Five common beauty blunders

By polishing up your techniques in the beauty and make-up department, you can transform your look from just nice to show-stoppingly amazing.
1. Clashing lipstick and eyes
Clashing means that both are competing for attention. Your choice of lipstick and eye shadow need not be an exact match. But the problem arises when a bold lip is paired with a bright, glittery eye, or dark lipstick with dark eye shadow. Because the viewer can only focus on one aspect of your face, choose whether you want to play up your lips or your eyes—not both. The original dark smoky eye is always paired with a pale nude neutral lip.
2. Overdoing the concealer
A concealer is a wonderful, almost magical tool in any woman’s make-up arsenal. It can make your late nights, hangovers and raccoon eyes disappear just by a few strategic swipes. It can reduce the appearance of puffiness, dark circles, bags and blemishes. But to accomplish this, buy the right shade in the right formulation. Your concealer should ideally be the exact same shade as your foundation or slightly lighter. If it is too light it will magnify the flaws you want to hide.
3. Applying lipstick to chapped lips
This is an absolute no-no. Lipstick flaunts one of a woman’s best features—her perfect pout. When we apply bright, shimmery or even nude lipstick on cracked lips, not only does it draw attention to the uneven cracks, it dries them out and worsens the situation. Prepare your lips first to achieve maximum voltage from applying colour. Make your own DIY (do it yourself) scrub using sugar and honey or coconut oil. Use your clean fingers or a soft toothbrush to gently exfoliate your lips. Prime with petroleum jelly or Shea butter then apply your lipstick.
4. Heavy or fake-looking foundation
Full coverage foundation is for film and photography. For a classic day-to-day fresh face, only apply foundation on the areas that need it—around your eyes, along your nose and on your cheeks. You do not need foundation on your entire forehead and jaw. Blend thoroughly so that it looks natural.
5. Cakey powder
Powder can be an important tool because it sets your original make-up and helps it last. It is also useful in preventing shine, especially for photography. However, care must be exercised. Pressed powder foundation is not the same as translucent finishing powder. Each of these serves a different purpose and can make us look cakey or ashen when applied incorrectly