6 Common Makeup Mistakes And How To Fix Them

What's the first thing you reach for in your makeup bag? What's your favorite makeup "look"? Many of us are a little bit guilty of having a maximum of three looks - a daytime look for work, a slightly dressier look for going out with friends and then an evening look. At the same time, many of us make some common makeup mistakes - how we apply our makeup, how we choose our makeup and the color of the makeup in our kit. Here, we explain six of the most common makeup mistakes that women make - as well as how to fix them!

Wearing the Wrong Foundation

It can be really difficult to find the right foundation for your skintone, but it's important that you do - too dark and you'll get a tide mark around your neck, too light and you'll look like a ghost. The same goes for your concealer, as well as your powder. When you go shopping, make use of the testers - if you don't, you'll have no idea how the makeup will actually look once it's on your skin.

You shouldn't have to use foundation on your neck to make sure that it blends into your face - it should just match. Test foundation, concealer and powder before you use them and make sure that you adjust the colors used as the seasons change and your tan fades. 

Using the Wrong Concealer for the Wrong Job

Concealer can be used for all sorts of things - to get rid of undereye bags, reduce redness and erase spots. But it's really important to use the right concealer for the right problem. There are all sorts of concealers and ideally, you'd use the right concealer for the right job. For example, to reduce redness, you'd use a concealer with a slight green tinge as this helps to neutralize the redness. For yellow undereye bags, a concealer with pink tones will help to reduce that yellow tone. Cream formulas are often good for hiding spots, but liquid formulas will work well for hiding redness. If in doubt, ask at the makeup counter - that's what the aestheticians are there for!

Using Too Much Brow Pencil

Unfortunately, not every lady is blessed with beautiful brows a la Cara Delevigne, which means that many of us turn to brow pencil and powder to get the look. This is all well and good, but when you use the wrong color - or too much brow pencil - you go from looking glam to angry.

See Also: Biggest Makeup Mistakes Older Women Make

Instead, fill in the gaps and make the eyebrows look a little bit larger by using fine strokes with the pencil, almost like you're drawing on individual hairs. Go for a color that's just one shade lighter than your own brows to make sure that you don't end up looking like you've got caterpillars on your face.

Avoid Over-Powdering

You've probably seen photographs of celebs in mags with white, powdery faces, with the light from the camera reflecting off their power leaving them looking pale and completely washed out. This'll either be due to over-powdering - just using too much powder to blot away oil or because the oil isn't translucent enough. A lot of powders have a bit of a pearlescent finish, which can look beautiful in natural light, but it'll turn white under artificial lights.

Let both sink in before you apply your regular makeup. Then, if you spot any oiliness, use blotting paper to try and soak some of the oil up before you use a powder. Then, and only then, you can use the powder - but use a brush to apply it rather than a sponge.

Too Much Blush

Using too much blush is a sure-fire way to make you look like either a doll or a clown - less is definitely more with this. Applying it in the wrong place will totally change the shape of your face, so it's also really important that you apply it properly! Generally, you just want a light dusting on the apples of the cheeks, moving the brush (or your fingertips if you're using a cream blush or liquid formula) in upwards circles towards the hairline - but not actually up to the hairline as you'll just look like you're flushed from being too hot. You don't need to see the lines of the blusher, either - you should use just enough to give you a glow. When you're using bronzer, you use it a little bit differently - sweep it in upwards strokes from the hollows of the cheek, around the hairline (the idea is to look like you've caught the sun naturally), down the bridge of the nose and across the chin.

Skipping the Primer

Primer isn't really an optional piece of makeup if you want your foundation and blush to stay in place all day long. If you don't, it'll slide off your face. If you have problem skin of any description - oily, flaky, dry, spotty - it's really important to use the right moisturizer and primer for your skin type so that your makeup will stay in place.

See Also: Cheat Your Way To Flawless Skin

Choose the right formulas for your skin type and take a little bit of time to apply primer in the morning - it'll really make a difference.

Does your makeup all rub off by the day, even if you use primer? You might need to use a setting spray instead of a powder. Not got a setting spray? Hairspray will do the job nicely!