THE Emmy Awards came and went earlier this week, and I spent a good few hours going through pictures of celebrities for my blog.

As usual, everyone, from the child stars on Modern Family to the judges on reality shows, looked perfect that day.

Not a hair was out of place, there were no signs of smudged makeup and the wobbly bits that plague most of us ladies were nowhere to be seen.

It may seem like celebrities are effortlessly perfect, especially when during awards season but the truth is, they sometimes go through many procedures before an actual awards event.

It probably took Eva Longoria a few weeks to get this flawless red carpet look.

There’s always a break between the filming of TV shows which lasts around two months, and these breaks normally happen before awards shows – stars use this time off to improve on whatever they can.

A lot of nipping and tucking go on during these few months, for example rhinoplasty, breast work, facelifts and eyelid surgery.

This way, they’ll have ample time to correct any procedures-gone-wrong, and they’ll know whether they have time to surgically remove scars from liposuction or to just cover them with heaps of makeup.

Like the rest of us, celebrities too, suffer from skin issues. Several weeks before an awards show, celebrities undergo (top secret) facials and skin treatments to banish whatever blemishes they can before facing crowds of fans and photographers.

Although few admit it, Botox usually comes into play during this period before their great red carpet walk – stars also throw in a few sessions of skin brightening, chemical peels and eyebrow shaping.

Celebrities also head to tanning salons in hopes of achieving that perfect, healthy and natural-looking glow about their skin.

If you worry about your bulges drawing attention away from a skin-tight designer gown, well, guess what? Celebrities do too, and that’s why they worship the ground innerwear brand Spanx walks on – these genius bodysuits “hide” the flab and give the body a more slender look.

It is somewhat comforting to know that stars put in a lot of effort to hide their flaws. We can adopt their beauty secrets and use them when we need a quick fix for our own big nights out.

Most celebrities have experts they consult on nutrition, style and beauty, and some of them have been generous with their tips and tricks.

For example, to make your manicure last longer, soak your fingers in a cup of warm water that has had half a lemon squeezed into it, for five minutes. Use the leftover lemon to rub over your elbows if they’re looking and feeling a little dry and worn.

Lemons are good for your nails, and elbows!

To reduce a double chin, rub a cellulite or eye cream that contains caffeine along your jawline – this will reduce water retention and give your face an immediate tightening effect; it lasts about three or four hours.

Model and actress Elizabeth Hurley’s tip for looking super slim on awards night is to go on a watercress soup diet a few days leading up to a big night – it is light, healthy and delicious!

On the day of the big event (or even, several days before), forget about consuming dairy (milk, cheese etc), as it causes your stomach to bulge and may increase puffiness in other areas.

If you go on a detoxing programme, do it at least a week before the big event – depending on your skin type, detoxing may sometimes result in breakouts.

You’ll be putting a lot of product in your hair on the day of the event (gel, hairspray etc), so try and avoid using too much in the weeks leading up to the event. Also, if there’s any colour re-touching to be done, make sure you do it early on so that you have time to fix any disasters.

Elizabeth Hurley swears by watercress soup

Eva Longoria has nothing against falsies (fake eyelashes) and she adds on fake lashes to make her eyes pop.

Bear in mind though, that most of these tips are last-minute fixes and you shouldn’t make them a habit – stay healthy by eating right and exercising a lot!