Both Angelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman showed up at public events with botched-up make-up marring their beauty. If you are not careful, you could end up with flaming red cheeks or an extra shiny nose. Nikita Sawant lists eight make-up mistakes that our beloved celebs make and illustrates easy ways to prevent them
It’s only human to make mistakes. But these particular make-up mistakes can end up making you look like a clown! A last careful look in the mirror and a light touch can help you avoid over-powdering your nose or rubbing on too much blush. Add to this a few tricks from Aashmeen Munjaal, eminent make-up expert and owner of Star Salon Academy, and you will be prepped in no time to get gorgeous sans the unsightly make-up gaffes. Here’s a crash course on perfect make-up techniques just for you!
Rookie mistake #1: Over-powdering
Picture Nicole Kidman looking her gorgeous best with no make-up slip-ups… and now picture her with a little too much powder on her pretty upturned nose. Shattered your illusions, did we? Over-powdering not only makes your skin look dry and flaky, but it also destroys your natural radiance.
Expert opinion: Powdering your face is not a complicated thing to do if done smartly. It is always advised to take a minimum amount of powder on the brush and keep a tissue paper over it. Never use it directly on your face. It is easy to analyse that Nicole Kidman used an excessive amount of powder on her face, which eventually got smudged due to weather conditions and spoiled the entire look. If the quantity of the powder is excessive like that of Nicole’s, it is better to use a buffing brush to remove the excess amount and give your smudged make-up a quick fix.
Rookie mistake #2: Using too much bronzer
Oh Christina, that look just did not work for you! And trust us; it won’t work for anyone else, too. Putting on bronzer the wrong way can make your face look dirty and muddy, which ultimately translates into a beauty blunder. So, keep your bronzer subtle and in the right places and you won’t have a problem.
Expert opinion: Bronzer is basically used for a tanned and bold look. It also gives your face a slimmer look. One can use bronzer only as a blusher and for use on contouring areas. Christina Aguilera’s make-up has been over-done. After using a bronzer, she used excessive blusher, which made her face look cakey. To give it a last minute fix, you can use powder blush in a lighter hue and powder buff it. Keep in mind not to exceed the brush stroke above two.
Rookie mistake #3: Overdoing the blusher
There is definitely such a thing as too much blusher. A soft, rosy blush on the cheeks is the sort of thing poems are written on, but a too-pink blush on the cheeks is just off-putting. The only thing it succeeds at is making your face look bruised and over-the-top made up.
Expert opinion: Blush-on is used to enhance your cheekbones, so always apply it in a ‘C’ shape to get it perfect. The lighter the blusher, the better the smoothness of your make-up. Mischa Barton’s blusher is patchy and looking quite prominent, the reason being that she has not blended her foundation well, which gave her face a patchy and rough look. Secondly, here it seems that she has just dabbed it on. In case you get stuck with such a make-up disaster, here is a quick fix: simply use skin colour powder or highlighter with a brush to make that rough patchy skin look a bit softer.
Rookie mistake #4: Using a wrong shade of concealer
If you’re trying to conceal those under-eye circles and puffiness but just end up calling more attention to the issue, you’re probably doing it wrong. The best way to check if a concealer is your colour, test it out on the back of your hand. If it’s too light there, it’ll be too light for your face, too. Usually, orange concealer works well on most skin tones to conceal dark circles.
Expert opinion: It is best to choose a darker shade of concealer keeping in mind your skin tone. About the usage of concealer, make equal dots around the eye and blend it in. Then use one shade lighter foundation, again keeping in mind your skin tone and make a triangle on the under eye area with it and dab it on. Then give it a powder finish. Eva Longoria didn’t blend the concealer in the right manner. She chose a lighter shade than that of her foundation base, which turned out to be a major disaster. To fix such a make-up disaster, all one needs to do is use skin pink powder or foundation for mild dabbing to make it normal.
Rookie mistake #5: Skipping on the primer
If you have oily skin, you’d do well by using a face primer. This mattifying primer will help tone down the shine on your oily skin before applying make-up. Also, always carry face wipes in your purse to make sure you stay polished through the day. Check out this picture of Gwyneth Paltrow. You sure wouldn’t want to shine that bright!
Expert opinion: A primer should be applied all over the face by making equal dots and spreading it well. A primer gives protection and ensures make-up lasts long and is easy to blend. It helps in hiding blemishes and scars as well. Always use primer according to your skin type and weather. In Gwyneth’s case, she used a primer which was not appropriate for her skin type and worse, she applied it in excess which resulted in her skin looking oily and dull. As a fixture for such situations, use a tissue and dab it on your face to remove the excess primer.
Rookie mistake #6: Wearing a wrong shade of foundation
When your face sports a complexion different from the rest of your body, you know you’ve made a major foundation boo-boo. Foundation should suit you like second skin. According to beauty experts, the best way to test if a particular foundation shade works for you, test it on your jawline in daylight. If it disappears, it’s the right shade for your skin tone.
Expert opinion: Always prepare your skin before applying foundation. Just go with a mild toner or a moisturiser loaded with beneficial anti-oxidants. Dab on an oil-absorbing cream, this will help control oil for hours and also can be dabbed on over make-up when it’s time for a touch-up. To get a natural, smooth appearance from your foundation, start blending from the central part of your face and blend out and down, toward the jawline and along the hairline. To get a professional look, it’s best to use a foundation sponge or brush instead of your fingers. Use a concealer brush with synthetic bristles to smooth the excess foundation under the eyes. This helps the foundation from settling into fine lines and wrinkles. Always check the result in natural light. Demi Lovato didn’t blend her concealer and foundation well. This is why her face doesn’t look even toned and doesn’t have a smooth finish. A light shade of concealer and a darker shade of foundation have given different results, totally ruining her look.
Rookie mistake #7: Using a thick, gooey lip gloss
Goopy, extra glossy lips hardly make a sexy pout. A light gloss with a soft tint makes for those sweet, kissable lips. Wipe off the excess lip gloss around the lip area with your finger or a cotton swab. Going overboard with the lip gloss only results in a gooey mess that looks artificial and will leave prints on everything!
Expert opinion: Define your lips by applying lipliner pencil; this will not allow your lip gloss to spread around your lips and will keep it intact even during humid weather. Then apply gloss on the middle of the lips first and spread it on both of the lips. Rub lips together. This will add the perfect amount of gloss. Remember, don’t use gloss on the corner of the lips. If you are looking for high shine, apply a full sweep of gloss to the bottom lip and smack lips together. For a less thick application, use a small brush rather than the tube to apply lip gloss.
Rookie mistake #8: Overdoing the mascara
Women love mascara. After applying a couple of coats of mascara, those gorgeously long eyelashes give your eyes definition and make them look sexier. What really don’t make them look sexy are the clumped together eyelashes that you get after overdoing the mascara. If you have clumped eyelashes, take a spiral brush and remove the extra coat by brushing it off the lashes.
Expert opinion: Apply mascara properly over eyelashes. Then, comb it outward instantly with an eyelash comb. Now, wrap a tissue on your finger and push the lashes upward. Do not overcoat the eyelashes as that usually makes them go clumpy. Towards the finish, use a plastic eyelash brush to separate the lashes, which will give a long-lasting finishing effect.
