Appear to Disappear

Breakouts
The Tool Kit: Thick concealer (the kind in a pot or compact) that matches your skin and has yellow undertones to counteract redness; sheer loose powder; small brush with a straight, firm tip (slightly larger than an eyeliner brush).
The Technique: Before you begin, accept your limits: You can only camouflage the redness of a pimple; try to disguise the bump itself, and you'll end up with a mound of noticeable concealer. Use a brush to dot the concealer (we like Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage) directly on top of the blemish; then dip a small puff or another brush in translucent powder and pat it over the spot to set the concealer and leave a smooth finish. (Benefit Bluff Dust, a yellow-tinged sheer powder, comes with a velour puff.)
The Technique: Before you begin, accept your limits: You can only camouflage the redness of a pimple; try to disguise the bump itself, and you'll end up with a mound of noticeable concealer. Use a brush to dot the concealer (we like Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage) directly on top of the blemish; then dip a small puff or another brush in translucent powder and pat it over the spot to set the concealer and leave a smooth finish. (Benefit Bluff Dust, a yellow-tinged sheer powder, comes with a velour puff.)

Leg Veins
The Tool Kit: Self-tanner or body bronzer; body concealer; sheer loose powder.
The Technique: If the squiggles are relatively light, a coat of self-tanner will be enough to camouflage them. (For a slow—and streak-proof—buildup, try Vaseline Intensive Care Healthy Body Glow Lotion.) A leg bronzer will also mask veins or broken capillaries—and wash off at the end of the day. (Yves Saint Laurent Make-Up Leg Mousse imparts both a veil of color and a cooling sensation.) When you want more serious coverage, makeup artist Mally Roncal recommends blending a concealer on top of veins, painting the makeup on with a brush, and then distributing it evenly with your fingers. (Choose something pretty heavy, like Dermablend Leg & Body Cover Créme, when concealing anything off your face.) A few pats of translucent powder will set the color, but you'll still want to avoid water sports and games of footsie for the rest of the day.
The Technique: If the squiggles are relatively light, a coat of self-tanner will be enough to camouflage them. (For a slow—and streak-proof—buildup, try Vaseline Intensive Care Healthy Body Glow Lotion.) A leg bronzer will also mask veins or broken capillaries—and wash off at the end of the day. (Yves Saint Laurent Make-Up Leg Mousse imparts both a veil of color and a cooling sensation.) When you want more serious coverage, makeup artist Mally Roncal recommends blending a concealer on top of veins, painting the makeup on with a brush, and then distributing it evenly with your fingers. (Choose something pretty heavy, like Dermablend Leg & Body Cover Créme, when concealing anything off your face.) A few pats of translucent powder will set the color, but you'll still want to avoid water sports and games of footsie for the rest of the day.

Sparse Eyebrows
The Tool Kit: Pencil (one shade lighter than your brows); powder (that matches your brows); small angled brush.
The Technique: Overzealous plucking (or age) can leave brows patchy. Even after you've put away your tweezers, it can take anywhere from three months to a couple of years for brows to grow back, says brow expert Sania Vucetaj. In the meantime, fill in only bare spots ("never, ever, ever the whole brow") with a pencil. If the pencil is too waxy, it will leave a heavy line, so look for one with a drier texture (like Paul & Joe Eyebrow Pencil) and always use short, feathery strokes. Once the holes are filled, take a brow powder (like Becca Brow Powder) to fill in the length of the arch (again, with short strokes). The powder will adhere more to the penciled-in areas and help bulk them up a bit, while blending in with the rest of the brow.
The Technique: Overzealous plucking (or age) can leave brows patchy. Even after you've put away your tweezers, it can take anywhere from three months to a couple of years for brows to grow back, says brow expert Sania Vucetaj. In the meantime, fill in only bare spots ("never, ever, ever the whole brow") with a pencil. If the pencil is too waxy, it will leave a heavy line, so look for one with a drier texture (like Paul & Joe Eyebrow Pencil) and always use short, feathery strokes. Once the holes are filled, take a brow powder (like Becca Brow Powder) to fill in the length of the arch (again, with short strokes). The powder will adhere more to the penciled-in areas and help bulk them up a bit, while blending in with the rest of the brow.

Bad Haircuts
The Tool Kit: Headband; hot rollers or curling iron; patience.
The Technique: Nothing makes hair grow faster. Your only recourse after an unfortunate cut is to wait for it to grow out (at a rate of about an eighth to a half inch every month). Until then, experiment with new textures. "Awkward layers are more apparent on straight hair," says hairstylist Gretchen Monahan, who recommends using hot rollers or a large barrel curling iron to create waves. If the problem is heavy bangs or harsh layers around the face, invest in a few headbands. (We like wide stretch designs, like the ones by hairstylist Eva Scrivo that come in suede and cotton faille, or Goody's linen version—more city sleek than Sandra Dee.)
The Technique: Nothing makes hair grow faster. Your only recourse after an unfortunate cut is to wait for it to grow out (at a rate of about an eighth to a half inch every month). Until then, experiment with new textures. "Awkward layers are more apparent on straight hair," says hairstylist Gretchen Monahan, who recommends using hot rollers or a large barrel curling iron to create waves. If the problem is heavy bangs or harsh layers around the face, invest in a few headbands. (We like wide stretch designs, like the ones by hairstylist Eva Scrivo that come in suede and cotton faille, or Goody's linen version—more city sleek than Sandra Dee.)

Cellulite
The Tool Kit: Self-tanner; self-tanner; more self-tanner.
The Technique: For some reason, bronzed dimpled thighs are less conspicuous than pasty whites ones—"but the last thing you want to do is get a tan and break down collagen, making the problem even worse," says Mary Lupo, MD, clinical professor of dermatology at Tulane University School of Medicine. She recommends self-tanner instead. For an added slimming effect, Barnes makes the outer and inner thighs a bit darker. Coat them with self-tanner first (spray formulas, such as ModelCo Tan Airbrush in a Can, are easier to control than lotions), let it dry for about 15 minutes, and then go over the whole leg. Roncal finishes with a layer of shimmer cream (like Smashbox Body Lights Glowing Lotion), which can help blur bumps and lumps.
The Technique: For some reason, bronzed dimpled thighs are less conspicuous than pasty whites ones—"but the last thing you want to do is get a tan and break down collagen, making the problem even worse," says Mary Lupo, MD, clinical professor of dermatology at Tulane University School of Medicine. She recommends self-tanner instead. For an added slimming effect, Barnes makes the outer and inner thighs a bit darker. Coat them with self-tanner first (spray formulas, such as ModelCo Tan Airbrush in a Can, are easier to control than lotions), let it dry for about 15 minutes, and then go over the whole leg. Roncal finishes with a layer of shimmer cream (like Smashbox Body Lights Glowing Lotion), which can help blur bumps and lumps.
From the June 2006 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine