Some of us are often unaware of the makeup mistakes we commit every day. Finding the shades and brands of makeup that suit your face is a tricky task in the first place. It might take years for some to get their makeup right. And once you have found the right products, you might still struggle to create the desired look. Your favorite beauty influencer might make it look simple, but the truth is blending makeup to perfection is no easy task. But that does not mean you have to stop experimenting. We are here to explain the common makeup faux pas that you should avoid. This will help you figure out the dos and don’ts and ensure that your makeup is on fleek. Swipe up!
Most Common Makeup Mistakes And Beauty Blunders
1. Over-Washing Your Face
Cleansing or washing your face is the first and the most important step in makeup. Every woman has a different skin type, and with age, our skin undergoes many changes. But once you apply foundation and notice dry, flaky skin, it is a sign that you have to stop over-washing your face.
It is ideal to wash your face twice daily – once in the morning, and once at night, before you go to sleep. It is best to use a mild, gentle cleanser. The natural skin oils work wonders on your skin and do their job without the interference of soap.
2. Applying Makeup On Dry Skin
Applying makeup on dry skin is one of the biggest makeup mistakes, which can make the face look dull, cracked, old, and tired. Everything good is built on a solid foundation, and in this case, a properly moisturized face. So, ensure that your face is properly hydrated before you apply makeup.
3. Makeup Application In The Wrong Lighting
When you need to decide what works for you and what doesn’t with regard to makeup, you need to test it on your skin in natural lighting. When you try on makeup in unnatural lighting, you will notice that it doesn’t look as flattering as you hoped. Pick what suits you best in the best lighting possible.
4. Wrong Blending Techniques
Makeup is much more than dabbing on a blush or eyeshadow. Even if you apply a neutral shade, it is going to look unnatural and out of place, unless you blend it properly. The key to natural looking makeup lies in mastering the art of blending. Makeup that isn’t blended well can look quite comical. Watch some makeup videos and tutorials online and invest in a few good brushes to get started.
5. Incorrect Application Of Concealer
There’s always a conflict when it comes to deciding whether the foundation goes first or the concealer. It does make more sense to cover the flaws once the foundation is set, which means it’s better to use the foundation before the concealer. But when you do so, here are two things you must keep in mind.
- Never use too much product at once on the targeted area. Too much concealer on your dark circles will make you look older. The correct way to cover dark circles is to dot a few drops of color-corrector concealer on the bone below your eyes and blend it up. Also, do not apply it directly to dark circles. You can also use the layering technique. Apply a little over a blemish, allow it to dry, and then apply another layer. You can also use a setting powder between the layers.
- You can’t use one concealer for everything. Concealers are available in many colors, each having different uses. A peach-toned corrector concealer cancels out the blue and is best to combat dark circles. Green cancels out red, therefore a green-toned concealer must be used to hide pimples and blemishes. Yellow-toned concealers are best to even out large areas of your skin. Once you use these tinted concealers as the first layer, you need to follow it up with a concealer that matches your skin tone.
Using a liner on your waterline is not a good idea. Instead, use a nude pencil on your waterline as it will help open up your eyes, and make them look wider.
For a more natural look, it is best to apply it only to three-fourths of the upper eyelid.
It makes no sense to draw harsh, marker-like lines. For a natural look, use pencil liners instead of liquid liners.
10. Mascara Mistakes
First things first, you must use a mascara that is two shades darker than your eyebrow color. Never apply more than two coats of mascara, or your eyelashes will end up looking extremely clumpy. Mascara that is three to four months old also ends up looking extremely clumpy on your lashes.
Don’t use mascara on your lower lashes the same way you apply on your upper lashes. It will clump up and give your spider leg lashes. Instead, hold the wand vertically and apply.
Waterproof mascara is obviously amazing, and it’s most likely that you will be inclined to invest in one, and use only that. But, it is not a very good idea. Waterproof mascara is much harder to remove, and its application and removal could seriously affect your lashes. Your lashes may wither away sooner. If you must use waterproof mascara, make sure you do it only during the summer months.
11. Bronzer Blunders
A bronzer is not meant to be swept all over the canvas of your face. The idea of a bronzer is to use it exactly where the sun would naturally hit your face. Make sure you apply your bronzer only on your cheekbones, the top of your forehead, and the jawline. If you are doing it right, you will notice that you are actually drawing the number 3 on both sides of your face.
12. Lip Liner Woes
Harsh lip lines while doing your makeup is the worst thing you can do to yourself. Do not draw a thin sharp line on your lips to outline them. It is one of the biggest peeves. Also, your lips can end up looking weird if you have chosen a dark liner with a lighter lipstick shade. They are meant to define your lips and not to create border line around them.
You wear a lip liner to keep your lipstick from bleeding. If you draw a harsh outline, it will tend to fade away, making your lips look terrible. The idea is to blend well. Draw a smudged outline, almost like you are shading your lips with the pencil, for best results. Another correct technique is to draw the outline and then fill in your entire lips with a lip liner that suits your lipstick shade and then go over it with the lipstick.
13. Tacky Lipstick Color
A lipstick can make or break your look. Stick to colors that are natural and suit your skin tone. Dark shades can look tacky. They also make you look much older than you are. If you do go in for dark colors, make sure the rest of your makeup is light.
14. Face Powder Fetish
Face powder seems like the perfect makeup finale to lock it all up, and keep the shine at bay. But, it can also make you look aged. Believe it or not, face powder emphasizes fine lines and wrinkles. It is best to use it only on your T-zone, and try and avoid it completely as you age.
15. Clown Cheeks
Without proper application, blush can make you look like a clown. Whenever putting on blush, use foundation. Otherwise, the color becomes too hard on your cheeks. And make sure to swirl the brush in the product, tap off excess and then apply on your face. Otherwise, you will pick up too much product and end up looking overdone.
16. Highlight At The Wrong Places
Do not apply a single eyeshadow color to your entire eye. Always use a highlighter shade to enhance your brow bone. Golden or silver highlighters will complement all the shades under the sun.
17. Flashy Fingernails
Long, flashy fingernails don’t always give the best impression. They can look witchy and claw-like. Always keep your nails neatly groomed.
18. Dry Shampoo Distress
Dry shampoo is probably one of the best inventions yet. For those of you who don’t know what it is, it involves putting dry powder on your scalp such that it absorbs all the oil. Here’s how to do it right.
You must wait for the powder to absorb all the oil. So, in effect, it takes a while for the dry shampoo to do its job. Do not get impatient.
You can use a dry shampoo immediately after you wash your hair. Using it immediately after a shampoo will help your hair stay fresher for a longer time.
Do not spray it too close to your hair. Holding it six inches away while you are spraying is ideal.
You need to wash your hair after one or two uses of the dry shampoo, else the chemical build-up will make your hair look dull and dry.
19. Perfume Overload
One spray of perfume is all it takes to make you smell like a dream. Too much perfume, however, can be offensive. It is very easy to get carried away with perfume, but overdoing it can cause allergies and headaches. A body mist is less concentrated and is a better option.
20. Sleeping With Makeup On
There are absolutely no excuses for going to bed without removing all traces of makeup. To keep your skin healthy, make sure you remove the makeup before you go to sleep. Failing to do so will make your skin dry and prone to acne and infections.
21. Sleeping On Your Side
A supine position is not only good for your back, but it also helps avoid lines and wrinkles on your skin which can develop if you sleep on your side. It might take a little practice to make it a habit of sleeping on your back.
22. Entangled Beauty Trends
Either play up your eyes or your lips. Too much makeup on both will make you look unsightly. If you are wearing bright/smoky eye makeup, go for pale, nude, or natural-looking lipsticks. If you are wearing loud shades on your lips, go for natural, slight eyeliner and lots of mascara.
23. Matching Your Makeup With Your Clothes
Matching is old-school, and in no way classic vintage. When your clothes are bright and so is your makeup, it only spells tacky. Makeup artists believe that if your clothes are vibrant, you should go for a neutral palette makeup-wise. If you pick a metallic wardrobe to dazzle through the holidays, make sure you avoid glossy cosmetics and stick to the ever-so-classic smoky eye.
24. Too Much Glitter Is Not Gold
Shimmer is fun, and it sets the ambiance for the festivities. But not if you looked like you smeared your face with glue and dipped it in glitter. That is just a big NO.
25. Playing Up Both The Eyes And The Lips
You either let your eyes dazzle or glam up your lips. It has to be one or the other, and not both. If you are going gung-ho with your eye makeup, keep your lips nude or neutral, and if your lips are stealing the thunder, keep your eye makeup natural. Or else, you will be summoning disaster.
26. Smearing Lipstick Until It Starts To Bleed
Lipstick is lovely, but that doesn’t mean that you need to touch it up every time you visit the bathroom. After a point, it will start to look messy, and then you will hardly be able to tell where your lip line begins and where it ends. Touch up, but be aware of how it looks.
27. Omitting The Primer
Primers have been around for a while, but women are beginning to use them only now. You might spend all your time perfecting your makeup but unless you have a primer, the chaos of the party will either cause your makeup to bleed or fade, or your face will look like you have just taken a dip in oil and posed. To keep your makeup intact for a fair period of time, and to look flash-ready all the time, it is best you use a primer before you apply your makeup.
28. A Runny Eye
Girls just want to have fun, and when you are all caught up in the heat of the night, dancing away to glory, you might not notice that bleeding eyeshadow. The best way to ensure you look as fresh as a daisy even at 2 am is to use an eyeshadow primer.
29. Trusting A Friend Who Is “GOOD” At Makeup
Yes, she is your best friend, and you don’t want to hurt her. But if she doesn’t know makeup, don’t let her touch your face. Not even if the celebrations have made you woozy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you avoid overdoing makeup?
Start small. Instead of applying loads of foundation right at the start, apply just a little bit, blend it well, then add a little more if you need it and blend again. The same goes for concealer, contour, eyeshadow, and lipstick. Also, you don’t have to apply every makeup product. Use a trial-and-error method to see which products work best for you and stick to those.
What is makeup mist?
Makeup mist is a setting spray that keeps your makeup intact for a long time.
Why does my makeup crack?
The main reason for makeup cracks is insufficient skin hydration. But, it may also happen if you apply two different textures or consistencies of makeup products that don’t blend well together.
Key Takeaways
- Do not skip the moisturizer before applying makeup. This can make your skin appear dry and dull.
- Use a peach or yellow-tinted concealer first to hide your dark circles. Then follow it up with the one that matches your skin tone.
- Do not pair dark lip liners with light-shade lipsticks.
- Always remove your makeup before going to bed to prevent acne trouble.
