10 Makeup Mistakes To Avoid + What To Do Instead!

10 common makeup mistakes to avoid, how to fix them, as well as, tips for achieving a more youthful & overall better makeup application!

Today I wanted to break down 10 common makeup mistakes that we’ve all probably been guilty of, while also sharing ways to fix the mistakes to create a more flattering, youthful, & seamless makeup application. Even though I don’t wear it every day, I personally LOVE makeup. I think it’s so fun to play around with different shades, try different looks, & use it to really emphasize the features on my face that I love. That’s how I see makeup, I think it should be used to emphasize our natural beauty, play up our favorite features, & be used as a form of creativity or expression!

If you’re currently feeling stuck with your makeup routine or wondering why your makeup might not be looking its best, this post is for you! Sometimes fixing the simplest mistakes can make a huge difference in your makeup application & overall confidence when wearing it! Makeup should be a good thing, it should make you feel good, confident, & emphasize your natural beauty, not take away from it! So if you’re struggling to understand why your makeup isn’t looking the best, try applying some of my suggestions below & hopefully they will assist you in correcting some of the common makeup mistakes you might be making!

Be sure to check out my Flawless in Five post as well, it’s a great place to start if you are looking for a little makeup bag revamp with clean, non-toxic products!

10 Makeup Mistakes to Avoid

1. Not taking care of your skin!

Applying foundation should NOT be the first step in your morning makeup routine. It’s very difficult to achieve a seamless & beautiful makeup application if you aren’t taking care of your skin with good skincare products PRIOR to applying your makeup. Using skincare products to prep, hydrate, treat, & balance the skin are essential for a beautiful & youthful makeup application.

Not taking care of your skin is one of the biggest makeup mistakes that ages your skin almost instantly. You want to make sure you are providing your skin with the nutrients needed & ideally, following a 4 step skincare routine – cleansing, toning, applying a treatment product like a serum, & moisturizing. I also LOVE using a face oil prior to my makeup application as well, it helps give my skin an additional boost of radiance & hydration. I’ll even add a drop or two into my foundation as well! Overall, good skincare is KEY for a beautiful face of makeup, so don’t skip it! I’ll list a few of my skincare favorites below.

2. Using the wrong shades for your skin tone!

Using the wrong shades for your skin tone is not only unflattering but it can also age you quickly. I’m speaking of blush, eyeshadow, & lipstick/gloss specifically! In order to achieve a natural look, you’ll want to choose shades with similar undertones to your skin. For example, I have pretty neutral undertones meaning my undertones are close to the same color of my skin. You might have neutral as well, cool, or warm undertones. If you’d like to read more about how to determine what undertones you have, check out this post & choose shades accordingly!

3. Wearing a foundation that is too light or too dark!

Wearing too light or too dark foundation is probably one of the most common makeup mistakes on this list! You shouldn’t be able to tell where your foundation stops (jawline) & on the contrary, your foundation shouldn’t be completely washing away your color either. When foundation is too dark, your complexion may appear a bit “muddy” or even too orange & if your foundation is too light it might even look gray. In need of a new foundation? Read this review for my go-to foundation & you can even shade match here!

4. Applying too much or too little product!

Have you ever seen beauty gurus on Youtube or Instagram baking or applying SO much product? Well in most cases, that type of application & makeup looks amazing on camera or in studio light. If they stepped out into natural light, it probably wouldn’t look as good. For the average person applying makeup, you don’t want to be applying too much product OR not enough – depending on the product.

Setting powder is a great example of a product that can be applied too heavy. “Baking”, as the beauty gurus call it, probably isn’t going to be your best bet for a seamless, youthful, everyday makeup look. However, a slight dusting of a setting or translucent powder is going to be much more flattering. Applying too little of a product is definitely something to avoid as well. Take blush, bronzer, & eyeshadow for example. Sometimes adding a bit more blush can bring much need color to your face. Applying enough bronzer can sculpt your face. And building up your eyeshadow shades can help create dimension!

5. Applying bronzer & blush too low on your cheeks!

Applying your bronzer & blush too low on your cheeks is a quick way to drag down your face, which is never the goal! When you apply bronzer, you’ll want to follow your hairline down to your cheekbones. Once you get to your cheekbones, you can use the bronzer to sculpt your cheekbones by applying it on or slightly above your cheekbones. Dragging your bronzer too low or blending down will drag down the face. To complete the application of your bronzer, you’ll want to also apply it on your jawline, creating a “3” shade – hairline, cheekbones, jawline. For blush, I like to apply mine on the apples of my cheeks & slightly towards my hairline, focusing most of the pigment on the high points of my cheeks.

6. Using the wrong tool to apply your products!

Everyone usually has their preference on what tools or brushes work the best for them & their makeup application. I know many people who love applying their foundation with their fingers & I’ve found that doing so never looks too good for me personally. I love applying my foundation with a damp beauty sponge. You might prefer a foundation brush, a beauty blender, or even your fingers! Using the right tool can really make a big difference in the way your product blends or lays on your skin.

7. Not blending enough!

In my opinion, you really can’t blend enough, whether it’s blending your concealer into your foundation, blending your bronzer or contour, blending out an eyeshadow look, or blending in your blush to achieve that natural flush we’re all after! Blending is SO important. Again, using the right tool, as mentioned above, can be really helpful with blending your makeup properly. Take blending out your eyeshadow for a more specific example. Blending your shadows might be a little difficult if you have a brush with tight, packed bristles. You’ll want to make sure you’re using a light hand & a fluffy brush to make your shadow shades blend seamlessly in with one another! My personal tip for blending is that, when you think you’ve blended enough, go ahead a blend a little more haha!

8. Emphasizing more than one feature at a time!

I think makeup looks the most beautiful when one feature of the face is emphasized rather than multiple. Whether you choose to wear a really dramatic lip shade or create a stunning smokey eye…choose one or the other, because in most cases, it’s too much & can sometimes even take away from the beauty of your face. By focusing on one or the other, maybe it’s lips, or eyes, or even cheeks if you want to wear a vibrant blush, keep the rest of your makeup look a little more subdued so that the feature your emphasizing can draw the attention! For example, when I wear my favorite red lip, I’ll usually do a natural blush, subtle highlighter, & a sleek winged liner…allowing the red lip to steal the show!

9. Using too many matte products!

Matte products are NOT for everyone! Especially if you have dry, dull, or aging skin, if you’re using multiple matte products, foundation or powder especially, you might find your makeup looking cakey or settling into your fine lines. Matte products can be great for people with oily skin or even combo skin sometimes, but if you struggle with fine lines, dryness, or dull skin, you’ll want to explore hydrating primers, foundations, & concealers specifically! Cream products are awesome too because they are much more hydrating than a powder, so don’t be afraid to explore those as well! I’ll link a few of my favorite cream products below!

10. Not properly setting your makeup if you have oily skin!

If you have oily skin, you’ll want to make sure you’re properly setting your makeup. This will ensure it holds up throughout the day! For this I’d recommend using some sort of mattifying powder or translucent powder to set any area of your face that tends to move around due to an excess of oil. For most people, this is usually the T-zone, around the nose, & around the mouth. I have dry skin but I still like to set my face too with a light dusting of translucent powder to make sure things stay in place.

I don’t set my whole face, but that’s not to say you don’t need to. If you feel like you need to set your whole face, please feel free! After applying my primer, foundation, & concealer, I set my under eyes, any blemish I concealed, around my nose & mouth, & a little on my forehead. Properly setting your makeup can really make a huge difference in the way it wears throughout the day, so don’t skip this step! Below are two clean, talc-free setting powders I recommend.

There you have it – 10 common makeup mistakes & the best ways to fix them! I hope this post was helpful for anyone who is struggling to achieve a seamless makeup application or if you’re feeling like your makeup just isn’t looking too flattering!

Have you been guilty of any of these makeup mistakes? Comment down below!

10 Makeup Mistakes To Avoid + What To Do Instead!