An easy, natural-look way to make your hair-do behave? Spray hairspray onto a natural-bristle brush and whisk over the outer layers. The result: hair will stay in style, but without looking like it has been starched into place.

Four new ways to fake perfect-looking skin …

If You Like: A compact, carry-around foundation.

Try: Lancôme Color Ideal Hydra-Compact, $72, from department stores, is one of the most gorgeous foundations to launch this year. The super-moisturising mix goes onto the skin easily and smoothly to provide either a light and dewy look, or a more medium-coverage creamy look.

If You Like: Your foundation to last as long as possible.

Try: Revlon Age Defying Instant Firming Face Primer, $29.95, from department stores, pharmacies and variety stores. It’s half the price of most primers on the market. And comes in two variants: for normal/combination skin and for dry skin.

If You Like: Mineral makeup.

Try: Almay Pure Blends Mineral Makeup, $29.95, from Priceline. This brush-on delivery means it’s a no-brainer to apply. It also doubles well as body makeup, giving such trouble spots as the décolletage and hands a more even, youthful look.

If You Like: A clean matt finish.

Try: the Chanel Mat Lumière range, from $60, from department stores and selected pharmacies. Just add smoky eyes and nude lips and you’ve got the sixties sex-kitten look down pat.

If you know how to wield your wand, you can really create some lash magic. Read on …

Clean Slate: Always start with clean lashes. If there’s any day-old mascara hanging around, soak a cotton pad with makeup remover (an oil-based one if the mascara is a waterproof variety) and hold it over lashes for ten or so seconds. Gently wipe residue away.

Before & After: Should you apply mascara before or after rest of makeup? Experts disagree on this one. Some say slicking on mascara at the end will ensure the glossiest effect. Others counter that you risk smudging and messing up your carefully applied face and eye makeup if you leave mascara to the very end. Your call.

Go Curl: If you curl your lashes, do so before applying mascara. Curling afterwards can damage or break lashes. For best results, start by clamping the curler at the base of hairs, and work up in several stages. This gives a more natural-look sweeping effect curl, as opposed to the right-angled kink that a single curler clamp can often create. (more…)

This condition is called keratosis pilaris and is sometimes referred to as ‘chicken skin’ (nice, I know). It occurs when an excess of keratin (a skin protein) clogs up in the follicles, creating a bumpy effect. It’s actually very common, although it can vary in severity and degree of redness and inflammation.

Unfortunately, treatment success can also vary. Mechanical exfoliation actually doesn’t help much - and it often makes thing worse. Derms say to instead go for a gentle chemical form of exfoliation - say, a body lotion laced with lactic acid. Try Dermalogica Body Hydrating Cream (from $18, call 1800 659 118 for stockist info).

I have also heard that topical coconut oil is great for healing keratosis pilaris - you can find that in health food stores or organic grocers.

Lastly, it could be worth seeing a dermatologist - a derm can advise you if it’s necessary to increase your intake of essential fatty acids, vitamin A or any other nutrients, specific dietary advice that I’m not qualified to give.

I like the Red Hot Chili Peppers. No, love. And you know I love my beauty talk. But Dave Navarro talking beauty? Dave Navarro in a skincare campaign? Seriously. This is him in a Vaseline campaign going on in America right now: “My personal skin regimen is really simple. I cleanse, I use moisturiser, a little eye cream, and stay out of the sun. Very, very important. If you want to maintain any kind of youthful zest, you got to stay out of the sun.”

Sure, that’s two of my loves brought together - the Chili Peppers and beauty-talk. But I just can’t shake the feeling that I’m in a parallel universe, as the band themselves sang. As much as I love a silky-smooth skin, I kind of like my rock idols to be really rough around the edges. Check it out (along with Minnie Driver and Hillary Duff) at Vaseline SkinVisions