 minutes left to choose what I should wear. Then I slip on my sunglasses and take my breakfast to nibble on during the taxi journey.

I keep a whole set of grooming aids in my drawer, including face cleanser, toner, moisturiser, hand cream, lip balm, hair gel, hair spray, razor, shaving cream, after shave, tooth brush, toothpaste and mouthwash! Why? Because you may never know who might come by the office – it could be Mr Right (or Mr Right now!) and it is totally worth it when you are late, it saves a lot of time.

In the office, the temperature is usually much cooler during summer, some folks may wear a jacket but this doesn’t stop the cool air blowing up around your head. You might not realise that your skin is quickly dehydrating in the air-conditioning, especially after washing your face and hands with water, you can feel the skin tightening right away. So face moisturiser and hand cream are very important and should be applied frequently in these cool and dry conditions to protect your skin.

On a hot day, when returning from lunch or from a business meeting your body temperature may have caused that ‘not-so-attractive’ glow of sweat. Rather than using water to cool down I recommend keeping towelettes handy at all times (I always have a pack in my briefcase and on my desk for convenience). Moist towelettes can come in pleasant deodourising fragrances whilst dry towelettes obviously help mop up the ‘water works’ to stop your clothes becoming uncomfortably sticky. Besides, some office buildings are not the best when it comes to plumbing, with the water not being as clean as one would believe for freshening up.

Alternatively, you can buy a bottle of toner that includes a cleansing additive (actually, most brands do this now), just pour some onto a little cotton facial pad and gently wipe over your face, as simple as that followed by a little moisturiser and you’re freshened up without leaving your desk.

To refresh your breath during office hours most boys use chewing gum or candy. Well, not that I condone it, I prefer to refresh the mouth with a cup of mint tea and after lunch or snacking there is no better way to keep your teeth and gum healthy and breath as fresh as can be by keeping a spare toothbrush, toothpaste and mouthwash in your desk drawer.

The ultimate in keeping you as fresh as a daisy and keeping the boys attention always on you is to always have your favourite eau de toilette handy to keep you smelling a good as you look!

Ultimately, it is better not to have to rush at all and an early night does you wonders enabling you to rise without puffy eyes and early enough to pamper yourself through your morning lavations.