10 MAKEUP MISTAKES YOU MIGHT BE MAKING

MISTAKE NO. 1: WEARING THE WRONG FOUNDATION SHADE

“Foundation isn’t supposed to give your skin a bit of a tan. After all, that’s what bronzers are for. Instead, “it’s supposed to create a perfect, smooth complexion and cover-up any imperfections. This is why you should always use a foundation which blends in with your skin.” We recommend testing on your jawline (not your hand!) before buying, and when possible, ask for a sample first. That way you can try it at home — and look at your skin in various lighting situations — to make sure the shade you choose looks natural.

MISTAKE NO. 2: APPLYING MAKEUP ON DRY, FLAKY SKIN

Foundation will only emphasize the flakes by sitting on top of them instead of blending in with your skin. Fix the dryness by exfoliating regularly (to get rid of flakes) and following that up with a rich moisturizer. Smoother skin means a much smoother application and finished look.

MISTAKE NO. 3: WEARING BLUE EYESHADOW

“Blue eye shadow works for some people. “Little girls in dance recitals. Guests at 1970s-themed parties. Ethereal looking supermodels. If you aren’t one of the aforementioned people, don’t wear it. Enough said.” Harsh, but truer words have never been spoken.

MISTAKE NO. 4: TRYING TO “PLUMP” YOUR LIPS

You’ve probably heard, or tried, the trick of lining just outside your natural lip line to make your lips look bigger. But it’s way easier said than done. One wrong move and you’ll end up looking like Pamela Anderson circa 1993. If you are going to attempt it, try to use a lip liner the same shade as your lipstick on the outer line of your lips, without passing over it. Fill in your lips as well — that way if your lipstick fades, you don’t wind up with only a line around your mouth.

MISTAKE NO. 5: OVER-TWEEZING (OR IGNORING) YOUR EYEBROWS

“When [brows are] well groomed they can enhance your eyes and your entire look. So head to a professional to get an ideal shape. While you do want to tame overgrown brows, we stress that you don’t want to tweeze too much. “As we get older, our brows naturally become sparser, so if you tweeze your brows too thin they might never fully grow back,” she says. So just stick with cleaning up the area around your brows and follow their natural arch for your best shape.

MISTAKE NO. 6: WEARING AN ENTIRE EYE PALETTE ON YOUR LIDS

“Just because your compact came with four or more colors packaged together doesn’t mean you have to paint them all onto your eyelids at once. Instead, we recommend wearing no more than three shades at a time: a medium one on your lids, a lighter one near your brow bone and a dark one as liner. But for every day, you really only need a sweep of one shade across your lid.

MISTAKE NO. 7: TRYING TO “SCULPT” YOUR FACE

Yes, we would all love chiseled cheekbones and a dainty, ski-slope nose, but if nature didn’t deliver, makeup isn’t going to help. Contouring is best left to professionals, and only for photography or film. “No matter how skilled you are with the makeup brush, it’s nearly impossible to use dark colors that aren’t glaringly obvious when viewed in person, especially in broad daylight. Focus instead on pretty, soft makeup that plays up your best features.

MISTAKE NO. 8: USING PENCIL ON YOUR EYEBROWS

A penciled eyebrow looks painted and weird (hello Joan Crawford). Nevertheless, many women still go this route to fill in brows. A better option: Choose an eye shadow color that matches your hair color and apply with a thin, stiff, angled brush using tiny strokes.

MISTAKE NO. 9: WEARING BLACK EYELINER IN THE DAYTIME

Here is a general rule: dark colors shrink and recede. Light colors advance and bring forward. That’s why we recommend skipping black eyeliner (especially underneath eyes) during the day, so your eyes look more open and awake. Switch to a brown liner for daytime use underneath eyes.

MISTAKE NO. 10: GOING NUTS WITH “LUMINIZING” PRODUCTS

Luminous particles have been added to everything in the past few years, most notably foundations, powders, and highlighting products. One or two such products can make a woman look fresh and glowing. Too many can make her look very, very strange. Think glowing head on a matte body, or like you spent your morning leaning over an oil vat — not exactly sexy. We suggest limiting your illuminating products to these areas: cheekbones, inner eye corners, and (if used sparingly) under the eye.