10 Best Speedy Hair and Makeup Tricks

WebMD Feature from "Marie Claire" Magazine

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Got a need for speed? Here, we look back at the top quick beauty tips over the years -- that still work today.

1. Get Clean Skin Quick
To sop up oil and refresh makeup, lightly mist your face with toner, then pat with a tissue, says Eva Scrivo, makeup artist and owner of the eponymous New York City salon. Finish with a dusting of loose powder.

2. Lighten Locks Instantly
If scalp grease (or too many products) have left your light hair looking like dirty dishwater, sprinkle translucent powder over your roots, then brush through, says makeup artist Morgen Schick.

3. Hydrate Your Skin in Half the Time
Use conditioner to moisturize your hair -- and body, says Schick. Just massage it in neck-to-toe in the shower, rinse and dry off. The conditioner will hydrate nearly as well as body lotion -- without the time suck of waiting for it to sink in.

4. Get Gorgeous Nails -- Now
Schick's 60-second strategy: Remove all polish, clean under your nails (with lemon juice, if you have it) and massage the thickest lotion you can find (lip balm will suffice in a pinch) into your cuticles.

5. Use Pink to Fake Perfect Skin
Surprise! Concealer is only half the battle when it comes to fixing flaws. To really perfect your complexion (no matter what your skin tone), try wearing lipstick in a warm pink. "It distracts people's eyes from blemishes and other imperfections," says Schick.

6. Depuff Your 'Do in a Flash
To flatten frizz, dampen your hands with water and a drop of hand lotion, then gently pull your hair back into a French twist. Wait 10 minutes; take your strands down. Voilà -- fuzz free!

7. Focus on the Front to Speed Hairstyling
When you're strapped for time, do the T-zone blow-dry: down your part and around your hairline only. "As long as the front and top of your hair looks finished," says Scrivo, "so will you."

8. Score Evening Eyes in Just One Step
Eyeliner is the fastest way to look sexy, says Delux Beauty creator Jillian Dempsey. To do: Trace your top lash lines to just past the outer corners of your eyes.

9. Pull It Together with a Ponytail
There's nothing wrong with resorting to a ponytail -- after all, it's the ultimate easy style. To do: Pull your hair back haphazardly with your fingers and spritz with hairspray, says Roy Teeluck, owner of the Roy Teeluck Salon in New York City. Last, twist a stray tendril around your hair elastic; pin.

10. Revive Your Face Rapidly
To look alive after a long night, pat concealer onto the inner corners of your eyes, under your lower lashes and next to your nose, says Scrivo. Finish by swirling bronzer over your cheeks.

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