From contouring to the cleanliness of your brushes, there are rules for just about everything in the makeup industry. Some rules are meant to be broken, while others were created for a reason. Are you committing some of these makeup mistakes? Read on to find out!
You’re not blending your eyeshadow colors.
No matter what color you use or how many different shades you pick, blending your eyeshadow is always a must. If you use one color on your lids and a highlighting color along your brows without blending them together, your eyeshadow will just look off. All you have to do to blend your eyeshadow is to quickly swipe a brush or your finger over the area where the two colors come together.
You don’t fully extend your foundation.
We all hate to have that dreaded foundation line that clearly shows where your foundation stops. When you are applying your foundation, be sure to extended it past your chin, along the sides of your face and up your hairline too. By doing this, you will get a flawless blend that looks natural.
You test your perfect shade on your face.
Although it might seem like the right thing to do since, well, it's going on your face, but you should actually find your true color by using your wrist instead. Your face skin color can change depending on the season and lighting can skew your perception of how colors look. Get rid of any misconception by using your wrist.
You put on concealer before your foundation.
It's easy to grab the concealer and cover up those pesky pimples as soon as you get in front of a mirror. But put the concealer down and grab your foundation first. When you apply concealer first, putting on foundation after can mess it up. It's easier to blend concealer the concealer when you put it on after foundation.
You don’t use your eyelash curler quite enough.
Mascara can only do so much to make your eyes pop. Using an eyelash curler every time you put on mascara will open those big, beautiful eyes. Simply curl your eyelashes before coating on the mascara to make your eyes really stand out.
Your makeup brushes aren’t getting washed regularly.
Don't ever make this mistake again! If you don't wash your makeup brushes, sponges and tools, you could run the risk of exposing your skin to breakouts and nasty germs. No one wants that! Make sure to wash your brushes and tools with soap and warm water once a week to keep the germs away.
You’re keeping your same foundation color year round.
Like your wardrobe, your foundation should be different between winter and summer. Most people have a skin tone that's actually one to four shades darker in the summer than in the winter. Make sure to get the right shade for your different tones every season!
You’re going too dark on your brows.
It's easy to think that choosing the same shade of your brows to fill them in would be your best bet. But, you should actually be choosing a shade lighter than your brows. A color the same as your natural brows will make them look too dark and overdone.
You rid your face of grease by using loose powder.
You may think that using loose powder will easily cover up that unwanted shine. But what you're really doing is creating creases and lines in your makeup. Using a mattifying powder will give you that shine free look you're going for!
You’re applying makeup to dry skin.
Everyone hates having dry skin but come winter, it's almost inevitable. If you apply your makeup on top of your dry winter skin you will only accentuate its flaky appearance. Instead of blending into your skin, the makeup will sit on top of your face. To get rid of your dry skin, make sure to exfoliate your face once a week.
You may be wearing the wrong shade of eyeshadow.
Instead of choosing an eyeshadow color that's the same as your own eye color, go in the opposite direction. The opposite color will make your eyes really stand out! If you have blue eyes, go for a darker shade of eyeshadow such as brown, bronze or plum. If you have brown or hazel eyes, blue, purple or mahogany eyeshadow will bring out your eye color.
Letting your tired eyes make you look extra sleepy.
We've all been there. Sometimes there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done. But, there's a simple trick to make tired eyes look wide awake: use a light-colored pencil on your water line. Depending on your skin tone use a white to cream-colored pencil to brighten up the eyes.
You’re applying too much mascara.
Don't overcoat your lashes because chances are they'll turn out clumpy. To avoid those dreaded clumps on your lashes, first you need to take the time to separate your eyelashes. To do this, hold the wand horizontally at the base and wiggle it upwards. Then hold the wand vertically to build up length.
You’re curling your lashes last.
We were taught to curl our lashes last to get that extra length and curl, but we've been told wrong. If you're curling on wet mascara, you run the risk of pulling lashes out. Curlers actually work best on clean lashes. Curl first, then add mascara.
You’re wearing too much makeup.
Foundation should be used sparingly, not caked on. If you want to hide imperfections and redness use a color correcting shade of foundation. You should actually only apply a light layer of foundation because too much of it can make you look older than you really are. Yikes, who wants that?
You’re using the same makeup over and over.
It's easy to get stuck in a rut of using the same kind of makeup for years. We've been there too! You don't have to make a drastic change. You can simply switch up your makeup by choosing shades that are one to two shades different. Hello makeover!
You are forgetting to prime your face.
Using a primer before applying any makeup is important for your overall look. A primer will give you a smoother and hydrated face that will hold your makeup in place for a longer period of time.