Even with years of experience, there are still new tricks to be tried with your makeup. Some may sound obvious, but it’s amazing how few people know about these simple makeup tips.
Foundation – Start in the middle and work out
The dreaded tideline between bare neck and your face with makeup on it is something to avoided if at all possible.
One of the best ways of avoiding this tideline is to apply your foundation to the centre of your face and blend outwards starting from your nose and under your eyes – moving out with your makeup brush/sponge/fingers but without adding any extra foundation as you go.
Not only is the centre of your face the area that usually needs most coverage, but applying foundation this way leaves you with a gorgeous natural finish.
Lipstick – Your finger is key
After you’ve finished putting on your lipstick, the best way to finish your lips is to suck the end of one of your fingers. Any excess lipstick on the inside of your lips will come off onto the end of your finger, instead of coming off later on your teeth!
Mascara – Keep a spare wand
Clumpy mascara simply doesn’t look good, but applying mascara so that it comes out smoothly on your lashes is easier said than done.
A good hack for helping you to be clump-free comes in the form of a spare mascara wand. This is one which you keep especially for brushing through your eyelashes once you’ve finished applying your mascara. It will separate any clumps that have formed, and remove excess mascara that has a habit of falling onto your under-eye area and giving you the panda effect!
Generally – Stick to the dates
It’s not just food that has best-before dates – makeup does too. Those little symbols on the packaging are there for good reason. When it gets old, it’s not great for your skin and should be replaced.
The hourglass symbol with a B.B.E. (best before end) date will tell you how long the makeup is good for. Another symbol used is the round pot with an open lid icon. This will tell you how long the product is good for after opening – usually in the form of a number followed by ‘M’. 12M = use within one year of opening.
Alternatively, generic guidelines are that mascara should be replaced every three to four months, lipsticks and liquid foundations used up within or replaced after a year, while makeups that are powders should be ok for up to two years.
