Problem: The nail polish color that you just have to have on your toes right now is locked away in a bottle that won't budge.

Solution: Rubber Band

If you're having trouble opening a nail polish bottle, wrap rubber bands around the top for a better grip. If this doesn't loosen it, try dabbing some nail polish remover around the brush handle.

Problem: I've never gotten to the bottom of a nail polish bottle, so my nail polish collection just keeps growing over the years. The only time I throw a bottle away is when it becomes clumpy and coagulated, making it impossible to smoothly lacquer over my nails.

Solution: Nail Polish Thinner/Remover

The next time your favorite nail polish goes all cottage cheese on you, try adding nail polish thinner. You can pick it up at Sally Beauty Supply for $4.29.

The quick fix? Add in a little nail polish remover. Keep in mind that the high water content of the remover will cause polish to separate over a long period of time, but if you're planning on tossing it soon anyway, it's a good temporary solution.

Problem: On a hot summer day, your makeup tends to slide right off your face. The same thing can happen to makeup that's been left sitting out in the sun.

Solution: A New Container

If your lipstick has been rendered un-wearable by the elements, scoop it out of its container and transfer it to a small pot, like this or this from The Container Store. This also applies if you, like me, like to get every last drop out of that $34 lipstick, but the product is too far down in the tube. Use a toothpick or q-tip to scoop it out.

Problem: My editor handed me two broken hairspray bottles she's been holding onto, even though their pump sprayers haven't worked in years, with the assignment, "Fix them." Some editorial assistants fetch coffee. I fix hairspray.

Solution: Hot Water

I removed the nozzle, ran it under hot water, and voila! She now has access to all that hairspray the clogged nozzle had been holding prisoner.

Problem: Without a nozzle, an aerosol can is like a heavily guarded fortress. If yours is lost or broken, you don't need to puncture it to get the product waiting inside.

Solution: Play Musical Caps with Your Hairspray

The good news: Pretty much all aerosol can nozzles are created equal -- as in, they're the same universal size. I tested this on three of my aerosol cans -- all of the caps worked on every can. So all you have to do is pluck one from one can to replace the broken one.