The type of mascara you choose really does make a difference to how lashes look. If you have short lashes, avoid thickening mascaras as they’ll make lashes appear stubby – and intead, choose a lengthening formula, which will add density and length.

If you’re unsteady of hand, don’t try using coloured polishes at home. You’re better off with clear or pale polish, where mistakes won’t be so obvious – brightly-coloured polish really needs to look even and perfect.

When blending cream shadows into the eyelid, use the third (ring) finger of the hand, which enables you to exert the least pressure without tugging on the skin of this very delicate zone.

If you’re still using cotton wool for cleansing, quit NOW: all it does is remove surface grime, advices superfacialist Sarah Chapman, who shares her absolute bottom-line advice on cleansing, here: ‘You need to massage an oil-based cleanser into the pores so it can mix with the natural sebum and grime and soften any blockages. Really use your fingertips and knuckles in brisk kneading and pinching motions. Once you’ve done that, splash with water, which liquefies the oil and lifts the excess out of the pores so it can be washed away.’

If a splinter is too tiny or too deep to remove with tweezers, avoid the agony of digging it out with a needle. Instead, cover the splinter with adhesive plaster. Leave for about three days, then remove the tape – and the splinter should come out painlessly.

Warm a treatment oil or hair mask in the microwave for a few seconds before use, and it’ll penetrate more effectively. (Just a one-dose amount, though; you don’t want to microwave the tub or tube itself repeatedly.)

Advice from Kate Winslet: ‘I tend to use two different shades of foundation, because your face is never all one colour…’

A new use for bath (or baby) oil: if a child comes home with chewing gum in his or her hair, don’t reach for scissors straightaway. Instead, rub lashings of oil oil into the gum, and it should loosen it up enough to comb out.

It isn’t just your phone that needs regular cleaning, to ensure that bacteria aren’t transferred to your face. If you allow your keyboard to become grubby, every time you touch your face you’ll be transporting microbes, too. Keep a pack of anti-bacterial wipes in your desk drawer and clean your keyboard (and your phone) once a week.

Plucking brows after a shower or bath is often less painful because the skin is softer – but alternatively, place a warm flannel over the skin for a minute or

The late (great) Kevyn Aucoin didn’t restrict use of blush to cheeks only – he liked to add a touch of creamy blush to the bridge of the nose and temples, adding a dab or two on collarbone and either side of the neck, right below the ears, for a natural ‘glow’.

Once a month, leave your nail polish off for a night and paint your nails and the surrounding skin lavishly with cuticle oil. It’s the manicure equivalent of using a hair mask. (Just be sure to remove every last trace of oil before varnishing them again.)

Whenever you’re applying eyeshadow, tilt your head back slightly when looking in the mirror – it’ll make the crease of your eye more visible, so it’s easier to apply the contour shade to the socket.

Suffering from post-workout breakouts? Chances are your make-up’s blocking your sweat glands, trapping the toxins you’re excreting. Remove foundation – but no need to take off eye make-up or lipstick – when you work out. After exercise, use a facial wipe to remove any perspiration, remoisturise and reapply your base.

Stress showing on your face? We’ve two suggestions. First, place your elbows on your desk and put cupped hands over your eyes to block out the light. Breathe deeply as you slowly count to 10. Or try this, based on shiatsu massage: inhale and grasp earlobes with your thumbs and forefingers. Then gently pull down and in as you slowly exhale.

When shaving your legs, use long strokes from ankle to knee, knee to hip. The fewer the strokes, the smaller the risk of nicking yourself.

If you’re having trouble getting through your eight glasses of water a day, try adding a peppermint tea bag or a few sprigs of mint to a tall glass of water (or a jug), Peppermint is great if you’re stressed; the smell helps to calm instantly. (And it’s also great for soothing an upset stomach.)

‘For firm facial muscles, chew a small carrot after your main meal until it liquefies in your mouth,' facialist Bharti Vyas once brilliantly advised us. 'It's a fantastic facial exercise and better at preventing sagging skin than any face cream.'

If you're a fan of body brushing, switch to a more delicate, softer facial brush for the décolletage and neck. Just 10 seconds of gentle, northward strokes will rid the neck of any dry, flaky skin.

If you're someone who meditates but you know you have a tricky week ahead – a packed schedule, travelling for work and/or staying in a hotel with noisy neighbours – pre-plan for failure. Happiness expert Gretchen Rubin recmmends that you anticipate as many challenges as you can and specifically think about what you'll do and say to overcome them. (For instance, a walking meditation in a nearby park, rather than trying to zone out the person in the neighbouring hotel room who's got breakfast TV on too loud...)

For a soothing soak, try Himalayan salts, which contain the same trace minerals as the body. 'As you bathe, they enter the body to replace lost minerals and diminish toxins,' says Anita Kaushal, co-founder of Mauli Rituals. She recommends adding to a warm bath and bathing for 20 minutes once a week. If dry, itchy or irritated skin is your problem, meanwhile, try Dead Sea salts, said to improve skin's barrier function and also improve its texture.

Did you know that crunching ice with your teeth is as bad as using them as scissors (for opening packets, etc.)? According to the American Dental Association, it can lead to enamel wear, with the potential for tooth sensitivity and toogh decay.

We absolutely love this, from writer India Knight (dating back some years, but as valid as ever): ‘Sometimes women… do mad stuff to our faces. We wander about with enormous lips and started faces and no laughter lines, refusing to admit our age. This is supposed to indicate that we are 100% chilled about the ageing process. Um, no. Wear your life proudly, disasters and all.’

If you fry your fringe with styling tongs or a straighteners, warm olive oil and honey in a saucepan and apply from root to ends. Leave on for 30 minutes, then rinse with warm water, shampoo and condition as normal. (It’s a great all-over treatment, actually.) Ideally, get your stylist to trim the damage, perhaps blending the fringe into the rest of your hair. The key with straightening irons is to keep them constantly moving; glide down each section in a continuous motion – and don’t stop, or you risk singeing.

Trying out a new hair colour? Play with different Instagram filters until you find one you like best, and ask yourself: does your hair look more flattering when it’s slightly lighter or darker? (Remember: you don’t necessarily have to post the results!)

The best way to lose weight, advises ‘I Quit Sugar’ author Sarah Wilson, is to ‘Stop thinking about weight. You are aiming for a state of food freedom, a place where you eat to nourish yourself, and that won’t happen if you’re worrying about the scales. Focus on noticing the other benefits of eating well. For instance, the first people see on the [I Quit Sugar] plans is how good their skin starts to look. The next thing that changes is their energy level. At this point they start to feel more positive and they actually stop talking about their weight. That, to me, is where we should aim to be.’

From our ESPA founder friend Susan Harmsworth, eternal wisdom: ‘Remember: beauty isn’t just how you look – it’s how you feel. Devote time to de-stressing and relaxation, or stress will add years to your face. The fastest way to take years off is to smile and stand straighter.’

Had a dodgy haircut? Voice your dissatisfaction to the salon manager that day. Ask for a different stylist, who can help reshape the cut. Most managers will be more than happy to oblige. (And console yourself: it’s just a haircut – not a tattoo.)

When tweezing, stand close to a mirror and remove just a few hairs at a time – then step back to check your progress.

A new use for the button bag that came with your new coat/jacket: decant your daily supplements into the small Ziploc-topped bag – perfect for a day’s dose of vits, on-the-go.