11 of the most common makeup mistakes

Ah, make-up. It’s a ton of fun but at times, tricky to master. We’ve all made mistakes when we’re doing our ‘face’ – just like Goldilocks, it’s often hard to find the balance between too much, too little and just right. But at bh, we’re all about solutions, so here are 11 of the most common make-up mistakes – and how to fix them. Let’s do this!

#1 Skipping primer

Applying foundation and powder to an uneven base can draw attention to imperfections, rather than hiding them. The key to acing your base is primer. Its silky texture covers any bumps and provides a smooth surface on which to apply make-up. We like Benefit The POREfessional, as its translucent formula complements all skin tones.

#2 Wearing the wrong shade

If your face looks like you’ve just come home from a beach holiday, and your neck doesn’t, your foundation isn’t quite the right match for your skin. When choosing foundation, don’t check the colour against the palm of your hand. Instead, grab two shades that are close to your skin tone, and apply each of them to your chest. The one that disappears is the one to go for.

#3 Applying too much blush

Are you guilty of going overboard on the blush? We’ve all been there (just blame the bad lighting). The trick with blush is to start small, and slowly build up colour. You want to look lightly flushed, not like you’ve run a marathon. Blow your brush to remove any excess product before applying to the apples of your cheeks.

#4 Blending incorrectly

Severe lines have no place on your face. Your blush should fade into your bronzer and your concealer into your foundation. To make sure this happens, grab a kabuki brush sans any product – we like MAC Brush 182 –and buff across your face and down your neck. This will create a soft-focus effect, and make your make-up look far more natural.

#5 Drawing attention to both eyes and lips

It’s fun to experiment with eyes and lips. Trust us, we get it. But when you’re doing your make-up for a night out, you have to choose between long-lashed, smoky eyes or dramatic lips. They just don’t look the best when teamed together. Less is more in this case!

#6 Rocking obvious lip liner

The 90s called, and they want Christina back. Lip liner is great for making lips appear fuller and extending the wear of your favourite colour, but you need to invest in the right shade. Choose a lip liner that is one shade darker than the lip colour you are applying. Line the lips, buff with fingers to blend, and then apply your gloss or lipstick.

#7 Over-exaggerating your eyebrows

It’s easy to get carried away when filling in your brows, so we forgive you if you’ve made this mistake before. To avoid changing the shape of your brows, only fill in sparse areas using an eyebrow pencil that matches the colour of your brows. We recommend Australis Cosmetics Eyebrow Pencil, as it’s available in four shades to suit all complexions.

#8 Sleeping with your make-up on

We all know this is a no-no, yet we’ve all done it. Usually, tiredness or one too many wines are to blame! Keep a pack of Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes next to your bed for those nights when you just can’t be bothered. Problem solved.

#9 Using dirty brushes

It’s so important to regularly clean your brushes. If you don’t, they become a breeding ground for bacteria. We recommend investing in a spray – like Bobbi Brown Brush Cleaning Spray – to clean brushes between make-up applications. Keep it in your make-up bag, and spray on your brush after every use (or as often as you remember). Your brushes will stay in tip-top condition, we promise.

#10 Going overboard on fake tan

While your body might look banging with a super dark tan, your face does not. If you’re an avid at-home tanner, invest in a face tan on your face. We recommend Ella Bache Great Face Tan Without Sun as it achieves a natural glow that lasts for days. Check out this video, where bh's Sam  shows you how to apply fake tan on your face.

#11 Getting stuck in a rut

It’s a little too easy to stick to your make-up routine. Your eyeliner goes with your eye shadow, which goes with your favourite blush. But, as with everything in life, it’s good to step out of your comfort zone. Coloured eyeshadow? Pastels? Negative space? Why not give one of these new beauty trends a go?

Have you ever made any of these make-up mistakes? Do you have any other suggestions to avoid them?

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