Hot-Girl Tricks For Looking Better With Almost No Effort

“Nothing makes me feel more confident than a fake tan — and Jergens’ legendary in-shower self tanner is the quickest, easiest way to get a bronzey faux-glow,” shares Elite Daily beauty editor Adeline Duff. While you’re still in the shower, you can apply this lotion on damp skin and instantly towel off. Over the course of the next eight-ish hours, you’ll start to see a subtle glow — and you can use it daily until you reach your desired intensity of tan.

“The other trick that makes me look (and feel) my best is overlining my lips with a generous layer of lip liner,” says Duff. NYX’s lip liner is a foolproof choice; it comes in a bunch of different colors, it has a smooth, easy glide, and the classic pencil design, which allows for easy resharpening, will last you practically forever.

• Available shades: 11

“There’s something so sexy about shimmery, dewy-looking skin,” says Duff, “especially when you’re baring your arms and legs.” For special occasions, Duff loves to slather on Saltair’s shimmering body oil to instantly give her skin a light-reflecting glow, and the gorgeous santal scent is just another added bonus.

When sandal season approaches, who doesn’t want to have smooth, baby-soft feet? To get the job done, Duff recommends these lavender-scented foot masks, which shed off dead skin over the course of the next week after wearing them like socks for just one hour. Each box comes with three pairs.

“Anklets are so sexy — I love slipping one on when summer approaches,” says Duff. This anklet is a bestseller on Amazon with nearly 5,000 perfect five-star ratings, and it comes in 25 different designs, some of which feature colorful gems. simple gold beads, or cubic zirconia stones.

To give Elle Fanning’s blowout an extra dose of shine at the 2025 SAG Awards, hairstylist and colorist, Jenda Alcorn, concentrated on the prep work. The key product? This in-shower glossing mask, which Alcorn credits with adding “effortless, glass shine” to Fanning’s blonde hair. After you’ve shampooed and conditioned, you can work this peony- and bergamot-scented mask through your hair, letting it sit for just five minutes before rinsing and going about your usual routine. Whether you’re going for a bouncy blowout à la Fanning or you’re letting your hair air dry, the brand’s Glossing Care Complex with glycolic acid leaves hair noticeably shinier and smoother for several days.

Pati Dubroff has long been one of my favorite makeup artists to follow on Instagram, as much for her genius tips as for her encouragement to use the brands and products you have access to. For lipstick with more staying power, Dubroff shares that she likes to swipe a lip primer on before adding color. This under $10 find from ColourPop grips onto your lip color of choice and helps reduce smudging and feathering. It’s also formulated with nourishing ingredients like shea butter, mango seed butter, and avocado oil to give the primer a creamy application that prevents your lips from drying out.

If you frequently turn to slicked-back styles, you’ve probably already realized that the hair gels and strong-finish sprays typically used to get that smooth, high-shine finish can be drying. Hairstylist Glen “Coco” Oropeza has the perfect styling hack for keeping hair healthy without compromising on your polished ponytail or slicked back bun by using this nourishing hair mask. The sea buckthorn oil- and jojoba seed oil-infused mask keeps hair moisturized and silky smooth, but it still lets you smooth back flyaways with ease. Of course, you can try this trick with any other hair mask you’re a fan of, too.

Whether you’re prepping hair for a sleek and straight style or beachy waves, hairstylist and founder of his eponymous salons, Valery Joseph, shares that a keratin-infused product is essential. “Keratin seals your hair with a hydrophobic coating, reducing the effects of humid air on your hair,” he explains of how the ingredient keeps hair smooth. This leave-in is one of Joseph’s top picks for spraying into the hair while it’s still damp. Not only does keratin prevent unwanted frizz, but ingredients like green tea leaf extract, sunflower seed extract, and silk amino acids also help to detangle, protect against UV exposure, and add shine.

No need to toss your translucent setting powder, but if you want an additional way to brighten unwanted under-eye circles, pick up this light pink loose powder. The tip comes courtesy of makeup artist Mary Phillips, who works with celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner, and can be used alongside your usual face powders. Using the color-correcting makeup technique, the idea is that the pink-tinted powder is able to help cancel out darker tones for skin that immediately looks more well rested.

You can turn any liquid blush into the perfect combination of flushed color and dewy skin by mixing in a tiny dab of Aquaphor, according to makeup artist, Melissa Hernandez. “It melts into this sheer, glossy tint that looks like second skin,” Hernandez, who works with celebrities like Sydney Sweeney and Mikey Madison, shared on Instagram. You can use your fingers to tap the blush on your cheeks, and of course, the multi-purpose ointment can still be used on its own to protect chapped lips, treat cuticles, and soothe dry skin wherever it pops up.

During New York Fashion Week, there’s one product that you’ll see constantly popping up backstage: Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré. The French pharmacy staple is also an essential for the makeup artists who are tasked with transforming models’ faces in minutes. Formulated with skin-softening and soothing ingredients like shea butter and aloe vera, the lotion has been used backstage for everything from removing a full face of makeup after a show to prepping the skin before a drop of makeup is even applied.

This next one pulls double duty, according to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Samantha Ellis. First, it serves as a lip oil that hydrates and naturally plumps your lips with jojoba seed oil, rosehip seed oil, and hazel seed oil. At the same time, Dr. Ellis shares that the cool tone of the tinted pink color helps to create the illusion of whiter teeth. “[It] feels cushiony and plush, and it just deposits this beautiful, sheer wash of color,” Dr. Ellis shared on Instagram, adding that the long-lasting lip oil never feels sticky.

As much as I love a prestige beauty product, one of the mascaras I always have in my rotation is available at your local drugstore. Maybelline’s Lash Sensational Mascara may not be the brand’s most celebrated formula, but something about the curved wand and layered bristles really works to volumize my lashes, and Dr. Ellis agrees. “It makes your lashes longer, thicker looking,” she confirms, noting that she gets comments asking about her mascara every time she posts a video while wearing Lash Sensational.

Dry, brittle nails after removing a gel manicure are a guarantee (at least if you’re me), but Dr. Ellis has a simple, inexpensive way to restore their health, no matter what’s caused the damage. Rather than mess around with a cuticle oil, Dr. Ellis recommends doing a five-minute soak in an oil that you’ve slightly warmed up, like this certified organic jojoba oil. “It’s really nourishing for your nails, it’s got lots of antioxidants, it’s relatively affordable,” Dr. Ellis said of jojoba oil. “Plus, it’s great for your skin, so when you’re done with this oil after you’ve done your soak, you can apply it to your body or put it into your bath so it doesn’t go to waste,” she added of another bonus.

Ever wondered what hairstylists use on their own hair? For Amanda Lee, who counts celebs like Hailey Bieber and Cara Delevingne as frequent clients, it’s all about a glossing treatment to restore dry, dull hair. This at-home gloss from Paul Mitchell is a particular favorite of Lee’s for its ability to restore shine in 10 minutes or less. The clear gloss featured here will help enhance shine, but if you’re an at-home hair pro, you can also choose from several color-depositing formulas to refresh your hair color in between salon visits.

• Available shades: 10

Red nails are a classic for a reason, as they’re capable of dressing up any look and complement every skin tone. When Selena Gomez recently sported a bright red manicure during promotions for her album with fiancé, Benny Blanco, the singer turned to nail artist Tom Bachik for the perfect shade, Essie’s Rock The Runway. Part of the brand’s Gel Couture line, the polish was designed to give you the glossy finish of a traditional gel without the UV lamp (or all of the annoying filing and soaking that comes with removing a salon gel). The polish also uses a patent-pending technology that resists chipping for up to 15 days of bold color.

As a ‘90s kid, the Olsen twins will always be my beauty icons. Thanks to Pati Dubroff, we can all be one step closer on the beauty front, as she recently shared how she created the makeup looks for Mary-Kate and Ashley for the New York Minute film premiere back in 2004. Playing up the eyes with soft, sparkly neutral shadows was key for Ashley, as was a cream blush that kept the skin dewy and fresh. “I don’t remember what blush I used, but if I was doing it today, I would use something creamy, slightly apricot tone, with a lot of shimmer,” Dubroff said in an Instagram video, explaining that she would apply it sparingly to the apples of the cheeks. This e.l.f. cream blush stick in Glowing Mango checks every box with its shimmer-infused formula that’s lightweight and easy to blend with just your fingers.

• Available shades: 7

To create more volume in your hair without the stiffness, multiple pros turn to this volumizing mist, which can be sprayed through damp hair prior to blow drying or even spritzed through dry hair as a style refresher. Rena Calhoun used the volumizing mist, which also doubles as a heat protectant, to create Mikey Madison’s wavy blowout at the 2025 Golden Globes, and hairstylist Mark Townsend recently shared that it’s one of the products that never leaves his kit. “It does give me really great volume without making the hair look so dry,” he said on the Gloss Angeles podcast. “So many volumizers have so much alcohol to keep the cuticle wide open, but that one gives you that volume but will allow you to have nice, smooth hair at the same time,” explains Townsend, whose textured waves have been seen on Dakota Johnson, Jessica Chastain, and the Olsen twins.

When hairstylist Laurie Heaps wants to add hold to Sabrina Carpenter’s bombshell curls, she finishes the look off with this flexible hold hairspray. “[It] provides hold without stiffness, keeping the hair soft, touchable, and full of movement,” Heaps said of the silicone-free formula, which provides hold for up to eight hours and 24-hour humidity resistance. The scented hairspray also includes vitamins C and E to help provide some color protection to the styling staple.

Popping a silver or champagne-colored eyeshadow at the inner corners of the eyes is one of my favorite tricks for creating an instant brightening effect. But you can also use it to enhance your lips by applying the shimmery shade along your cupid’s bow. The cream formula of this eyeshadow makes it easy to blend in, and the stick applicator means you can draw it exactly where you want to create a highlighted effect.

Improving your look doesn’t have to mean adding tons of extra products (or time) to your routine. Case in point: this balm-like bronzer that moisturizes with colloidal oatmeal and grape seed oil. Use it with a buffing brush to blend along the bridge of the nose, cheekbones, temples, and forehead for an all-over glow, or take a smaller brush and buff the bronzer just below the cheekbones for a more sculpted look. A makeup artist once taught me that you can even use your bronzer above the crease of your eyelid to define the eyes and replace your usual neutral eyeshadow.

• Available shades: 6

I’ve seen Eva Longoria’s hairstylist, Dimitris Giannetos, use this to cover up gray roots, but the tinted spray also helps to create the appearance of fuller hair if you’re someone with fine hair or a wide part line. The temporary coverage uses a concentrated nozzle to help with precision application, it lasts until you shampoo it out, and it comes in 11 different shades.

• Available shades: 11

Whether you’re looking for a way to quickly take down redness and kill bacteria after a workout or something to soothe irritation, this facial mist can help. Hypochlorous acid is the hero ingredient in here, as it’s both anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. This Tower 28 Beauty spray comes with seals of approval from the National Eczema Association, the National Rosacea Society, and the National Psoriasis Foundation, so it’s safe for even the most sensitive skin types. Plus, it's approved by dermatologists like Dr. Mina Amin and celebrities like Hailey Bieber, who has previously praised the fragrance-free and alcohol-free mist in her Instagram stories.

I picked up this trick from board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Shereene Idriss, who recommends slathering your face in this balm overnight (or “face basting” as she calls it). When my skin is feeling especially dry or irritated, I put this rich moisturizer on in an even layer and let the zinc gluconate, madecassoside, and panthenol work their magic while I sleep. By the time I wake up, any redness is visibly reduced, and my parched skin becomes plumped up and dewy.

Much like a tan, whiter teeth are an automatic mood booster. And while a trip to the dentist will certainly provide you with the most effective results, you can still achieve a noticeably whiter smile with an at-home kit. These whitening strips from Crest are my go-to because they’re easy to use both at home and while traveling. Though they do require a bit of discipline, as you’re meant to use them for 30 minutes each day for 20 days in a row to get the full results, the hydrogen peroxide-infused strips really do deliver on the pearly whites.

“Is there anything more luxurious than a body oil?” asks Elite Daily editor Amy Biggart. This French favorite blends seven botanical oils, including argan and sweet almond, to provide eight hours of moisture and leave skin glowing. “I love that this one doubles as a hair oil,” Biggart adds of the orange blossom- and vanilla-scented formula. Pro tip: when your skin is feeling especially rough, apply this golden oil over your favorite body lotion to really lock in hydration.

You can improve the appearance and health of your nails without going polish-free, thanks to this cruelty-free and vegan nail concealer from Londontown. Reflective brighteners and a soft wash of color camouflage discoloration and texture right away as ingredients like lime tree extract, evening primrose oil, and garlic extract improve the look and health of your nails over time. While it comes in five nail-perfecting tints, Biggart is all about the pink. “I love this pale pink polish that conceals the texture on my nails,” she says.

• Available shades: 5

“I started using a face razor to remove peach fuzz so my makeup goes on cleaner,” Biggart explains of the facial hair removing technique known as at-home dermaplaning. This tiny little razor is “a game-changer,” according to Biggart, as it gently exfoliates and gives your makeup a completely even surface to adhere to. This face razor was specifically designed for the eyebrows, but its mini size and stainless steel blade work to remove peach fuzz anywhere on your face.

Glowing skin is always great, but if you’re noticing too much shine by midday, Biggart recommends this face powder. The semi-matte formula blurs pores and soaks up excess oil without leaving skin dried out, thanks to a blend of skin care favorites like hyaluronic acid, chamomile flower water, and licorice powder. It also comes in a convenient mirrored compact that’s fitted with a silicone cover to prevent spills and comes complete with a powder puff applicator.

To ensure her face is completely makeup-free each night, Biggart swears by this clever, machine-washable cloth that can remove even the most stubborn waterproof formulas — no cleanser or micellar water required. Using the brand’s SmartErase technology, the cloth uses ultra-soft fibers to lift away makeup and sunscreen with the help of some warm water. This set comes with seven cloths, so you’re covered for the whole week, and they even come in more than a dozen colors if you want to match the makeup erasing cloths to your towel set.

• Available colors: 18

Chances are you’ve already got a can (or two) of dry shampoo sitting on your vanity. But when you’re on the go and carrying a full-size bottle isn’t an option, Biggart recommends this TSA-friendly dry shampoo powder. “I like that this one is small enough to fit in my bag,” she adds of its tiny size. The cushion applicator lets you target your roots with the translucent formula that uses biotin, corn starch, Korean ginseng, and lavender extract to soak up excess oil, thicken limp strands, and leave behind a light scent.

“This Paula’s Choice daily moisturizer has SPF in it, so I can hydrate and protect my skin in one step,” Biggart says. The chemical filter sunscreen protects from UVA and UVB rays without leaving behind a white cast, but the formula also keeps skin moisturized with antioxidant-rich ingredients like green tea leaf extract, goji fruit extract, and grape seed extract. Best of all, Biggart guarantees it won’t leave your skin feeling greasy or chalky. “I love how lightweight it goes on,” she says.

Though Biggart calls this detangling brush a “necessity” for her long hair, it was designed to work on all hair lengths and textures. Flexible bristles in different sizes allow the brush to untangle knots without snagging or pulling at the hair, which reduces breakage as well as discomfort. The detangling brush uses an ergonomic handle for easier brushing, and it comes in tons of fun colors and patterns.

• Available options: 19

A bold lip instantly adds glamour, and Elite Daily editor, Cassandra Seale, loves that this $15 set gives you two matte=finish lip colors: Bawse Lady; a true red with blue tones that complements all skin colors, and Rich Auntie; a berry shade with hints of pink. “Both of these shades take an outfit over the top,” assures Seale, who adds that the jojoba oil- and vitamin E-infused liquid formulas stay in place through dinner and drinks.

Because of their concentrated formulas, serums tend to include resurfacing and brightening actives like retinol or vitamin C. But if you want something simpler, Seale calls this K-beauty find “a great one-step serum my sensitive, redness-prone skin loves.” Designed to be used just once or twice each week, the serum pairs a 10% concentration of azelaic acid with hyaluronic acid, green tea leaf water, aloe vera, and seven types of cica to reduce inflammation while still promoting a brighter skin tone.

“I was late to the scrub game, but using it is now a must,” shares Seale. This smoothing body scrub exfoliates your skin with brown sugar and white sugar, but soothes and moisturizes, too, with multiple botanicals (think aloe vera, avocado oil, and coconut oil). Seale likes to use this scrub before shaving her legs to help prevent bumps and ingrown hairs, but it’s also great to prep your skin ahead of a fake tan. Plus, it comes with a mini wooden spoon for scooping out the scrub in a more hygienic way.

Rolling hundreds of tiny needles over your face may sound scary, but Seale assures that this microneedling tool is easy and painless for at-home use. “Using this saves lots of time (and money!) versus going to a spa or clinic,” she notes. Though an at-home tool won’t be as effective as an in-office treatment, the titanium needles still help to stimulate collagen production by creating tiny open channels on the face, which also allow for better absorption of your topical skin care products.

“I’ve never been great at overlining or getting that crisp gloss look,” confesses Bustle’s Tanisha Pina. “This stain makes it look like I actually know what I’m doing.” Available in 10 neutral and bold shades, the peel-off formula can be used as a lip liner or all-over stain — and promises to stay in place for 12 hours as it smooths lips with hyaluronic acid and vitamin E.

• Available shades: 10

“I use this when I want that brushed-up, laminated brow look without having to commit to anything permanent,” shares Pina. This brow gel holds brows in place for 24 hours with a formula that goes on clear and doesn’t feel sticky or flake off. “Bonus, it’s under $10,” Pina adds.

Another essential in Mark Townsend’s kit is this dry conditioning spray. “This I spray on a comb after completely doing the hair, and then comb through my waves, straight hair, whatever it is, and it really does take down frizz,” he said on the Gloss Angeles podcast. “This is in my pocket on photoshoots all the time.” Great for de-frizzing just-styled or even second-day hair, the color-safe spray blocks humidity, smooths hair, and adds shine with good-for-hair ingredients like amaranth seed oil, jojoba seed oil, and watermelon seed oil.

Brow pencils and powders can only do so much to fake a fuller appearance. If you want to try and fluff up sparse brows in a more permanent way, board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Mina Amin, took to Instagram to share one of her personal hacks: minoxidil. Typically used to help grow the hair on your head, Dr. Amin recommends using a spoolie to carefully comb a minoxidil 5% foam through your brows once each day. “It’s important to avoid getting minoxidil foam in the eyes and avoid using before workouts/sweating,” she writes, adding that you should also avoid the topical treatment during pregnancy.

“The key to glowing skin is exfoliation,” Dr. Amin wrote on Instagram. “It’s important to gently remove dead skin cells on the outermost skin layer because these dead skin cells interfere with hydration and moisture,” she explained, noting that dryness and dullness can be caused by not exfoliating often enough. This cleanser is an easy way to boost your skin’s renewal process, using a combination of AHAs (lactic acid, glycolic acid, citric acid, and malic acid) and BHAs (salicylic acid) to buff away dead skin and clear acne-causing debris from pores. You can let the cleanser sit on your skin for a minute before rinsing for more exfoliating benefits or rinse it right off if your skin is on the sensitive side.

My biggest vacation woe is that while everyone else gets tanner as the trip progresses, I get paler as my pre-flight fake tan fades (even on the beach, you can find me under an umbrella). Tanning expert and founder of Sugared + Bronzed, Courtney Claghorn, created just the product to keep my tan from fading — and it doesn’t require a checked bag. These tanning drops can be used on the face and body, and they were designed to be mixed in with your usual face moisturizer, serum, or body cream for a seamless glow. You can use them daily while you travel to fake a vacay tan or apply them once or twice each week to maintain your usual faux glow.

“I’ve been skipping perfume lately because the scent of these deodorant sticks lasts so long,” Elite Daily editor, Jen Fiegel. Aluminum-free and baking soda-free, the deodorant uses salicylic acid and arrowroot powder to neutralize and absorb odor-causing bacteria instead. “Vanilla Skin smells like a fancy cupcake, while Father Figure is a slightly powdery, floral green fig scent,” Fiegel says of your two options.

• Available scents: 2

To reset your hair after days (or weeks) of piling on the dry shampoo and styling products, Fiegel loves this apple cider vinegar cleansing rinse. “I’ve been using this for years, and while I’ll try other products, I always return to it for how much lighter and softer it leaves my hair.” To remove buildup without stripping the hair, R+Co pairs exfoliating apple fruit extract with moisturizing aloe vera and tamanu seed oil. You can use the treatment in place of your shampoo when your hair needs a thorough cleanse, and it even has a precision tip applicator to really concentrate on the scalp.

For a your-skin-but-better glow, Fiegel likes that these highlighting balms don’t contain bigger glitter particles. Instead, the multipurpose sticks pair sheer tints of color (and the clear option seen here) with soft shimmer for a “glass skin” effect that can be used on the cheeks, eyes, and lips. The stick applicator makes them easy to apply and carry in your bag, and they’re formulated with safflower seed oil and squalane for an easy-to-blend texture that adds some moisture to your skin.

• Available shades: 7

“Milky toners are all the rage right now, and Prequel’s affordable offering is as good (if not better) than a lot of pricey, buzzy options,” shares Fiegel of this liquid moisturizer. Created by board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Samantha Ellis, the liquid emulsion mixes a skin barrier-restoring ceramide complex with peptides and amino acids for dewy, plump skin. “It’s great solo when skin feels oily, or it can be easily layered when you need extra hydration,” Fiegel confirms of the lightweight moisturizer, which is fragrance-free and hypoallergenic.

For a contour product that doesn’t require any brushes to get chiseled cheekbones and a defined jawline, Fiegel recommends one of these creamy sculpting sticks. “It’s both easy to apply and blend on cheeks, but I also love it on the lids for undetectable makeup looks,” she shares of its many uses. And if you’re worried about ending up looking orange, Fiegel confirms all three shades are cool-toned to create a natural shadow effect that better defines your features.

• Available shades: 3

If you want supermodel-level glowing skin (and really, who doesn’t?), this sunscreen serum is here to help you out. Model and Kora Organics founder, Miranda Kerr, once told me that she spent five years perfecting this hybrid formula, which protects your skin with SPF 30 using the mineral sunscreen filter zinc oxide. At the same time, it serves as a smoothing makeup primer with moisturizing ingredients like chia seed oil, raspberry seed oil, and aloe vera. The sun drops are cruelty-free and vegan, and true to the Kora Organics brand, it’s also Ecocert/COSMOS-certified organic and climate neutral-certified.