We’ve all been there. You get up for your morning makeup ritual, go through all the motions, lotions and potions— topped with finishing spray (obviously)— and you then head out with your spirits high. It’s an empowering feeling… until, you double check your handiwork in broad daylight. “Yikes! What happened?!!!”
Your work of art is splotchy, organgey mess. As many of us have disappointingly learned, lighting is everything when it comes to makeup, exposing all your lazy mistakes. Even if your makeup looks decent indoors, the sunshine won’t be so forgiving. Want to learn how to avoid these dreaded blunders? Here are the 7 makeup mistakes that are most obvious in the daylight.
Bad formula mixing
Not all makeup formulas work together. So if you’re a die-hard fan of a product by a certain brand, but like combining products from other brands, you could be crossing unmixable formulas. The result? A hodgepodge of patchy pigment and cakey bits– so not chic.
Most products belong to these three main formula categories: silicone-based, water-based or mineral-based. According to famous makeup blogger Filomena Sophie, “ If it is a water based foundation, chances are it’s not going to bode well if you’re using a silicone-based primer.” Why? Let’s return to our nerdy science basics. We know that combining opposite certain fluids will cause them to repel, creating a common makeup mistake.
When you mix oil and water together, for example, they will separate. Since oil is less dense than water, they won’t blend and instead will always move away. For this reason, you must stick with compatible formulas to achieve a smooth makeup base.
Foundation mismatch
The foundation mismatch a painfully common makeup mistake. When applying your makeup in the dimness of a poorly-lit bathroom, you can hardly see if your foundation’s blended. What’s more, some foundations can oxidize after a few hours, leaving you with a ruddy, peachy tinge by the afternoon.
Makeup problems, right? Color-matching can be tricky, especially when you’ve got a unique skin tone. The color must feature the exact balance of yellow, pink and brown, creating the ideal equation for the illusion of flawless skin. Easier said than done— if you’ve got olive undertones, for instance, you’ll easily turn into a sickly ghost if the makeup is too neutral or ashy. On the opposite end, those with golden undertones should stay away from makeup that slants on the pinkish end.
To avoid this problem, always match your foundation to the palest part of your skin. This area would be either on the back of your wrist or your neck just below the jawline. If the colour disappears perfectly, you’ve got an exact match.
Poorly blended work
When we’re in a hurry, we often don’t have time to fully blend our products. Instead, we take the lazy route, applying our makeup like a crazy artist in a hurry. Even if the results look passable in the bathroom, the natural light will always expose a lousy job.
For proper blending, using high-quality tools will create better results in less time. Invest in some premium makeup brushes with smooth, fluffy bristles for a seamless application. And for those who are squeamish about spending $20 on a Beauty Blender, you can always find knockoffs for a fraction of the price on sites like Amazon or your local drug mart.
Cake face
Makeup must enhance, not mask. If your skin is suffocating under layers of powder or alternatively, a mound of thick icing, you won’t look perfect– you’ll look tackishly made-up. Not classy!
The simplest solution is to this common makeup mistake is to take a less-is-more approach. If you’ve got blemish marks, hide them with a high-coverage concealer instead of blanketing your entire face. Your face will still have that flawless finish. Any miniscule, barely-there imperfections left over, like pores or broken blood vessels, won’t be visible to onlookers. It’s more beautiful to have some of the natural sheen from your skin tone showing through the makeup. Otherwise, your skin appears flat and less life-like.
Another way to avoid cake face is to use a hydrating moisturizer and primer before applying makeup. You’ll have a smoother canvas for products to glide over gracefully.
Raccoon eyes
Nobody is invincible to those dreaded raccoon eyes. Whether it’s a late night or stress that’s creating those shady rings, you’re eager to pack on that concealer. Although you think you’re erasing those under eye shadows, you might be making them worse.
Most concealers have warm undertones to brighten, which means that the wrong shade can easily leave you with peach-tone under eye circles. The fix? When choosing a concealer, you must test the product on your face and see how the color oxidizes through the day. If the color still matches in daylight after five-six hours, you’ve got a match.
Glitter face
Let there be light! But not too much… getting frenzied with your highlighter will leave an artificial tin-man effect (not that we blame you— highlighter is stunning!). Yet leaving the house with blinding sparkles over every crevice of your face is not cute.
Our faces shouldn’t resemble Swarovski crystals, no matter how passionate you are about your products. So treat highlighters like carbs: something that should be enjoyed in moderation.
For daytime, use a more subtle highlighter with less shimmer. Only accent your cheekbones and perhaps the tip of your nose. Then, in the evening, you can get bolder with glowing up more features. The lighting will be more forgiving, but the moderation rule still applies.
All makeup comes with an unofficial disclaimer: results in the mirror aren’t as they appear… in daylight. So be aware of these common makeup mistakes to keep your look fresh and flattering. You may need to practice or experiment with different application techniques until you achieve optimal results.
But if you’re a crazed perfectionist who needs more assurance, you can always get an LED makeup mirror. Mimicking natural daylight, it will expose any mistakes, giving you that extra dose of confidence about your results. This way, you can skip that face check when you arrive to work and the triple check during lunch hours– even though we know you’ll do it anyways.
