Beauty Mistakes You Didn’t Know You Were Making

Every woman wants to be beautiful! And some of us will spend countless hours trying to look our best, but most of us are making beauty mistakes that we had no idea were all wrong! I’m certainly guilty of a few of these.

1. Knowing How To Use Your Concealer

Which do you apply first, your concealer or foundation? It seems like this questions is somewhat of a debate because I’ve read a little of both on some of the most popular beauty blogs. I’ve always applied my foundation first, otherwise it seems redundant to apply concealer only to have the coverage wiped away with the application of your foundation, so in this case, as long as your concealer is blending in well and giving you the coverage you want, do whichever works for you! On that note, here are a few things you may be doing wrong with your concealer:

• Too much in a targeted area. Instead, layer! Apply a small amount over your blemish, give it a chance to dry, then apply another layer. Continue layering if needed. For the best results, use a setting powder in between layers to prevent it from wearing off.
• Using the same concealer for every job. Guilty! Every color has a different job. A peach-toned concealer is best for under-eye circles because it cancels out blue shadows. A green-toned concealer cancels out red (pimples and blemishes). Use it for your first layer and then finish with a concealer that matches your skin tone. Yellow-toned concealers are best for evening out your skin tone (larger areas).
• Not taking advantage of its many benefits. It’s not just for covering blemishes and under-eye circles! I’ve made this handy pictorial to show you how to truly take advantage of your concealer. Hope this helps
  

2. Using The Wrong Color Eyeliner

Unless you have a darker skin tone, I feel that black eyeliner can be a little harsh, and perhaps best saved for a night out. A light to dark brown looks best on light to medium skin tones, especially if you have blonde hair, and green or blue eyes.

• 3. Harsh Eyeliner (Not Blending)This is one of my biggest pet peeves. No matter what color of eyeliner you choose, if it’s applied like a marker, it’s going to look harsh. This doesn’t do your beautiful eyes any justice. To achieve a more natural look, use a pencil liner instead of a liquid liner. And, a lot of pencil liners come with a blending brush on the opposite end– use it! Cara from Mascara has a ton of great beauty tips, and I especially like the way she blends her eyeliner
  
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  4. Tacky Lipstick
  Don’t get me wrong, the right shade of lipstick can instantly give you a confidence boost, but a bold, unnatural color isn’t attractive on most women. It distracts from the rest of your face and can make you look like you’re trying too hard. If you do decide to make a bold choice, keep the rest of your makeup simple, and skip the gloss. A bright lipstick combined with smokey eyes and flushed cheeks can look more clown-like than pretty.
  
  
  
  5. Wearing Bronzer All Over
  If you’re bronzer-challenged like myself, you may be surprised to know that this stuff is not meant to be swept all over your face. The idea is to apply it to the areas where the sun would naturally hit. Stick to the outer edges of your face– the top of your forehead, cheekbones, and jawline. When done correctly, you will actually be drawing the number 3 on both sides of your face.
  
  6. Drawn-On Eyebrows
  I’ve found it to be fast, easy, and completely natural looking! I couldn’t resist sharing my new favorite makeup find. I hope this helps in your pursuit for the perfect eyebrows.
  

  

  7. Wearing Lip-liner All Wrong
  
  
  One of the biggest beauty blunders that most women don’t realize they’re doing is not blending makeup properly. Harsh lines are the last thing you want if you’re trying to achieve a natural look. Eyeliner is a popular one (my biggest pet-peeve), but lip=liner is second on the list.
  A lot of women wear lip-liner to keep their lipstick from bleeding, but the harsh line that show up once your lipstick starts fading isn’t pretty. The easy solution to this is simple: Blend, baby, blend.
  
  

  

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  8. Over-Washing Your Face

  Beauty starts with great skin, and sometimes we just plain overdo it when it comes to washing. Everyone has a different skin type, and some of us are older than others, so there are many factors involved, but if you find that after applying your foundation you can see flaky, dry skin…. stop washing so much! Let your natural skin oils moisturize for you.
  
  It’s important to wash before bed to remove makeup, but you can skip the wash entirely in the mornings, or do what I do and use baby wash. It’s gentle enough to make you feel clean without robbing your skin of its natural oil. Did you know that you can also use baby wash once a week to wash your hair to get rid of build-up? It works just like a clarifying shampoo, but at a fraction of the cost

  

  
  

  9. Wearing Face Powder

  
  

  Face powder is great for locking in your makeup and getting rid of shine, but this stuff can really age you! It magnifies wrinkles and any hair/peach fuzz you may have. Most women don’t need face powder at all, but if you like to use it to keep the shine down (I use these), use powder on your T-zone only (nose and forehead). As you get older, it should become less and less part of your morning makeup routine.

  

  
  
• 10.Too Much Perfume
  One spray is too much! Perfume and cologne have always been offensive to me, and I think a lot of people feel the same. Not only is it a huge turn-off, but it can also cause headaches and allergic reactions. You should only be able to smell someone if you’ve got your nose snuggled up right next to them, not from across the room.