You never think of your makeup and brushes as tools, but that’s exactly what they are. Instead of using them to renovate your kitchen or stop a leaky sink, these tools are used to make you look and feel like the confident goddess you are.
Just like with any other tool, there is a proper way to use these products. Chances are that you have been using some of them wrong all along. It’s okay! These tips and tricks will get your beauty game back on track.
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1. Foundation
If you’re using your fingers to apply and blend your foundation, stop right now! You’re not going to get an even, flawless finish by using your fingers.
On top of that, even clean hands have germs and oil, and you don’t want to spread that all over your face, do you?
Invest in a foundation brush and a BeautyBlender.
Those days of streaky, uneven foundation are over. Just squeeze a small amount of foundation on a foundation brush.
Cosmopolitan suggests starting at the center of your face and sweeping the makeup out to the edges for a natural application.
Be sure to blend with a BeautyBlender or makeup sponge to get every pore!
2. Eyelash curler
If you’ve been giving your lashes a boost after you apply mascara, put down the curler and walk away from it.
Using an eyelash curler after mascara can cause clumping and might even pull out some of your lashes. It’s not pretty.
From now on, use your curler before mascara.
Make sure you don’t clamp your lashes too tightly in the curler. Gently squeeze and tilt the curler up to get that extra oomph we all love.
Now you can apply your mascara and wow everyone with those lashes.
3. Blow Dryer
If you grab your blow dryer and start waving it around your hair in any random order, stop. Stop now.
You’re damaging your hair and probably making more work for yourself when it comes to styling.
Use your concentration nozzle and start at the front of your hairline.
According to Self , that concentration nozzle will give you more of a sleek finish and protect your hair from the heat.
You also want to start drying your hair at the front, since it is the most visible. If you wait too long, it could be more difficult to style this area later on.
4. Blush
Did your mom ever tell you to apply blush to the apples of your cheeks? I’m here to tell you that she was wrong — way wrong.
The problem with this technique is that it can kind of make you look like a clown. Yikes.
Add a small amount of blush to your apples and then sweep up.
Cosmopolitan suggests using a very light touch when applying blush. Sweep the powder away from the apples of your cheeks towards your ears for proper application.
5. Perfume
Perfume is one of those items where everyone has been taught differently when it comes to application. Are we supposed to spritz it directly on our skin? Spray it in the air and walk through it? Who knows?
The key is to spray perfume in the right areas.
Vogue recommends lightly spraying perfume on your wrists, but if you might also want to consider your hair.
The natural oils on your skin can alter a perfume’s scent as the day goes on, but your hair can hold the scent longer.
6. Eyeshadow
If you’re applying eyeshadow directly in your crease, you need to drop your shadow brush right now.
You might think you’re helping to define your eye, but you’re actually making it look smaller.
So how do we get big, beautiful eyes?
Cosmopolitan recommends applying your crease color just above your natural crease to create the illusion of a bigger eye.
Also, don’t forget to use a shade that is darker than your base color for extra definition.
7. Curling wand
Did you know there’s a correct way to hold your curling wand? This is totally new information to me.
I always thought that as long as you wrapped your hair around the barrel, it was fine. Apparently I was wrong.
Once you figure this out, your curls will never be the same.
You actually want to hold the curling wand vertically, with the top pointing down, according to Self .
When you hold it this way, you aren’t forcing your hair to defy gravity and you’ll get more uniform curls.
8. Brow pencil
Your brow pencil is not a crayon. I repeat, your brow pencil is not a crayon.
If you are using it to literally color in your brows, we applaud your boldness, but you probably aren’t getting the look you want.
Your brow pencil is for cleaning up the little things.
MTV says to use your brow pencil to fill in small areas that are more sparse — not your whole brow.
You’ll want to make small, light strokes when you fill in those areas to mimic the look of your actual brow hairs.
9. Highlighter
Everyone craves the glo up that comes with using the perfect shade of highlighter. However, this can be one of the trickiest cosmetics to properly apply.
If you don’t want to look like a glittery craft project, pay attention.
It all comes down to where you use your highlighter.
As Bustle points out, avoid applying highlighter on any areas that could be problematic for you.
Use it to accentuate your favorite features and remember to always sweep up when applying your highlighter for a rested, lifted look.
10. Lip liner
Remember when it was all the rage to line your lips in a color that wasn’t even close to your lipstick?
Thankfully, those days are over, but some of us still struggle when it comes to using the right lip liner.
Here’s how to pick the right shade.
Huffington Post suggests using a lip liner that is slightly darker if you want to make your lips look bigger.
If not, then choose a liner that is the exact color of your lipstick. Easy enough, right?
11. BeautyBlenders
A BeautyBlender is essential in any fashionista’s makeup bag, but there’s a good chance we’ve been using this innovative sponge wrong this whole time. This one actually blew my mind.
You’re supposed to use them wet.
I know, right? I had no idea that you were supposed to wet a beauty blender first. When you wet a beauty blender, it expands to give you more coverage while you apply your makeup.
Dip your BeautyBlender in warm water to let it grow. Then, squeeze out any excess water and apply your foundation.
12. Bobby Pins
How could anyone use a bobby pin wrong? It seems that there’s really only one way to wear it.
I mean, you stick it in your hair and call it a day. How hard could that be?
Apparently, we’ve been using them upside down the whole time.
Well, now I understand why my bobby pins were falling out all the time.
Those little bumps help the bobby pin stay in place, but they don’t work if they aren’t touching any hair. Now I get it.
13. Cleaning Brushes
Many people have added face cleaning brushes into their beauty routines for ultimate dirt and grime removing power.
And maybe a little bit of laziness added in there.
But many people use them wrong and could actually be further damaging their skin.
If you want to use it the correct way, make sure the bristles are gently floating on top of the skin. You don’t need to apply much pressure!
14. Cotton Swabs
Many of us reach for cotton swabs to clean our ears after showering, and it seems like a pretty common practice. I don’t know how it started, but pretty much everyone I know does it.
Using cotton swabs to clean your eyes is actually really bad for your ears.
They can actually damage your ear drums and push ear wax even further into your ear canal.
You can use them to clean the outer part of your ear, however. And they’re great for gently cleaning up mascara and eyeliner messes around the eyes!
15. Tweezers
Tweezers are a common beauty tool stuffed somewhere in our makeup bags and are mostly used for plucking eyebrows or other stray hairs.
But some people use tweezers for just about anything, like popping pimples or removing hair from moles.
And that’s a big no-no. It’s best to play it safe and stick to the eyebrow hairs.
