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 Importance of Make Up Brushes

In a perfect world, we’d all be able to afford a make up artist to come to our home and make us look flawless every day – but unfortunately, this isn’t a perfect world. Learning to apply your own make up to give you the best face possible is a big part of growing up, and everyone loves insider tips and tricks on how to get the perfect look.

There are many things that can make the difference in make up application – the quality of products, matching your skin tone and complexion to the shades you use, enhancing your best assets – but few things are as important as the tools you work with. Using the correct make up brushes for the correct products can be the finishing touch you need when it comes to creating a flawless finish; after all, the products you buy can only be as good as the tools you apply them with.

Most make up products and cosmetics come with their own applicators, such as small pads in eyeshadows or sponge materials with face powder. However, these applicators are less than ideal for applying make up due to their small size (they are usually sized so they fit within the palette) and poor quality creation.

Investing in a separate set of make up brushes will make a huge difference to the overall appearance of make up you wear. You can find full sets of face and eye brushes for as little as $10, or up to $50 for a deluxe kit. Give them a go, and see the difference they make for yourself.

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.

Why Not Give Budget Make Up Brands A Try?

Make up can be expensive; that’s an unfortunate fact. The most premium brands, offering products that promise to work near miracles in return for your hard earned cash, can be eye wateringly expensive – the kind of money you’d usually spend on rent. Thankfully, many budget brands of make up also exist, particularly those that are sold in grocery stores and supermarkets.

Unfortunately, the budget make up brands rarely get a decent write up from the premium obsessed beauty media. While you do get what you pay for, and the quality of budget make up may not be the quality of premium and designer brands, that doesn’t necessarily mean the brands are terrible either. By and large, the main difference in what the product claims to do.

For example, a premium mascara may be marketed with claims that not only does it apply colour to your lashes, but it also helps to extend and lengthen each individual lash. Whether it does or not depends on the product, but that’s the claim. However, budget make up brands will mostly be advertised on the strength of the colour they provide, rather than outlandish claims of lengthening, curling or even nourishing. That means you can steal buy mascara for an affordable price, that will still look good on if all you wish to do is darken your lashes.

Don’t dismiss budget beauty brands and make up. While some may not be for you, there are plenty of decent brands out there that don’t cost the earth, and genuinely do compete on efficiency with their premium cousins.

Three Essential Make Up Tips: Eyeliner

Whether you’re looking to create an enhanced, theatrical Cleopatra-style look, or just something more simple for daytime wear, eyeliner is one of the beauty staples. Here’s a quick guide to getting the most out of this essential product.

Tip One: Liquid or Pencil

Most make up brands manufacturer eyeliner in two different genres; liquid or pencil. It’s worth having one of each, in a trusty black colour, in your make up kit. The type of look you are going for influences which of the two types of eyeliner you should select; for something dramatic, use liquid, while for a more conservative look, pencil is your friend. Alternatively, you can use both: use pencil on the inner edge of the eye for more definition, and liquid on the outside of the eyelid to give a sweeping curve.

Tip Two: Practice, Practice, Practice

Eyeliner is extremely tricky to apply. It requires a steady hand, a good mirror in a well-lit room so you can see exactly what you’re doing, and lots and lots of practice. Over time, you’ll be able to draw beautiful lines over and under your eyelids in seconds, but put the ground work in first. Practice until you can create an unbroken and even line in both pencil and liquid.;

Tip Three: Let Eyeliner Dry

This is such a basic principle but it’s also a common mistake. Whether or not the eyeliner you are using is pencil or liquid, it’s important to let it dry before applying mascara. This takes around two minutes; a very short space of time that will help you avoid the dreaded smudging and ‘panda eyes’ effect.

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.

The Trick To Applying False Eyelashes

False eyelashes are definitely appealing, for various reasons. Maybe you wish to wear them because your natural lashes are not as long and lushous as you would prefer, or perhaps you natural lashes are light in colour and thus virtually invisible to the naked eye. In particular when going on a night out, a set of false eyelashes will drastically change your look in a way that mascara alone just cannot achieve.

However, even experienced make up users may have concerns about applying and wearing false eyelashes. The main reason for this seems to be the issue of glue. Eyelashes are literally glued to the skin of the eyelids, and stay in place for up to 12 hours depending on the price of the lashes and the brand. Understandably, many women dislike the idea of putting glue anywhere near their eyes, especially when comedy images of people gluing their eyelids shut are so commonplace.

Thankfully, there’s no reason to miss out on the stunning trend of false eyelashes, because mastering their application is down to one simple tactic. When applying false eyelashes, always apply the glue direct from the tube on the eyelash rather than your eyelid. Then slide the eyelash in to place, and hold firmly on while the glue sets. Specific eyelash glue will only take a few moments to dry.

By applying the glue to the lash itself rather than your own skin, you can be more delicate with where the glue goes and ensure that night of gluing your eyelashes together does not happen to you. Good luck!