Makeup offers a wonderful way to accentuate your natural features and showcase your personal flair.
However, the sheer variety of products and application methods can sometimes feel like navigating a maze.
Makeup Mistakes to Avoid | Ali Andreea
Here’s a look at some frequent makeup mishaps and how to prevent them, so you can achieve a seamless and natural-looking result.
1. Skipping Skincare: The Foundation for Great Makeup
Achieving a seamless makeup look begins even before you pick up a foundation brush. Skipping skincare can result in a heavy, patchy appearance.
Here’s how to prep your skin for makeup success:
Cleanse: Begin with a clean canvas by washing away any dirt, oil, and dead skin cells. Select a cleanser that caters to your specific skin type – gentle for dry skin, oil-based for oily skin, and balancing for combination skin.
Moisturize: Apply a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer to hydrate your skin and create a smooth canvas for makeup application.
Prime: Primer creates a smooth layer between your skin and makeup, helping to minimize the appearance of pores, control excess shine, and prolong the wear of your look.
2. The Wrong Shade Match: Foundation Faux Pas
Selecting the right foundation shade is essential. An incorrect match can result in your skin appearing dull, overly warm, or as if you’re wearing a noticeable layer of makeup.
Here’s how to find your perfect match:
Test in natural light: To find your perfect foundation, apply a small amount along your jawline in natural daylight. The right shade should blend invisibly into your skin.
Consider undertone: Not all foundations are created equal. Look for shades with cool, warm, or neutral undertones to match your skin’s natural coloring.
Sample before you buy: Feel free to request samples or test foundation shades on your jawline when you’re at the makeup counter.
3. The Power of Blending: Avoiding Harsh Lines
Seamless blending is essential for a natural makeup finish. Noticeable lines along your jawline, cheeks, and eyes can make your makeup appear heavy and unnatural.
Use the right tools: Invest in good quality makeup brushes or a damp beauty blender to ensure smooth and seamless blending.
Buff and blend: Use circular motions to blend your foundation, working outwards from the center of your face. Apply the same technique when blending concealer, blush, and bronzer for a seamless transition.
4. Caking On Concealer: Less is More
Although concealer is excellent for brightening under the eyes and concealing imperfections, applying too much can lead to a heavy, unnatural appearance.
Target concealer: Apply concealer only to areas that need correction. Use a lighter shade to brighten and a shade that matches your foundation to conceal blemishes.
Dot and blend: Apply small dots of concealer and then gently blend them using a damp beauty sponge or a small brush.
5. Overdoing Powder: Keeping It Balanced
Setting powder is useful for controlling shine and prolonging your makeup wear. However, using too much can leave your skin looking dry and matte, and it can also emphasize fine lines.
Less is more: Start with a light dusting of powder, focusing on areas that tend to get oily, such as your T-zone.
Use the right tools: Use a soft, fluffy brush to apply powder for a light and even distribution.
6. Heavy-Handed with Blush: A Touch of Color
Blush provides a lovely flush of color and warmth to the complexion. However, overdoing it on the blush can result in an overly dramatic, almost clown-like appearance.
Smile and apply: Smile to locate the apples of your cheeks, and apply blush there in a circular motion.
Choose the right shade: Choose a blush color that enhances your natural complexion. Pink and peach shades tend to look lovely on fair skin, rosier hues complement medium skin tones beautifully, and berry or plum tones are often flattering on deeper skin.
7. Eyeliner Gone Wrong: Finding Your Perfect Line
Eyeliner can dramatically enhance your eyes, but a harsh or uneven line can be unflattering.
Start thin and build: Begin with a delicate line and gradually increase the thickness to your preference. Using short, controlled strokes with a pencil or an angled eyeliner brush allows for more precision than drawing a thick line in one go.
Smudge for a softer look: For a softer, smokier look, gently smudge your eyeliner with a smudge brush.
8. Forgetting Your Brows: Framing Your Face
Well-groomed brows frame your face and define your features. Neglected brows can make you look unfinished or even surprised.
Find your shape: Select eyebrow products that closely match your natural hair color. Use a brow pencil or powder to fill in any sparse spots and enhance the definition of your brows.
9. Lipstick and Yellow Teeth: A Balancing Act
Lipstick is a fantastic way to make a statement with color and boost your confidence. However, if your teeth have yellow undertones, some lipstick shades can unfortunately accentuate that.
Here’s how to choose the perfect lipstick for a smile that shines:
Cool tones are your friend: Choose lipsticks that have cool undertones, like blues, purples, and berry shades. These colors help to neutralize any yellow tones in your teeth, making them look brighter.
Avoid warm tones: While warm tones like browns, oranges, and corals are trendy, they can unfortunately emphasize yellowness in teeth.
Experiment with bold: Don’t shy away from bolder shades! A statement lip in a cool-toned red or purple can draw attention away from your teeth.
Gloss vs. matte: Glossy lipsticks can reflect light, which can create the illusion of whiter teeth, whereas matte formulas might emphasize any yellow tones. A sheer or satin finish can offer a nice balance.
10. Finding Your Perfect Mascara: Lashes for Every Look
Mascara can take your lashes from barely-there to voluminous and dramatic. Here’s how to choose the right mascara for your desired effect:
Volume vs. length: Volumizing mascaras add thickness and fullness to your lashes, while lengthening formulas create the illusion of longer, more separated lashes. If your lashes are short, choose a lengthening mascara. If they’re sparse, a volumizing mascara might be your better option.
Formula matters: Consider your needs. Waterproof mascara is ideal for active lifestyles or humid weather, while washable mascara is easier to remove.