1. Melt an ice cube over your face. After cleansing, run an ice cube over your face to close and tighten your pores. (You can start the melting process by running the ice cube along your hands). The cooling sensation will also help reduce any inflammation you might have, says aesthetician and cosmetic chemist Mary Schook, who also provides the tips below.
2. Eat a ripe banana, then rub the inside of the peel on any fine lines you might have. Bananas keep you satiated between meals and help maintain your blood levels. Bonus: the inside of the peel contains enzymes that exfoliate, hydrate, and plump the skin. Rub the peel on your fine lines until it oxidizes and turns brown, which takes about a minute, then rinse your face.
3. Use a sheet mask to immediately boost moisture and give your skin a dose of vitamins. Even if you wear your favorite Jason-like beauty mask for just one minute, it will help your skin look dewier. Try The Face Shop Hydro Vita Gel Mask, $4 each, or SK-II Treatment Mask, $17 each. And since you only have 60 seconds to wear it this time around, rehydrate the sheet mask with an Evian water spray and put it in a plastic resealable bag to get a second use out of it — just be sure to use the other side of the mask next time.
4. Carry rosewater spray in your purse and spritz it throughout the day. Collagen breaks down when the moisture in your skin is depleted. When you feel your skin getting tight and dry, lightly spritz your face with rosewater (an anti-inflammatory ingredient that boosts cellular function and reduces inflammation). Let it soak in (Don't touch your face or you could transfer bacteria from your hands onto it!). Now you've got hydrated and youthful-looking skin. Try Glossier Soothing Face Mist, $18.
5. Massage the nape of your neck. Blood flow gets blocked with tightened neck muscles, which tense up from stress and put pressure on your blood vessels. By massaging the nape of your neck for a minute, you loosen the muscles. Proper blood flow helps you think better and instantly de-stresses you, preventing the release of the hormone cortisol that can inhibit collagen production. This, in turn, leaves you looking fresh-faced and fineline-free.
6. Take a probiotic. Popping a probiotic pill builds your immune system and keeps the good and bad bacteria in your gut balanced, which keeps your skin clear and your energy up. Just remember to discuss the use of probiotics with your personal care physician before implementing them into your routine.
7. Use dry shampoo at night to make your morning routine smoother. By now you know that spraying your favorite dry shampoo through your hair will make it look like you got a bombshell blowout in seconds. But, if you don't have an invisible formula nearby, like Aussie Total Miracle 7-in-1 Dry Shampoo, $6, you might have to resort to using good old baby powder that tends to leave white residue behind. If that's the case, dust it on before you got to bed at night, so you have eight hours for it to absorb. You will feel so amazing when you wake up with amazing hair the next day.
8. Run in place or do as many jumping jacks as 60 seconds will allow. This gets your circulation going and boosts your oxygen levels to speed up your metabolism — it even gives your face a gorgeous flush.
9. Apply mousse to hair from roots to ends, put your hair into a high bun in the a.m., and then before going out after work, take it down for gorgeous, going-out loose waves. It's the perfect day-to-night look and it only takes a minute to pull off. Build volume by gently pulling the hair at the top of your head forward, tugging it out of the bun (but not all the way) so the hair stays lifted as it sets.
10. Use lipstick to add color to your eyes, cheeks, and lips. If you don't have time to put on a full face of makeup, swipe your favorite shade of lipstick over your eyelids, cheekbones, and lips to look instantly polished in a flash. For a full-on how-to, click here.
11. Dry-brush your body. Use a body brush (a long-handled or short hand-held brush with stiffer bristles), like Aromatherapy Associates Polishing Body Brush $23, to quickly and lightly exfoliate your skin. Not only does it increase circulation, it encourages lymphatic drainage. Whaaaat is that? Your lymph system is basically a garbage disposal for your cells, and lymphatic drainage gives you clearer skin and a healthier system overall. Use upward motions toward your heart so the waste exits your system properly. Remember to wash your brush when you shower to get rid of dead skin cells!
12. Use leftover coffee grounds mixed with olive oil as a quick cellulite scrub in the tub. After you've brewed your cup of Joe in the morning, remove the liner from your coffee machine, mix in a few drops of olive oil, and apply the blend in the shower before turning on the water. Applying this combo in circular motions increases circulation and promotes lymphatic drainage. The caffeine in the coffee helps tighten skin.
13. Use a rollerball to decrease puffiness. Liquid can also pool in the areas around your eye and eyelid, and make you look like you pulled an all-nighter. To get that liquid moving, use an eye serum with a rollerball stainless steel tip and go through these four motions:
- Starting at the inner corner of your eye, roll the serum under your brow, ending at the outer corner on your brow bone. Repeat this motion four times.
- Next, from outer corner of your eye, gently run the rollerball under your eye to the inner corner of your eye four times.
- Then, from the outer corner of your eye over the crease to the inner corner. Repeat four times.
- Finally, go all the way around the eye with the rollerball and you're done. You should see your brow slightly lifted and the puffiness subside.
Try Clinique All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage.
14. Use a luminizer on the inner corner of your eyes. Simply run your clean fingertip over a luminizer that isn't too sparkly and pat it over the inner corner of your eye. The warmth from your finger will meld the product into your skin seamlessly and make you look instantly awake. Try RMS Living Luminzer.
15. Sniff a peppermint or eucalyptus essential oil midday to de-stress you. These scents clear your nasal passages, bring more oxygen to your skin, and allow you to calm down.
16. Make yourself some tea. Opt for a caffeine-free version of your favorite flavor so it doesn't dehydrate your skin. Want skin-clearing benefits? Go for one with hibiscus, which promotes clearer skin and detoxifies your cells. Try Yogi Skin Detox.
17. Skip the cupcake break. Too much sugar breaks down collagen and elastin, which leads to fine lines and wrinkles. Instead of a sugary treat that you think is going to keep you going, eat something healthier and more filling, like a chia drink or chia-filled snack. Chia seeds absorb water and expand, which makes you feel fuller, and add a ton of fiber to your diet.
18. Wash your hair with warm water, followed with a cool burst to close the cuticle and add shine. Hi, Blake Lively hair!
19. Burn a soy candle (or anything that is paraffin-free) over a synthetic formula. Soy versions have essentials oils in them that can boost your energy levels, whereas paraffin-based candles contain gasoline that can actually make you sleepy and even flare up skin issues, like eczema. Try Archipelago Black Forest Soy Candle, $32.
20. Buff your nails. If you don't have time to get a manicure, use a buffing block to polish your nails to perfection. It only takes a second but it will look like you got a salon-worthy mani!
21. Line the inner rim of your upper lid with dark brown liner to make you look awake. Black liner can sometimes be too harsh for daytime, but the contrast between the dark brown liner and the whites of your eyes will be enough to make you look like you got a full eight hours of sleep even when you didn't.
22. Use a brow razor to eliminate stray hairs. If you keep plucking your brows as you age, the hair may not grow back over time, which means you might be SOL if you want to ever create a different brow shape or leave your brows more full. Using a brow razor (like Sally Hansen Get in Shape Brow Shapers) not only keeps the hair growing back, but it helps you better control the shape you want your brows to be.
23. Rinse your hair with apple cider vinegar after you shampoo it. Douse your mane with a cup of apple cider vinegar to instantly increase shine.
Follow Carly on Twitter.
Carly Cardellino was the beauty director at Cosmopolitan. If you follow her Instagram, then you know she'll try just about any beauty trend or treatment once (the pics of her purple hair are on IG to prove it). But her favorite part about being in beauty is finding the most effective products, and then sharing that intel with others—because who wants to spend money on stuff that doesn't work? No one, that's who. Her most recent discovery: De La Cruz Sulfur Ointment, which will change your blemish-clearing game! Hopefully through the beauty stories she writes—and the experiences she shares—you can see exactly why she's in this business.
