So we all know that girl. With the perfect skin and illuminous glow, the wonderful smile and sparkle in her eyes. And it looks like herself, not like make-up. We’ve wondered if she is an influencer or a part time model. We wonder if she wears make-up at all, because we can’t see it. This is the kind of make-up that is aspirational. The kind that is almost invisible. Makes us look like ourselves, but better. And I recently thought about some mistakes that we might be doing every morning when we do our habitual make up routine unknowingly, even after decades of wearing make-up expertly. These mistakes in application can be hard to spot, even for me, since I’m over 40 with a need for reading glasses! Investing in a magnifying mirror like I did when applying make-up will really level up the game when it comes to make-up application.. But here goes, the main mistakes we need to notice to fix:

1. Uneven/unblended foundation: This is the look of something slightly cakey or dry on top of the skin. Cakey textures are hard to see sometimes because when we use a full coverage foundation, we see it covering up skin discolourations and we assume it’s doing its job. But coverage is just as important as invisibility. If the foundation is not applied evenly, or there is build up of it in an area, it will look cakey. Check the cheekbones, sides of the face, corners of the mouth: the coverage should be smooth, invisible. If not, smudge it out with a blending sponge or wipe off excess with a tissue. Sometimes having a moisturizer on the face prior to using foundation helps thin out and blend the foundation to be more invisible. Also be careful not to use too much setting powder because that can add an overly dry, unnatural matte texture. The finished foundation look should be slightly dewy and glow-y, as skin tends to look that way naturally!
2. Spidery Mascara: This mistake looks like heavy spider legs, clumping and weighing down the lashes. I noticed some formulas of mascara, even in the same products, are inconsistent when it comes to wetness. If mascara is too wet, it will load on too much product and weight down the lashes in clumps. In cases like this, I recommend using multiple coats only before it dries, i.e. do one adequate coat (versus letting it dry a minute and then going for a second coat). Another thing I like to do is to use my clean finger tip and push up on the lashes after application, to pick up excess product, lift the lash as it dries and smooth out clumps.
3. Blush that sits on the surface of the skin: This mistake has a powdery texture, can be overly matte, and has no translucently. It’s a blush look that’s okay for photos or full face make-up, but it’s a bit too unnatural for daily face looks. I used to think that I was using too much blush when my cheeks looked too pink in the mirror. And I used to use the tiniest amounts with the faintest pink colours, thinking that it’ll look more natural. But it’s not the shade, it’s the texture of the blush. Find one with a bit of transparency so that the skin is visible underneath it. It looks way more natural that way. I feel cream or liquid blushes tend to be more transparent and natural looking.
4. Overly lined eyes: This mistake happens often and looks like bandit eyes! I can even see it in movie make-up sometimes too. It’s not flattering, it’s distracting. Dark and thick eyeliners lined entirely around the eyes can actually make them look smaller by diminishing the whites of the eyes. It’s better to tightline the eyes (a technique of just lining the lash line thinly, to even it out) And if there is a desire for some graphic definition of the eyes, just a winged liquid liner on the top lash line will do the trick. If only using a pencil liner, try to smudge and soften the eyeliner after application with a smudge tool, or clean eyeshadow brush: smudge both the top and bottom lids. For the bottom lid I always line it with a dark eyeshadow instead of liner so that it’s extra soft looking. And I still smudge it with my fingers too.
5. Eyebrows too dark and defined: This mistake gets overlooked often, but it’s when the eyebrows are darkly filled in and opaque. They brows don’t have any dimension and look drawn in with ink or tattooed on. I don’t really like this look because it reminds me of the painted brows on a doll or mask. It doesn’t look real or natural. It looks too severe as well, hardening the face and the gaze of the eyes. Again, as with eyeliner, I think softness is the way to go. To fix this, use a powder/pencil brow colour several shades lighter than our natural hair colour. And smudge the brow application and comb it with an eyebrow brush for extra softness.

So there it is, guys. The 5 most common make-up mistakes I always see. As a disclaimer, I think make-up and beauty is subjective sometimes…and if some of these mistakes are done intentionally to achieve a certain vibe, then all the best with their use! But if these mistakes are things that arise from years of wearing make-up and not noticing the tiny effects the wrong application or wrong products can produce, we can all pay better attention. After all, our busy lives are not an excuse for showing up with anything other than the appearance of being bright eyed and bushy tailed. Because we’re the “influencer” of our own lives.