Disaster relief for hair
Our mom testers praised this great-smelling spray-on conditioner because it has two extra benefits: It's a lightweight detangler and a styling aid that both tames frizz and flyaways and adds shine. ( Matrix Biolage Daily Leave-In Tonic, $11)
Glossy tips, minus the chips
This hardworking polish is a two-way time-saver. It's done in a flash, since it blends base coat, color, and top coat in one bottle. And because it lasts longer, you're spared from doing touch-ups. (CoverGirl Continuous Color Nail Polish, $3 each; drugstores)
On-the-go makeup
A swipe of this sheer, creamy color can instantly brighten lips and cheeks. The small pot and two-in-one benefits make it a great product to carry for fast touch-ups. ( M*A*C Cream Colour Base, $15)
Grime stopper for skin
Our testers raved about these dual-purpose cleansing wipes, which are smooth on one side for makeup removal, textured with exfoliating beads on the other. Plus, they have a refreshing light cucumber scent. ( Pond's Exfoliating Cleansing Towelettes, $7)
A quick end to picked-over polish
Moms loved the ease and novelty of this spillproof, purse-size remover. The tiny container houses a soaked sponge. Dip each finger into it, twist back and forth, and voilà! -- your nail polish is gone. (Cutex Essential Care Twister Nail Polish Remover, $3; drugstores)
The superhero of hair dryers
This powerful hair dryer has "negative ion" technology, which supposedly breaks water into smaller drops that can be easily absorbed into hair for added moisture. This makes for gentle but speedy styling. ( Vidal Sassoon 1875-Watt Professional Digital Ion Dryer with Ceramic, $35)
Instant eye brightener
Eyeliner that glides on without tugging and stays put is hard enough to find, but this pencil does both -- and never needs sharpening. You just swivel it up, like a lipstick; the other end has a sponge tip so you can smudge it for a smoky look. Comes in 15 shades. ( Clinique Quickliner for Eyes, $15)
The world's fastest facial
In just one minute, this mask quickly absorbs excess oil and leaves skin soft and clean. Its warming ingredient, zeolite, gently heats up on your skin -- a relaxing bonus. ( Bioré Self-Heating Mask, $6)
Skin saver and more
This petrolatum-based moisturizer with glycerin gets our vote because it performs so many beauty functions -- from soothing extremely dry skin and chapped lips to taming unruly eyebrows. You can even mix it with shadow and blush to create glossier, sheer shades or try it on cuticles. ( Aquaphor Healing Ointment, $6)
Whitens your teeth between dropoff and pickup
With this at-home bleaching kit, you fill the dental molds with the bleaching gel and let them do their magic. Choose between using the treatment once for two hours, or breaking it up into shorter sessions over three days. ( Rembrandt 2 Hour White, $20)
