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.

When it comes to touching up your hair and makeup at work, scrubbing your face clean and starting from scratch is not an option. So we asked some of Hollywood’s top makeup artists and hairstylists for makeup tips on how to make the transition from sedate to dramatic while using the least amount of products.

The Best Touchups Begin at Home
By doing barely there makeup in the morning, you cut the risk of creasing and caking later in the day. So start with a tinted moisturizer or a sheer foundation, followed by a primer-and-mascara duo (which should deliver a long-lasting coat that doesn’t need a second one) and a neutral, rosy lipstick. “Pack the items you’ll need for the evening: a dark lipstick if you’re planning on a strong mouth, eyeliner and smoky eye shadow if you plan on strong eyes instead, translucent powder to absorb shine and an eyebrow pencil with a spooly brush on one end,” says Tonya Crooks, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist who grooms the brows of Megan Fox.

Refresh Your Complexion
Whether you’re coming in from a long lunch or heading out the door for the evening, the linchpin of the touchup is clean, healthy-looking skin, says Crooks. Job No. 1 is to cancel out imperfections: Blot out breakthrough shine with oil-absorbing rice-paper tissues. If your skin is dry, spray your face with rosewater and redistribute your existing foundation with a clean makeup sponge. Cover blemishes or dark circles with a creamy light-reflecting concealer, rub a little cream blush onto the apples of your cheeks and set everything with a light dusting of translucent pressed powder (or the talc-covered side of the rice-paper tissues).

Eyeliner for Evening
The quickest way to define your eyes at night is with eyeliner, says Eugenia Weston, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist. “Use a gel liner because it goes on creamily and gives you some playtime, unlike liquid eyeliner that dries so fast it demands precision,” she says. “Using a fine eyeliner brush, draw the line gradually thicker as it approaches the outer edge of the lid, and add a small cat-eye wing if you like.

“Fill in your brows with an eye pencil and brush them upward with the spooly end. And if you’re going for a strong eye, which I think you should because dim restaurant lighting calls for it, stroke on eye shadow in deep plummy brown, eggplant or espresso. If you must have more mascara, wet your fingers slightly to moisten your lashes and soften the old coat. Let dry, and then apply a new one, separating lashes with a tiny metal comb.”

Hair Care in a Hurry
“If your locks are droopy or oily, spray the roots with a dry shampoo and brush out thoroughly,” says stylist Lia Dominguez of the Tom Brophy salon in Beverly Hills. (Dry shampoo will add volume and traction for styling.) Using a rat-tail comb, tease the top for a little height and secure your hair into a French twist with four bobby pins.

High Style
“After work, give your hair a good brushing and gather it up into a high Barbie ponytail, which can look fun and youthful,” says Christopher Dove, creative director of The Doves salon in Santa Monica, Calif. “It also gives a nice sleek curve to the back of your head.” Final touchup tip: Ditch the plain brown or black elastic band for a slightly wider fabric-covered one in a color that coordinates with your blouse, dress, shoes or purse.

With all the great products on the market, it’s easy to amass quite a beauty stash. When they’re kept too long, however, cosmetics can go from enhancing your clear complexion to compromising it with funky colors and smells -- plus they can spread bacteria.

“Over time, preservatives stop working efficiently and it’s possible for staph, fungus and yeast to contaminate makeup that’s been stored past its prime,” says New York City-based dermatologist Francesca Fusco. So resolve to keep your get-glam arsenal well-edited and up-to-date this year.

First thing’s first. These are the key items to have in your makeup bag, says Global Creative Design Director Pat McGrath of Procter & Gamble: foundation, concealer, powder, bronzer or blush, eye shadow, eyeliner, “bold” and “safety” lip colors, and mascara. Now use this cheat sheet to figure out when to toss different beauty products. Begin the countdown when you first open the product.

Foundation: Six Months to 18 Months
If you live in a hot, humid climate, liquid or cream foundation can break down in as little as six months. “Pitch foundation if there is separation or if the liquid starts to get grainy or extra-thick,” says celebrity makeup artist Sue Devitt. Stored in a cool place (not under the lights of your medicine cabinet), liquid foundation can stay fresh for as long as a year.

Powder-formula foundations will last an additional six months, as long as you wash the sponge applicator weekly.

Tip: Sniff your foundation when you buy it. “If the smell changes at all, toss it,” advises celebrity makeup artist Joanna Schlip, who has worked with Sandra Bullock and Sarah Jessica Parker. “It’s not worth holding on to the product and risking a breakout.”

Concealer: Six Months to One Year
Powder and stick concealers last a year, but liquid formulas should be replaced in half that time. Again, watch for shifts in color, consistency or scent.

Pressed Face Powder: Up to Two Years
Moisture or oil from your face can transfer back to the compact as you perfect your complexion, so prolong the life of face powder by cleaning your brush weekly with shampoo or a mild detergent, or replacing sponge or puff applicators when they become soiled from use. While pressed powders can last as long as two years, they should be discarded if a hard film forms on the surface of the powder before then, says Schlip.

Blush/Bronzer: Six Months to Two Years
A powder bronzer or blush will impart pure, true color for up to two years. Consider liquid blush or bronzer to be expired after 12 months. Cream blushes or bronzer often come in a pot or compact that you swipe with your fingers, so be alert to texture changes as soon as six months and discard after a year.

Powder Eye Shadow: Up to Two Years
Like face powder, these can be kept through two birthdays. Just be sure to practice clean-tool maintenance, says Fusco, so you don’t pick up bacteria from the moist eye area and transfer it back to the shadow pot or compact.

Liquid Eyeliner: Three Months to One Year
If your liner is drying out and you can no longer achieve a flirty Bardot cat-eye, you may need to say farewell at the three-month mark. However, liner can safely be used for a full year. “You’ll know it’s still good if it applies smoothly,” Schlip says.

Eye Pencils: One to Two Years
Luckily, your cache of colorful pencils can stick around a while. Most have a wax base, and bacteria can’t grow on wax, notes Devitt. Tip: Sharpen once a week to keep pencils fresh.

Mascara: Three to Six Months
As soon as the smell is off or the wand is nearly dry when you pull it out, it’s time for the heave-ho. “Mascara is the most likely culprit for breeding bacteria,” says Fusco, “because it’s stroked so close to the mucus membrane under the base of the lashes.”

Lipstick: Up to Two Years
Those bold reds and deep berries you save for glamour nights will safely last through a couple of New Year’s Eves or Valentine’s Days, since lipsticks generally contain wax in their base.

Lip Gloss: One Year
Although, with frequent reapplication, you’ll likely go through your favorite shades way before then!