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.

How To Make Cheap Make Up Work For You

Sometimes, a personal budget just won’t stretch far enough to buy premium brands of make up. In these circumstances, unless you’re willing to go make up free – and who is ever willing to go make up free?! – you’re going to have to look in to cheap make up.

First and foremost, the phrase ‘cheap make up’ does not exactly inspire confidence, does it? Such wording brings to mind the kind of make up that comes free with magazines; sticky lipsticks, bright pink blushers and mascara that glues eyelashes together rather than neatly separating them. However, despite the connotations, cheap make up can actually look good if used in the right way.

Applying make up is all about technique and learning what works for you. You may need to mix and match different palettes of cheap make up to find a shade of lipstick or eyeshadow that suits your colouring, but that’s part of the fun, and the creativity helps you put together something you really love.

To allow cheap make up to work for you, you need to have a good surface for the make up to work on. It’s essential that you prepare your face; that is, ensuring it’s clean and kept well moisturised, and if possible zit and pimple free. Use Vaseline at night to extend, separate and soften your eyelashes, as well as on your lips for maximum softness that lipstick will smooth on to.

When you’re sure your base is right, experiment with your cheap make up selections; blend, smooth and mix until you’ve got exactly what you want, and you’ll look fabulous without the price tag!

All About Mineral Make Up

Make up is, like most fashion and beauty products, a constantly changing world where new trends come in every few months. One of the biggest hits of recent years, and darling of beauty editors and make up artists the world over, is mineral make up.

Mineral make up is exactly what it says on the tin; make up that is produced from minerals, thus making it more ‘natural’. The benefits of such make up are said to be wide ranging, including (but not limited to) better coverage, better colour of the product and a longer staying power. The first mineral products to hit the market were foundations or other face coverage products, though this has since extended in to eyeshadows, blushers and beyond.

Perhaps the biggest claim of mineral make up is that it is good for your skin. Where traditional make up can sometimes cause break outs and skin dryness, mineral make up is said to not just be devoid of those unfortunate characteristics, but it can also help make your skin better. Benefits of such a claim vary depending on the person and their skin type, but most users report positive (if not miraculous) experiences.

The one down side to mineral make up is the price. Like anything new and innovative, it is more expensive than make up made from traditional composites. For that reason, if you’re on a budget but want to give make up a try, sample a foundation first, as this is undoubtedly the most beneficial product in any make up line.

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.

Long Live Make Up: Longevity Make Up Explored

Due to the nature of make up – essentially, chemical compounds being applied to the skin and expected to stay there no matter the weather or situation of the wearer – it is somewhat inevitable that everyone has the occasional make up disaster. We’ve all taken a sip from a glass and left a ring of lipstick on the rim, or realised our carefully applied mascara is no longer on our eyelashes but instead sliding down our face. It’s not a crime to get it wrong sometimes.

However, there are products on the market that can help eliminate the chances of a make up disaster. Primer, for example, is ideal for those who go out in the rain or sweat frequently – it’s particularly useful if you wish to wear make up while exercising. A good primer, which is applied under foundation or concealer, should help keep facial make up in place.

Secondly, there are numerous products that claim to ‘last longer’ or ‘fix fast’ – particularly lipsticks, some of which work and some of which don’t. It’s worth experimenting with longevity make up if you struggle to keep make up in place throughout the day, but bear in mind that a mirror and a quick reapplication is usually your best guarantee for day-long make up.

And remember, in your quest for long-last make up, stay away from that famed old wives tale of using hairspray to fix make up on. First and foremost, it doesn’t work, and secondly it’s extremely bad for your skin. Use the right products, expect to have to reapply during the day and keep your skin content!

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: Mascara

Mascara allows you to darken and extend your eyelashes to true movie starlet glamour, and forms the central piece of many women’s make up bags. Get the most from this essential bit of make up kit with these three essential mascara tips.

Tip One: Apply Mascara In A ‘Zig Zag’ Movement

Rather than simply sweeping your mascara brush from the roots of your eyelashes to the tip in one downward (or upward) motion, agitate the brush back and forth in a ‘zig zag’ motion. This motion helps reduce the likelihood of mascara clumps, as only the necessary amount of product is applied thanks to the short time the brush spends on the lashes. It may take a couple of goes to get this right, so practice before doing it for real.

Tip Two: Always Use A Clean Mascara Brush To Finish

If you want to avoid panda eyes – and let’s face it, who doesn’t? – then it’s important you remove all excess mascara from your lashes once the application is complete. One method of ensuring the amount used is appropriate is mentioned above, but it’s best to check after the application also. The best way to do this is to use a clean mascara brush, perhaps one previously used in a mascara that has been washed clean, to sweep over the eyelashes and collect any unnecessary product.

Tip Three: Emphasize The Corners of Your Eyes

For truly glamourous lashes without looking like you’re caked in mascara, just apply the product to the corners of your eyes. This opens your eyes out without making your lashes look thick with mascara.

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.

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