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.

Beware The Make Up Review

It is only natural to seek the opinions of others before spending money on a product you have never tried before, and an entire wealth of websites and magazines have been set up to allow users to consult others and garner opinions. In few industries does this apply as strongly as it does in the beauty industry, with literally thousands of magazine inches and hundreds of blogs covering the very subject of make up reviews.

While it may only be natural, and usually beneficial, to seek user and professional reviews before buying a make up product, there is a word of warning. Where make up differs from other reviewed products (such as appliances, books or movies) is in the subjective nature of each product.

Sound complicated? It isn’t, really, it’s just something you need to be aware of. For example, a piece of make up may not work for a reviewer or blogger, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. As make up is applied to skin, and everyone’s skin is different, that means that every single person who uses a particular product is going to get different results with it. Most conscientious bloggers and reviewers will state this discrepancy in their reviews.

Does this mean that reviews are a totally meaningless waste of time? Of course not. If, for example, numerous reviews done by many different people all say that a product is useless, you can probably trust in the wisdom of crowds and dismiss it as poor. You can also looks at comments about consistency, price, packaging – basically, anything to do with the product prior to and after it is used on skin.

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.