Makeup Minefield

Shaky foundations
Choosing the right shade of base is tricky – especially because our skin changes colour as the seasons change. Everyone should have one shade for winter and another for summer. This also gives you the option of mixing the two to create shades in between. (Mix them in your hands before applying, not on your face!)

Hide and shriek!
Concealer is great for covering up undereye shadows – unless you apply so much it only draws attention to them. If you’re wearing only a little makeup, apply concealer only to the inner corners of your eyes, to lighten them up a bit. If you’re wearing a full face of makeup, brush concealer on from the inner corners all the way out.

False smile
Trying to make your lips look bigger with liner never works. Not ever. Sooner or later, your lipstick will come off, leaving your mouth with a fake-looking outline. Rather use a pale lip gloss to make a mouth look plumper. And remember: natural-looking small lips are much more attractive than phoney-looking big ones.

Surprise!
You got carried away when you were plucking your eyebrows and now – oops! – you have a bare patch (and a permanently startled look). Choose a pencil or shadow (which you should apply with a brow brush) that’s a shade lighter than your brows for the most natural-looking fill-in.

Mean clean
If your skin feels really tight after you’ve washed it, stop using whatever it is you are using right now! It’s clearly too harsh – you should feel clean, not scoured.

Granny face
Too much face powder is ageing and applying it all over your face is too mask-like. Rather dust it on only where skin tends to get oily, such as the forehead, nose and chin. Nobody needs powder on their temples, cheeks or the undereye area. A bit of sheen is more natural.

Clumpy lashes
You can never wear too much mascara, but you can wear mascara that is too messy. To avoid clumpiness, apply it like a pro: use the wand as you would a round brush when you blow-dry hair – get it right down to the roots and then pull it through to the tips, lifting the lashes as if you were trying to curl them. Using a waterproof formula for the lower lashes prevents that grubby-looking late-night smudge.

Feet?
What feet? Out of sight, out of mind – our feet tend to get neglected in winter, and heels and soles can become dry and rough. For a quick DIY remedy, cut a lemon in half and rub it over these areas – the acidity will act as a natural exfoliant.

Fading colours
A few days before colouring your hair, give it a deep-conditioning treatment. Well-nourished hair locks in pigment better and more evenly than dry, porous strands and colour will look more vibrant.

Blotched up!
If you’ve botched a fake-tan application, don’t resign yourself to covering up for the next week. Gently exfoliate the area (don’t scrub until your skin goes red!) and then dot a matt liquid bronzer over the lighter areas to disguise streaks.

Author: Nicolene Strydom