One make-up casualty when wearing specs is that frames tend to rub away foundation. When you go to the Ladies, take off your glasses and do a quick blend of foundation on the sides of the nose, where the glasses touch, and the cheekbones if yours rest there. If you like to take your glasses off for an evening out, you might want to touch up the area beforehand.

Even if you don’t think you need it, choose a ridge-filler as your nail base coat, advises super-manicurist Deborah Lippmann. ‘I always use it for photographs to fill in micro-ridges.’

Always apply concealer on the sides of the nose, between the eyes, as well as to cover dark circles. ‘A lot of women forget to do that,’ notes Bobbi Brown. Also: as we age, some of us acquire blue ‘dot-like’ shadows at the sides of the eye; look out for those and add a touch of concealer, to make them vanish. A tiny brush helps with precision.

OK, so how does Elle Macpherson stay looking quite so fabulous? This probably helps. ‘When I wake up, I think about what my body really needs, whether it’s a swim in the ocean, beach walk, yoga with friends, a bike ride or a boxing class. Mixing it up is fun and helps me stay motivated.’

Your granny was right: apple cider vinegar rinses really are a natural, inexpensive way to increase shine. Mix one tablespoon with 200ml of water and pour over shampooed hair, then rinse with water.

Be aware that whitening toothpastes can sometimes trigger dermatitis, so best to stop using it if small red spots appear around your mouth.

Many of us carry tension in our hands. If you constantly use yours typing, writing or sewing, for example, you’ll benefit from a regular hand massage. It’s most rewarding if someone else massages your hands; most ‘luxury’ manicures involve a massage which can help banish tension. At the very least, smooth in a rich cream, stroke from wrist to fingertip and then pull on the fingers to relax them.

If you’re trying to tackle sleep problems, aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, no matter what. It’s very difficult for the body to adjust to irregular sleep patterns, often caused by sleeping late at weekends. It’s better to ‘pay off your sleep debts’ with a nap on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon than to sleep late.

Penelope Cruz’s beauty secret: ‘My jade face roller – it de puffs skin around the eyes and helps skincare penetrate more deeply. I keep mine in my mini skincare fridge so the cold of the stone is refreshing and gives an extra circulation boost.’ (Mini-skincare fridge. Just sayin’.)

Eternal wisdom from the late make-up artist Kevyn Aucoin: ‘Make-up isn’t plaster. It can’t be used to fill lines and wrinkles. In fact, if you try to apply foundation, concealer and powdere over laughter lines in the hope of camouflaging them, the opposite happens. You just draw attention to them.’

Try to get outside as early as possible in the day – if you can’t manage a walk, then just standing in the garden or on a balcony helps. According to David Ray, a professor of endocrinology at the University of Oxford, ‘It’s so important to get outside as soon as you can each morning, as even the daylight on a cloudy day in winter has a powerful effect on re-establishing the rhythms that help to improve mood and energy levels.’

Fretting about the 'flu? If you've escaped thus far (and it's felled so many people we know), then it's time for some immune-boosting. Our friend, Ayurvedic herbalist and Pukka co-founder Sebastian Pole, has this advice: 'In winter, it's worth getting the kettle on to brew up herbs made with immune-strengthening herbs and fruits, such as ginger, echinacea and elderberry. The fiery heat in ginger gets the blood pumping and clears congestion. Elderberry, as well as being a source of vitamin C, is one of the most powerful system-boosting natural remedies around, that has been shown to fight 10 different strains of the flu virus and reduce both the duration and severity of colds and flu.'

Be aware that hair removal creams can sometimes cause a reaction – a slight burning, possibly followed by a rash. If you ever feel uncomfortable, don’t tough it out: rinse the cream off immediately. (And when skin has calmed down, use a ‘lady’s’ razor instead.)

If you use a konjac sponge for exfoliation, you might like to know these are fully biodegradeable: pop in your home composter, when you feel it’s past its best.

If you're a contact lens wearer and your mascara's running dry, it's OK to use a few drops of the sterile lens solution to thin it. But nobody should keep a mascara for more than three months before replacing it.

The mind recognises touch as care. So Dr. Kristen Neff, author of The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook, advises: ‘When you’re struggling with negative thoughts, simply laying your hand onto bare skin over your chest can ground you.’ Try it whenever you’re feeling fraught.

This might seem like a weird beauty tip, but if you want to feel good about how you look, book at table at Skye Gyngell’s Spring restaurant, in Somerset House. It has quite the prettiest lighting and paint on the walls – a beautiful sort of ballerina pink – and makes anyone look 10 years younger and about 10 times more radiant. How we feel about ourselves is still inextricably linked with what we see in the mirror, for many of us – so we believe in habitually looking at ourselves in flattering light. (You don’t have to spend a fortune to eat there; there’s a brilliant daily ‘Scratch Menu’ which also avoids food waste by using the parts of veg etc. that would normally be discarded. Creative – and utterly delicious. (But do make sure you visit the loo!)

Brushes or fingers? Make-up artist Sharon Dowsett is in the brush camp. ‘Unlike fingers, brushes will place and distribute cream-based products evenly, so that they don’t sit in any pores. There is a saying that fingers were invented before knives and forks, but mine weren’t – there are so many amazing brushes out there, why would you not use them? One rule of the trade where brushes are concerned is to use synthetic brushes for liquid and cream bases (the fibres are designed to not absorb product) and natural hair brushes for powder.’

Thinking of investing in teeth whitening? Listen to Dr. Uchenna Oyoke on ensuring you get the right shade. ‘Match it to the whites of your eyes,’ she counsels. ‘Any whiter and you’ll get that Simon Cowell look.’ (Just be sure to communicate this to the dentist, so you’re singing from the same hymn sheet…

Traditionally, the best way to apply concealer is to dab it on with a tiny brush. But concealer pencils can be a revelation – speedier and just as precise. Look for one with a creamy texture (if it’s too dry it won’t blend), and dot it on blemishes, dark circles and broken capillaries. (These pencils are great for getting at tricky areas like the sides of the nose.)