January is in the middle of the prime time cold and flu season according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and nothing is less ' it' than cold sores, running red noses and watery eyes. Unfortunately once we are sick with the cold or flu there is nothing that can be done. Your mama was right to force you into that flu shot! But is there anything we can do to reduce the havoc on our appearance? Do we have to look ' ick' when we get sick?

First up, try to reduce the length of your cold as much as possible! There are many products on the market that claim to do this, but my favorites are Airborne herbal remedy and Zicam, which is essentially a topical Zinc ointment. Of course mom' s advice of plenty of liquids, rest and hand washing are as true in 2008 as they were in 1975.

Now onto making ourselves as hot as we used to be! To banish that sore dry nose, I like to keep a tube of Mentholatum handy to sooth the skin underneath and inside my nose from all the rubbing you do. To banish red, watery eyes Visine for Redness and Irritation Relief  works wonders and you can usually find a store brand to save money.

Now we have to think about some great concealer to banish under eye circles and ruddiness on our nose! Bareescentuals bareVitamins Eye Rev-er Upper contains soothing cucumbers and skin brightening pigments to help refresh your tired watery eyes. ($21 ulta.com) To combat red choose a green-based concealer like Physicians Formula Concealer 101 Duo in Green/Light at drugstore.com for $6.99 and apply lightly to red areas underneath your normal foundation. Cold sores are unsightly and embarrassing, but Abreva is the only approved coldsore treatment out there. At $18.99 it isnt cheap, but luckily a little goes a long way! If you are short on cash, Campho phenique or good old Carmex  can help with the pain and dry the sore up a little bit quicker than usual at under $5.

With these few little tips you can develop an emergency kit to keep all winter long so you are never caught sick; well at least looking like it!