Not Prepping Your Skin
If you’re applying foundation and other makeup to your face without prepping it first, you’re making a big mistake: you’re neglecting much-needed hydration that will help your makeup glide on smoother and stay on longer. It’s important to cleanse and moisturize your skin prior to makeup application and to then allow this moisture to absorb for a few minutes and create a smooth, soft canvas for your makeup. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can even try removing small hairs and peach fuzz with an at-home dermaplaning tool. This allows makeup to be applied without the barrier of hair, which creates the smoothest look possible.
Applying Too Much Concealer
Concealer isn’t meant to be applied so that it covers your entire face like a foundation. Think of concealer more as a spot treatment and only apply it to specific areas, such as darkness under your eyes or spots that are red or discolored. Blend it well to avoid making it look cakey.
Applying Too Much Powder
You may begin to see a theme developing here: too much of any one product is never a good idea. In this case, powder is great for setting areas where you’ve applied concealer and foundation. It’s also a wonderful product for making shiny areas of your face, such as your T-zone, look ore matte. But overdoing it with powder can just sit there and emphasize texture on the skin.
Skipping Blush
We know it feels like just another extra step that you can skip, but blush is wonderful for adding a youthful glow to your face. If you’re going to skip any product, try keeping your blush and foregoing something else, like eye shadow.
Applying Blush or Bronzer Too Low on the Face
When you apply blush or bronzer too low on your cheeks it gives your face the appearance of sagging. Think higher: place your makeup just a few millimeters above where you normally would to provide your face a youthful lift.
Layering Products
Once you start layering your makeup products, you set yourself up for a situation in which it becomes all too easy for your foundation, concealer, bronzer, and blush to streak. If you wake up and feel you need more coverage that day, it’s a better idea to use a foundation that will provide medium to heavy coverage, rather than layering on a lighter foundation several times over. The same applies for your concealer — find one that offers the coverage you need and apply it sparingly for the best results.