We are now entering the season of skin complaints.

Redness, dryness, reactiveness, blotchiness – we're all more likely to have them at this time of year. Wind, rain, cold and the drying effects of central heating play havoc with our epidermis every year, making it more prone to problems.

The obvious tactic is to apply a treatment cream or serum. In the long term, this is a great solution which will help to keep your skin on an even keel until next spring.

However, short term – let's say you have a party or dinner tonight – a treatment cream is not going to be particularly helpful, as they usually take a week or longer to work.

So what can we use? Well, there's always concealer, but for a quick fix that offers coverage across your entire face there are a number of "make-up bases".

Primers, skin tone correctors and highlighting creams are among my favourite pieces of cosmetic arsenal. Easy to apply, they sit under foundation or tinted moisturisers and give your skin a more polished look.

Which one you choose really depends on your skin concerns. For me this time of the year is all about fighting off redness. I get it on my cheeks, my chin and, strangely, around my temples – in truth, some days my face is one big red blotch. Creams and lotions certainly keep it at bay for the most part, but for a final touch I like to add some primer.

I find that the primer doesn't need to have any particular redness-treating attributes, but there are a number of anti-redness products on the market that you can try.

These are currently top of my cosmetic wish list: Lancome La Base Pro (£27); Stila One Step Correct (£24); Clarins Beauty Flash Balm (£28).