Why does mascara clump, lipstick land on your teeth and your blush head south shortly after you apply it? Here are some solutions to some cosmetic conundrums.
Under-eye concealer looks so obvious: You’re probably choosing a color that is too light for your skin tone. Choose a concealer that’s one shade darker than you think you are. Next, mix your concealers with your foundation to make sure the color is correct and then lightly tap it onto the dark areas under your eyes.
Keep lipstick off of your teeth: Apply a primer to keep lip color from migrating. Then, apply lipstick. Next, stick your finger in the center of your mouth and pull it out. This way the lipstick that would be near your teeth comes right off on your finger instead.
Blush fades quickly: Color can fade when the skin is dehydrated because the skin literally drinks up any moisture on the surface. Look for a gel or a tint blush with sodium PCA or sodium hyaluronate acid. These are humectants which glue moisture to the skin’s surface and stop the skin from dehydrating. For best results, moisturize skin first with a lotion or cream and wait a few minutes until it’s absorbed. Then, apply a cheek stain or cheek gel followed by a powder blush. Buff a translucent powder on top and your rosy glow will last.
Eye shadow slips into the crease soon after application: Your shadow heads south because there’s nothing on your eyelids to help it stay put. To keep shadow in place you need a ‘shadow dropper stopper’ like an eye primer. An eye primer is a lightweight product that you apply to lids before putting on your shadow. This base coat gives the color pigments in your eye shadow something to adhere to so it stays where it’s supposed to.
Your mascara clumps: Mascara is a wax, oil and pigment based product that can solidify a little with age and literally dries out, which results in clumps. This can happen to all mascaras, which is why you should replace yours every three to six months. That said, the thicker formulations will clump faster. It’s better to have a thinner mascara that you can build up on the lashes. Other clump-busting tips: don’t pump air into the mascara and clean the wand with a tissue after each use. Apply mascara on clean lashes – putting it on top of old mascara can cause clumps. Lastly, keep an extra, clean mascara wand to pull through the lashes after you have applied your mascara.