6 Common Beauty and Makeup Mistakes to Avoid
Things like makeup and skincare can be fantastic—when you do them right, that is.
Getting something wrong is easy to do without ever knowing it, which is why we're here to help with this list of common beauty and makeup mistakes that are easy to avoid:
1. Only Wearing Eyeliner Below Your Eyes
We don't know who started spreading the idea that you should only wear eyeliner below your eyes (aka your waterline), but whoever it was needs to look again. While wearing eyeliner on your upper lids—especially in the outer corners and as close to your eyelashes as possible—can lift your face up and make you look more vibrant and awake (as well as smoky and a little edgy, depending on how you wear it), wearing it purely on the lower half will bring your face down and make you look both older and less put together. If you want to add some liner to that area, make sure that you're going for a more glam, smokey look and be sure to balance it with liner on the top as well.
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2. Not Wearing Sunscreen Daily
If you think sunscreen is something you only need while on a trip to the beach, think again. Protecting your skin with a layer of sunscreen daily—yes, daily—will both preserve your youthful skin and help prevent some nasty skin cancers down the line. Sure, you might not be thinking about things like that now, but trust us, it's worth it. You don't need to slather on some slick oily formula, either, as plenty of brands will make a moisturizer or other facial products with SPF in them. When in doubt, the more, the merrier when it comes to sun protection.
3. Not Taking Off Your Makeup Before Bed
We're all guilty of forgetting this one once in a while, but it's really something that we shouldn't be letting happen at all. Sleeping in your makeup means that the products on your face can clog your pores and even cause other irritations like sties in your eyes, and over time they can even lead to the early appearance of wrinkles. Plus, no one likes smeared mascara stains on their pillow!
4. Not Blending Your Blush/Contour/Highlight
We've all seen those videos that circulate of women who completely transform their faces with a bit of contour, but does this ever really work IRL? Not usually. A bit of bronzing, contour, highlight and blush can really make your look pop and bring out your natural features, but it's drastically important to make sure everything is blended properly to make it look natural. After all, no one wants to be told they have dirt on their face when it's actually a bronzing attempt gone wrong.
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5. Over-Exfoliating (or Not Exfoliating At All)
Put down that container of apricot scrub and pick up something more gentle ASAP. The abrasive materials in certain exfoliating products can actually cause irritation and worsen acne and other skin problems, which is why chemical exfoliants and other products have taken over in recent years. Alternatively, not exfoliating at all is also a problem. When it comes to your body, skip the heavy scrub every time you shower and simply lather up with a moisturizing body wash and a loofah to scrub away the dead skin, and for your face, a gentle exfoliant will do (only used a few times a week, of course).
6. Over-Filling Your Brows
No one wants to look like they actually drew on their eyebrows with a crayon. While it's easy to go overboard on your brows, especially with the thick brow trend that has thankfully replaced the over-plucked brows of days past, try to start small and build up for the most natural results. When in doubt, combine methods—a pencil and brush to start and a light layer of brow mascara to set them up for success all day long.
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Now that you know some beauty and makeup mistakes to avoid, you can go forth and conquer feeling your most confident with your makeup and skin looking great.
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