If you’ve ever picked up a makeup brush then you’ve probably experienced it: the crooked cat eye, the eyeshadow fallout, the patchy foundation. Bad makeup days are inevitable and they happen to even the most skilled makeup artists. Whether you’re running late and need an easy fix for a big oops or you’re just starting out applying makeup to clients, here are some insider secrets to correcting those pesky makeup mishaps! Because let’s face it, nobody’s perfect!
Makeup Mishaps: How To Fix Them!
As a professional makeup artist, one thing I’m always telling my clients is that cotton swabs are the magic wands of the makeup world! They can be SO handy in cleaning up a variety of mess ups.
The classic cat eye for instance. We’ve all been there. It’s too thick or it’s uneven or it’s smeared. You could use some cleansing water or eye makeup remover, but that could potentially remove too much makeup or leave a residue.
Makeup Mishaps:
Have you ever tried applying a small amount of your foundation primer (one that has dimethicone in it) to a cotton swap to fix that goof? Just roll the swab along the edges of the wing to erase and even it out until you are back to a clean guideline. Then use concealer underneath to give it the sharpness you desire. Magic!
Fix:
Cotton swabs are also great for those incredibly annoying mascara smudges that happen on the eye lid or on the bridge of the nose. The trick is to resist the urge and wait for those little marks to dry completely. Then use a DRY cotton swab to roll away the unwanted product. Presto!
What about the dreaded eyeshadow fallout? This is when you have too much product on your brush and the powder falls or transfers down onto your under eye area, leaving you with what either looks like a black eye or dark circles!
Makeup Mishaps:
To avoid this, make sure you always TAP OFF your brush before packing shadow onto the eyelid. It’s easier to build up color than to buff it away. You can also use a spritz of your favorite makeup setting spray to your brush to help the shadow adhere to the eyelid. But if that darn fallout does happen to grace your cheek, the two best ways to fix it are dry cotton swabs and translucent powder. With minimal shadow, a clean, dry swap should remove the color with ease when gently rolled over the surface of the skin. If you are prone to excessive fallout, you may want to lay down a good, thick layer of translucent powder under your eyes before doing your eyeshadow. Then when fallout does occur, you may use a clean, fluffy brush to simply sweep it away. Or in the worst cases, fold a flat cotton round with a little cleansing water on it and clean it all up before going in with foundation and concealer.
Fix:
Now that you have some tricks up your sleeves for combating eye makeup mishaps, let’s move on to complexion. Nothing’s worse than “grabby” foundation, patchy blush or a muddy contour. Often times these things occur due to dry or textured skin or because you are using too much product. If you’re half a face in and realize things are not going as planned, fret not. You don’t have to remove everything and start over. There’s a fix for that!
Makeup Mishaps:
A good failsafe for patchy concealer and foundation is to mix a touch of your favorite hydrating serum, eye cream or dry oil with your base. Changing the formula to better suit your skin can help the product glide more effortlessly over your complexion. If it is still uncooperative, make a damp beauty sponge your best friend. I prefer a brush for initial application but a sponge is an excellent tool for removing excess product and evening out texture. If you have applied too much or things are looking uneven, simple squeeze your beauty sponge under water several times and be sure to ring it out thoroughly or squeeze in a dry towel. Then gently bounce it over the area you are trying to remove or even out foundation. If you have blush or contour that’s somehow wreaked havoc on your face, first buff it away with a clean dry sponge or brush. Next add a dab (key word being dab) of your foundation to the beauty blender and pat, pat, pat! You may also use translucent or pigmented powder over top of blush or bronzer to tone it down but do so sparingly. Powder can add texture to the skin so it is best used in areas it is truly needed, not all over.
Fix:
Sometimes knowing how to avoid a makeup oops is as valuable as knowing how to fix it. I have two big tips I always give to clients struggling with their makeup. One is to make sure that your skin is exfoliated and moisturized before applying anything to it – this includes the eye area and lips. If you think of your face as a canvas for your art, then you will understand why you want a smooth, supple and clean base to start with. Your makeup only looks as good as the skin underneath it, which is why skincare and prep is so important. The second tip is to always do eye makeup before face makeup. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did. Eye makeup mistakes are so much easier to fix when you DON’T have primer, foundation, concealer and blush to worry about ruining.
I hope that whether you’re learning to perfect your own makeup craft or getting started as a makeup artist, these little tricks will make a big difference in your process. Sometimes being perfect at a skill is unrealistic, but knowing how to correct the imperfections is the next best thing!