Eight hour plus flights are never kind. You should have politely declined the offer of a third wine and in the blur of last-minute travel plans, those essential grooming products ended up in your check-in luggage. You’ve also got just 15 minutes to freshen up before hailing a taxi to your next meeting or impressionable first date. Ah, a life lived in transit is a glamorous one indeed.

Time may not be on your side, but the run-of-the-mill airport bathroom could be. Resourcefulness is the weapon of the ill prepared, so prepare to make good use of the hand dryer, sink, soap, those brown eco paper towels and a rogue deodorant or lip gloss if you’re lucky. It’s not ideal, but it can be done. Here’s how to do it (without scooping up half of duty free first):

Hair:
Restore volume and add extra oomph to hair by locking yourself in a bathroom stall and carrying out a series of wild hair flicks. Keep the lid closed while carrying out such movements; dipping your ends in the toilet bowl isn’t part of the plan. If the room is vacant, risk looking like a lunatic and stoop to employ the whoosh of the hand dryer as your personal GHD Air.

Those with shorter hair can smooth and tame by running warm water over hands, and then combing through any tufts that have gone wayward. If you have product in your hair, dampen it and use to re-shape.

Eyes:
If there’s anything to focus on, make it the eyes; they’re not called the windows to the soul for nothing. Dab around the eye area with cold water, and then implement the same circulation-boosting massage techniques your facialist taught you to do with eye cream.

Face:
If eyeliner and mascara have smeared South, wipe away panda eyes with brown paper towels as best you can, and leave the rest of your face as it is. Lads, a splash of cold water will do wonders to restore life to your complexion

Caught out by shiny, blotchy skin? Those brown paper towels also make excellent oil absorbent sheets. Blot away until the sheen has disappeared.

Clothes:
With no spare change of wrinkle-free clothes and nary a private lounge to be found, you’ll need to revert to more primitive methods of reinvigorating your travel outfit. Put a splash of water on any stubborn creases, pull the fabric tight, and hold it under the hand dryer.