People often warn against taking shortcuts in life. And yes, cutting corners on your taxes is probably not the best way to go. But don't be fooled - when it comes to the world of hair, makeup and nails, there is an abundance of beauty hacks that are sure to make your life easier.

1. To minimize post-manicure clean up, coat cuticles with petroleum jelly before polishing your nails.

2. For smooth application and beautifully blended shadow, prep eyelids with loose powder before applying pigmented eye shadow.

3. To smooth settled makeup, pat a moistened makeup sponge over any areas that need a midday refresh.

4. Use a business card lined up to bottom of your upper lash line to create the perfect wing on your cat eye.

5. Polish nails from pinky to index finger to avoid accidental smudging and leave the thumb bare until you've finished the other fingers to clean up mistakes.

6. To enhance your smile and combat downturned, drooping lips, apply concealer to the outer corners of the mouth.

7. For healthy, frizz-free hair, swap your towel for an old, super-soft T-shirt when drying your hair.

8. Dunk your fingertips in ice water to harden fresh nail polish and speed up your manicure drying time.

Do you have any surprising beauty hacks to add to our list? Share them below.

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