So: the glamorous actress Catherine Zeta-Jones is on her way to the United Nations Association Global Leadership Awards in New York with her husband, Michael Douglas. It has been a hectic day, she's a mite behind schedule and, like many women, she's putting her make-up on in the car (nothing wrong with that, I do it all the time. It's what red lights are for, right?). Suddenly, a crazed Wall Street trader runs out in front of them. The driver slams on the brakes and tragedy strikes: Z-J ends up face down in the bronzer pot.

Who knows what really happened? Perhaps she got ready in the wrong light; perhaps she just felt a bit washed out that day, and decided to, you know, glow for it. Either way, there's no getting around the fact that she's got bronzer on the tip of her nose, her forehead and her top lip: all the places where no bronzer should ever go.

Even with limited time she could have done so much better. A small but judiciously applied amount of Laura Mercier's Secret Concealer (£18) would have camouflaged pimples without drawing attention to them. Next, a quick dab of same around the eyes to banish shadows, followed by Bobbi Brown's Moon Rock Long Wear Eye Palette, a brilliant combination of two eyeshadows and two gel eyeliners (£33, www.bobbibrown.co.uk).

For mascara, I would have gone for Clinique's new Lash Power (£12.50): it's water-resistant and clump-free. For cheeks and lips, back to Bobbi Brown: Pot Rouge (£16) provides subtle all-round colour in a flash. Finally, it's over to MAC: Mineralise Sheer Sheen Powder (£12, www.macosmetics.co.uk): gives just a hint of a glow (just a hint, mind) for a vibrant, flawless finish.

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