The best thing you can do right now is book in for a deep-cleansing back treatment – basically a facial for your back. They can cost up to $100 but are so worth it – and a better investment than any jewellery at this stage. After all, great skin is your best accessory. Most salons offer some kind of back facial. Just make sure that the one you choose is a purifying option – you don’t want an oil-based massage treatment right now, you need serious cleansing. The therapist will exfoliate, extract and apply a mud- or clay-based mask. She will also give you tips on what to use and do at home – although the single-best DIY fix-it I have found is a twice-daily spritz of the Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Body Treatment Spray ($40 from Clinique), which is based on salicylic acid, so great for de-clogging pores and preventing future eruptions.

Having said that, if your pimples are more of the cystic variety – so, larger and more nodular than the regular pustular or papular pimples – you should probably head straight to a dermatologist. You may require more serious long-term treatment, although some derms will administer cortisone shots to dissolve cysts in an emergency – this is what many celebs do if they break out before a big shoot. In the next couple of weeks, make sure you do nothing to aggravate the skin on your back. Sweat can be a big contributing factor, so if you’re exercising more than usual, make sure to shower after a work-out, or at least swipe yourself with a cleansing wipe. Also, wear loose and breathable clothing. Make sure, too, that you wear your hair up – long, product-styled hair can also cause pores to clog and pimples to pop up. And, it goes with saying really – but drink lots of water and eat as much fresh fruit and veg in order to keep your system cleansed and skin in good health. If the situation hasn’t cleared by the big night, get your mum or a friend to apply body makeup for you. My recommendation would be a pure mineral makeup – it won’t cause further stress because it’s free of the common pore-clogging agents found in many makeup formulations, plus it’s pure pigment, so can easily cover up most discolouration. One great buy: i.d Bare Escentuals Foundation ($65, see True Solutions for stockist details).

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