Top 10 Most Common Makeup Mistakes

Don't you hate to see women who make the same makeup mistakes over and over again? Send them this list!

By Mimi Bullock - Mon, Nov 15, 2010 6:52 PM PST

Ever spot a serious makeup mistake and think, "I wonder if she knows?" Chances are she doesn't, and she'll walk in to her next corporate meeting or parent/teacher conference totally oblivious to her makeup faux pas. Don't let that blurred vision of beauty become you! Review the top ten ugliest and goofiest makeup mistakes women make and give yourself an honest grade. Then share your new found information and make the world a prettier place.

Concealer/Foundation Confusion

Cruise the Internet long enough and you will come across all sorts of advice on this subject; concealer and foundation application. Never before have so many women got such bad advice and it shows. The real key to good concealer and foundation coverage is to start with a moisturized face. Then dab yellow concealer sparingly on brown or red spots. Don't worry about blending it in; it's concealer. Then apply your foundation. Do not put concealer over mineral powder or cream to powder makeup—it won't blend! You'll end up with an obvious patch job. Ugh!

Wrong Foundation Shade

Okay "summer girl" let go of the dark foundation. Your tan is gone and there is no sense in pretending. Let go of your summer foundation shade and embrace a paler, prettier you. Something to remember when shopping for foundation shades—color match to your jawbone, not your hand. Your hand skin is always darker than your facial skin.

Excessive Concealer

I hate watching my favorite all chick talk shows and seeing the show host wearing obvious white circles under her eyes. Girlfriend! Lay off the excessive under eye concealer or at least invest in one that does a little better job matching your skin tone. White is alright but too much of it will give you the reverse raccoon look.

Heavy Handed Eyeliner

I (sadly) am old enough to remember burning the tip of kohl black eyeliner before applying it to the inner rim of my eyelid. In the eighties, we liked our hair big and our eyeliner dark. Fortunately, style-wise, those days are over. Don't ring your eyes excessively, instead focus on using attractive colors in a flattering way.

Over Frosted Eye Shadow

Some may disagree with me but too much frosted eye shadow looks well... cheap. A bit of shimmer under the brows, a touch on the lid, these are pretty effects. However covering your eyelid from top to bottom with unblended, globbed on eyeshadow is unattractive. Go easy on the frosting!

Dry Face

No matter how much makeup you apply, you can't hide a dry face. After your morning cleanse, moisturize your skin. This will make your makeup application smooth and silky looking. Without moisture, makeup looks cracked and unflattering.

Wacky Eyebrows

Your eyebrows matter! Over penciled or super thin eyebrows are a mistake. At the opposite end of the spectrum, you'll find the gal who has never used a tweezer in her life. I hope you fall in neither category. Visit a professional stylist who can give you a good base waxing. He or she will shape those brows and give you a great template to maintain.

Dark Lip Liner

For a brief time in the nineties dark lip liner over light lipstick may have been fashionable. If it was, the fad is now over. Please toss away the black lip liner and use a more flattering color.

Blending Your Makeup

Sometimes we get a flawless finish but forget to blend. This common mistake will leave you looking like you are wearing a mask. Buy a cosmetic sponge and blend, blend, blend!

Mascara Marks

Occasional mascara marks are expected, we all get in a hurry. However, chronic mascara prints may have your friends and coworkers snickering. The problem may result from trying to apply mascara without your glasses. If that's you, the solution is simple. Buy a tabletop magnification mirror. You won't need your glasses to get perfect mascara.