Day by day, I see so many makeup don'ts. I always want to approach and enlighten those who suffer from the following mistakes, but I decided a blog post would have to do. I hope it reaches many of you and helps you not only be aware of the mistakes you may currently be making, but help you learn how to avoid them as well.
Using Foundation That Is Too Dark / Too Light
Some women try to create the illusion of a summer glow or tan by using a foundation that is darker than their natural skin tone. Unfortunately, using this tactic is not fooling anyone. Instead of using a darker foundation, use one that matches your skin as closely as possible and finish with a bronzer that is a couple shades darker than your skin tone (and not too shimmery). Lightly dust the bronzer in the areas where the sun would naturally give you a little more color (temples, cheeks, jaw line). This method will give your skin and much more natural glow/ tanned look, while still allowing the center/focus of your face to appear fresh and bright.
Other women may be afraid of choosing a foundation that is too dark, and end up with a color that is too light. Doing this will wash you out and make you look sickly.
Use what's at your disposal. All department store makeup counters and high end makeup stores will allow to you to try foundations out before buying them. If you're unsure, ask for help to get your perfect match. If you're more of a drugstore makeup kind of girl, make sure to shop where they allow returns/exchanges on makeup. This way, you have the freedom to try out the product and exchange it for something more fitting if need be.
Overdoing Smokey Eyes With Black Eyeshadow
A common misconception is that, in order to achieve a smokey eye, you have to use lots of black eyeshadow. This couldn't be further from the truth. Using only black will give you that raccoon-eye look which is completely unflattering and not at all natural. Instead, try to use colors that complement your eye color and build your smokey eye from light to dark. This way, you will avoid such a drastic look.
Using Eyeliner On Only the Bottom Lash Line
This blunder is one that I've noticed women in their 40s-50s sporting. I'm not sure why anyone started doing this, but it unfortunately is an unflattering look and can actually make you look older and more tired. Heavy eyeliner on the bottom lash line only tends to weigh the eyes down and can create the illusion of sagging and under-eye circles. Try to balance out your eyeliner. Focusing eyeliner mainly along the top lash line actually helps the eyes appear more lifted and awake.
Using Too Much Blush or Bronzer
Why does this happen? I believe it's because women (especially those of 30 and older) feel that they look washed out and their skin looks dull. Adding blush and bronzer can definitely help you look more alive and glowy, but there's a fine line between "just the right amount" and "Woah girl, did you fall into a can of pink paint?" Try building your blush and/or bronzer a little at a time to avoid this mistake. You should imagine what you're cheeks would look like if they were naturally flushed.
Not Preventing Lipstick From Getting On Your Teeth
Oh, the age old struggle of lipstick on the teeth... Nothing worse than trying to rock a bold lip, only to make a fool of yourself by sporting it on your teeth as well. You may not know that there is a very simple trick to prevent this from happening. It's actually a little strange, and you'll want to make sure you do it in private with clean hands. You're really curious now, huh? All you have to do is stick your index finger in your mouth up to the 2nd knuckle, close your lips around it and pull your finger out. All the lipstick that would have ended up on your teeth will be on your finger. I told you it was a strange trick, but I swear, it works! Try it next time you rock a bold lip.
Using A Nude Lipstick That Matches Your Skin Or Is Too Light
There's nothing wrong with going for a nude lip, especially when doing a bold or smokey eye. However, you can go wrong in the nude lip department fairly easily. "Nude" does not really mean "nude" where lipstick is concerned. So please, don't go searching high and low for a shade that matches your skin tone or is as pale as you can find. You can easily end up making yourself look washed out a ill. Try going for a color that matches your natural lip color but is a few shades lighter. I believe makeup is all about making yourself look naturally beautiful. There is nothing natural about pale fleshy lips.
Failing To Use HD Powder Correctly
HD powder is a newer product on the beauty scene, and is increasingly becoming more widely used amongst us non-celebs. It's an amazing product for setting under-eye concealer and oiling spots of the skin, BUT it must be used correctly! Let's take a moment a learn something from this unfortunate mistake made above on one of my favorite celebrities, Drew Barrymore. The first thing you need to know about HD powder is that it is high-definition, light-reflecting powder. It's easy to overdo the application of HD powder when standing in front of your mirror. Why? Because it's pretty much invisible in normal lighting. You'll think you look like perfection, until you stand in front of a camera flash and you look like Casper the friendly ghost. The camera flash reflects off HD powder like you wouldn't believe. Does this mean you can't use HD powder if you're going to have your picture taken? No. This means you need to use the powder sparingly. And when I say sparingly, I mean SPARINGLY! Get a tiny bit of powder on your brush, and tap it off until you can barely see any powder left on the brush. You'll feel like your applying nothing to your face, but trust me, you're not wasting time. This will help set your makeup and give you a flawless look, without risking ghost face.
Over-Contouring
Oy.....just oy.....
Contouring, yes, it's great way to accentuate the best features of your face and disguise your least favorite areas (large/wide nose, chubby cheeks). However, it can be overdone. There are so many tutorials out there on contouring, and one of the most important steps is blending! Clearly, Nicki Minaj's makeup artist has forgotten to blend out the contouring of her nose. You'll see many tutorials out there that use so many harshly dark and light colors to begin with that, once blended, look so much more normal. I would suggest that if you are a stranger to contouring, try to stay away from it. It's something that can make or break your look. If you're not experienced in it, it can be hard to master, and can end up in disaster. Instead, try contouring at the end of your makeup application with a natural matte bronzer (with more of a grey tint than an orange/brown tint). Then, dust over the areas you contoured with a clean brush to blend everything out.
Using An Eyebrow Pencil or Powder That Is Too Dark
Full, thick eyebrows are really coming back into fashion nowadays. This may cause some of you to become carried away with your eyebrow pencils. A common mistake that is made in eyebrow sculpting is the use of a pencil or powder that is too dark. You may look at your eyebrow powder/pencil and think "Hey this matches my eyebrow hairs perfectly, what's the problem?" That, my friends, is exactly the problem. You never want your eyebrow pencil/powder to match your brows exactly. You always want it to be a few shades lighter than your natural brows. Why? Well, when sculpting your brows, you're in essence just trying to make them look fuller and more defined. As odd as it sounds, a light color can actually do the trick, without making your eyebrows look like wooly bears.
Using The Wrong Colors of Lipstick/Eyeshadow/Blush For Your Skin Tone
It's human nature to want to experiment, but when it comes to makeup, you want to be careful. If you are considering trying a new color of lipstick, eyeshadow, or blush, it's important to try it out either before purchasing it or before wearing it in public. It's the same policy as the foundation I mentioned above. If you're able to try it out at the counter, DO! If you're at a drugstore and you can't try it before buying it, try it out on a day when you're staying home. If you don't like it, return or exchange it. The worst thing you could do, in the case, is walk out of the house with colors that just make you look like a circus clown. You may sometimes hear rules for what colors you can and can't wear for your complexion. There are, however, a million different types of complexions in this world, and I find that sometimes the rules don't apply to me. What works best is trying things out before buying them, it's the only way to know for certain. What you learn might surprise you.
Lining Your Lips With A Pencil That Is Too Dark
No matter what anyone has told you, lining your lips with a color that is darker than your lipstick is not a good look. There is literally no excuse for doing it. I don't think I need to explain how to avoid this blunder.
Wearing Too Much Powder
Often, women and girls with oily skin problems will over compensate by using far too much powder to set their makeup. This will only cause the dreaded "caked on makeup" look. If you suffer from oily skin, there is another option. Try using a makeup primer under your foundation and/or a makeup setting spray over your makeup that is designed to control oil. Just understand that powder is meant to set your makeup, not add another layer. So use it lightly in areas where you get the shiniest.
I want to hear from you. What makeup mistakes have you seen and cringed at? What are your tips for avoiding them? Leave me a comment below!
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