Avoiding make-up mishaps is something we’d all rather do. Many of us start playing with make-up at a young age and have usually got it down to a fine art by the time we need to look half decent for a night out. There are so many different YouTube videos now that cover all the basics of make-up and how to look great, and at your best when needed. But very occasionally we can find ourselves with a disaster! Luckily if it does happen, and your eyebrows look like railway sleepers or you’ve applied lipstick to your teeth, all is not lost. These tips may help you fix or avoid any problems straight away.
Not priming
Any great artist will tell you that the canvas does make a difference. When you are preparing your skin for your make up of the day, it’s essential to cleanse, tone and moisturise effectively and of course, prime before you go ahead with any concealer or foundation. Not priming correctly can lead to all sorts of problems such as makeup getting caked in and not sitting well on the skin. Make up tends to last longer if applied over a primer, too.
It’s not enough to use any old primer, because formulas sit differently and can cause issues so it’s important to find a brand that works for you. Most problems can be avoided though if you take care of your skin, and you have a healthy skincare regime. Discovering your skin type is a great first step and speaking to an expert will help you work out how to prime and fix your make up to suit yourself. (Most make up counters will offer a consultation.) Also don’t forget to clean your makeup brushes regularly!
Forgetting to practice
Sometimes we only start watching a YouTube video as we are about to sort our make up out for an evening. But unless you are confident about following these videos and trying different styles, then you may fall short and run out of time to create a good look. The look you are aiming for isn’t always achievable in a tight window, and make up artists can make it look easy. But practising a look at least a week in advance can help you save time and potential disasters when it comes to the evening of an event or date. If you are a pro at applying make up, then you could get away with it. But it’s better to know precisely the technique you’re going to use, to avoid problems – especially for a special occasion or big night out.
Going too far
Unfortunately, if you’ve applied too much make up it can sometimes be quite challenging to rectify it. If you’ve opted for something more long lasting like an eyebrow tint and it’s too dark, try dabbing your foundation over your brows to tone things down.
Another coat of mascara, or an extra smudge of eyeliner might not seem much, but put on a few too many accessories or dress in a certain colour that doesn’t suit your complexion as well as another, and overall it can detract from your look. Getting to know your colours and using websites such as searchbycolors can certainly help. Also knowing ‘when to stop’ can prevent you from needing to reverse mistakes. Often, the ‘less is more’ approach really does work (and many of us can identify with the problem of taking things a step too far in trying to perfect a look!).
Avoiding a makeup disaster is going to save you a lot of frustration and time in the long run, so it’s a good idea to create a routine for yourself that you know works every time. This doesn’t mean you can’t experiment; just be prepared for the occasional makeup mishap – but don’t stress and always try to give yourself plenty of time to fix it!
