A foundation that is even slightly the wrong shade is hard to miss. It can leave a line at the jaw, make your face look grey, orange or pink next to your neck, or look fine in the shop and completely different at home. Most shade mistakes come from checking the wrong thing in the…
You check your makeup at lunchtime and everything looks fine except one spot: the area above your lip, where foundation has faded, gathered in lines or disappeared entirely. It is one of the most common trouble zones on the face, and it is not your imagination. Makeup does not stay on the upper lip because…
You spend twenty minutes on your makeup in the morning, and by lunch your foundation has faded, your concealer has creased and your nose is shiny. It is one of the most common makeup complaints, and the fix is rarely a single miracle product. To make your makeup stay on all day, use a combination…
Walk down any makeup aisle and you will see fixers, setting sprays, finishing sprays and makeup mists, all promising to keep your face in place. The names overlap so much that many people buy one when they actually wanted the other, then wonder why their makeup still slides off by lunch. The difference between a…
Most of us have a drawer of makeup we cannot quite remember buying. A mascara from last year, a foundation from the year before, a lipstick that has travelled through three handbags. It all still looks usable, so it is easy to keep going. But makeup does not last forever, and some products go off…
Primer and sunscreen both sit underneath foundation, both come in similar tubes and both promise a smoother base. So it is no surprise that many people are unsure which one should go on first, or whether they need both at all. In a makeup base routine, sunscreen goes on before primer. The usual order is…
Makeup primer is one of those products many people buy, use for a while and then wonder whether it actually does anything. Others swear their foundation falls apart without it. The truth sits in between: primer can make a real difference for some skin types and makeup looks, and very little for others. The purpose…
You looked flawless in the mirror, but in the flash photos your face looks white, grey or patchy, especially under the eyes and along the cheekbones. This is called flashback, and it is one of the most common makeup disappointments at weddings, parties and any event with flash photography. Flashback happens when ingredients in makeup…
You start wearing a new foundation, and a few weeks later small bumps appear across your cheeks, forehead or jawline. Or you have always worn makeup and your skin has never been clear, and you wonder whether the products are part of the problem. Makeup can contribute to breakouts, but it is rarely the only…
Small eyes can look beautiful with eyeshadow, but some of the most popular looks work against them. A dark shadow packed across the whole lid, heavy liner all the way around the eye or a deep smoky lower lash line can make the eyes look smaller and more closed. On the other hand, a few…
Mascara often starts drying out long before the tube is empty. The formula gets thick and tacky, clumps on the lashes and flakes onto the cheeks during the day. Online tips suggest everything from adding water or eye drops to pumping the wand or even adding saliva, and it is hard to know which of…
You apply blush in the morning, look healthy and bright, and by lunchtime your cheeks look bare. It is one of the most common makeup complaints, especially for people with oily skin, warm skin tones or long days. Many people respond by applying more and more blush in the morning, only to find it looks…
Uneven skin tone can mean many things: red cheeks, a darker area around the mouth, brown spots left by old breakouts, patches of sun damage or simply skin that looks dull in some places and brighter in others. The instinct is often to cover everything with a thick layer of full-coverage foundation, but that usually…
Droopy lids change how eyeliner looks. A wing that points neatly upwards on a straight lid can sit flat, bend or even point downwards when the lid folds over it, and a thick line along the whole lash line can make the eyes look smaller and heavier. Liner that looked sharp when you applied it…
Enlarged pores are one of the most common reasons people reach for more foundation, and one of the most common reasons makeup ends up looking worse. Thick layers sink into pores, collect around the nose and cheeks and make them look more obvious by midday. Oil then breaks the base down further, leaving small dots…
Waterproof mascara, liner and long-wear foundation are made to survive tears, sweat and rain, which is exactly why they are so hard to take off at night. Many people end up rubbing their eyes with a cotton pad over and over, pulling at the lashes and leaving the skin red and sore. Some give up…
A smoky eye, a graphic liner or a deep, shimmery lid instantly makes a look feel dramatic. The usual advice is to pair it with a light lip so the face does not look overdone. That advice is sound, but it is also where many looks go wrong. A lip that is too pale can…
Concealer that looks smooth when you apply it can settle into fine lines under the eyes within an hour. By midday, the thin lines where your skin folds when you smile or squint have filled with product, and the area can look drier and older than it did before you started. It is one of…
Makeup that looks perfect in the mirror can look very different in photos, and it is often not obvious until you see the pictures afterwards. Cameras pick up shine, uneven patches and flashback, and long events such as weddings, parties or professional shoots give makeup plenty of time to fade or slide. To keep makeup…
Dry, flaky skin can make even the best foundation look patchy. Product clings to flakes around the nose, mouth and eyebrows, powder turns chalky and by midday the skin feels tight and looks dull. Makeup on dry, flaky skin looks best when you focus on hydration and gentle exfoliation first, then use creamy, flexible products…
Your skin tone can change noticeably between seasons, whether from sun exposure, self-tanner or simply less time indoors. Suddenly your usual foundation looks too light, a little grey or ashy, and there is a visible line at the jaw. You can adjust your makeup to match a tan without buying a whole new foundation. The…