How not to apply your makeup

How not to apply your make-up
Australia's lip gloss queen and celebrity make-up artist Jemma Gawned reveals her three pet make-up hates and how to avoid making them.
Maybe it was being scrutinised by the nation while on Big Brother that made make-up artist and glamour girl Jemma Gawned so attentive to detail. Who wants to be caught on camera with her mani chipped? So call her a perfectionist, but there are a few commonly made beauty blunders that always catch Jemma's eye. "Okay, I don’t want to offend anyone here," she says, "but I have three pet hates." And here they are…
The faux pas: "The mask. Poorly matched, generally orangey and matte-looking foundation that stops at the jaw line is wrong!"
The fix: "Choose three colours closest to your skin tone, try them on your jaw line - not your wrist! - and, if you can, get into some natural light and choose the shade that is closest to your skin."
The faux pas: "Unblended eyeshadow. It's only good for drag queens and showgirls."
The fix: "Start with just a little colour and build it up using a soft brush. Less is more, and easier to work with. If you’re having trouble getting it to blend, use a lighter colour over a hard edge [to disguise the seam]."
The faux pas: "Lip liner darker than lipstick. Oprah Winfrey’s make-up artist once said that the only women who suit this look are women with very dark skin." The fix: "Choose either a liner close to your lipstick/gloss colour or a nude shade close to your lip colour… blend it into your lips before you apply your gloss or lippie."
What's the biggest beauty crime in your books?
Related articles:
What not to wear: make-up artist Jan Thomas reveals how not to do brows, blush and mascara
45 Member Comments
The foundation one is a dread and we always hope that we have the right shade :)
The darker lip liner to lipstick I think was fashion in the 90s and I am sure if it will come back though I have never done it.
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the "mask" people are the funniest. I did it as well, but not with foundation, but just had fresh scrub and my face looked so glowing and different colour than the body...friend asked me "what did you put on the face, it is different colour!"
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darker lip pencil is my wrongdoing, as i do not like lipsticks to go into my mouth (yuck) i apply lip colour on the outside and do not smudge all the way inwards with some lip balm/stain
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I would have to agree with all three faux-pas and the fourth would be loads of black eyeliner and clumpy mascara and nothing else yuuuuuuuuuuuuk.
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Agree some people go way overboard with black eyeliner!
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yess i hate that clumpy million layers of mascara and the caked on foundation. erghh..
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I had a friend who did and still does all three. We used to call her Mimi behind her back (remember the Drew Carey Show?) It described her perfectly. My other pet hate, is seeing girls with their eyebrows so small from overwaxing or plucking, that they look like millipedes above their eyes. Just looks wrong
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i dont mind a darker lip liner when going for a dirrrrty look :) my fiance loves that!
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i could not agree more about Jemma's pet hates. i would also like to add girls who are living in the past with really thin, whispy, short fringes; blush or bronzer that looks like it's been painted on in a rectangle; and lastly when foundation is caked on and is caught in eyebrows so that they look orange
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I used to have a teacher who did all three - you can't really say anything because you get scared they might mark you down ;P anyway, great advice there from Jemma and the posts on here - spread the word!
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it is very true. i definitly always see girls with distinguishing lines. do their mums or friends not tell them?
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I hate the dreaded foundation being the wrong shade and I agree that so many companies only make a small selection of colours so it can be difficult to find the right shade. Some people make the mistake of trying to make their skin look darker by wearing darker foundation however it's best to find a shade which blends in with your skin tone and then warm up with a hint of bronzer. Bronzer can be another product which can be overdosed on if applied incorrectly and look dirty. I also hate chipped nail polish which is why I usually go natural or wear a clear polish. I prefer to wear coloured polish on my toes as they seem less prone to chipping.
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i hate too much eye liner, thick clumpy mascara, yes i hate the orange thick foundation that stops at the jaw line, bleeding lipstick and i hate the really dark thick blush look people try to pull off,, why not try a little tiny bit of bronzer ?
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ive tried the blending of three shades of foundation to get the closer colour to my skin works really well
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My pet hates are - chipped dark nail polish - lipstick that goes outside of the natural lip line and of course - the wrong foundation. But in all honesty, they make it hard to find the true match foundation for your skin and when you fiinally find it - they discontinue it!!
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eyeliner that is way to thick
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I find it so difficult to match foundation colours to my skin. I always get the assistants at the cosmetic counters to match me, so I hope they get it right!
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thanx for the gr8 tip, i see people with dark lip liner on it doesnt look good and a mask of foundation isnt very attracti ve
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True foundation that stops at the jaw line looks silly.Too much blush on the cheeks also never looks natural.Overall thanks Jemma for these handy hints
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Dont forget the whole clumpy mascara look - obvisouly your mascara is out of date and in desperate need to be chucked out and a new one purchased!
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I too cannot stand the whole mask thing with foundation - can they not see it. Another faux pas has to be clumpy eyelashes - there are too many good primers out there to have little bits stuck to your eyelashes.
Also i really dislike too much make up you know the young girls who ahve a gorgeous face but you can't see it as there is a mask of make up over it.
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The Eyeliner is one faux pas that i see the most with the wrong colored foundation.... But it can be so hard to find the right color sometimes!! By the way i have to recommend "the body shop" makeup. I'm a makeup artist and their range is long lasting and high a=in pigmentation, so no need to cake on the makeup and it is so great for darker skin!!
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I can't stand big goopy clumps of mascara on someone's lashes. Ew! That's such a huge turn off! These are good tips, thanks Jemma!
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Old news to me...I know all these look dreadful. Its all in the application and the patience to get it right - and if you know how to apply lipstick properly you don't need lipliner. I agree with Glamourcat - makeup companies get it so wrong with shades of coloured foundation - its just so hard to find the 'right' colour to suit. I always say and stick by my rule of ..............................BLEND - BLEND - BLEND!!
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my favourite has got to be the ones that draw their lip liner clearly wayyyy outside of their lip line... "we know you're lips aren't that big!" I also hate the look of someone who has dunked their whole face in foundation. It hides too much of the person.
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