50 Beauty Shortcuts That Get You Out the Door Faster

Adult acne is the worst, but no one needs to know you have it. After you've applied an acne-fighting treatment, use this reliable three-step process—foundation, concealer, powder—and no one will be the wiser.

Get the step-by-step guide here.

When there's no time to wash your hair, try this quick trick from Marcus Francis, celebrity stylist for Suave Professionals, to bring life back into your bangs: Mix a little water with a pea-size drop of shampoo in your fingers and rub the mix through your bangs. If your hairline looks frizzy or dirty, work it in there, too. Wet your fingers and smooth them through bangs to rinse; repeat a few times. Then blow-dry them while finger-combing into place.

You make sure to wash your face at night, but give it some love before it's time for makeup, too. If you're too busy to go through a lather-and-rinse, grab a facial wipe. Derms say they take off makeup almost as well as a regular cleanser (just in case there was any left over from the night before), and a lot of varieties now (we like Yes To Blueberries Brightening Facial Towelettes) have anti-aging ingredients like lemon peel and apple to help your skin look its best.

Next time you're dealing with a nicked nail, try this trick from manicurist Deborah Lippmann (she polishes Reese Witherspoon's nails): Dip the pad of your index finger in polish remover, then gently rub it over the chip toward the tip of your nail to "smooth out the ridge left from the nick," she says. "Then dab your polish in the bare spot to fill it in, or do a thin coat of the color all over the nail. Either way, give it a minute to dry, then brush on a top coat." Done and done.

If windy weather makes your face look like it's on fire, try this remedy from Tina Alster, M.D., director of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery. "Soak a washcloth in ice water, then switch between draping it over your face and re-dipping it for 10 minutes," she says. "The cold constricts blood vessels and soothes all skin types, whereas a redness-reducing lotion may contain ingredients that could irritate some people's skin."

Drying your hair is a major pain, but damp locks can perk up quickly. Blot your hair with paper towels or a chamois, then let it air dry for 10 minutes, says Siobhan O'Connor, co-founder of No More Dirty Looks. Use a volumizing spray to protect it from heat and seal the cuticle so it dries faster, and a paddle brush that conducts heat without getting too warm. "This combination has my very thick head of hair sleek in about 10 to 12 minutes—seriously," she says.

If you're strapped for time but refuse to leave the house without dabbing on some makeup, try this simple routine from Helen Seicento of Lola's Secret Beauty Blog: "Use a nice, neutral eye shadow for a quick wash of color on the top lid, and then an eyeliner pencil that you can quickly apply into the lash-line if you want a natural look," Seicento says. "You can wing it if you want a more dramatic look."

If you don't have the time or patience to apply all of your regular products, Seicento suggests opting for formulas that work all over. "One of my very favorite products is Susan Thompson Cosmetics Liquid Blush in Mim's the Word," Seicento says. "It's a gorgeous pink that is as lovely on the lips as it is on the cheeks, and it applies effortlessly, flawlessly, and quickly with the fingers."

If you've got greasy hair, fear not: there are solutions to keeping your strands from acting like a broken oil-rig. "Not over-washing, using a clarifying shampoo, keeping it off your, face and minimizing brushing can all help with over-production of oil," says Christine Mikesell of 15minutebeauty.com. When time is scarce, reach for the dry shampoo. "Spray it into problem areas, distribute with fingers, and brush the excess out five minutes later," she says.

Blush is essential to making your face look bright and refreshed. To keep it from disappearing midday, Mikesell suggests using a cream blush, setting it with powder, and then applying powdered blush on top.

To prevent wrinkles and saggy skin, reach for the fruity stuff. "Research shows that blackberry leaf extract has potent antioxidant power and helps reduce MMP levels in skin, which are enzymes that contribute to collagen and elastin breakdown," says New York City dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, M.D. It's one of the main ingredients in Aveeno's Absolutely Ageless skincare line, along with moisturizers that make it a milder option for skin that can't tolerate retinol.

If you're looking to instantly slim down your face, Mikesell suggests contouring with specific color palettes. "Adding in shadows will create the illusion that there's a reason for the shadow to be there, even if your cheek is a bit rounder than you'd like," says Mikesell. Use a brown cream under your cheekbone, under the angle of your jaw, and on your temples. Blend with your fingers, then add regular foundation.

Truth: your lips can get dry and flaky in colder months because they have fewer oil glands than the rest of your face, so they're especially prone to drying out. To stay soft, use lip scrubs to help buff away the dead skin—we like Clinique's gentle, hydrating blend of beet sugar granules and natural oils (it also comes with a cute, sheer tinted balm on the other side). After, swipe on lipstick that contains moisturizing vitamin E—Burt's Bees is 100 percent natural and has raspberry seed oil, another top emollient.

The winter air is incredibly damaging to even the healthiest hair. If your normal conditioner isn't cutting it, try adding on multiple products to give it an extra boost. "For very dry hair, use a heavy conditioning mask once per week, like Ojon's Damage Reverse Restorative Hair Treatment, a daily conditioner, and then a spray-in conditioner before you style," says Hope DeAngelis Schmid of Jet Set Girls.

Nude lips are all the rage right now, so DIY your own version—all you have to do is blend your regular foundation with Vaseline and a light pink lipgloss. You can use darker foundation for a deep-toned nude, or lighter for paler skin tones.

Long, sultry eyelashes never go out of style, so layer a lengthening formula over a volumizing one to get the mega-look, says Mikeshell. Then be prepared to bat them all night like it's NBD.

No time to buy dry shampoo? Mikeshell says it's cool to dab baby powder or talcum powder onto roots to quickly dry up excess oil in your hair. But if you're out and don't have access to either, she suggests reaching for face blotting papers and paper toilet covers to tide you over. Crisis = averted.

If your lips have gone into super-dry territory, don't over-lick them or pick at the dead skin–it'll only cause more damage. "Add moisture back in with something that helps retain moisture—look for lanolin, squalene, hyaluronic acid or glycerin on the ingredients list, and apply it liberally and frequently," says Mikesell. "Then layer on a second product—I like ones with beeswax—to help seal in the moisture."

If you shower in the evening, twist hair up into a clip or loose bun, and shake it out when you wake up, says Schmid. Your hair will fall into soft waves that look like they took hours to perfect, but you'll get to leisurely enjoy that morning cup of coffee.

Give yourself a low-key radiance with the help of liquid bronzer (try Revlon Photoready Skinlights Face Illuminator). "Use a big, fluffy brush to buff a drop or two over the perimeter of your forehead and along your cheekbones and chin; blend away the lines," says makeup artist Jamie Greenberg. Add a coral cream blush to your cheeks, a glimmer bronze shadow on your lids, and top with mascara and a sheer rosy lipstick for an I'm-not-even-trying look.