Taking a shower takes up your time, energy and water, and then leaves you to deal with your soaking wet body and hair. And there are days when that’s a far bigger commitment than we can handle. Taking the occasional waterless shower is a great way to achieve shower-fresh status without getting wet. Plus, you’ll nourish your hair with natural oils and save water. Here’s how to complete a typical shower routine sans eau.

Step 1: Exfoliate

This step is for all the body and face scrub fans out there who crave baby smooth skin, but it’s an optional step. For everything below your décolletage, give dry brushing a try. All you have to do is gently brush your skin with a body brush. Dry brushing will not only remove dead cells, it’ll also increase blood flow. For your face, neck and chest, you can use a clean washcloth to rub even more gently.

Step 2: Cleanse

If you want to master of the art of laziness waterless showering, you’ll need to invest in cleansing cloths. These little guys will make your life so much easier. All you need to do is wipe your body and face down with wipes. Give special attention to your more aromatic areas (armpits) and don’t forget to wipe behind your ears.

Step 3: Powder

Some people like to finish showers with a little powder; for example, baby powdering their underarms. The cleansing cloths will offer just enough moisture for powder to be absorbed if you’re into that. However, the real star of the waterless shower is dry shampoo, an oil-absorbing powder for the hair (it typically comes in an aerosol spray). Apply dry shampoo to greasy roots, bangs, etc., and no one will even guess you skipped a shower. It’s like magic.

Step 4: Moisturize

Apply lotion or body oil to your skin as you normally would after a shower. However, since you didn’t soap up, chances are you won’t need as much, so proceed lightly. If you want to add a little extra luster to your hair or went a tad too far with the dry shampoo (it is pretty fun to spray!), add some oil or styling cream to the ends of your hair. Stick to the bottom three-quarters of your hair, though, because putting product too close to your roots will undermine your water-saving dry shampoo job.

Step 5: Scent

Apply your usual deodorant, essential oil or perfume. It may sound obvious, but applying deodorant to clean underarms will keep you fresh longer. Also, scents from oils and perfumes will last longer on moisturized skin.

Step 6: Dress

I know this is a no-brainer (and should apply even after a wet shower), but it has to be said: Make sure you wear clean clothes (undergarments especially).

And there you have the waterless shower. For an even lazier stealthier waterless shower, keep dry shampoo and cleansing cloths on hand for quick, on-the-go freshening.

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

Time to spring forward into a new hair and beauty regimen! The intensive products that gave dull, dry winter hair and skin a lift are no longer necessary as the sun comes out and temperatures heat up. Here, before you head to the drugstore or beauty counter, is a wrap-up of the products you should ditch, those that can stick around and the hair and makeup must-haves to look your most beautiful this spring.

Hair

Warmer temperatures typically mean more moisture in the air, so less hydration is required from your hair care products. “Let up on heavy conditioners that can weigh hair down, particularly if you have naturally oily hair,” says Monaé Everett, celebrity hair and makeup artist who counts tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams among her clients. Look for products that create soft and flowy hair, which is the tress trend this spring.

What to toss: Deep conditioning masks.

What to keep: Shine serums and argan oil, for a light sheen. For versatility, Everett suggests seeking out products that can be used on wet or dry hair.

What to invest in: Leave-in conditioner for a lighter hair moisturizer, and a heat protectant to shield hair from your blow-dryer and the sun.

Makeup

Say goodbye (at least for now) to pastels and muted tones. “It’s all about bright colors this spring, like neon orange and cobalt blue,” says Everett. Just as importantly, you’ll want products that work double duty to protect your skin from the increasing exposure to the sun.

What to toss: Creamy makeup purchased in the fall, as well as dark or muted lip and eye colors.

What to keep: BB cream or tinted moisturizer, which are easy to apply, lightweight and serve many purposes in a flash. “Glowing skin is in for spring,” says Everett.

What to invest in: Moisturizer or lip cream containing SPF to serve as your first base. Follow with a fun spring color such as sapphire eye shadow or tangerine lipstick. Just be sure never to wear these bold hues together.

Ready to get gorgeous for spring? We know. There’s still snow on the ground, freezing cold temperatures and winds threatening to lift you off the ground. So it’s the perfect time to make a cup of hot cocoa, settle into your favorite chair and start daydreaming about the prettiest looks for spring and summer. Here are some of our favorite picks among the warm-weather beauty trends.

Bright Orange Lips

It seemed like orange was the color of every other model’s lips on the Spring 2014 catwalk. John Galliano, Donna Karan, Nanette Lepore, Rag & Bone and Prabal Gurung all featured citrus-colored pouts. Here, Jennifer Hudson shows how it’s done in real life. Feeling a little shy? Start with a gloss in a tangerine hue.

Minimal Makeup

A (nearly) bare face is one of the strongest beauty trends for spring and summer.

Olivia Wilde kept her makeup to the minimum even at the ultra-glam Costume Institute Gala. The key to making naked chic: healthy glowing skin and the deft use of no-makeup makeup like concealer and skin primer.

Orchid Hues

Pantone named radiant orchid the color of 2014. It may seem like a daunting hue to play with, but a touch on lips, nails, cheeks or eyes looks fresh and modern. At a Hollywood premiere of her movie 12 Years a Slave, Lupita Nyong’o showed off glistening hothouse lips and smoky lilac eyes.

Cat Eyes

Meow! Winged liner is still going strong in summer and spring. But this year’s cat eyes no longer look retro. Instead, done with precision, they’re elegant, clean and completely fresh. Emmy Rossum, at the Critics’ Choice Awards, took top honors for purr-fect eyes!

Disheveled Updo’s

Sleek is neat, but undone is sexy and ideal for every day. The updo and the pony are going out of bounds, with tendrils and pieces set loose. Cameron Diaz chose the un-do when she promoted her new book, The Body Book, in New York.

Deep Side Parts

It’s dramatic, effortless and almost universally flattering. We’re talking about the deep side part, which has been holding center stage as a hair trend for a couple of seasons now. When Amy Adams picked up the Lacoste Spotlight Award at the Costume Designers Guild Awards, she was a case study in how to do a deep part perfectly -- align it with the arch of your eyebrow. 

 

We’ve all been there: You spend an hour achieving a gorgeous, frizz-free blowout, only to wake up to a crinkled, limp mess. But don’t worry. There’s an easy fix! Using the right techniques and products -- starting before you even touch the blow-dryer -- will help you maintain your style for days.

Prep
The most important step to achieving a long-lasting blowout is a good wash. “Without a clean head of hair, your blowout will not last, and is likely to get oily quicker if there is any residue left from previous products,” says Jacqueline Romero, salon manager at BLOWN, a blow dry salon in Beverly Hills, Calif. Look for products that work with your hair type, she adds. Dry hair craves products that add moisture and shine, such as a shampoo with shine-boosting argan oil. For flat hair, use something with a bit of grip, or products that add body, such as silicone-free volumizing shampoo.

Technique
For a smooth look with added bounce, Romero suggests this blow-dry technique: Flip your head and rough-dry your hair, focusing on getting the roots dry to maintain the lift. Using either a large round brush or vented paddle brush, section the hair into four quadrants. Lay the hair onto the brush, and angle your blow-dryer to keep the hair on the bristles. Move from the roots through the mid-shaft to the ends while continuously turning the brush. Repeat until hair is dry. Tip: If you have bangs or a fringe, blow-dry that part first.

Maintenance
Lightly top off your flowing locks with a shine serum. “Apply just to the ends of the hair, avoiding extra oil at the roots,” Romero says. When your hair hits the “oily” day, use a dry-shampoo. “Your blow-out will last up to 2 days longer with a dry shampoo,” Romero says. To apply, make long horizontal sections in hair and spray shampoo into the first inch of the root. Brush through to disperse product. Tip: Sleep on satin pillowcases to prevent frizz.

Want to be red-carpet beautiful? This year’s Golden Globes showed that it’s possible, even for those of us who don’t have a glam squad of hair and makeup pros. “The look was pretty, subtle and chic,” says Hollywood makeup artist Julia Papworth. “For women watching at home, recreating the trends they liked will be much more achievable than in past years.” Gone were the smoky eyes, the contoured bronzer and the over-the-top lashes. In their place were understated sweeps of color and polished but unfussy hair.

Here, with tips, are Papworth’s favorite looks of the night.

Sandra Bullock

“I love the side ponytail!” says Papworth. “It’s clean and elegant. And Sandra didn’t go overboard on her makeup either. She looks fresh and pretty and like she’s not trying too hard.”

Tip: Women are sometimes afraid to match their lip color to their clothes. But here, Papworth says, Bullock’s deep pink lip is the perfect complement to the pink bodice of her Prabal Gurung gown. “If she had chosen a gloss, it would have been too much,” says Papworth, “but the soft matte is perfect. The trick is to pick a lip shade in the same color family as your dress. Don’t try for a perfect match.”

Reese Witherspoon

“She went simpler on hair and makeup than she has at other red carpet appearances and by default she looks younger,” says Papworth.

Tip: The anchor of this beautiful look is Reese’s blunt angled bob. To keep that style fresh, you’ll need frequent trims and healthy ends. A reparative product like a split end cream is a maintenance must-have. 

Lupita Nyong’o

She might have been new to the red carpet, but the 12 Years a Slave star won top raves for her show-stopping appearance. Her minimalist but regal caped Ralph Lauren ensemble was a knockout, and her strong brow, bold red lip and side-parted ’do complemented the gown’s striking lines perfectly. “Her skin looks amazing,” says Papworth. “She absolutely glows!”

Tip: For skin that gleams, “don’t be afraid of cream blush,” says Papworth. “Apply it right to the apple of the cheek and set it with a dusting of translucent powder so it doesn’t move.”     

Amber Heard

In a stunning navy blue Atelier Versace gown, the actress (and girlfriend of one Johnny Depp) flashed a lot of leg, as well as an eye-catching teased updo. “This updo looks just right from every angle -- front, sides and back,” says Papworth. “And what makes it work is balance. Amber’s brow is soft, her lips and cheeks are a muted rosy pink and there’s even some soft pink in her eye shadows. If she was wearing stronger makeup colors, it would have thrown the whole look off.”

Tip: Take a good look in the mirror before you head out for a glamorous night, and “if something looks off,” says Papworth, “try removing a piece of jewelry or softening your lip. Sometimes your eye sees that something is out of whack, and it can take a few tries to pinpoint just what it is.”