If you are a staunch Modern Filipina reader, you know that we are always on the lookout for ways to make us look more attractive. There is just something so empowering about being beautiful that draws us to it, to the point of near obsession.
We spend endless hours perfecting the shape of our eyebrows (you know what they say, kilay is buhay). We fight the desire to just flop down on our beds so we could complete an intricate Korean skincare routine that promises glass skin. We fight back tears and bite our lips as the wax technician pulls out unwanted hair in one swift motion, all for the sake of chicken skin-free kili kili.
You get the point.
There are small beauty routines we do — unknowingly — that end up making us look less pretty than we’d hoped.
Here are some subtle makeup mistakes that affect how we look:
Wrong Foundation Shade
We’ve all been guilty of this before: testing out foundation the back of our hands. Often, the face and the hands are not the same color. So really, by testing makeup on the back of our hand, we’re setting ourselves up for a major beauty blunder.
Swatch your foundation on your jawline to find the perfect match. If you’re acidic, do other tasks first before deciding on a product. If it oxidizes (turns darker) after a couple of hours, pick a lighter shade. If it disappears entirely and you’re after full coverage, pick a product with a thicker consistency and more matte finish.
Piling on Foundation
Don’t get me wrong, I live for full coverage foundation that hides ultimately everything, from the remains of a giant zit to the darkest secrets of your past. But the problem with full coverage foundation is when applied with a heavy hand, it tends to get cakey, which creates a very unnatural look. Believe it or not, the worst comment I have received from anyone about my foundation was, “mukha siyang semento.”
Unless you’re hiding discoloration or blemishes, a thin layer will suffice. If you have oily skin, focus on trouble areas like the undereyes, the T-zone, and around the nose. If you can, try to leave the rest of your skin fresh.
Spider-Leg Lashes
It may look super posh on the catwalk, but on the sidewalk, clumpy lashes are never in. Avoid spider-leg lashes like the plague. Achieve thick, naturally-long lashes by wedging the brush right near the roots of the lashes and wiggling it back and forth before pulling the wand outwards. To get rid of clumps run a mascara comb right after application. Also, remember to never curl your lashes after applying your mascara. Not only will it ruin a perfect application, but you also risk the curler sticking to your lashes (and the need to yank it out).
Sleeping in Your Makeup
We all get days when you were so absolutely tired, there is literally no energy for anything else. Not even to remove your makeup. Leaving makeup on overnight leaves it to settle in your pores, which eventually turns into comedones and blackheads. Leftover makeup, when left to settle in fine lines and between creases, tends to stretch these out. All of these contribute to dull, rough skin that look older than your real age.
The key to a dewy, youthful complexion is to keep it clean. If you have zero time to wash your face, at least wipe your makeup off with a makeup remover.
Ugly Thoughts
OK, this isn’t makeup related, but really, not even all the makeup in the world can do anything to conceal dark thoughts. Notice how there are people who are just so charming, you find yourself attracted to them? Usually, these people are just so kind, so happy, so . . . light that you can’t help but gravitate toward their aura.
Perhaps Roald Dahl was right, after all. You may have a wonky nose, a double chin, and a crooked mouth, but if you have good thoughts, they shine out of your face like sunbeams.
So think pretty thoughts and let your beautiful soul shine through.