The best new beauty time-savers: you're a Cosmo girl, which means you have places to be and people to meet. So stop slaving over your looks, and use these genius shortcuts. You'll get the same gorgeous results with a lot less effort.(BEAUTY BOOK)(Buyers guide)

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1 Make Your Manicure Dry Faster

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"A salon manicure can take up to 30 minutes to fully dry because of the thick coats applied," explains NYC manicurist Jin Soon. Hurry things up at home by choosing a pale shade, like baby pink (try Sephora by OPI in A True Romantic, $9), rather than a dark hue that takes longer to set. Wipe the excess polish off the brush against the mouth of the bottle, then apply three thin stripes, working left to right on your nail. Seal with a quick-drying topcoat, and blast nails with a blow-dryer on the cold setting for several minutes.

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2 Shorten Your Nighttime Skin-Care Routine

"Even when you're exhausted after a night out, you need to remove makeup to prevent breakouts and irritation," says L.A. dermatologist Gregory Van Dyke. To do it in double time, choose a face wash with glycolic acid, which cleanses, exfoliates, and brightens your complexion. Now all you have to do is moisturize. If your skin tends to be oily, swipe on a product with salicylic acid to tone down grease. On the dry side? Look for a lotion with hydrating hyaluronic acid. The last touch: Slick on lip balm so your mouth isn't flaky when you wake up.