Makeup can work wonders when applied correctly to suit your face shape and skin type, bringing out your best features and leaving you looking hydrated and supple. However, if you don’t follow the right techniques (especially as the weather gets warmer), it can also inadvertently highlight fine lines and wrinkles.
To help you avoid these common makeup mistakes, we’ve compiled a list of eleven easy-to-make blunders, along with expert tips from makeup artists on how to correct them. Read on for tips, suggestions and insight from Alyssia Chang, founder of Prevail Beauty, Mandie Brice, professional makeup artist, author and beauty expert, Anastasia Tomchenko, co-founder and CPO of Glambook, Mary Winkenwerder, pro MUA and beauty expert and Destiny McGill, celebrity makeup artist and Day Spa Owner of Lavish Life Studio.
11 Makeup Errors That MUAs Say Can Highlight Fine Lines
1. Applying Concealer Directly Under Your Eyes
When it comes to choosing an under-eye concealer, it's important to apply it carefully, Tomchenko recommends. “The shade should either match your skin tone or be slightly lighter,” she says. “You should only apply concealer to the line where your dark circle starts, as applying concealer on the bags under your eyes or on wrinkles will make you appear older.”
She says to use your finger to apply the concealer as the warmth of your finger will help the cream melt and blend well. “Using a brush is not recommended as it may not work well with products that contain wax, since it melts only in warmth,” she continues. “Additionally, adding too much powder can also make you look older.”
2. Creating a Clear Edge On Your Eyebrows
If you are under 35 years old and have eyebrow hair, Tomchenko says to style your eyebrows with wax. “You can add a slightly brighter color from the middle to the tail of your eyebrows.
For those over 40, it's recommended to create softly blended eyebrows without any graphic or clear lines. The shape should be defined without a bright border.”
3. Applying Black Pencil To The Lower Waterline
Simply put: black pencil on the lower waterline can create the illusion of smaller eyes, emphasizing under-eye bags and wrinkles. “When it comes to applying eyeliner on the upper eyelid, it's recommended to follow the same guidelines as for eyebrows,” Tomchenko says.
“Women over 35 do not need graphic makeup, and the line should be soft. I recommend using gray or brown color, and a soft pencil like kohl can be used to stretch out a line. You can blend it while the pencil is fresh or use a slightly dampened angled brush dipped in concealer to help achieve a soft mini-wing.”
4. Not Prepping Skin Before Foundation
Dry skin tends to have smaller pores (to even no pores) because it has much smaller oil glands, Winkenwerder explains. This skin type lacks a proper amount of oil, while dehydrated skin lacks water. She recommends four steps to include in your routine for dry skin to keep it moisturized. Doing so will make your makeup last longer and look less patchy (which can add years to your look).
Firstly, she says to exfoliate dead and dry skin, as this will help your hydrating products penetrate the skin. Next, she recommends applying products that have water binding and attracting ingredients like jojoba oil, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, glycerin, lactic acid, and lanolin.
She also points out that taking collagen supplements that are hydrolyzed when the skin becomes dehydrated cam do wonders for your skin and any makeup applied afterwards. The body will pull from the collagen supply, she notes as collagen is what keeps our skin looking firm and tight.
5. Applying The Wrong Lipstick Color For Your Skin Tone
One common error made when to comes to lipstick, Brice says, is "choosing the wrong shade of lipstick." It's important, she recommends, to "not only look at how it interacts with your skin tone, but also with the color of your teeth."
Certain shades that are yellow-based or red-based without any blue or purple tint can "make teeth look more yellow, which is a sign of aging," she adds. Picking a color for your pout that is "very contrasting with skin tone" can make someone look older, she goes on.
"For fair-skinned people, this is dark or bright colors," Brice notes, and for "dark-complected people, light colors." The greater the contrast between the "lip color and the skin," she points out, the "more apparent wrinkles around the mouth area will be."
6. Choosing A Matte Lipstick Over A Hydrating One
Another way you could accidentally make your look seem older is to use a lip product that's "super drying," Brice says. "Our skin naturally produces less moisture as we age," she reiterates, and using something like a "matte liquid lipstick could exaggerate texture, especially if you end up with your lips flaking."
This, she stresses, is a "great reason to make sure you're including your lips in your skincare routine as well," and frequently exfoliating with a scrub, and ultimately ensuring they're "properly moisturized" at all times.
7. Overdoing Sparkly Eyeshadow
Brice and McGill both note that ultra-glistening or shimmering eyeshadows can often draw even more attention to wrinkles, even if this isn't the intention.
"Sometimes sparkles and dark colors can make lines and wrinkles more drastic, so I tell people to proceed with caution when using those," Brice adds.
McGill concurs, and says that "glittery or shimmery eye shadows really settle into the wrinkles and draw attention to them." Instead, she recommends "choosing a matte eyeshadow."
8. Not Washing Your Makeup Brushes
The way you apply your favorite makeup products matters, as well as the tools you use daily. Brice explains that not washing your brushes enough can lead to breakouts, clogged pores, and patchy-looking, uneven foundation. Of course, this would then make fine lines and sagging skin more obvious. "Another error boils down to hygiene," she says. "I think so many of us are guilty of not washing our brushes as often as we should."
Brice shares that "applying with our fingers can be a mistake, if we don't first wash our hands." This can cause breakouts, she emphasizes, or even infection. "Using dirty materials to apply your foundation is a major mistake," Brice stresses, whether that's your fingers, brushes, sponges, etc. "If you're breaking out and not using good hygiene and clean practices to apply your makeup, that could be why," she advises. Noted!
9. Using A Drying Foundation
As we age, our skin loses its elasticity and produces less oil. This, Brice explains, means that using a foundation with a matte or drying effect can draw more attention to wrinkles and have an undesired peeling effect.
"I would say that the main issue is when people use a foundation that is drying, like powder, or even liquid," she says. Skin with texture (aka wrinkles), works best with a "cream or serum foundation," she advises, as anything drying can accentuate the wrinkles.
In addition, Brice says many people are in the habit of using powder as a last step, and they may not need it. "Our skin produces less moisture as we age, so we may not need powder to matte-ify and set anymore, but could be unnecessarily applying it," again, as she stresses, "accentuating" the wrinkles.
10. Adding Too Much Blush
While too much of any makeup product won't create the look you're aiming for, blush can look unnatural if not used sparingly, Winkenwerder says. Blush should be applied with a "poofy" or densely packed brush with lots of soft bristles for a soft application (like a kabuki brush), Winkenwerder explains.
"When too much color pigment ends up on the brush and then on the face, it creates an uneven application of color," she warns. To avoid this, she suggests "gently dabbing the brush onto the pigmented blush or lightly swirl," then gently tapping the brush to shake off any excess color. Afterward, she emphasizes, it is essential to clean the brush.
11. Using Older Or Expired Mascara
The easiest way to get an undesired clumpy look, Chang says, is to use a product that is older or expired. "Mascara formulas are constantly being updated and improved, so if you’re still using the same mascara you’ve been using for years, it’s time to switch things up," Chang advises.
"Newer mascaras often have better staying power and can give your lashes a fuller, more voluminous look," she says. When it comes to purchasing new makeup products, many experts suggest reassessing your eye makeup every 3-6 months and replacing it if it begins to clump or gives a flatter or less voluminous effect when applied.
The more you know!
