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 Avoid The Pitfalls of Buying Make Up Online

There is no doubt that buying cosmetics online is easy and convenient, and the variety of online discount make up stores can also help you save money. However, for all its perks, there is one big drawback to online shopping: you cannot physically see the product.

Initially, that might not sound like too much of an issue – after all, we’re all well used to buying items like books and music online, and you cannot physically touch the product with those items either. Yet there is a difference; with make up, you need to be able to see the product so you can see a true representation of the colour. Photographs and online colour palettes can only go so far when it comes to show the shade of an eyeshadow or lipstick, and unless you have seen the product in store and know it suits you, you may experience problems.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy make up online, just that you need to be selective on how you go about it. Ideally, you should only buy make up online when you are familiar with the product and its colouring, so you can be sure that it matches your skin tone or complexion.

Unfortunately, that isn’t always possible, especially if you’re looking to buy make up online that isn’t available in your home country. In this instance, the best you can do is scrutinise the photograph in detail, and check the returns policy for the store you are buying from. All reputable retailers will allow you to return the item for whatever reason within seven days, so check this is the case and buy make up online with confidence.

Where To Find Discontinued Cosmetics

Every girl has a product in their make up bag that they simply couldn’t live without. Maybe it’s the mascara that curls your eyelashes better than any lash curlers have ever managed, or the shade of lipstick that is the perfect match for your complexion; whatever it is, we all have our favourite, essential products. But what would you do if that product was suddenly discontinued?

The misfortune of discontinued cosmetics is something that hits thousands of women and girls each year, and it’s no exagerration to say it can be somewhat distressing. Make up and cosmetic brands have a high turnover of products, and unless something is consistently wildly successful, they could discontinue the product at any time. It’s a nightmare, especially if your favourite product is expensive and stocking up isn’t an option.

If your favourite product is discontinued and no longer available, don’t panic just yet – you do have options. First and foremost, call the manufacturer or distributor; they may have excess stock available for you to purchase. This won’t last forever of course, but it should give you the chance to stock up.

Your second stop for discontinued cosmetics should be an online auction site, such as eBay. Smaller sellers often have a lot of stock left to sell, and there are also specialists in discontinued cosmetics who have their own methods of obtaining the product.

Thirdly, contact any stores (online or physical) that you know sold the product when it was available. If they have unsold stock, they may sell it to you for cost price.

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!

Three Beauty Uses for Vaseline

Vaseline (also known by its chemical properties name, petroleum jelly) is an essential item in any make up bag or purse, thanks to its wealth of uses. Here are three ways you can use Vaseline to enhance your complexion and appearance, without spending a fortune:

1. Eyelash Softener

Apply a light amount of Vaseline to your eyelashes every night before you go to bed, using a clean mascara wand if preferred. Leave on overnight (don’t apply so much that it comes off on to your pillow; just a light dusting will suffice). Over time, using Vaseline in this way will soften your eyelashes, as well as making them appear longer by separating the lashes apart. Mascara will sit on your lashes much better, giving an enhanced appearance.

2. Dry Skin Moisturiser

If you have serious problems with dry skin, you should probably use a medicated lotion (consult your doctor). However, if your suffer from the occasional weather-induced bout of dry skin, a thin layer of Vaseline is the quickest and most affordable remedy. Apply a plaster or band-aid over the top of the Vaseline for maximum healing.

3. Lip Balm and Softener

Rather than spending a fortune on expensive lip balms or lip salves, use Vaseline. The consistency is ideal for a protective layer if going out in the cold, or for healing if the damage has already been done. To this end, Vaseline produce a rose-tinted product which both heals and gives your lips a healthy pink glow, not unlike a lipstick would. There are also SPF Vaseline versions, ideal for holidays and sunny days.

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: Lipstick

Lipstick can be the finishing touch to a perfectly made up face, and if chosen and applied correctly should be wonderfully flattering. Here’s three essential tips for the preparation and application of lipstick.

Tip One: Ensure A Good Base

- A lipstick is only going to be as good as the area it is being applied on to, so ensure your lips are as soft and smooth as possible. You can buy expensive lip balms which will help keep your lips soft and smooth, or a simple application of Vaseline (petroleum jelly) nightly will achieve the same results. Use a soft toothbrush to remove any loose flakes of skin from your lips, ensuring a good base.

Tip Two: Apply Lipstick Using A Brush

Although lipsticks can be applied directly from the tube, use a small and thin brush to apply. This ensures you can trace the outline of your lips better, and ensure an even coverage of the colour across your mouth. Start at the edges and work inwards for the best overall appearance.

Tip Three: Use A Sealant

Lipstick is notorious for coming off when performing every day tasks such as eating and drinking. Therefore an essential part of your lipstick routine should be using a sealant, which will protect the colour and vibrancy of your lipstick. Once you have applied the lipstick (and lip liner, if you have chosen to use it), blot once on a sheet of tissue. You can then apply an over-the-counter sealant, once again using a brush, which will hold things in place.