You might think you’ve got your beauty routine perfected by now, but think again! Some beauty mistakes are obvious, like straightening your hair when it’s wet or sleeping with a face full of makeup. But there are plenty of common beauty mistakes that you’re probably guilty of making (myself included). No need to fret, because there are easy fixes for all of these mishaps. Scroll through and find out if there’s anything about your beauty routine that you should be changing!
1. Over-conditioning your hair.
When we condition our hair, most of us start at the scalp and work our way down to the ends. Stop that! Hair closer to the roots is healthier than that on the ends and doesn’t need as much moisture. Conditioning the hair on your scalp will damage the hair and make it look greasy. Instead, when you condition, start at the ears and apply from there to the ends.
2. Applying perfume after you get dressed.
This one really surprised me, since this is exactly how I have applied perfume since I started wearing it in middle school. (Oops!) Perfume can stain the fabric of your clothes and is meant to be applied directly to the skin. Here’s an easy fix: dab your favorite perfume on your knees, wrists, the base of your throat, or behind your earlobes (choose 2 locations — don’t go overboard!) before you get changed in the morning.
3. Over-washing your face.
Everything in moderation! You should really only be washing your face at night when you remove your makeup before sleeping. Washing more than once a day strips your skin of moisture. Since it’s a safe bet you’re not wearing makeup to bed, there’s no need to wash again when you wake up in the morning!
4. Not cleansing your makeup brushes.
Again, guilty. Oil builds up in your brushes every time you use them, and when you continue to use them on your face without washing, your pores get majorly clogged. Wash your brushes at least once a week to keep your pores open: simply add a few drops of shampoo to the brush, rinse it, and let it dry!
5. Applying foundation only to your face.
Key word: blending! Don’t forget your neck when you’re applying foundation, or you’ll end up with the dreaded “foundation line.” The whole point of foundation is to make it look natural, and having your face and neck two different colors is not too natural looking.
6. Not using eyeshadow primer.
Ever get back from a night out and realize your eyeshadow and eyeliner have smudged into each other and became a runny mess? Not a cute look. Before applying shadow, prime your lids with some concealer or foundation. This will prevent running!
7. Plucking your eyebrows too close to the mirror.
If you stand too close to the mirror, you’re not getting an accurate perspective on your brows. So, you’ll probably end up over-plucking and with some freaky thin eyebrows. Although we don’t recommend you pluck your eyebrows often (let them grow out until it’s time for an appointment!), if you do, try it from a distance.
8. Wearing way too many eyeshadow colors at once.
I know it’s really exciting when you get one of those eyeshadow palettes with a bunch of colors, but resist the urge to put them all on your eyelid at once. If you want to try a fun look for a night out, use maximum three different shades on your lids. But for everyday wear, one shade is usually fine!
9. Filling your brows in with pencil.
2015 seems to be the year of the eyebrow. Everyone is obsessing over having their brows “on fleek,” but using a pencil to fill your brows in usually looks painted and unnatural. Instead, find an eyeshadow color that matches your hair color, and apply with a thin (and freshly cleansed) makeup brush! Check out Youtuber Michelle Phan’s tips for some brow inspiration!
10. Avoiding using oil on your face.
Yes, we all dread having oily skin, but applying oil to your face can actually decrease your skin’s oil production. Oil products can even heal acne!
