Quick fixes for beauty blunders

Squeezing the bejesus out of a spot
Fix it: The best advice is not to squeeze in the first place. But hey - you've gone and done it - what now? 'Apply TCP and wait for the area to dry,' Barbara advises. 'Then apply concealer to the red area and over the base of the spot. See how this looks before applying loose powder - you don't want it to look crusty. Minimising the redness is the best way to disguise a blemish - and make sure you wait until it's stopped 'weeping''.

Manky nails
Fix it: 'Never make the mistake of thinking your other glossily polished nails will hide the one that's chipped,' says Barbara. 'Carry the polish with you so you can touch up if needs be. If this sounds too high maintenance, ditch the glossies altogether and use a clear shade.' This season's bright polishes will brighten up the appearance of the skin on your feet, too, if life's too short for pumice stones.'

Overdone or streaky self-tan
Fix it: 'There are products on the market that claim to remove fake tan disasters but it's a chemical reaction that turns you brown and, once that's started, there's not much that can be done,' says Barbara. 'Get yourself into the shower with a loofah and exfoliate really well will a creamy body wash to help slough away dead skin cells. If you're out and about a light-reflecting product will even out skintone and disguise any major streaks.' For the face, use a tinted moisturiser to even out colour, but avoid further cheek colour or bronzer - instead go for nude eye and lip colour so that it looks as fresh as possible. Emphasise eyes so the attention is drawn there. Or you could just don huge shades and wait for the paparazzi to mistake you for a celeb?