Make-up for cold sufferers

If you’re having one of those ‘ouch - h-e-l-p!’ moments when your sniffle develops into a full-blown, streaming, Rudolph-the-Red-Nose-Reindeer snorter, with flaky bits, watery eyes and the rest, we have first aid! The wonderful Jenny Jordan (www.jennyjordan.com/020-7483 2222) - whose Hampstead salon is a must-go for everyone in search of seriously good advice on make-up, eyebrow shaping and all things beauty-related - gives her 10 simple tips below.

If you’re at home, you probably have all your favourite skin care and make-up products to hand, but because the dreaded lurgy may have struck at work, Jenny suggests great value items, all available at your nearest high street chemist (e.g. Boots and Superdrug)

Exfoliate gently to remove flaky and/or dry skin. Try moisturising St Ives Elements Olive Scrub, £4.99 for 150 ml, which is mild enough to use all over your face.

Moisturise thoroughly. No 7 Protect & Perfect, £23, is light in texture but rich enough to do the job. It works well as a primer as well as a moisturiser. Or try Astral or Nivea, which do the job just fine – and come in at under £3. OR you could even massage in a few drops of olive oil.

Create a flattering base. It may be tempting but don't try to camouflage the damage: you will end up with that ‘mask’ look - aim for light and fresh. Stroke on and blend in Maybelline Dream Fresh 8 in 1 BB (Bare and Beautiful) Cream, £7.99; this lightweight product blurs imperfections, smooths wrinkles and gives skin an expensive-looking glow. It comes in four shades – Jenny recommends Medium for most skin tones.

OR try Max Factor’s Face Finity All Day Flawless 3 in 1 Foundation in six shades, £11.99, a really effective lightweight gel foundation to ‘lift’ tired skin. The 3 in 1 bit means, they say, that it includes a primer, concealer and foundation.

Conceal. Dot concealer where you need – around your nose, under and around eyes (particularly in the dark corners either side of your nose), and over lids, tapping gently in with your ring or little finger. Try Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer, £7.49, in three shades.

Curl eyelashes. Jenny recommends Cosmopolitan Maximum Effect Lash Curler, from Superdrug, £4.19. Then brush out brows - a toothbrush works well... – and apply brow pencil/powder if you need.

Ease itchy red eyes with soothing eye drops. There are lots available on counter from brands including Optrex, Murine and Boots Pharmaceuticals: to really perk up eyes, try the ones with ‘sparkling’ in the name.

Apply eyeshadow. First, pat lids gently with a single sheet of tissue so you have a matte finish. When choosing eye shadow shades, avoid blues, purples, pinks, greys and sludge-y colours – they just make the ‘cold-y’ look much worse. Try Max Factor Smoky Eye Effect Eyeshadow in Bronze Haze, £5.49, a clever double-ended, lipstick-shaped, twist-up duo of shimmery Oyster – perfect for lightly up your eyelids, and a soft bronze which you can use for subtle shaping along the lashline (push it into the base of the lashes) and in the eye socket. The watchword here is blend, blend, blend – you don't want any bananas in your eye socket.

Add a sweep of mascara. Choose a waterproof option, in brown/black, to avoid a panda look if/when your eyes stream: Rimmel does a fine range including 100% Waterproof Mascara, about £5, as does Max Factor with their Masterpiece Waterpoof Mascara in Black/Brown, £9.99. NB Wriggle mascara up the lashes for great coverage.

And blusher/bronzer... With a large soft blusher brush, dust very lightly on to cheeks – you are aiming for a cloud of muted colour rather than patches or stripes! If you are looking pale and wan, also stroke softly round your hairline and under your chin and brows. Jenny recommends No 7 Perfectly Bronzed Mosaic, £11.50.

Finish with lipstick. Avoid anything too dramatic: the most flattering product is a soft rose-tinted lip gloss or balm, or sheer lippy. Have a play to see what suits you best, but make sure it's got a really comforting, lip-softening texture.

NB Click on any of the links above to find the products on-line.

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