While makeup works to enhance your face's best features, using (or misusing) these can bring the opposite effect. Experts dished on some of the most common beauty blunders women make and shared suggestions on how these can be avoided:
1) Wearing flaky mascara
With so many different formulas of mascara in the market, not one of these offer something that can prevent clumps and flakes. This is because a mascara's formula typically loses its effectiveness over time and once that happens, it can dry up and crack easily. This means it's time to stop wearing it or buy a new one.
"I buy mascara in twos so that I always have a spare. Mascaras that are used every day are usually drying in three months but definitely done by six," said makeup artist Kate Lee via Pop Sugar.
2) Overdoing the eyebrows
Some women tend to look strong and unnatural because of over-arched and overdone eyebrows and the mistake could be because they use the wrong tools. The solution? Ditch the eyeliner and go with an actual brow pencil. "It's designed to be hard and go on soft, so your brows look natural," according to makeup artist Sandy Linter, per Good Housekeeping. You could also invest in a brow powder to fill up patches and bald spots.
3) Having "raccoon eyes"
Aside from using flaky mascara, raccoon eyes can be the result of misapplying dark eye shadow or using the wrong eyeliner. To prevent this from happening, do the eye-makeup first before applying concealer. "It's better to start with the eye makeup so you can clean the fallout on the skin and then apply face makeup," said makeup artist Sarah Tanno via Pop Sugar.
You can also use brow liners as eyeliner. "The consistency doesn't budge and the tip is so fine," said makeup artist Julie Morgan, according to Shape. "After applying, I sweep or smudge over with a clean brush to take away the extra pigment that will create raccoon eye."
4) Having feathered or smudged lips
Smudges on your lips can be unattractive, but sometimes you won't notice - especially when you're having a busy day. However, you can prevent this from happening by applying a lip liner over the lipstick. "Clear lip liner works a treat around the outer edge of the lips to prevent it from migrating," advised beauty blogger Temptalia. She also suggested using lip liners with matte formula, which tend to bleed less.
5) Applying foundation wrong
"Only use foundation where you need it to even out discoloration. You don't have to cover every inch of your skin," said makeup artist Frances Hathaway, via Oprah. Avoid foundations with matte and long-wearing formulas as they can not only dry out skin, but they could also make your face look patchy. Apply the foundation using a brush or makeup sponge "to blend foundation under the chin downwards onto neck to match your made-up face," said makeup artist Kathy Jeung, per Pop Sugar.
