#22. Don’t Smile When Applying Blush
This one might sound odd because I bet most of you smile real hard when applying hard, just to get that rosy warmth on the apple of your cheeks. After all, doesn’t it make sense to have blush exactly where your cheeks go up? Well, make-up professionals suggest otherwise.
Apparently, when you try to do the smiling trick that you’ve seen all over, the blush actually ends up sitting lower in your face. That means that rather than having rosy cheeks you’ll end up with pink patches underneath the area you actually want it on. So always apply blush on a rested face!
#21. Where To Highlight
It’s quite common to see YouTubers that film beauty tutorials putting highlighter on the tip of their noses. Naturally, seeing these people do it drives you to do the exact same thing. However, make-up professionals are shaking their heads at this habit of putting highlighter on just the tip of the nose.
Doing so draws all the attention to the widest part of your nose, so unless you want a bigger-looking nose… you probably should stay away from this trick. Instead, apply highlighter only on the bridge of your nose, this will give you that depth you so desperately want!
#20. Don’t Forget To Exfoliate!
Nobody likes their lipstick to look chunky or clumpy… well that tends to happen when you don’t exfoliate your chapped lips before applying any sort of lipstick. The situation gets even messier when you are trying to rock some matte lipstick!
Your best shot is to not only exfoliate to get rid of any dried up pieces of skin, but also to put on some chapstick to smooth out the canvas. Doing so will ensure that your matte lipstick looks perfect; it will glide beautifully and your lips won’t be looking dried up.
#19. No Liner At The Bottom
If you were born in the 80s or 90s then you probably were familiar with the beauty tip of applying liner at the bottom of your eye. Well, now that we have liquid liners, it seems that some people still like to have their bottom with some added depth.
Liquid liner is only for the top lid. Putting it on the bottom almost ensures that you will look like a panda or a raccoon in a matter of hours, no matter how waterproof your liquid liner is. If you really want the black eyeliner on the bottom of your eye look, make sure to use a pencil.
#18. SPF!
This one should be obvious by now because we all know how much sun can damage our skin. But in case you didn’t know or in case you decided to omit this step, you should start making sunscreen part of your make-up regime. No excuses!
Using sunscreen prior to applying make-up will ensure your skin ages nicely and it will also help prevent skin cancer (yes, we are serious, please use sunscreen and protect your skin). Sunscreen comes in many different formulas so you’ll definitely find one that adapts to your lifestyle and liking.
#17. Have More Than One Brush
Whether you are trying to save up or you are just lazy, chances are you only have one brush to apply everything. Well, make-up experts say we should have more than one. A few, actually, would be best. Maybe you think you’re saving time by using one brush for your eyeshadow but that you’ll quickly change your mind.
Using the same brush to blend that you used for the dark color of your eyeshadow will make the whole look seem murky and dirty. So maybe you are saving time or a few dollars but at the cost of many murky eye looks! So get some cheap brushes if you don’t feel like getting an expensive set but make sure you use a different brush for blending!
#16. Know Your Skin Type
Are you sure your skin is classified as oily? Do you always go to the oil-free aisle in the make-up section assuming that’s the type of skin you have? According to make-up professionals, it’s very common for their clients to ignore what their skin type is!
So don’t be surprised when your skin starts flaking off if you apply a matte foundation on what you think is oily skin. If you aren’t sure what type of skin you have, go to a skin consultation. Using make-up products that aren’t meant for your skin will not only make your make-up routine a pain but you’ll be spending money that just isn’t worth it.
#15. Drawing Your Eyebrows
With all the recent rave about eyebrows and getting the eyebrows looking bold and thick, some people might be overdoing it… The best tip that make-up professionals can give you is that when you are going for that bold look, make sure not to draw your eyebrows too close to each other.
You might be wondering: well, what is too close? An old trick that professionals like to use is to put your brow pencil vertically and balance it on the side of your nose, Take that measurement up and that’s the closest your eyebrow should get to the center. As you approach the center, make sure you apply your brow liner with less pressure.
#14. Bottom Lid Eyeliner
While lately the bottom eyelid trend doesn’t seem to be thriving as much as it did in the 90s, there still are some people that want to go for that look. This trick/tip from makeup professionals is quite easy. Basically, if you want to do your bottom lid, do it ON your waterline.
Do not, by any means, try to do the eyeliner below your waterline. Trust me, you’ll only end up looking like a raccoon if you do. Putting it below the waterline is the reason why the eyeliner smears and then makes you look like you wore it overnight.
#13. Clean Your Face Before Snoozing
This should be part of your daily schedule, and if it’s not, you should be adding it right now. While we all love some make-up to help us look a little extra nice, you do not want to keep it overnight by any means. Not only will you wake up with a greasy and smeared face, but it’s terrible for your skin too!
As tempting as your bed might look when you come home from a long day of work/partying and you are rocking an amazing makeup look, don’t let your laziness get the best of you. Sleeping in your make up makes your skin age faster! Plus, it promotes acne.
#12. Not Just One Shade Of Eyeshadow
While it might seem a bit daunting to use more than one eyeshadow if you aren’t a professional or aren’t used to make-up that much, this tip will definitely help you look like a pro. Rather than just using one color, try using two. You’ll be shocked by the difference!
When you do more than one shade of eye shadow, you are adding an overtone or an undertone to your base. This helps your eyeshadow look a lot more pigmented and it also helps add extra depth to your overall look. Don’t forget to blend the crease though!
#11. Don’t Forget The Hairline
This one is for people that like to do a full face of makeup. What do I mean by that? If you are the type of person that goes for foundation, concealer, powder, etc, you probably will benefit from this tip. However, if you are somebody that just does some mascara and Chapstick, this one will probably make no sense.
No matter how close to your skin color of a foundation you get, you should always, always blend it with your hairline. This just makes the foundation color look like it’s your natural color. You don’t want to have a line that separates your foundation from your real skin color, especially if this is a line around your head.
#10. Clean Them!
We all get busy and we all get lazy, what’s new? Well, all I wanna say is don’t let this attitude give you bad skin! It is quite a common practice for people to neglect cleaning their tools. Ever wondered why you’ve been breaking out around your cheeks? Or why your skin looks congested?
The real question is, have you been cleaning your brushes? Also, it isn’t just the blushes, make sure you clean your beauty blender! Essentially anything that goes on your face that is rubbing against several surfaces should be cleaned. If you wanna take things to the next level, sanitize them!
#9. Go Lighter!
When you think about eyeliner, eyebrow filler or mascara, your first thought is usually that these are black. Well, it so happens that for most people, dark brown or black pencils/mascara aren’t the best ideas. They usually use way too much of it and truthfully speaking, they would probably look better in something lighter.
If you are planning on buying an eye pencil or some eyebrow filler, make sure you consider the lighter options first. After all, if it’s not dark enough, you can always add layers to it! Plus, it gives you more of a natural look if the color fits with your overall complexion.
#8. Don’t Forget Your Neck
Remember that trick about blending into the hairline? Well, it isn’t just the hairline that should be properly blended. You should strive to make sure that your foundation looks as natural as possible, which means you don’t want patches of different skin colors!
If you remember your hairline (which we really hope you do!), don’t forget the neck! You don’t want to have a line of foundation that differentiates the color on your flawless face from your neck. Believe or not, this is quite a common mistake because it’s so easy to forget about your neck.
#7. Blend It In
OK, at this point, we think that the point has been made. If you forget everything else on this list, you cannot forget to blend it in. Especially if you are part of a theatre performance, the last thing you need is having that strong stage light highlighting how badly you did your makeup.
A trick to achieve a nicer blending effect without being a pro is to add dimension layer by layer. What do I mean by this? Don’t put the two boldest colors together. You want to slowly add the intensity rather than just smearing together. So if you don’t have time, don’t even try to do an eye-shadow!
#6. Don’t Overdo The Highlighter
Highlighter is that best friend that just fixes everything up. You pulled an all-nighter and you look like a walking zombie? Highlighter. It’s a bad hair day and your greasy hair strands just seem to be untamable? Highlighter. It will draw attention away. However, there is such a thing as overdoing it.
As the word says, highlighter is meant to highlight. It is supposed to be placed in areas were the sun would hit and further emphasize the dimensionality of your facial features. This means that you aren’t supposed to cover your whole face in highlighter!
#5. Alternate The Full Face Look
While we know that there are some people that are pros at make-up and that as a result, they experiment with new looks every day, it really isn’t a good idea to do a full-face look on a daily basis. Your skin needs to breathe and unfortunately, it’s extra hard for it to do so under layers of make-up.
This doesn’t mean that you necessarily have to go out of your house without any makeup (although that would actually be quite nice too). But instead of doing every day full-face makeup, try doing some chapstick, mascara, and concealer some every other day.
#4. Clean Nails!
While this isn’t so much about makeup, this makes you look a lot cleaner in general, as well as avoid nasty skin breakouts. For one, you want clean nails just for good hygiene. Let’s be real, who out there wants dirty-looking nails? It sure doesn’t compliment any outfit.
Secondly, you want to keep your nails clean when you apply make-up. Imagine all the germs that could be hiding under your nails and if you were to be using your fingertips to blend in foundation or eyeshadow or even lip balm. This point is even more important for those of you that have long nails.
#3. Primer And Foundation Must Be Compatible
This one might just save your life. If you are one of those people that just don’t understand why your primer and foundation make your face look patchy, it might no be the product itself but actually the combination of them. You need to make sure before you buy your products, that they are compatible.
Basic science: water and oil don’t mix. This means that if you have a foundation that is water-based and then a primer that is silicone-based, your face will just look extra patchy and unclean. Make sure that both primer and foundation are either water-based or silicone-based.
#2. Skip The Hacks
Nowadays, people are just looking for the fastest way to do things. We hear you! Sometimes a nice hack can make your life a lot easier. But when you boil it down, putting on makeup is kinda like a form of art. So relax, put some music on, and do your makeup properly!
If you don’t have time, just opt for an extra simple look. But if you do, skip the hacks because the extra time and care that you put into blending your foundation in, lining your lips with lip liner, and contouring properly, will definitely pay off.
#1. A Foundation For Each Season
Well, maybe not each season, but at least just summer and winter. If you are like most human beings, you probably get a little darker during the warmer seasons. You don’t have to necessarily be in a tanning bed or by the ocean 24 7 to have your skin have a warmer tone.
This means that you should definitely have two good foundations that suit your skin color depending on the season. Have the lighter one for the cold days when your skin doesn’t get much vitamin D but also have that darker shade ready for the hot summery days.