11 things your makeup artist wants you to stop doing

While makeup today may not have any rules—wear that intense smoky eye with a red lip if you’d like; you do you—certain technicalities of what and how you use can make all the difference in your look. Five pro makeup artists gave us the lowdown on 11 of the most common makeup mistakes they’ve observed women make and how you can avoid them.

On applying a balanced base

1. “One of the most common mistakes women make is trying to look fairer and using a foundation lighter than their skin tone. This ends up looking very ashy on their skin and completely ruins the look.” – Ojas Rajani

2. “Often, when women wear the wrong shade of concealer, the under-eye area tends to look very yellow toned instead of natural. It’s very important to choose the right shade that matches your skin tone for a seamless look.” – OR

3. “While I am a firm believer in not following the rules when it comes to makeup, there are a few technical steps which will always have you and your makeup looking fantastic. You ideally need 3 different products to achieve the perfect, flawless base—foundation alone will never give you these results. Using a corrector, concealer and foundation together will help remove acne marks, reduce dark under-eyes and evenly smoothen out your skin. These products are relatively inexpensive and make the world of difference when used correctly together.” – Daniel Bauer

4. “I’ve spotted women using the wrong shade of corrector to cover blemishes and also overusing foundation instead of correcting to cover pigmentation, acne and an uneven skin tone. You’re better off following the multiple steps to create an even base.” – Vardan Nayak

On eye makeup trends

5. “The trend of wearing a heavy winged eyeliner doesn’t work for everyone. It adds age to the face for someone with visible signs of ageing and accentuates lines and wrinkles around the eyes” – OR

6. “I have seen women push the mascara wand up and down inside the tube before using it thinking more product will [give better results]. Instead, because the mascara is so creamy, the wand has excess product on it and the eyelashes end up looking clumpy while the action also dries the product out. All you have to do is take it out of the tube, clean the wand to get rid of excess product and apply. This helps the mascara last longer as well.” – Arti Nayar

7. “When using kajal, a lot of women apply a very light line on the water line which doesn't last for long. They are scared to apply a generous amount thinking it might look like a lot. Instead, when you apply it properly, nice and dark, even if just on the water line, only then do you get a beautiful, kohl-rimmed look.” – AN

On highlighting right

8. “Highlighter, when used in the rights areas of your face, can make you look like a million dollars. However, I see a lot of people using it in a way that has the complete opposite effect that makes their face looking swollen. Highlighting just the tip of your nose can make it look bigger. The same is true of highlighting your cheeks along with your cheekbones. Highlighter need to be used in areas of your face where you have obvious bones, making your face look more oval and slenderer.” – DB

On skipping lip liner

9. “A lot of women don’t use a lip liner, just straight lipstick and sometimes they mix many colours thinking it might stay longer, but that’s not the case. You should always use a lip liner for a more finished, long lasting look.” – AN

10. “A lot of women often ditch the lip liner. Not shaping your lips makes them look less defined and the lipstick doesn’t pop the way it should.” – VN

On skin treatments pre-makeup

11. "Your skin shouldn’t be taking on any makeup, no matter how safe, when it’s in a sensitive condition, especially right after a skin treatment. Don’t get a clean-up, laser or try any intensive treatments on your skin a week before an important event. Also, do not wax or shave your face the day before the event—give your skin three days at least. It is natural for skin to get aggravated when you are in a stressful environment and exposing it to treatments right before doesn’t help. Before any important day in your life, keep your routine super simple and calming; don’t run around and get multiple things done. Intrusive treatments like laser and other rituals take time to show results on your skin as your skin needs to heal before the results show.” – Mitali Vakil

Also read:

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5 celebrity makeup artists reveal their favourite foundation application technique