Trust us, even Kate Hudson has had a breakout at exactly the wrong moment. But whether you’re heading out for a job interview or a big night on the town, the last thing you need is an unpleasant surprise in the mirror. We went to the makeup artists and hairstylists who get the biggest celebrities ready for their close-ups, and we asked for advice on how to deal with some of the most common beauty predicaments.

Breakouts When Brooke Shields and Catherine Zeta-Jones have a big appearance coming up, they turn to New York City makeup artist Kimara Ahnert. Her favorite trick to banish blemishes? Place an ice pack over the pimple for a few minutes, then squeeze a little bit of eye drop solution over the zit to reduce redness. Let the solution dry for a few minutes before dabbing on concealer. Follow with a light layer of translucent powder to set the concealer and even out the skin. Hollywood makeup artist Jerrod Blandino, whose products Scarlett Johansson is a fan of, adds this caveat: “Do not pick the pimple. It's easier to cover when it's not punctured. And make sure that the concealer you are using is an exact match for your skin tone so it's undetectable.”

Blotchy skin Wake up with a road map of red splotches on your face? Don’t despair. With the right makeup, you can fake complexion perfection. First, apply moisturizer. “Use a product infused with naturally calming ingredients like chamomile, cucumber and aloe to soothe and alleviate redness,” Blandino suggests. Give that a few moments to sink in, then smooth on foundation. Pat concealer on any remaining red areas. Set with a dusting of translucent powder.

Puffy eyes Too much salt and not enough sleep can leave you with so much baggage under your eyes you’ll be tempted to call for a moving van. But before you cancel your plans and climb back into bed, try celebrity esthetician Scott Vincent Borba’s favorite trick: “Put your eye cream in the freezer for ten minutes before applying,” he says. “It will act as a cold compress. Choose one with light reflectors to help reduce the appearance of puffiness.”

Dark circles To treat those telltale under-eye rings, first head to the kitchen. Dampen tea bags, take a seat and apply the bags over your eyes for a few minutes. “The tannin in tea has been shown to reduce swelling and discoloration,” says Ahnert. “Then use a yellow- or peach-toned concealer to cancel out the purple or bluish color under the eye. Stay away from pink-toned concealers: They can actually make your circles more noticeable.” Models love this tip from Blandino: “Line the corners and rims of your eyes with a flesh- or nude-colored pencil to brighten and lighten the eye area.”

Over-plucked eyebrows Got a little tweezer-happy? Laura Geller, the New York City makeup artist who counts Mary-Louise Parker among her clients, suggests this: Fill in your brows with a brow powder that matches your natural hair color as closely as possible. If it’s too light or too dark, it will instantly give you away. When you apply it, extend the length of the brows on the outside for a more youthful appearance. Ahnert recommends applying the powder with a baby toothbrush for a more natural look and to whisk away any excess product. “Then brush a clear brow gel over the brows to give them a groomed and polished look,” she says. 

Rain on your (hair) parade You just spent 40 minutes blowing out your hair when a sudden downpour hits. Hats and scarves are one option, but New York City stylist Ted Gibson, who has tamed the locks of Eva Mendes,  Anne Hathaway and Angelina Jolie, prefers a more elegant solution. “Pull the hair back into a sleek ponytail,” he says, “use hair pins to twist it into a bun, and finish off with some hair spray.”  

Sure, stars like Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian and Blake Lively are blessed with natural beauty. But make no mistake; they don’t tumble out of bed and onto the red carpet. Instead, they rely on their beauty team to help play up their assets and disguise their less-than-perfect parts. We asked a few top makeup artists for their best tips on getting your gorgeous on.

1. Dress your eyes from inner to outer corner, not bottom to top.
Long ago, most makeup artists tossed out the technique of applying different shades of eye shadow to the lid, the crease and just under the brow bone. For a modern look, apply color in a subtle graduation of lighter to darker, working horizontally -- not vertically -- says Sharona Rahimian, co-owner of Style Bar Beverly Hills, a hair and makeup studio. A fresh summer nighttime look: a touch of gold on the inner corner of the eye, a wash of pink on the lid, and a swipe of a darker color -- green, purple or bronze -- on the outer third of the eye, extending just past the corner.

2. Blush believably. “Perfect blush application is all about placement,” says New York City makeup artist Raychel Wade. “Ideally, you want the burst of color to be directly on the apples of your cheeks. A foolproof way of finding this is to nestle the brush directly under your eye pupil and across from the tip of your nose, and blend up and out 2 inches.”

3. Boost a bold mouth with concealer. When Hollywood makeup artist Brett Freedman uses lipstick in shades like red, plum or berry on celebrities such as Katharine McPhee, Lucy Liu and Patricia Heaton, he preps their mouths by applying a pale concealer over their lip lines before applying liner and lipstick. “It gives you a really crisp lip that’s a very grown-up look,” he says. Touch up after dinner by blotting lips with a tissue, then reapplying concealer, lip liner and lipstick.

4. Wear false eyelashes for the flirtiest fringe. Mascara goes a long way in adding length and fullness to the lashes you have, but it takes some extra enhancement to achieve those lush red-carpet lashes. “Nothing opens up the eye and offers the density and glamour of false eyelashes,” says Kerry Herta, an Emmy-nominated makeup artist. It takes just a little practice to master strip lashes; just remember to trim the strip to fit the length of your eye, and apply the teeniest amount of adhesive. To blend your real lashes with the false ones, trace a very thin line of liquid eyeliner at the base of your lashes and apply a final coat of mascara.

5. Shimmer, but just a little. For a super-flattering incandescent look, skip the sparkle and glitter and go for subtle sheen. Apply a touch of a highlighting powder or cream in gold, pink or champagne on the tops of your cheekbones, the bridge of your nose and just under your brow bone. If you have dark under-eye circles, you can add a dot of highlighter just under the center of your eyes too.

Don’t neglect your body. “Every inch of skin that’s exposed should have a bit of gleam to it,” says Freedman. That includes shoulders, arms, decolletage and collarbone. What’s more, a light veil of a luminescent body lotion “will scatter the light to hide flaws, like skin dimpling, and make every body part look a little more perfect,” he says. Secret tip: To make your legs look longer and leaner, put an extra stripe of highlighter up the front on your legs, along the shin bone.

Photo: Getty Images

Whether you’re straightening your curls, adding extensions or cutting brand-new bangs, you’ll need a few tweaks to your eyes, lips and cheeks. Star makeup artists share their easy-to-follow advice (no makeup bag overhaul needed!) on how to complement six common hair changes:

Straight Talk
If you’ve kissed your curls goodbye for just the night or for a few months, you’ll want to balance your sleek new tresses with soft makeup. “Straight hair creates severity, but you can soften your features by using translucent textures,” explains Houston makeup artist Carol Wagener. Think gloss instead of lipstick, and skip powder blush in favor of the creamy, put-it-on-with-your-fingers variety. There is, however, one area that requires a straighter edge: your lash line. “Go for crisp, lined eyes and lots of curl to lashes,” says celeb hair and makeup guru Brett Freedman, who has worked with Vanessa Hudgens and Kelly Clarkson, among others. “Sleeker hair begs for a more polished eye.”

Curls of Wisdom
When you’re sporting a spiraled style, take a tip from the writer Henry David Thoreau and simplify, simplify. “Hair with a lot of interest should be matched by clean, natural makeup with a blended finish,” Freedman says. Picture Jennifer Aniston when she complements her waves with a touch of peach gloss and a dusting of bronzer.

Start with a light application of your foundation and blend well. Curly hair can make your face look wider, so go light on blush or bronzer and keep it on the apples of your cheeks. Wagener adds that since curls are soft and billowy, “they tend to blur the angles of your face.” Create some structure with a well-defined mouth and eye. Keep brows fastidiously groomed, line your lashes with eye shadow or liner and give your lips a stand-out pop with rich berry or red gloss.

Great Lengths
If your mane falls well below your shoulders -- on its own or with the help of extensions -- “you need brightness in the cheeks and lips so you don’t fade away underneath that long hair,” says celeb makeup artist Kimara Ahnert, who has worked with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Gwyneth Paltrow. Adds Freedman: “It’s a great time to explore and be a bit adventurous with color.”

For inspiration, channel Drew Barrymore, who’s always changing up her look on the red carpet. (Remember her Marilyn-esque Golden Globes look with fuchsia lips and smoldering eyes?) Consider a bold accent, like the violet you’ve never touched, under your lower lashes. Play with metallics too. “A golden gloss over your favorite pink lipstick or a touch of champagne shimmer over your blush can really freshen up a look,” says Freedman.

Going Short
When you go under the scissors and make a dramatic chop à la Victoria Beckham or Rihanna, your face takes center stage. “You’ve got to play up your eyes and cheeks because those are the first things everyone sees,” says Wagener. “Plus, when you emphasize your femininity, you’re wearing your hair and not vice versa.”

The four steps to notice-me eyes: Fill in your brows with a brow pencil or powder, dot and wiggle liner along your lash lines, curl lashes and apply two coats of volumizing mascara. Then, to draw focus to the center of your face, create what Wagener calls a “banana split” on your cheekbones. How to: Sweep a neutral bronzer on your cheekbones in a long, upswept banana shape, then apply a bit of “whipped cream” (aka highlighting cream) just above cheekbones. Put the “cherry” on top with a dab of rosy blush on the apples of your cheeks.

Swept up
Wearing your hair off your face, in a slicked-back updo or a polished ponytail, is even more revealing than a short cut. The golden rule is blend, blend, blend, especially around the hairline and jawline -- two areas we often neglect, says celebrity makeup artist Maria Verel, who does Diane Sawyer’s makeup for “Good Morning America.”

Smooth obvious lines of demarcation, using a brush to blend powders, and the tip of your ring finger to soften any edges that cream foundation or blush may have left behind. And because you don’t have the fall of hair creating shadows, you’ll want to add some angles to your face. She suggests defining the cheeks and jaw with a dusting of bronzer in the shape of a “3” along the perimeter of your face. Start at your temple, then sweep across your cheekbones and along your lower jawline and neck.

Bang-up Job
Face-framing fringe is the equivalent of an extra facial feature, says Verel, and one you must factor in when you apply your makeup. “You can’t have three points of interest: lips, eyes and bangs,” she says. Since your bangs are a given, choose between making your eyes or lips the second focal point. Opting for eyes? Emphasize your eye color with a flash of drama by applying an unexpected shade of liner on the lower, inner rim. Use jade or navy for blue or hazel eyes, ruby for green and violet eyes, and gray for brown eyes. Or strengthen your lips with a strong hue. If you’ve always done a neutral or nude mouth, take baby steps to bold with sheer coral, plum or red gloss.

Want to look sensational all summer long? Just follow this simple beat-the-heat skin care, makeup and hair advice from the pros.

Summer Skin Care
You’ve swapped cashmere sweaters for cotton halters; now, lighten up on your moisturizer. With all that humidity in the air, you don’t need the rich creams that helped nourish winter’s parched skin. Instead, opt for light textures that will hydrate without clogging your pores. “Take your moisturizer down a notch,” suggests New York City esthetician Tom Woodhouse. “If you use a cream in the winter, try a lotion in the summer. Or, if you use a lotion or gel in January, switch to a serum or emulsion in July.” Since your skin tends to be oilier in summer, you might also consider switching to a mild foaming cleanser -- it’s hardworking, but still kind to the skin. “It will do the job of removing sunscreen and makeup,” says Woodhouse, “while also leaving your skin feeling fresh and clean.”

On weekends when you’re spending eight or 10 hours outdoors, it can be challenging to find an effective, long-lasting sunscreen that won’t make you break out. A mineral sunblock is a simple solution, says dermatologist Ellen Marmur, physician and author of Simple Skin Beauty: Every Woman’s Guide to a Lifetime of Healthy, Gorgeous Skin. “What’s great about mineral products -- if you have any kind of skin sensitivity -- is that they sit on the surface of the skin instead of being absorbed,” she says, “so they’re less likely to cause irritation or an allergic reaction.”

Summer Makeup
Swap winter’s full-cover foundation for a tinted moisturizer. Choose one with an SPF of 20 or more, and you can skip the sunscreen on days that you’re not spending hours outdoors. Then, camouflage trouble spots, like blemishes or dark circles, with a waterproof concealer, suggests New York makeup artist Raychel Wade. “With the combination of tinted moisturizer and waterproof concealer, you’ll still get the immaculate finish of high-coverage products,” she says, “but you won’t have to worry about your makeup breaking down in the heat.”

For nighttime, “having a little bit of glisten to the skin is a great modern look,” says celebrity makeup artist Brett Freedman. If you have fair skin, like Katy Perry, embrace it by opting for the luminous look of Hollywood sirens in old black-and-white films. Mix a sheer highlighting cream with your tinted moisturizer. Blend about one part glow to three parts base on the back of your hand and apply with a foundation brush. Top with a cheek tint or stain in ripe apricot or mango; just pat on the apples of your cheeks.

If you have medium to deep skin tones, blend a gel bronzer with your foundation, then top with a sweep of bronzing powder. “Apply the bronzer with a large fluffy brush, starting at the jaw line and swirling your way to your forehead,” says Freedman.

Summer Hair
Style your hair while you sleep. For a boho version of beachy waves, work a texturizing cream through damp hair, suggests Jet Rhys, a San Diego stylist and salon owner. Next, take random pieces of hair, make very loose pin-curls, and secure them to your head with bobby pins -- about a dozen sections in all. “When you wake up, just take out the bobby pins,” says Rhys, “and run your fingers gently through your hair. You’ll have tons of volume and texture.”

For a spur-of-the-moment nighttime look that’s both easy and glamorous, try a ponytail. Just be careful about placement, says Rhys. “Too high above the ears is too young,” she says, “and right at the ears is too casual. Low on the nape is stunning.” Wrap a thin, colored ribbon around the elastic, then spray the tail with a light-hold hairspray and smooth on a glossing cream. “The spray helps the cream stick so hair looks sleek and not messy,” says Rhys.

Photo Credit:@ iStockphoto.com/Sintez

With all that outdoor play under the midday sun, tennis takes a toll not only on elbows and knees, but also on skin and hair. Today’s younger players in the Women’s Tennis Association seem to be learning from the creased faces and fried hair of their older teammates. At this spring’s BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., where the dry desert air can feel like a sauna, we saw tennis bags bulging with sunblock and hair conditioner. So we asked the players to share a few beauty and makeup tips.

The Right Sunscreen Formula for Sports
Currently ranked No. 1 in the world, 20-year-old Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark has a peaches-and-cream complexion that she intends to keep. “I use a lot of sunscreen because I don’t want to get wrinkles,” she says, adding that she reapplies it to her “shoulders, arms, everything.” The only problem with being so diligent is that it can make her hands slippery. So out comes a bottle of alcohol-based hand sanitizer to dry her palms.

Says dermatologist Jessica Wu, author of Feed Your Face: Younger, Smoother Skin and a Beautiful Body in 28 Delicious Days: “Playing sports outdoors means you’ll most likely be sweating, so look for waterproof formulas that are less likely to melt off in the heat. Swimmers and heavy perspirers might like the new formulas designed to be sprayed onto wet skin. And please remember an SPF lip balm, since that skin is so thin it’s vulnerable to sun damage and skin cancer.”

Scorch-proof Your Hair
Known for her long glossy locks, 26-year-old Jelena Jankovic of Serbia uses a conditioning hair mask twice a week. “I leave it on for 15 minutes so that the moisture sinks in,” she says. “And when I play, I’ll spray a UV protectant on my hair.” Although she pulls her deep-chestnut hair into a high, tight ponytail on the court, we saw no signs of damaged hair or split ends. One possible reason is that darker pigments confer a protective benefit on hair. “Darker shades absorb UV light, unlike lighter shades, which let the hair’s proteins take the full insult,” says Jeni Thomas, principal scientist for Pantene. “In short, darker hair helps preserve hair’s natural strength.”

The surest way to shield hair from the sun’s rays -- whether you’re a brunette, blonde or redhead -- isn’t an option for the WTA players during competition: wearing a wide-brimmed hat. “In addition to regular conditioner and treatment usage, hats offer the best UV protection,” says Thomas.

Sun-smart Foods
No. 5-ranked Victoria Azarenka knows whom to thank for her long, blond locks. “I got good hair from my mom and grandmother, and I’m trying to take care of it,” says the 21-year-old from Belarus. Her healthy hair care regimen includes leave-in conditioner and heat-protectant spray.

Azarenka recently made a few headlines when The Tennis Channel peeked into her tennis bag and saw -- junk food! Fitness-obsessed fans were abuzz. But it brings up an important point: Eating healthy snacks has beauty benefits.

“If you load up on antioxidant-rich foods, particularly fruits and veggies, you’ll be giving your body the weapons it needs to fight the signs of aging and protect itself from UV rays,” says Wu. After all, she explains, the primary function of antioxidants in plants is to keep them from getting sunburned in the field.

While some of Wu’s favorite sources of antioxidants aren’t exactly tote-able to a workout (such as cooked tomatoes), those that are include green tea, apples, citrus fruits, berries and cherries.

Adds Wu: “We’ve all had times when we’ve forgotten to apply or reapply SPF, or we miss a spot, so eating the right foods can give you some backup protection. Just remember: It’s not a substitute for sunscreen.”

Photo: Getty Images