Good makeup looks great, but makeup mistakes can look, well, absolutely awful! There is no wrong or right way to apply makeup, but there are a few common mistakes that can easily be avoided. Here are ten of the most common makeup application mistakes that are best to be avoided:

1. Makeup that doesn’t suit your age
Choosing makeup that fits your age is important for both young and slightly older women. Bear in mind, the latest makeup trend for teenagers, is not always so good for someone a bit older. Equally, though, a teenager shouldn’t be looking like her mother!

2. Using the wrong foundation
Foundation shouldn’t change the colour of your skin, it should complement it. Choose a foundation that is as close to your natural skin tone as possible and, remember that your skin tone changes slightly, with the different seasons of the year.

3. Forgetting the eyebrows
A well groomed brow can make all the difference, so don’t neglect them! Keep them well trimmed and conditioned and use a subtle shade of eyebrow pencil, just a shade lighter, than the natural color of your eyebrows.

4. Not blending in your makeup
This quite probably should have been at number one, because one of the most common makeup mistakes, and the most noticeable one, is not blending makeup. Blush, eye shadow, highlighter and foundation should all be blended in well and not stand out starkly from one another.

5. Lipstick that is too dark
Dark lipstick can really add years to your age and, the worse of all is dark, matte lipstick. For a more natural, younger looking look, use a lighter shade of gloss or sheer lipstick.

6. Way too much bronzer
Another one of good makeup application tips is to be careful with bronzer. Bronzer should add a natural looking, healthy glow to your skin, not make it look orange! Apply bronzer sparingly, because, if no one notices it, then you have it just right!

7. Too much black eyeliner
Black eyeliner, all the way around the eye, looks far ‘too much’ and completely unnatural; it can also make your eyes look smaller; so use darker eyeliner on your top lash line and a light or a nude eyeliner on the inside of your bottom lash line and this will open up your eyes and make them look larger.

8. Applying makeup on top of dry skin
Exfoliate once a week and keep up with your moisturizing routine, because applying foundation onto dry skin won’t cover it up, it will make it look worse. Foundation applied to dry skin won’t blend in properly and will look very flaky and unattractive.

9. Mismatching your face to your neck
Another big mistake that is instantly noticeable is leaving a harsh line, where your foundation ends at your jawline. Always blend foundation down, beyond the jawline, onto your neck, and remember that your foundation should be invisible to the eye.

10. Testing makeup on your hands
It’s very common for women to test shades of makeup on the back of their hands, but this is the wrong thing to do. The skin on the back on your hands can be a very different colour from the skin on your face, so always test makeup, where it is to be used, but always consider hygiene when you do so.

BDST: 1701 HRS, JAN 01, 2015