Make Up Disasters You’ll Want To Avoid

Once upon a time, these make up looks might have been fashionable and up to date, but in the 21st century they’re a big no no. Here’s a rundown of some of the worst make up crimes a person can commit, so you know to avoid them!

- Darker lipliner than lipstick.

Or perhaps just no lipstick at all, as is occasionally seen (unfortunately). This ‘fashion’ has never been in style, because not only is it unflattering, it just looks terrible. Lipliner is meant to create a neat edge to lipstick, and should be the same shade as the lipstick used. It isn’t meant to be used to create a darker shape around the lips, so don’t do it!

- Coloured eyeshadow up to the eyebrows.

The main eyeshadow colour should only go up to the top of the eyelids, ending just where the bulge for the eye finishes. However, we’ve all seen women who wear bright colours – sometimes blue and green – right up to their eyebrow arches. It isn’t a good look, particularly as it makes a person look permanently startled.

- Perfectly round blusher.

We’re talking blusher applied in a perfect circle, with no blending in to the rest of the face. This make up disaster is reminiscent of clowns thanks to its perfect bright red circles that don’t compliment the face, just make a person look comical. Apply blusher sparingly and using a sweeping motion of the apple of the cheek to avoid committing this make up sin.

The Basics of Bridal Make Up

The day a woman gets married is one of the most anticipated days of her life, and most brides want everything to be just perfect. To that precise end, there is a long product line of bridal make up, all promising to turn a normal woman into a radiant princess bride for their special day.

Although bridal make up changes like any cosmetics do to reflect fashion trends, by and large the overall ‘look’ remains the same. Most brides want to look young, fresh and naturally pretty on their wedding day, which the makers of bridal make up design their products to reflect.

This means any range of bridal make up will have a large contingent of natural shades, such as subtle but rosy pinks and gentle pastels for eye make up. Lipstick is usually kept muted, sometimes with just a gloss or perhaps a classic red colour for a splash of something vibrant.

That is not to say you must buy bridal specific make up for your wedding day. If you have brands and products that you know, love and trust, there is little point deviating from what you know works just because there is a bridal product line.

The perfect bridal make up look tends to be as follows: healthily glowing cheeks with just a hint of blusher, subtle but enhancing eye make up including shadow, eyeliner and mascara, and a nude or glossy shade of lipstick. False eyelashes can create a starlet look with little hassle, and a berry red stain on the lips can finish off the look of youthful vibrancy perfectly.

How To ‘Balance’ Make Up To Create A Flawless Look

Although there is no right and wrong way to apply make up in the strictest sense, there are certain ‘rules’ that most make up artists follow to create that picture perfect look. If you are looking to create a similar look of flawless beauty at home, you don’t need to have intense make up training to do it; just some common sense, and a helping hand on the tricks of the trade.

One thing that all make up artists understand is the need to ‘balance’ make up on a face. This is done to prevent a person from looking overly made up, which can result in unfortunate similarities to clowns in costume. Balancing make up is not difficult, but it is sadly neglected by the average woman, when in reality it could improve many people’s techniques endlessly.

A make up artist will choose a facial feature to focus on when making up a face. Ideally, this should be your best feature; if you have full luscious lips, then focus on that area (or wherever applies to you, be it your eyes, nose, wherever). The focal point should receive the most make up during application; for example, if you’re focusing on your lips, choose a powerful and deep shade to draw attention to them.

Make up should be sparingly applied to every area apart from the focus point you have chosen. Again using the example of lips as the focus, use only a small amount of eyeshadow, mascara, eyeliner and blusher – but go to town on the lips. This approach creates a look that draws attention to one’s best assets, while avoiding looking overly made up.

How To Avoid Make Up Disasters

Most of us have probably seen our fair share of make up disasters, and it’s never pretty. The usual suspects tend to be involved in creating such an unpleasant look: tide marks of foundation, over-applied blusher that makes the wear look uncomfortably hot no matter what the weather outside is doing, lipstick that misses the edge of the lips and, of course, the dreaded ‘panda eyes’ of mascara and eyeliner.

When it comes to wearing and using make up, there is an eternal truism of the beauty and fashion industry: less is more. The more make up you layer on, the more likely you are to look like a clown. Make up is about enhancing your natural assets, not repainting an entirely new face over your existing features. If you try and do the latter, there’s no way it can look decent.

The trick to getting make up right is a good mirror and good lighting in the room you apply it in. Many women make the mistake of applying make up in dimly lit rooms, where they can’t get a full look at their handiwork. You need to be able to see all the angles of your face (there are specialist mirrors that show different angles at the same time, if you feel like splashing out) clearly, so you can judge exactly what is going where and how it looks.

Many of us fall in to bad habits with make up and products, so keep things fresh by emptying out your make up bag and studying the products within carefully. If something hasn’t been used in six months, throw it away. By keeping things up-to-date and making the occasional new purchase, you can avoid wearing the same ‘look’ for years on end.

Three Essential Make Up Tips: Blusher

Blusher is the make up product that allows you to recreate a healthy, natural glow all-year round, and is the perfect finishing touch to any well made up face. Here, we give three helpful hints that will allow you to create a perfectly well done face using blusher:

Tip One: Smile and Apply

Knowing where to apply blusher on the face is an essential, and incorrectly applied blusher is one of the most common mistakes. This is all the more surprising when one considers that getting it right is so very easy. To apply blusher correctly, smile as hard as you can so your cheeks inflate over your skin. You should apply blusher on these extended ‘apples’ of your cheeks, and literally nowhere else. Apply in a circular motion using a large round brush, and when you relax your face from its extreme smile, the blusher will be perfectly placed.

Tip Two: Be Subtle

One of the worst make up sins is when women use too much blusher, giving themselves the impression of being constantly flushed. When applying blusher, it’s important to use the product sparingly; a light dusting of powder, applied as directed in Tip One, is all you need to create a natural, rosy glow.

Tip Three: Colour Match

A bright red blusher is flattering on absolutely no one, so try and choose a more subtle shade with pink overtones. When buying blusher, keep in mind the colour of your skin; as a general rule, the darker your skin is, the darker your blusher can be. If you are very pale, a simple light pink is all you – anything more will look overdone.

Three Essential Make Up Tips: Eye Shadow

Eye shadow is the cornerstone of good make up application. After all, who doesn’t want bigger, more beautiful eyes that sparkle with complimentary shadow? Here’s three essential tips for eye shadow application.

Tip One: Use Different Shades

One block of solid colour on your eyelids is not going to be flattering, so use at least two different shades to achieve the look. As an overall guidance, use the lightest shade at the front of the eyelid close to the lashes, and then darken the colour as you move backwards towards the socket. Use a large, flat brush to blend the shades together for a complimentary appearance.

Tip Two: Always Apply Eyeshadow First

Many make up demonstrations and videos will show people applying eyeshadow after they have applied their face make up (such as foundation, concealer and blusher). However, it is actually better to leave your face free of make up until your eyeshadow has been applied. As eyeshadow is usually a loose powder, it may spill or spray on to your cheeks if you aren’t completely careful, and this can ruin the appearance of your foundation. Applying eyeshadow first gives you the least mess to clean it.

Tip Three: Use A Wet Brush

We mentioned above that eyeshadow is usually a loose powder, and this is undoubtedly one of the make ups worst traits. To make eyeshadow easier to apply, lighten dampen the brush you are goingg to use to apply it. This will give you more control over where the colour goes, rather than a loose scattering of powder.