Most of us can’t even leave the house without makeup on. A bit of mascara or a nice pat of some blush are among many girls’ must-haves—but are you sure you’re doing your makeup correctly? I know that most of us have been running around with our faces done up since when-have-you, but sometimes, just because you’re used to applying it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve been doing it right. We’ve listed five common makeup mistakes to help you stay fabulous all day long.
1. Clash of the Lippies
We all know that plump, luscious lips are very seductive, but accomplishing this look is actually easier said than done. Some girls end up looking like a disaster just because they’ve mismatched the colors of their liner and lipstick. It sounds relatively easy, but sometimes, once you put it on, you don’t really realize that the shades don’t look good together until they get a chance to check a mirror under different lighting (which is why it’s usually a good idea to check your compact when you’re out in natural light). Here’s a quick fix: if you should happen to leave the house with a mismatched liner and lipstick, just stick to your lipstick. There is no way you’re going to pull it off, sister.
2. Bare Brows
Although seeing to your eyebrows during your makeup ritual is supposedly common sense, some girls still stay stubborn and leave this essential step out. Girls, you have no idea how powerful this part of your face can be. Make your eyebrows too strong, and you’ll come close to looking like Betty La Fea; overpluck, and you might look like you got too close to a bonfire. Be sure to include seeing to your brows in your everyday ritual, as these help frame your face and give definition to your features. Not into primping up your brows? At the very least, make sure you do a little regular maintenance to clean up your brow area. This includes trimming your brows and cleaning up the space between them. You’re no Frida Kahlo to pull off that unibrow.
3. Over-Eye Rainbow
Unless you are doing it for a photo shoot or a special occasion, overly bright colors, especially those in neon shades, should be avoided in day-to-day wear. Certainly, you don’t want to mix and match these if you’re headed in to work or for lunch with your family. Photos on Pinterest might be gorgeous, yes, but it doesn’t mean that you have to wear your entire eye shadow palette in one go. Try toning it down for a bit and focus on one or two color combinations only. And if you want to play it safe, buy a neutrally colored palette you can wear anywhere, and keep the fancy shades for parties and masquerades.
4. The Wrong Angle
As much as we might want to achieve a more chiseled look, it’s all too easy to overdo your contouring. Make sure that you are using the right shade of bronzer and that you are contouring the right sides in the correct angle. Even if YouTube makeup tutorials may look “extra easy,” trust us, you don’t want to leave the house with the evidence of your inexperienced strokes on your cheeks and nose. If you really want to contour your face but are not sure how to go about it, start out with soft-toned bronzers and blushes before experimenting with darker palettes (like the ones that they use for photo shoots). In this case, if you happen to accidentally overdo it, you’ll find it easier to make a few quick fixes rather than removing everything and starting over.
5. Attack of the Glitter Bombs
No, glitter does not make everything better. I know it used to be a trend to dust glitter all over your body, but it’s 2015, and that trend has been and gone. Move on and try other things and textures like matte, satin, and whatnot. Trust us, these will look much better than any attempts to look like Edward Cullen’s long-lost sister. There’s a reason why glitter bombs are now considered a great way to get back at your enemies.