Fantasia Salon / Spa and Wig Specialists

I’m going to give you 10 makeup no nos in a 2 part series. It’s too wordy to compile it all into one part so, here we go with part one of two parts.

Over-plucked Eyebrows: Too thin eyebrows are unflattering. If you are guilty of this; you need to let your eyebrows grow back in–all of them. I know it will be tempting to clean up all of the new hairs growing in but don’t do it! In order to see which brow shape will best compliment your face, you need to see what you have to start with.

Try masking the new growth with cake or liquid eyeliner which allows you to control the density of the pigment and even paint on faux hairs if needed. It’s best to use a very fine, thin, long brush.

If you are blonde or brunette, use a light/dark brown color. If you have dark brown or black hair, use a black cake liner, keeping it very diluted and building as you go. Even if you can’t afford to see a brow professional regularly, go a few times to learn the best shape for your face and have mistakes corrected so you can maintain your brows yourself in the future.

Too Dark Lip Color: Dark shades such as brown, black, purple or maroon (goth) can look very aging.

Avoid lining lips with dark lip liner, especially if you are not planning to fill them in. If you are really attached to dark lips, try a different version. Shift to a dark lip gloss or a sheer version of what you are used to. Another option is to try a sheer lip pencil if you want your look to last, since glosses and sheer lipsticks tend to wear off more quickly. Re-applying more often is a minimal trade-off for a more youthful and modern look.

Not Blending Well Enough: You may not be able to see that your foundations ends in a line at your jaw, but everyone else can. Blending is the key to a flawless face. If your blush sits un-blended on your cheeks or the little eye shadow you wear is plopped on your lid, it’s going to look like you are wearing more makeup than you truly are.

Only wear foundation where you need it and only blend past your jawline if your face doesn’t match your neck. Get the right tools. A few right brushes will make the difference between makeup and blended makeup. Latex wedges (sponges) are also good for blending foundations and blushes as you can easily dilute color with a few swipes if you put too much on.

Mismatched Foundation: Even if you have found the perfect color for your skin, the foundation you buy in August will not work for you in February. Watch out for foundation that oxidizes throughout the day and changes color.

Every woman should have at least 2 different colors of foundation but 3 is actually better. That way you always have colors to mix to get the right color for your skin year-round.

Focus on finding a good formula that works well with your skin tone and doesn’t turn orange from oxidation. I’ve talked about this many times but if you haven’t tried mineral makeup you are really missing something. At Fantasia we sell (and most of us use) Jane Iredale Skin Care Mineral Makeup and we love it. Sheer formulas (like the mineral makeup) are better if your face is paler than your chest. Tinted moisturizers can be terrific if you don’t need much coverage.

Makeup Overload: A full-on eye with a full-on lip with a full-on face of foundation, blush, bronzer and more is only going to make you look older.

You don’t need to focus equal attention on every feature at the same time. Pick one feature and accentuate it. For example, pair a bright lip color like fire engine red or electric pink with a fresh, natural face.

Focusing on eye-color? Go easy on the mouth with a pale, sheer lip color. It will make the strong eye look modern and more interesting. Anything thick or heavy will look aging.

Okay girls, enough to ruminate on for one day, wouldn’t you agree? I’ll be back at you tomorrow with 5 more no nos.