9 Fast-Track Beauty Fixes
By Didi Gluck
Photo Credit: Greg Delves
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No time to wait for results? We combed the country for the newest ways to treat everything from dull hair to dimply thighs — quickly — then asked a few brave souls to put them to the test. The outcome? Nothing short of miraculous.
#1
You want: Shiny hair
Speedy solution: A Kérastase Chroma Perfect salon treatment, $35 to $60
When it comes to insta-sheen, "This is going to replace the gloss," predicts Roman Kusayev, a stylist at the Butterfly Studio salon in New York City. Not only does the professionally applied remedy lay down a layer of light-reflective silicone, it also removes dulling buildup from color and styling products. Your stylist simply paints a special solution onto your tresses after your color service (though it can be applied to non-color-treated hair as well). After a few minutes it's rinsed out, and you're left with superlustrous locks. For information, see kerastase.com.
Road-tester remark: "It made my fried, brittle hair shiny, soft and healthy for weeks." —Kate, 23
Lower-cost option: Top dry tresses with Kenra Platinum Silkening Mist, $15, for a brilliant finish.
#2
You want: Fuller lips
Speedy solution: Restylane injections, $450 and up for the amount required to plump your pout
This FDA-approved hyaluronic-acid filler gives "wonderful and immediate" results, says Yone Tierney, director of training and development at Skin Klinic, a spa in NYC. On the downside, you may require topical lidocaine to numb the area preinjection, and you could swell or bruise at the injection site. On the upside, since hyaluronic acid is found naturally in your body, there's little risk you'll suffer an allergic reaction to it. Results last up to six months. For information, see restylane.com.
Road-tester remark: "In a word: unbelievable. I watched my lips growing." —Didi, 34
Lower-cost option: Smooth on Kinerase Lip Treatment, $38. With repeated use, it can increase your lips' surface area.
