Streamline your beauty regime

Body
1. Brush your teeth or cleanse your face while waiting for your hair conditioner to work.

2. Save time and money by doing away with expensive body exfoliators, and rather invest in a pair of exfoliating bath gloves that can be kept near the bath or in the shower.

3. An instant self-tan solution is just one spray away. Almay bare-it-all legs (R99,95) goes on evenly, dries in a minute and won't come off unless you wash it off with soap and water. It's also fabulous for hiding spider veins.

Nails
4. Use quick-drying nail polish like L'Oréal Jet-Set Diamant (R59,95), Rimmel 60 Seconds Vinyl Shine (R35) or Maybelline Express Finish (R45,95).

5. If you still cannot wait for your nail polish to dry, Sharlene suggests that you give your nails a quick blast with a hairdryer, or you could try Revlon Nail Care Perfect Finish 60 Seconds Quick Dry Spray (R79,95).

6. Similar to lipstick, a lighter shade of nail polish is a better choice when you're rushing. Smudges or imperfect lines around the nails will be a lot less noticeable than in a darker colour.

7. "Topcoat will seal and protect your nail polish," advises Sharlene, "but if you just want a quick slick of colour, it won't hurt to skip this step."

8. Remove nail polish in a flash with the dip-and-twist varieties of nail-polish remover. Simply stick your finger into the acetone-soaked sponge and give it a quick twist.

9. If you don't have time to buff away ridges in your nails, just apply a smoothing base coat. Apply two coats of Yardley Flawless Nails Ridge Filler (R32).

Hair
10. Use a powerful hairdryer. Hair stylist Gareth Johns says nothing less than 1 800W will do. "It's not the heat, but the power that matters. You need a powerful blast of air to create the style you want quickly."

11. Rescue greasy blonde hair with a shake of talcum powder to the roots. Only brush out the powder after two minutes to give it time to absorb the oil.

12. Style and blow-dry only your fringe and the face-framing strands of hair to save time. Leave the rest to dry naturally.

13. Fake a healthy gloss by smoothing a tiny drop of serum over the top section of your hair. Gareth warns, "Take care not to overdo it as you could end up with too much grease."

14. If you regularly straighten your hair, Gareth says you can save time in the morning by doing most of it the night before. "When you wake up, just redo the top and front parts."

15. Use the right products for your hairstyle. Wella System Professional Repair Cream 30 Seconds (R139) or Giovanni Smooth As Silk Conditioner (R105) will prepare your hair, and make styling easier.

A matter of minutes
If you don’t have a lot of time to get ready, try some of these tips: