Vikas Srivastava Professional Makeup Artist
1. You’re skipping primer. Ever find your foundation to change color throughout the day, turning a light shade of orange? This happens when too much of the pH in the oil of the skin mixes with the pigment in the foundation. To avoid this oxidation, a primer should be applied to act as a barrier.
2. You’re applying eyeshadow after concealer. Always apply your eyeshadow before your under eye concealer. If not, the shadow will fall all over the eye area and undo all your hard work. When dabbing concealer on the under eyes, place it just below the lower lash line.
3. Your bronzer shade is too warm. A shade of bronzer that’s too warm for your skin tone is the direct cause of the dreaded Oompa Loompa look that we see all too frequently. While skin tones that skew warm can make warm shades of bronzer work, it’s always safest to opt for a neutral shade that doesn’t lean red or orange. The idea is to look sunkissed and, well, bronzed, not orange. Look for true beiges and browns rather than warm and ruddy—after all, nobody tans orange naturally.
4. You’re applying mascara to your lower lashes. Coating the lower lashes in mascara makes eyes look smaller and darker, and it’s a guaranteed way to accumulate smudges under your eyes. We hate to say it, but letting your lower lashes do their own thing is the best approach—don’t curl ’em, don’t put mascara on ’em.
Woman applying blush to cheek
5. You’re applying eyeliner too dark on the lower lash line. Applying liner on both the top and bottom lash lines adds depth to the lashes and makes them appear thicker. But go too thick or dark on the bottom lashes, and your eyes end up looking smaller. Instead, use a lighter version of the eyeliner shade you’re using for a softer touch. Another option: use a powder eyeshadow instead of liner.
6. You’re going too dark with your eyebrow pencil. The contrast of blonde hair and dark brows looks great on Cara Delevingne, but going too dark can actually age you. To soften your features and enhance your eye color (especially brown eyes), choose an eyebrow pencil one to two shades lighter than your hair color.
7. You’re applying blush in the wrong area. Place the brush on the apples of your cheeks and sweep outward, blending as you go. Too much blush on the cheeks can create that unflattering clown-like effect, so it’s important to apply it in the same area you actually blush.
76. You’re applying foundation over concealer. When you apply foundation over concealer, you’re thinning out the concealer you strategically placed over a blemish or other trouble area. Instead, you want to dab the concealer over foundation where a trouble spot hasn’t been completely covered.
8. Your bronzer has too much shimmer. Shimmer overload is the enemy of a believable glow by way of bronzer, so skip anything that looks even remotely disco ball-esque. You don’t have to go fully matte if that’s not your thing, but look for finely milled, subtle illumination instead of outright sparkle for a more natural finish. Save the shimmer for highlighting your cheekbones, rather than dusting it over your entire face.
9. You’re applying too many coats of mascara. The more coats you apply, the more likely your mascara will dry during application, causing clumping and that unnatural spidery look. If a single swipe of mascara isn’t giving you the volume boost you need, consider switching to a thicker formula.
11. You’re not blending your foundation into your neck. It seems like a rookie mistake, but it’s one that happens all too frequently, and results in, well, a neck that doesn’t match your face, even if your foundation suits your skin tone. It’s easy to remedy—just run your hands down from where your neck meets your face after you’ve applied your foundation to seal the deal.
10. Your lipstick is just too dark. We’re all for dark, sultry lipstick shades, but a lip color that’s too dark can make your lips look smaller and your face look older. Unless you’re going for a real statement look that’s anchored by a super dark lip, choose flattering colors that suit you instead.
Jupiterimages/Pixland/Getty Images
12. You’re using the wrong concealer shade on your undereye circles. Because under eye circles are dark, you need a different shade than you would use to cover redness. For those with lighter skin, the circles tend to have a purple tint to them. Peach toned concealers work best. For darker skin tones whose circles are a darker purple or brown, a concealer with an orange pigment will help to camouflage. And don’t go too light. The lighter you go, the harder it is to blend the concealer in with the foundation.
13. You’re letting your pencil liner smudge. Too creamy or too slick and the pencil liner is going to smudge. A surefire way to keep the product in place is by applying a small amount of eyeshadow over the liner. The powder also works like a primer, giving the liner a longer life-span.
14. You’re applying too much bronzer. Yes, you can have too much of a good thing, and bronzer certainly falls under that category. There’s a fine line between too much and not enough, but you can always add more. If you’re fair-skinned, overdoing it on bronzer won’t get you any closer to looking like you just hopped off the beach. You should be using it to accent your face and add natural definition, not change your skin color. A little goes a long way.
15. You’re using the applicators that came with your eyeshadow. Most eyeshadows come with handy mini applicators, making it easy to apply on the go. However, for a truly blended finish, you should use a makeup brush. A sponge tip applicator provides a lot of pigment at once while a brush allows you to gradually add product and blend as you go.
16. You’re applying liner in your tear duct. Not only does this promote bacteria, but it also makes the liner more prone to smudging—this inner corner can get moist throughout the day. When painting the upper and bottom lines, finish just before this inner corner.
17. You’re using the wrong brush to apply bronzer. Don’t underestimate the importance of brushes in makeup application, especially when it comes to applying color. Our bronzer method of choice is to use a large, fluffy brush to swirl a powder formula lightly over the entire face—it’s basically foolproof, which makes it a winner all-around. Avoid brushes that are too small, and unless you’re using a cream bronzer with a skilled hand, always choose a soft natural brush for the most flawless finish.
18. You’re not grooming your brows. Seriously: everyone should be making the most of their brows. A good set can completely change the look of your face for the better. We recommend seeing a brow professional at first and having them teach you how to maintain your brows yourself.
19. You’re putting on mascara before eyeliner. Always swipe on mascara last. This allows a more precise eyeliner application—it’s easier to see the lash line when the eyelashes are bare. Plus, with the eyeliner in place, you’ll know just how much mascara is needed to finish the look.
20. You’re choosing the wrong shade of foundation. “Don’t test on the back of your hand,” says Pixi makeup artist Amanda Bell. When shopping for foundation, Amanda prefers to do a test swatch on the cheek and the neck, which will give you a much more realistic idea of whether the foundation matches or not.
21. You aren’t blending your bronzer well enough. Blending is the key to any good makeup application, and that commandment has never been more true than in the case of bronzer, which is all about blending. Keep in mind that what looks fine and well-blended in your bathroom mirror can totally change gears once you get outside in natural light, so do your makeup in a well-lit room as often as possible.
22. You’re using too much brightening concealer in the undereye area. The idea of a brightening concealer makes sense—you’re brightening the under eye circles to hide the darkness—but these light reflecting particles can actually draw attention to the dark circles when the whole purpose of concealer is to camouflage trouble areas.
Image Source/Getty Images
23. You’re not pairing liner and mascara with your eyeshadow. Eyeshadow doesn’t do it all; the eye also needs some contrast. Dark mascara and eyeliner frame the shape (creating an outline) while the shadow brightens and opens up the eye.
24. You’ve got the wrong idea about lip liner. “Look for a lip pencil in a shade that mimics your natural lip tone and simply sketch around the lip line, adding shape and contour,” says Stila makeup artist Sarah Lucero. “If you shade and shape the lips rather than line them, this will keep lip liner looking modern and beautiful, regardless of the lipstick or lip gloss shade you choose to wear.”
25. Your makeup has expired. We know how hard it can be to part with that favorite foundation that’s lasted forever, or a mascara that’s not quite finished, but makeup comes with an expiration date for a reason. Don’t risk it—toss things when you’re supposed to, and remember that giving that years-old blush in the bottom of your drawer another chance may not be the best idea.
26. You’re applying makeup to parched skin. Smoothing foundation over dry spots won’t necessarily harm your skin, but it will enhance their appearance and make flakiness more apparent. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize, especially before you apply makeup, and if you’re feeling like things are looking a little dry, opt for the tinted moisturizer instead.
27. You’re not switching your makeup up with the seasons. We all have our makeup stalwarts that we turn to year-round, and there’s nothing wrong with a dark red lip in summer when worn correctly, but it’s important to pay close attention to what’s working and what isn’t. Furthermore, your skin changes with the seasons, so the foundation with the glowy finish that you use in winter may translate to undesirable shininess in the summer.
28. You’re using too much powder in the wrong places. We advocate for powder as a great way to mattify skin and lock in your look, but you don’t need to use it all over the face—it’ll give your skin a flat, one-dimensional look that squelches any radiance and can even make you look older (no, thank you). Instead, try dusting just a tiny bit of a translucent powder under your eyes and over your T-zone to reduce shine without going too matte.
29. You’re not focusing on your individual features. Every face is different, and just because you mastered that smoky eye tutorial you found on YouTube doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you. Do your homework on how to flatter your face and enhance your best features while drawing attention away from the ones you’re not as fond of.
30. Your foundation formula is too “dewy,” and it’s making you shiny. We all want to look radiant, but there’s a fine line between healthy glowing skin and a face that more resembles an oil spill. If you just can’t part with your favorite dewy formula, dust a thin layer of a finely milled powder over your entire face. It’ll minimize shine without totally flattening the face.
31. You aren’t prepping your lips properly for lipstick. Take the extra few minutes to exfoliate chapped lips and allow lip balm to sink in before applying your lip color. Dryness under lipstick is flattering on no one.
32. You’re putting on too many eyeshadow colors at once. We’ve all seen crazy multitonal eyeshadow looks on Pinterest, but the at-home versions rarely turn out the same way. Unless you’re really skilled, don’t feel the need to layer on the entire shadow palette—stick to one or two shades in the same color family instead rather than mixing and matching.
Best Bridal Makeup in Lucknow
No comments:
Post a Comment