Simple help for cosmetic catastrophes

NEW YORK -- There is a product out there to suit just about every imaginable beauty need.

There are moisturizing bronzers with exfoliating powers and an SFP of 30 for smooth, tanned skin without one second of exposure to harmful ultraviolet sun rays.

There are creams pumped up with caffeine as a pick-me-up for tired eyes.

But what about the "needs-to-be-fixed-right-now" beauty emergency -- such as bad hair on a big day like a job interview or a pimple that pops up in time for a high school reunion? In these dire situations, there is no time to stop at the store and scour the shelves for the scientifically correct cure.

Average folks sweat these cosmetic catastrophes; industry insiders, including hair guru Frederic Fekkai, Cosmopolitan beauty director Rachel Hayes and Mally Roncal, celebrity makeup artist for Almay, don't.

"It's actually very difficult to have a bad hair day because there are so many quick fixes," says Fekkai.

Applying a glossing cream with silicon to the hair and then pulling it back into a ponytail is a surefire fix for anyone with long hair, he says, and if the problem is static or flyaways, brush the hair upside down, put a little volumizing moose on the roots, flip it back over and add a smoothing product. Voila!

Kitchen cabinet secrets

In the constant battle against DNA and the weather for pin-straight hair, Fekkai says olive oil is a good weapon.

For the office or a dinner, put a dab of oil on your hand, then comb the oil through the ends of your hair with your fingers. If you're headed to the beach, though, sacrifice a little style, comb a full dose of oil through the hair and wear a ponytail. (Salt and humidity are formidable hair enemies, anyway.)

The well-conditioned, healthy hair that you'll see after your shower will make the unusual surfside hairdo worthwhile, Fekkai says.

But if your hand slips while putting on the oil -- or the smoothing cream, gel or hairspray -- and your hair looks greasy, Hayes suggests sprinkling a little baby powder on your roots to absorb the extra oil. Use your fingertips to rub in the powder -- and give yourself a good scalp massage in the process.

"The powder also will give you great body; stylists use it on photo shoots all the time to create volume," Hayes says.

Meanwhile, a little rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball can help erase too-pungent perfume.

One tip Hayes says she finds herself using often is the smudge-the-nails-smooth-it-out-with-cooking-oil trick. "I'm like everyone else, I paint my nails right before I'm going out the door and they smudge," she says.

She uses the oil to soften the enamel so she can spread the color over her self-inflicted dent.

And for that pesky pimple: Hays recommends covering the blemish, and just the blemish, with an oil-free concealer. Pat the makeup to blend but don't rub it, then dip your fingertip into some loose powder and apply the powder over the makeup to help set it.

It's possible for almost anyone to put makeup on like a pro as long as you know the tricks of the trade, says Almay's Roncal.

Her repertoire includes:

The key to creating the "smoky eye" is petroleum jelly. Line the top and bottom lash lines with a dark pencil. Put a thin layer of petroleum jelly over the lid and squint really hard, and you'll have the desired smudged look.

To make eyelashes appear longer, apply a coat of mascara and then use a cotton swab to dust the lashes with loose powder; add a second coat of mascara.

A clean mascara wand dipped in clear or brown lip gloss can be the perfect "comb" for eyebrows.

Use a chubby eyeliner in gold, pink or silver in center of the top lip where it forms a small "M" for a fuller look.