We’re all guilty of the occasional beauty faux pas every now and then. But some errors are far more egregious than others. They’re the kind of snafus that turn heads for all the wrong reasons. For the sake of your vanity and sanity, here are 10 of the most common makeup mistakes — and how to make sure they don’t happen again.
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10 Most Common Makeup Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)
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Whoa...TMB
If you're guilty of wearing too much blush, you'll know it — and so will the rest of the world. Fix the TMB problem by dusting your preferred face powder directly over the areas hardest hit by OTT blush. This will kill the intensity, resulting in a much lighter, more natural glow.
Image: @ambreenvikharmakeup
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What's That on Your Teeth?
Is there anything worse than not even knowing you're wearing lipstick on your teeth during a date or meeting? Avoid this makeup faux pas by doing the ol' finger trick — just place a finger in your mouth, clamp your lips down and slowly extract it. Any excess lipstick will transplant itself onto your digit, instead of your pearly whites.
Image: @gotbeautydotcom
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Tears for Smears
No matter what the cause of your smudged eye makeup, the end result is the same: an unsightly inkblot beneath your eyes that gives off the impression you've been rubbing them or crying. Prevent this by using a primer to lock down eyeshadow and eyeliner and opt for a waterproof or tubing mascara that won't budge (such as MAC Extended Play Lash, formulated to last 16 hours).
Image: @rebeccagracelever
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OTT Everything
Since we were young, it's been hammered into us that it's best to focus on one feature while playing down the other. This eye-popping look is totally appropriate for the runway (and who doesn't love a juicy pink lip gloss?), but it doesn't quite make the transition to real life. Pick one — a bold lip or smoky eyes — to give your features a chance to really stand out.
Image: Imaxtree
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Unruly Brows
Don't get us wrong, a thick eyebrow looks gorgeous and elegant. But unruly eyebrows or a borderline unibrow can detract from your overall look, drawing unfortunate attention instead of framing and defining your face. Thick, groomed brows appear more polished than completely unkempt ones; a dab of brow gel keeps them from going out of control.
Image: Imaxtree
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Clumpy Lashes
A spidery lash is one of those looks that is just plain scary. Clumpy isn't pretty, not even if you're trying to achieve a version of the look that was so trendy back in the 60s. Opt for a lightweight mascara and run the wand from root to tip instead of wiggling back and forth. You'll achieve length instead of the dreaded clustered look.
Image: Imaxtree
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Sharpie Brows
File this under the biggest beauty regrets of the 90s. Turns out some people are still big fans of the angrily overdrawn skinny eyebrows. There's a middle ground, ladies — please find it. In the meantime, endure the growing out phase by filling in your brows with a wax/powder combo for a more natural look (one to try: Benefit Cosmetics Brow Zings).
Image: @makeupfailss
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Contoured to Perfection
We live in a world where perfection is the ultimate goal. And although contouring can work miracles, it's nice to draw the distinction between real and fake. Heavily contoured makeup can all but transform a face into another look entirely, which can be fun, of course. But the real beauty of contouring lies in its ability to enhance a certain feature and give it a natural appearance. Save the ultra-heavy contour work for special occasions.
Image: Imaxtree
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Red Carpet Disaster
No one — not even Angelina Jolie or Nicole Kidman — is immune to epic beauty fails. The latest to befall the red carpet set is the dreaded visible white HD powder, which inevitably makes headlines. The silica in the powder reflects the lights picked up by flash photography, leaving behind that dreadful white cast. Unless you're on camera regularly, opt for a lightweight powder with a lower concentration of silica that still provides the same soft-focus, elegant effect (such as Too Faced Primed & Poreless Pressed Powder).
Image: Jim Spellman/WireImageWENN
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Overdrawn Lips
Someday we'll all look back on this period in beauty history as the age of the overblown lip (thanks, Kylie). That dramatic, slightly cartoonish look can be fun if you want to play around with a hyper-plumped pout. But for everyday wear, the key is to work just a bit outside your lip line instead of overdoing it. Navigating your natural shape directly outside the lip line offers the most natural look and will subtly amplify your smile.
Image: @almahaser
