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5 Makeup Mistakes You May Be Making

08 July 2013


Hi lovelies! I spend a lot of time raving about the amazing things makeup can do on this blog. If used correctly, makeup can do wonders for enhancing features you love and concealing all the things you're not so crazy about. However, when products are used incorrectly they can actually become counter-intuitive and make things worse. And who wants that?


So I've made a quick little list of all the mistakes I've found to be the most common with women today. I have been guilty of every single one of these at one point or another, and even to this day I am far from perfect when it comes to applying makeup. Nevertheless, I'd like to think that I've learned from some of my mistakes over time and picked up a few helpful tricks as well! Please keep in mind that everything said here is simply my opinion, and there are always exceptions.

With all that out of the way, let's jump into it!

1. Caked On Foundation
When your skin is acting up, it's tempting to just slather on full-coverage foundation like it's a mask. The problem is, you're covering up all the good along with the bad! Think of foundation as nothing more than a way to even out your skin tone. Concealer should be doing all the heavy-duty covering on blemishes and other areas that need it. To ensure your foundation doesn't go on too thick or cakey, try mixing it with moisturizer before applying for a more sheer finish (or just buy a sheer coverage formula to begin with).

I Recommend: Olay Fresh Effects Flawless Finish BB Cream*

2. Harsh Eyeliner
When applied correctly, eyeliner is a great way to define your eyes and really make them pop. However, overdoing it can actually make your eyes look smaller and just way too harsh. To avoid making this mistake,  stay away from black liner (especially during the day) and opt for shades of brown, gray, or even a muted purple instead. Another great way to keep eyeliner from looking too harsh is to use eyeshadow applied with an angled liner brush to your lower lash line instead. A lot of makeup artists use this trick because it creates much softer definition. 

I Recommend: L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Bronzed Taupe

3. Overdrawn (Or Ignored!) Eyebrows
Eyebrows make a huge difference in the look of your whole face. Don't believe me? Google "celebrities without eyebrows"...it will change your life. The best way to bring natural definition to your brows is to fill them in with a matching brow powder or eyeshadow and an angled liner brush. Eyebrow pencils typically come out looking way too harsh if they are not wielded by a pro.

I Recommend: NYC Browser Brush-On Brow Kit

4. Mismatched Foundation Shade
Another foundation sin made it to the list! We've all seen it and we've all been that girl at least once- the one that has a clear line of foundation that makes her look like a floating head. Finding an exact shade match is not easy by any means, but it can definitely be done. I'd recommend going into your local department store or Sephora and getting shade-matched by a professional. Even if you're not interested in a high-end product, you can ask to take home a sample and then bring it with you to the drugstore to find a dupe.

I Recommend: Sephora has a really cool new device in certain store locations that detects your exact skin color and shade matches you automatically. It's definitely worth checking out! More info here.

5. Skipping Skincare
If you ignore everything else I've said, please, please, please listen to this. Before you even pick up that primer or go near foundation, make sure you've taken care of your skin. Typically, that means cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing. This ensures you start your makeup routine with a smooth canvas, and keeps products from sticking to dry, flaky skin. I used to avoid moisturizer like the plague because I had oily skin and I thought any added moisture would just make it worse. However, all skin needs hydration and there are plenty of oil-free formulas out there!

I Recommend: Trader Joe's Nourish Oil-Free Antioxidant Facial Moisturizer 

I'd love to hear about all of your past beauty blunders in the comments below!

For more style recommendations, click the video link below! I share all the goodies I've recently purchased from Rebecca Minkoff, Ted Baker London, J.Crew, and more! Plus, I share my new favorite site for scoring amazing deals!






This month my Ultimate Sparkle Sponsor is The Caro Diaries. To find out more about advertising on Sparkle & Mine, click here!

18 comments:

  1. Just found your blog and started following! LOVE these steps, they are SO helpful! Thank you so much for sharing.
    xo,
    ashley
    www.ashleyfrederickson.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So glad you found this post helpful girly! :)

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  2. I will step forward and admit to being someone who completely ignored skincare. I too assumed my oily skin wouldn't like moisturizer. Oh, how wrong that thinking is.

    This is a great list of tips and tricks! I had no idea about the sephora color match thing...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is my first time hearing about it too. I want to try it out! Mismatched foundation is my biggest beauty pet peeve!

      xoxo
      Sockwun
      ExtraExtravagant.bs.com

      Delete
    2. The color match device is seriously the coolest thing ever! You girls should definitely try to find one!!

      The girl who helped me at my local Sephora said that they were only testing them out in select stores, so I guess I got lucky that they chose mine! :)

      Delete
  3. very useful! thanks for sharing!

    Lyosha
    Inside and Outside Blog
    P.S. I’m hosting cool glasses/sunglasses giveaway here check it out!

    p.p.s. your blog is very inspiring! following you now. I hope you might check out my blog as well

    ReplyDelete
  4. I admit that I have been guilty of three of these five items at one time in my life, lol. I only started filling in my brows a while back. Oops!

    xoxo
    Sockwun
    ExtraExtravagant.bs.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have to say THANKS! Great post girl. I have olive skin and seemed to always have a tan-ish color so I have never used foundation. I have found that since I turned about 35, (I am now 42) I am in need of conceler. Now, that being said, I have dry skin and am at a lose of what to use to give my face a nice finish. Fixing the dark circles under my eyes is great, but then what about the rest of my face? Not sure what to buy. I am a devotee of MAC, and have wonderful eye showdows and such from them. I tried bare minerals and it seemed ok, but still seemed to show my dry skin. Help me please???

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would recommend Revlon Colorstay for Normal/Dry skin. It has a huge variety of shades, and in my experience it never cakes up or settles into pores/lines. Hope it works for you! :)

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  6. I'm so glad I discovered your blog, I like it so much! New follower-alert!

    xx,
    Astrid

    truthaboutcosmetics.blogspot.be

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow...really? Try going without make-up and you might found you have made NO make-up mistakes. And it helps the keep the skin young and healthy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're welcome to your own opinion, just like I'm welcome to mine. Not sure why you came on an article about makeup though if you have no interest in makeup, lol.

      Delete
  8. ive defiantly been a victim of too much foundation :(

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow! I always scared to getting the wrong foundation. Thanks for the recommendation! This is a very informative article :D

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  10. The caking on face make up drives me crazy. I was lucky to learn in High School that even my oily skin need moisture.

    Bobbi
    http://www.texasbobbi.com

    ReplyDelete

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