1) Not cleaning makeup brushes/ not using makeup brushes.
By not using makeup brushes I mean using those foam applicators that come with eyeshadow over and over and over. That is heaven for bacteria- grossss. If you really don't want to invest in makeup brushes (great $1-$3 brushes available from e.l.f.), it's better to even wash your hands and use your fingers to apply eyeshadow. Those applicators can be good for packing on color- but please don't reuse them.
And if you do use makeup brushes, CLEAN THEM. Otherwise it's just as bad as using those applicators, but even worse when it comes to face brushes. Dirty brushes will not apply makeup as well as they can, and will harbor bacteria, which can cause breakouts/other skin issues and eye irritation/infection. Nasty.
There are many brush cleaners out there. After each use I usually spray them with rubbing alcohol and wipe off the makeup on a clean face cloth (this does stain towels, so I bought a cheap pack of 18 face cloths for $4 at Walmart). It's also good to deep clean your brushes once every week or two (which I should do more). You can buy brush cleaners from e.l.f. too, among many other brands. You can also mix a bit of antibacterial dish soap with olive oil (1:1 ratio) and use that to clean your brushes. The oil keeps the brushes from drying out. You can even use baby shampoo.2) Not getting a foundation that's your skin tone/ not blending your foundation.
We've all seen it. That orange-ish line on a girl's jaw or by her ears, and you just can't look away. To avoid this, don't try to get a foundation of the skin tone you would like to have...aka don't get a darker foundation just to look tan. Also, most people are different colors in the winter than to summer, so most people need at least two different shades of foundation. If you get tanner in the summer, and you are using your summer foundation in winter, you might want to take a second look in different lighting to see if you foundation looks natural. Don't forget that you can mix foundation shades to get your perfect color, or add a bit of moisturizer to make it a little lighter.
Blending is just as important as finding the right shade. Even if your foundation matches your skin tone, make sure to blend it into your hairline, over your ears, and down your jaw.
3) Pumping your mascara.
This is when you push your mascara wand in and out of the tube. This pushes air (that has bacteria in it) into the product, which makes it less sanitary, and will dry out a lot faster. If you need more mascara after one eye or want another coat, just dip your wand in once and pull it out.
4) Not taking off makeup at night.
This is terrible for your skin. It needs to breathe. Like it or not, a lot of makeup has chemicals in it that shouldn't be on your face 24/7. It also ages you quicker- I heard somewhere that every night that you do not take off your makeup it is like aging your skin seven days. I don't have a reliable source for that (does a youtube guru count? haha), so it might not be exactly correct, but everyone can agree that it does age you. Plus then it can get on your pillow and clog up your pores. Make sure to take off waterproof mascara, even though it's a pain. It's just not attractive when peoples' mascara just builds up day after day until they have these big, fat spider lashes.5) Not using an eye primer.
Even if you just use concealer and a face powder on top, it's better than nothing. If you're wearing shadow, it needs something to adhere to otherwise it will just slip around on your lid (especially if you have oily skin) and bunch up in your crease. You also get a LOT better color payoff when you use a primer, and will get the look you're going for without have to scrape at the shadow to pack on color.
6) Not filling in/shaping your eyebrows.
Your brows frame your eyes, and if you want a polished look, you definitely want to make sure they are in tip-top shape. This doesn't just mean plucking and waxing, but also filling them in with a pencil, eyeshadow, or gel to get the exact shape you want. Shaping your brows can also lighten up your whole face, and give you more room when applying shadow. Trust me, this little thing can make a huge difference. But beware of over plucking!
7) Not using an eye cream.
Even if you're young, you should start using eye cream as early as 20. Prevention is a lot easier than cure for a lot of things, wrinkles included. If you have dark circles, a good eye cream can make all the difference. If you have to apply concealer under your eyes, but aren't using an eye cream, it's practically pointless. Your skin will thank you in 15 years.
8) Throwing on a black liner all over your upper and lower lids.
9) Overly sparkly bronzer and blush.
Edward Cullen. That's all I gotta say.
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| He used too sparkly of blush. |
10) Not knowing your coloring.
You should know if you are generally a warm or cool tone (important for choosing foundations), and what colors suit you best. People that are cool toned tend to have pink undertones, and people that are warmed toned tend to have yellow undertones (so you can choose a foundation with a yellow or pink undertone accordingly.
You can test to see if you are cool or warmed toned with jewelry- if you look better in silver, you are cool toned. If you look better in gold, you are warm toned. There are various other ways to test your tone, like looking at your veins in the sunlight. If they are blue, you are cool toned, and if they are olive, then you are warm toned. If you can't tell, and both silver and gold look good on you, consider yourself lucky, because you are probably neutral toned.
When it comes to wearing color and which colors suit you best, it's a good idea to look at a color wheel. Want to make your eyes pop? Look at the wheel and go directly across from it. Colors in this family will make your eyes stand out.
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