The "DO'S and DONT'S" of Makeup: What you may be doing wrong

Sometimes we think we know, but we have no idea! We all think we know our stuff when it comes to doing our own makeup, but sometimes we actually don't know as much as we think and end up making small mistakes that can possibly harm our faces or skin in the long run. It also can ruin that flawless look we all want in makeup. So, I have come up with an informal list of makeup DO'S and DON’TS to guide you in a more fabulous direction to getting the flawless makeup looks that we all desire!

SO, Lets start with the DO'S!

• You DO always want to apply your makeup to a clean, fresh, primed and moisturized face! this will ensure your makeup has a beautiful, clean canvas to live on for the day. The 1st step to make sure that your makeup will look it's ABSOLUTE best!

• DO always make sure your foundation is as close of a match as possible for your skin tone. To do this, the best spot to test the foundation is on the chin. This will make sure that not only will it match the rest of the face but blend seamlessly into the neck as well.

• DO always make sure brow hairs are groomed and trimmed before applying any brow powders, pencils or pomades. And DO always make sure the colors used for the brows are similar to your natural brow hairs or a shade lighter to ensure a more natural, and less harsh look. When using a concealer to clean up or shape brows, DO use a concealer that is the same shade as your skin tone. This will eliminate the halo around the brow look and keep the brows looking naturally clean and shaped!

• When using a concealer as a highlighter, you DO want to make sure that it is only one to two shades lighter than your natural skin tone. When using a concealer for correcting you DO want to make sure that you're using orange concealer for covering dark spots or marks. Green concealer for covering red acne spots or rosacea.

• When you're dealing with dryer skin you DO want to try using a cream or stick foundation which has more oils in the formula and is more moisturizing to the skin. When dealing with oilier skin you DO want to try using foundations with a matte finish, to help keep oil at a minimum and kill shine throughout the day. Using a mattifying primer also helps with controlling oil under foundation!

• DO always prep lips with primer or moisturizer before applying any lip color ESPECIALLY matte finish lip sticks which are very popular these days, but also very drying!. This will help lip color adhere better to the lips and to avoid a flaked up or peeling lip outcome. You also DO want to make sure to use a lip liner with most lip sticks. This will keep lipstick from feathering outside of the lip line, help it last longer and help blend the lip color into the lip more naturally. Liners should always be within the same color family as the lip color of choice!

• When removing any type of false lashes at the end of the day, you DO want to always use oil. Olive oil, baby oil or even coconut oil will DO the trick. This will help remove any glue or mascara residue and prevent natural eyelashes from falling out.

• Do ALWAYS wash your makeup brushes and sponges on a regular basis. This will keep bacteria from forming and keeps the makeup application clean of old dirt or residue!

Now lets get into what we maybe doing wrong!

• DON'T apply makeup to a dirty face or one that already has makeup on it. We always want to start fresh with a face that is clean and free of dirt or oil!

• DON'T use liquid or cream foundation/concealers without setting them with a powder! Creams and liquids tend to crease, and move around on the face. Setting powders will prevent oil from seeping through and ensure the product sits in place on the face and lasts all day.

• When using a false strip lash, DON'T use a lash that is too long or too big for the eye. Always keep a pair of mini scissors in your kit to cut down any lashes that may be too long for the eye shape.

• When wearing a nude lip DON'T choose a color that is too ashy or too light for your complexion. Always use a liner and choose and color that compliments your skin tone. If you are a warmer brown complexion, try to stick with nudes that are warmer and have more brown, mauve or warm tones in them.

• DON'T try to pull off both a dark dramatic eye and a dark or dramatic lip at once. Always pair a darker or smokier eye with a nude lip or vice versa. This creates balance to the face and brings attention to the appropriate feature without looking to overdone.

• With eye shadow this is where we tend to make the most mistakes. DON'T try to apply eye shadow without a primer. Primer prevents the shadow from creasing, and moving on the lid. It also helps shadows appear more vivid and bright. It also helps the shadow adhere to the lid and gives longer wear.

• You also DON'T want to apply any shimmer, or sparkle type of shadow in your crease. Matte eye shadows should always be used in the crease area and shimmer, sparkle, or any shadows with a metallic finish should always be applied to the lid area only.

• DON'T over draw, or over fill your brows! Brows are what frames the face and we always want to make sure they look their best! DON'T use anything black or too dark to fill in brows. Always use a shade similar or lighter to your natural brow hairs. Always follow the natural shaping of your brows. Never make your brows too boxy or too thick as this creates an unnatural look and takes away from the other features of your gorgeous face. Also DON'T use too light of a concealer above or below the brows. It creates a terrible outline around the brows that stands out and looks bad altogether.

• Last but not least DON'T sleep with your makeup on! Always wash your face after a long day of wearing makeup , especially before bed! This will prevent, breakouts, pore clogging and blemishes from popping up on your face the next day! Always keep a regular skin care routine and make sure that exfoliating and removing all dirt, oil and makeup from your pores is apart of that. Always drink plenty of water and keep skin moisturized and hydrated!

Now that wasn’t so bad was it!

We all want to look and feel our best and of course have flawless makeup. This list was just a start to help us all keep in mind what we should and should not be doing when we are applying makeup to ourselves or if you are an artist, to your clients! There may be some other key points i may have missed so tell me what your do's and don'ts of makeup are and I would love to add them to the list!

Until the next post….

(¯`v´¯) `*.¸.*´ ¸. ´¸.• *¨) ¸. •*¨) (¸.• ´ (¸.• ´ .• ´ ¸¸. •¨¯` •.*~* Kiara