We asked makeup artists in the BuzzFeed Community to share the makeup mistakes we are most commonly making, and you will seriously want to send them thank-you cards:
1.“Match the foundation sample to your neck instead of your arm — your neck is a closer match to your face.”
—Anessaa
2.“Stop smiling when you put blush on — it will make it sit lower on your face. Always apply to a rested face.”
—carliequinn54
3.“Putting highlighter on the tip of your nose brings all the attention to its widest part. Instead, only highlight the bridge.”
—carliequinn54
4.“Not exfoliating your lips before applying a matte lipstick. If you have the time, put some heavy duty lip balm on — this way, your lipstick will glide on smoother and not look dried or cracked.”
—emilyb43532b6d7
5.“Liquid liner should only be used for the top lids. If you want to line the bottom, a pencil works much better. But don’t forget to smudge it out a little!”
—lindseyz400468972
6.“Not using SPF in your skincare regimen. It not only helps you age gracefully, but can also protect you from skin cancer.”
“I always tell my clients to try to incorporate multi-tasking products with SPF in them year-round. If you don’t have one, get a cheap and dependable sunscreen. They come in many formulas and some are very convenient, even for those with hectic lives. But trust me, you will be thankful in the future.”
—kutles
7.“Most women pick the wrong foundation shade. When I worked in a beauty store, a lot of lighter-skinned women picked darker foundations to make themselves look more tan, but it just gave an orange, caked-on look, and darker-skinned women typically wanted shades that were way too light for their skin, giving them a grey look to their face.”
“Embrace and appreciate your natural skin color, and use highlighter and bronzing techniques instead.”
—jessicaclaire001
8.“It might be a time-saver to just use one brush for most of your eyeshadow, but using the same brush you used for a dark color for blending is why your eyeshadow comes out looking murky. Get cheap brushes if you don’t want to spend the money on a fancy set — even they will serve you better than the fanciest one if it’s dirty!”
—Vavavroom
9.“Not knowing your own skin type. You’d be surprised how many people have come to me thinking they have an oily skin type, but the second I put a matte foundation on it, their skin started flaking off!”
If you’re not sure what type you are, go have a skin consultation. Your makeup is always going to look bad if you’re not using the right products for your skin type.”
—isobel_gs
10.“Drawing your eyebrows too close together.”
“There’s an old trick makeup artists use — take your brow pencil and balance it on the side of your nose vertically. That is the closest your brow should get to the center of your face.”
—hrgray
“And the nearer you are to the center of your face, the lighter your pressure should be.”
—t47b89e98d
11.“The eyeliner placement I call, ‘The Britney.’ If you’re going to use eyeliner on your bottom lid, it needs to be placed on your waterline, not below it. That’s why it always smears and looks like you wore it overnight and just woke up.”
—lindsayymarie003
12.“Not taking your makeup off at night. Sleeping in your makeup ages your skin by seven days!”
—nameeless7633
13.“When using eyeshadow, don’t just put on one shade. Adding an undertone or overtone makes the shadow look much more full and pigmented.”
—chelseas4b7e0f941
“And don’t forget to blend it! Even if you just use one color, take a fluffy brush through the crease to soften up the edges a bit!”
—lindseyz400468972
14.“Not blending your makeup into your hairline.”
—egv715
15.“Neglecting to clean your tools. So often I hear people complain about breaking out on their cheeks or suffering from congested skin, and I always ask, ‘How often are you cleaning your brushes and beauty blender?’ And they reply, ‘Oh, I’m supposed to clean it?'”
—caitr44e18cba3
“And also try to sanitize the products you use most often — eyeshadows and lipsticks.”
—cerealkillerm
16.“There are very few people who should be using dark brown and black brow pencils. Many people using those put it on too heavily, and it looks awful. Go lighter. You can always layer if you need it darker, but if you start with a too dark pencil, there is no way to correct that.”
—andreadawnh
17.“Forgetting to drag your foundation down your neck. If I see one more woman with a foundation line on her jaw, so help me.”
—tarah7
18.“I’m a theater/SFX makeup artist for musicals, and one of the worst things you can do both on and off-stage is to not blend your makeup properly, taking the time to build up intensity rather than smearing it all on at once. Nothing says ‘amateur’ more than unblended eyes and contour.”
—nathanvh
19.“Highlighter is meant to highlight, not to paint your whole face with.”
—laurae486e9cb98
20.“Wearing a full face all day, everyday. Your skin needs a break. Alternate doing the full face with a couple days of just brows, concealer, and powder.”
—hanal4b649641a
21.“Sucking in your face when you contour. When you suck in your cheeks, your skin moves up, and you end up putting the contour in the wrong area. Instead, look straight ahead in the mirror, imagine a line going from the tops of your ears to the corners of your mouth. Perfect placement every time.”
—anasofiag45868eadb
22.“Don’t forget to clean your hands thoroughly before applying anything onto your face, especially if you have long nails.”
—ingridp4e1c694a4
23.“Not making sure your primer and foundation will work together. Oil and water don’t mix, of course, so your primer and foundation should both be either silicone or water-based so your foundation doesn’t end up patchy and wonky.”
—dlnapierala
“You can mix and match different brands of primers and foundations, but you have to make sure they have the same base ingredient.”
—d4ea205bf0
24.“When people try to find hacks to do their makeup quicker. To be honest, just spend the time on your face! No hack will give you as good a look as time.”
—Kagome423
25.“Don’t forget to always have two different foundation shades — Summer and Winter — that you can mix to customize for the in-between seasons, too.”
“If you take care of your skin, it will take care of you!
—underthecocotree
26.“When people try to do YouTube makeup for everyday life. There’s a reason why there are artists who specialize in TV and event makeup. It looks good on camera, but not necessarily in real life.”
—laralong123
27.“Neglecting your under-eye of eyeshadow.”
—carolynm4e398b55c
28.“Packing on too many products to try to create a flawless look that’s unachievable. There’s no such thing as completely erasing pores, lines, or texture, and a lot of times when you see that, it’s through good lighting or Face Tune!”
“Less product usually makes a bigger impact.”
—lizw23
29.“Don’t forget to do whatever makes you feel beautiful. Does a full beat do it for you? Great! Just lip gloss and mascara? Awesome. If it makes you feel confident, that’s all that matters.”
—katp42ee61cc2
Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.
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