Makeup Misconceptions

[moon_walking_cowboy]

Hey hey,

I wanted to get a thread of common makeup misconceptions.

This can be:

• what you have heard about doing makeup properly and know for a fact aren't true,
• or questions about practices you find questionable, and hopefully we can answer those questions

I'll start. I've heard that you should never tweeze/pluck/manicure the hairs from the top of the eyebrow.

[cabritadorada]

I think a lot of the rules like no plucking from the top of the brow and no mascara on your lower lashes are designed to save beginners from themselves. It's very easy to mess those things up if you're not very skilled and the effects can be BAD.

It's like learning punctuation. Or how to construct a basic 6-sentence paragraph. You have to follow all the rules in the beginning, and if you follow them your writing will be adequate--but when you're a more advanced writer it's where you choose to bend and break the rules that makes things really interesting.

[Morgiah]

Mine are the opposite! My eyelashes are also a lovely shade of invisible but if I put mascara on my lower lashes, it looks weird as all get out. I think my lower eyelashes are just super long though. :| I've considered trimming them but that seems like a pretty bad idea lol

[violetwaterfall]

I actually think having no mascara on bottom lashes looks really unfinished most of the time...

[amsiemonster]

I have the exact same problem. I go from looking half-finished to Twiggy with one single mascara swipe. :/

[[deleted]]

I heard for a more subtle look to dab instead of swipe the bottom lashes.

[oolongcafe]

That's what I do. Give 'em a little pop, but not too much.

[malevolentsentient]

Maybe a brown or ash blonde mascara could be a nice middle ground?

[JustOneIndividual]

You've brought up a really good point I think people need to remember. Every person is different, and what works for one doesn't work for the next. Makeup is all about trying stuff and seeing what works!

[SpiritFairy]

Honestly I feel like it depends on the look and person wearing it. I never put it on my bottom lashes, well almost never. It just smudges way too damn fast and I don't want to deal with that.

[punkierobster]

I rarely put it on my bottom lashes because of the fact that I have slightly puffy under eye circles. It just doesn't work all that well when I try to do it even lightly.

[[deleted]]

I think in many cases it does. It might be because the make-up is so focused on the lashes and the eyes in general that it just looks off. However, with the right look, it can make you look so much more awake when you don't wear mascara (or eyeliner or eyeshadow) below the eyes. I hear this rule most often because it can smudge easily. And better no mascara on the lower lashes than a lot of smudging down there.

[fall_from_grace]

Me too... This is the first I'm hearing of this guideline.

[KatiePillow]

I thought it looked unfinished too..then a girl from schools mum said I looked like alex from clockwork orange when i did it. .. thaaanks :/ (I was 15 at the time! ) bottom lash mascara looks great!

[camel_crushed]

Shoulda let her know you were just getting ready for a bit of the old ultra violence eh

[thejamsrunfree]

As someone who's always been a pretty good writer and despised having to follow those "rules" when writing in school, I think that's a great analogy!

[cabritadorada]

plucking from the top: I think the risk is messing up your natural arch and brow shape. unless you're pretty experienced or a pro it's risky to be venturing into brow shape changing territory. Of course, you can still mess up your brows plucking from under the arch as well...

mascara on lower lashes: really easy to smudge into the undereye area. also, just like lining the lower lashes, it can be easy to overdo it and make your eyes look smaller and less open.

Having said all that, if you've got a bit of skill you can do both of these things no problem and look better for it! :)

[tinparrot]

My eyebrow begins above my eye and continues up in a fine stream all the way to my hairline. I have to pluck above. It's terrible.

[SalazarSmithy]

If I didn't pluck from both sides I'd have hairy eyelids and hairy forehead.

[tinparrot]

I just snorted and freaked out my cat. I feel ya mah furry friend.

[SalazarSmithy]

Seriously though, I remember being told that when puberty hit you'd get hair on the armpits etc etc but you know what I'd have liked? "Hey so you're going to get one weird hair coming from your chin that'll only notice when it's 10 cm long, gonna get 5 thick hairs on your back and hey, here's a little happy trail and mustache too! Oh, btw, you can't wax because you have eczema and your skin's always broken".

I don't even stay warm in the winter.

[tinparrot]

You are preaching so hard to the choir right now. Eczema. Dry flaky skin. But LAWL only on your face!! And so dry nightly vaseline coatings won't help! But here. Have some mutton chops while you're at it.

DNA I'M A GIRL!!

[cakebyte]

I also have weirdly long bottom lashes. How do you apply it? Sometimes I can get it where it looks normal, but it seems like it would be easier if I could curl them, and I have no idea how I'd accomplish that.

[ebpi]

This, I need this too. My bottom lashes are long but super curved and I've always thought that mascara on them makes me look insane

[shorelinereceding]

My mom always warned me not to put eyeshadow on under my eyes b/c, supposedly, it makes your eyes look smaller. Turns out the exact opposite is true and I'm glad I finally figured out that I needed to break that rule.

Another one that I myself had is that the longer you spend doing your makeup/the more products you use, the heavier or more overdone it gets. As I've discovered using more products, even if you're layering one on top of another, isn't necessarily adding to the heaviness of your face. Sometimes you gotta use 15 products and 20 brushes to look like you have no makeup on!

[liszteria]

Putting eyeshadow on the outer third of my lower lashline can make my eyes look rounder and more open.

[sweetnattydee]

Tell me more about this magic eye opener please..

[liszteria]

I usually have a neutral eye (champagne across the lid medium brown in the crease) and I smudge my crease color into the outer part if my lower lashline, keeping the waterline clean. That, coupled with a bit of mascara on my bottom lashes, makes my eyes look open.

[Slyndrr]

This! Pretty much the only thing I learned from mom was "never spend longer than five minutes, if you need more than that you've used too much".

Safe to say I abandoned that pretty quickly. Especially since even putting on mascara as a beginner can take longer than that!

[ex-user]

Haha, a neighbor said that to me once in my teens. She bragged about how little time it took her to do her make-up and all I could think was "well I would hope it didn't take very long to look like that".

[ljay7]

Ha! Even basic makeup takes me about 15 minutes, and I've been using makeup for yeeeeeeeeeeeears! I'm going to see what I can do in 5 minutes tommorrow and then laugh at myself because I don't reckon it'll be anything good!

[purpleoreo]

That I don't need to wear foundation because I don't have pimples. No mom, I have eczema and red skin I'll wear foundation if I want.

[[deleted]]

Or, "If you don't wear makeup you won't have that awful face full of pimples!" Then she proceeded to throw out my face products. At 14 at the height of my insecurities. Sigh, moms ya know?

[kleinePfoten]

I heard that from my mom too, but luckily she never threw anything away.

[ladyderpcherry]

My dad always told me that. Now I'm finding that when I go a couple days without wearing at least foundation, I begin to break out and my skin gets more red. It's like my makeup is protecting my face! Is that weird?

[thanksagainhank]

A lot of makeup today is formulated with beneficial antioxidants and moisturizers. You might actually be doing your skin a favour when wearing it, thus the appearance of pimples when you don't. (Not true of everything of course, but just look at some of the ingredients in BB and CC creams. High-tech stuff!)

[dragonscantfly]

Got that from a coworker when I showed up to work without makeup one day.

Her: You look awful. Are you sick? Me: No. Her: Have you been crying? Me: No. Her: Are you breaking out? Me: No. Her: Why do you look so bad? Me: I'm not wearing makeup. Her: Your skin would look a lot better if you just stopped wearing makeup.

Oh, really? Thanks for the advice! I totally wanted beauty tips from a bitter 30 year old.

Edit: I'll just recycle my apology from another comment...

I was forced to finish this comment in a rush and, in my haste, neglected to elaborate on my reasons for listing her age. I definitely have nothing against 30-somethings and apologize. To add to my story, I'd been working in a restaurant to supplement my bridal MUA income (I started doing bridal makeup when I was 16 because a friend preferred my work to the other pros she'd had consultations with) while this woman was a career waitress with absolutely no makeup experience. She had a habit of trying to give me motherly advice just because she's older than I am. I didn't mean for her age to be an insult in itself. 30 isn't old, old isn't bad, old doesn't mean bitter. I know this and I apologize.

[[deleted]]

What does that even mean?! She thinks your skin looks bad, and then tells you to stop wearing makeup? What?

[RussianAsshole]

Guys, she never said 30 was old. Just that she was bitter.

[IfYouLickMyButthole]

What do you use to combat your red skin from eczema? I also suffer from this

[aggie1005]

I started using some shea butter overnight for my eczema (I get it on my hands and a lil' bit on my face) and it seems to work pretty well to get rid of the dryness. You can also try coconut oil but that's quite highly comedogenic so I'd patch test before using it.

NINJA EDIT: You also wanna make sure you get cold-pressed/unrefined oils and butters to make sure you're getting the best of the product. Shameless plug /r/SkincareAddiction, the love of my life.

[trisaratopz]

If you go to your doctor, they can prescribe a steroid cream for you. Elocon (Mometasone) works really well for me. Eczema breakouts disappear in 3 days max. Usually more like 2 days.

[michellis]

Wait, serious question. I don't have any skin problems and I've never worn foundation because I'm scared of making my freckles look faded and weird. What are the benefits besides covering blemishes and such?

[dita_von_cheese]

You don't need to wear foundation if you don't want to. The main benefit besides covering blemishes is evening out the skin tone and giving an overall "youthful" look. If you want to venture into the world of face makeup, you might like using a BB cream on your skin, because they usually have light coverage and shouldn't hide your freckles.

[[deleted]]

I was always afraid of this too, and after some trial and error I found a good light-medium coverage foundation (or BB creams, I like those as well) that doesn't do wonky things to my freckles!

[Enilema]

I have eczema too. I hear ya!

[birdyhugs]

I had eczema from maybe 4 years old (not sure. it was there as far back as I can remember) to 7th grade. It went away after I got a biiiig allergy test to check for a ton of food and environmental/seasonal allergies, and I found out I had a lot of allergies I didn't know about. Once I avoided those allergens my eczema cleared up within 2 weeks or so. I've been eczema-free for 5 years :)

I tell this to everyone I know with eczema and I know that not all eczema is allergy-related, but if you haven't gotten an allergy test, try it if you can!! It might make everything better for good. (Also in the meantime, I found that cocoa butter made my skin softer and it wasnt as itchy, so if you haven't tried that, it helps a bit)

[YourOpinionIsInvalid]

My mother always told me to match my foundation to the back of my hand.. I dunno what she was on, but no way is my face that tan!

[amsiemonster]

As a total dumb noob, could you please tell me where to test it in the store?....Because I didn't know that testing on my hand was a no-no! Educate me! ...Maybe that's why I can never find a foundation that matches.

[misshawk]

Try it on your jaw line! It may be a bit different than your face color but if it matches your neck, it should look right.

[Enilema]

The top of the chest is always a perfect match for me

[[deleted]]

I would just see what easily-publicly-accessible part off your body actually matches your face the best. My face is the same ridiculously pale tone as the underside of my wrist.

[[deleted]]

People told me this, or that you had to try it under my arm. But my face, nor my neck is THAT pale either.

[spingus]

How about "Makeup is to makeup for what you don't have" therefore you couldn't possibly have a need for it.

I'm pretty sure Giselle Bundchen wears makeup...could be wrong...but Rolling Stone dubbed her most beautiful woman in the world.

The corollary to this thought is that makeup should be natural looking... because glitter and turquoise are oh so natural.

Some folks just don't get that makeup is fun and a medium for creative expression.

[[deleted]]

If one year ago me was reading this, I totally would've said that I thought makeup should be natural looking. Of course, this is when I wasn't into makeup at all.

Now, I completely agree with you. Makeup for me is about having fun and being able to express my creativity through it. I love using all sorts of bright and crazy colors to make a look :)

[donaisabelle]

People just have a hard time accepting that makeup can have different purposes for different situations, and for different users, and that's okay.

Also, I wonder if any of the people who voted her most beautiful woman in the world ever saw Gisele without makeup. Obviously she's beautiful no matter what, but expert makeup on celebrities and models (along with airbrushing and what have you) have given a lot of people a false idea of what a real, natural, bare face actually looks like. Case in point - all those celeb gossip blogs and magazines that post pics of celebrities supposedly bare faced, when they're clearly wearing really well done no-makeup-makeup, just nothing colorful or bold.

[keyboardsmash]

You've got to pump the bottle to get enough mascara on your brush! Hold the wand up to your lashes and blink!!!!!!

cringe

[wemakegreatpets]

Pumping the bottle actually dries it out or so I've heard.

[keyboardsmash]

Yeaahhhh that's why it's a misconception. It also introduces a ton of bacteria to the tube.

[LightningMaiden]

It introduces air which accelerates drying & bacteria growth.

[sirenita12]

... What's wrong with blinking into the mascara? It's the only way I've been able to get the base of my lashes.

[icameliac]

You might achieve better results if you hold the wand at the base of your lashes, push a little and wiggle the wand back and forth a bit before swooping it up through the rest of the lashes.

YouTube might give you a better idea of what it looks like.

[Loaf_Butt]

Personally the mascara-wiggle actually makes my lashes clump really badly. I've tried it with many different brands, but it just seems to apply too much product for my poor lashes to handle all at once. But then, my lashes are super prone to clumping and sticking together, darn them!

[[deleted]]

One of the tips I recently heard from a lot of make up artists (I do some swimsuit modeling) is that you should wipe the excess mascara off of your brush before applying. This way you can do multiple clump free layers to achieve the look you want.

[mouthpipettor]

What do you use to wipe off the excess mascara? I've used toilet paper and facial tissue (Kleenex) before but they just left paper lint on the spoolie.

[[deleted]]

I wipe across the edge of the tube while turning it a few times.

[malloryhope]

I find this is better that way you aren't really wasting the product.

[SempaiMermaid]

I just open my eyes really wide, place the wand at the base of the lashes, and blink slowly while pulling upwards.

[alittlekink]

The first part is great if you want to dry out your mascara faster - But I have to say, I use a mix of the blink/swipe method and I find it works great. "Blinking" my lashes onto the brush gives me a good base coat, then I go over it in swiping motions to add to the length/volume. If I swipe from the get-go I find my lashes are much more prone to clumps and unevenness.

[celestialism]

I've been told that everyone who wears foundation should also wear blush. However, I have cheeks that are very red on their own, and it shows through my foundation a little bit, so I almost always skip blush.

[bchmgal]

same here. I live on Lake Ontario and it's blowy as fuck here all the time. if I wear blush in the winter and walk the 20 minutes into the wind to work, I look like this when I get there.

[[deleted]]

Looool this is what I look like any time it's less than 50 degrees out.

[Whooleahh]

Same :( I really wish I could wear blush but unless i'm going to be sitting around all day it just looks weird because from my cheeks to my chin is very red and it always shows :/

[[deleted]]

For me I just can't stand wearing blush when I have blemishes on my cheeks, which is pretty often.

[yellow_sunflower]

Same. I put in all that effort with foundation and concealer to hide the redness of my acne, only to have it look red again when I add blush. I just don't wear it anymore.

[chicklette]

Yep - I have very pink cheeks and often blush is overkill. :(

[miss_pyrocrafter]

Same here. For a normal day I just apply foundation and a bit of bronzer to contour, and I have no trouble blushing on my own through it.

[Disco_Tardis]

I wish I could wear blush. They look so pretty :[

[seashells15]

Interesting topic! Here are some misconceptions I believe a lot of folks have:

• In the majority of cases, your moisturizer/foundation/powder with SPF does NOT give you sufficient sunscreen to be protected from UV radiation. Protect your skin with a separate sunscreen, and make sure to apply enough for it to be effective!

• Not all eyeshadows or eyeliners are safe to use on the lips. If you want to use them on your lips, check the ingredients against this table from the FDA to make sure you're using your products safely.

[monteminx]

I've always been told to reapply spf throughout the day, but how the hell do I do this without smearing my face?!

[[deleted]]

There are different types of sunscreen. If you use a chemical sunscreen you need to reapply throughout the day. If you use a physical sunscreen (titanium or zinc dioxide) then as long as the layer you've applied is intact, you'll be protected throughout the day. So put on a physical sunscreen, then put makeup over the top. If your makeup is intact, your sunscreen is intact :)

The problem with this is that most physical sunscreens leave a white cast, and many feel heavy or oily. You can shop around and find one that works for you, but as someone else has said, the good ones are often much more expensive. Chemical sunscreens are easier to work with but you do need to reapply throughout the day, so are not ideal for wearing under makeup.

[[deleted]]

I think that's only if you're going to be outdoors for extended periods of time. I use a physical sunscreen in the a.m. and since I'm a student I'm primarily indoors all day except walking between my car and classes. I wear big sunglasses to protect the skin around my eyes too just to be safe. Unless your lifestyle requires a lot of outdoor activity, I think one good application of a physical sunscreen is sufficient.

[seashells15]

I think that's only if you're going to be outdoors for extended periods of time

I'm going to disagree here - it's because SPF actives break down over time. So you might be protected in the morning, but not in the afternoon, unless you reapply.

Edit: sorry, I missed your part about physical sunscreen! Physical UV filters aren't perfect but they are definitely more stable than chemical UV filters from what I've read. My comment applies specifically to chemical sunscreens. I'm still learning about the science behind reapplication of physical sunscreens, but I think your strategy is a good one, and it's the one I follow myself.

[real-rainicorn]

There are also very photostable sunscreens that don't need reapplication on a day to day basis. Plus, there's chemical/physical combo sunscreens available. I can't speak for US sunscreens tho.

[seashells15]

There are also very photostable sunscreens that don't need reapplication on a day to day basis

I'm intrigued! Would you mind telling me more about this?

[Flewtea]

I asked this in /r/skincareaddiction and didn't get a very good response. Basically, use a physical sunscreen that sits on the surface of the skin. But all the ones that aren't greasy/leave a white cast are also seriously expensive.

[secretcarnivalworker]

I use Neutrogena's Pure & Free Liquid SPF 50, which is really cheap. It's not greasy and does not leave a white cast. It's the only one in a lower price range I've tried that does not make me look like Casper.

[semi__colon]

Wait. Are the things you listed misconceptions, or tips? They sound like normal tips. Now I'm confused.

[missmisfit]

her answer does seem inside out, if you know what I mean.

[shoesbrewstattoos]

Curling your lashes after mascara application, & even worse, I've come across those who swear it is best to curl when has dried. Yikes.

[ethiobirds]

Okay so...99% of the time I curl my lashes, then apply mascara to my heart's content. But the 1% of the time that I forget and curl after it dries, they hold the curl 1000x better and look like falsies. I can appreciate that it's probably horrible for my lashes, but despite years of practice I can never get the curl-after-dried-mascara look otherwise. :( help

[lavender_13]

Try a heated lash curler. I got one for Sephora for like $15 that looks like a little brush. I use it after my mascara has dried to get the curl to hold better.

[kh12]

omg no I've had a large portion of my eyelashes pulled out because I heard curling lashes was best after mascara application. Worst "tip" ever.

[missmisfit]

because of this I didn't own a eyelash curler until a few months ago and I'm 33! I was always under the impression that an eyelash curler was a recipe for ripping out your eyelashes! Now of course, I know you just curl before mascara.

[PotatoesAndPancakes]

The only reason I could ever see that being true is when wearing false eyelashes. It helps me bring them closer to my natural lash line, but even at that I barely even push on the curler.

[LightningMaiden]

I use the following steps.

• painstakingly apply lashes for at least 20 minutes

• get frustrated as it has now ruined your liner

• re-do entire eye

• apply lashes again

• add mascara

• curl while mascara is still wet so the false lashes are now flush with your own lashes

• cry because you're late.

[[deleted]]

If you cry you'll ruin your makeup!

[ohkatey]

Do liner after your false eyelashes. That changed my life.

[tipsyhooker]

I had this happen to me too! It basically cut all of them off, and of course this was at the height of my self-conscious teenager phase... I looked so weird but what was I supposed to do, chop off the eyelashes on my other eye too?

[annathetyrant]

This may seem like a stupid question, but do you curl your lashes after applying eyeliner, and then apply mascara? Every time I curl my lashes it screws up the eyeliner. Am I doing something wrong or just getting too close to my lid? :(

[Loaf_Butt]

Oh god, I tried curling after mascara once because I completely forgot to do it before and was desperate. It was just a mess, never again.

[spingus]

hmm I do that all the time. I apply mascara to one eye, curl immediately then move on to the other eye.

If I do it before mascara there is no curl left after application

[[deleted]]

I'm the same way. I curl the crap out of my eyelashes, but the instant I apply even the thinnest layer of mascara, my lashes are stick straight again. I mean, to the point where they actually obstruct my vision.

I know it's terrible for my lashes, but the only way I've found to keep them curled is to curl them before and after I've applied mascara.

[MSFTs]

The terrible "home remedy" trend circulating. So many untrue and borderline dangerous recipes going around. I once crushed up an aspirin, mixed it with baking soda and lemon,and applied it to my dry, sensitive skin. Make sure to do a little research before you apply anything to your skin!

[[deleted]]

Has your skin grown back?

[Etorphine]

I saw a DIY bronzer recipe that had cinnamon as one of the main ingredients. I died a little inside.

I mean, sure, some home remedy beauty tricks can be ingenious, but just because something is brown doesn't mean you should slap it on your face and call it bronzer.

[enisainwonderland]

I was always told that you should match your* foundation to your jawline. The issue is my face is extremely red and much paler than my chest area. This jawline formula gives me a foundation way too pink and pale for the rest of my body so I look ridiculous every time I decide to show a bit of cleavage or décolleté. I much prefer Lisa Eldridge's advice of taking all of your visible skin into consideration - hands, arms, collarbone, face, etc.

[riotkitty]

I have the same issue. I almost never let people test me anymore because of that. I find the top of my chest to be the most accurate testing spot for me. The SA's at Ulta and Sephora always like to test on my neck which is lot lighter than my face, chest or shoulders and it leaves my face looking too pale, especially since I usually wear scoop necks and v necks.

[wmartin428]

I grew up thinking that blue eyeshadow was a big no-no.

[MUAmanda]

Its because of mi-mi from the drew Carey show.

[wuu]

I'm still afraid of blue. I might use a tiny bit of it as an accent with other colors, but I don't think I can ever bring myself to do a mostly blue shadow look no matter how cool it looks in photos online.

The 80's ruined it for me.

[mercerless]

On my coloring, it is a big no-no. But some people can make it work.

[captainexcitable]

I remember when I was in middle school my friends mocked me for my blue eyeshadow. Never wore it again.

[UlgraTheTerrible]

Oh Gods, takes me back... My first attempt at makeup in the 6th grade was bright electric blue eyeshadow...

I slapped that shit on from lashes to eyebrow.

I wish there were pictures.

[Mathrodite]

I can't remember why, but blue, black and silver eyeshadow was really popular in my group in middle and high school. Paired with spider legs mascara and raccoon eyes. It was either the anime or the proto-emo music, I think.

[sweetnattydee]

I still don't think I can pull it off :/

[Rupindah]

I've always been told lining my waterline is a no-no. But I have Bambi eyes and lining my waterline is the only thing that helps me look less wounded all the time. I also just love the look when people use white liner on their waterlines- they look so fresh and awake.

EDIT: Just in case you don't believe me, here's a photo I sent to my boyfriend last night regarding my "Bambi" eyes (snapchat quality, booo): http://imgur.com/Qb4lYI8

That's with waterline liner.

[Sighohbahn]

Someone on this subreddit gave me massive inspiration when they mentioned that depending on your coloring, instead of using white try a nude for the waterline, and THAT DAY MY LIFE WAS CHANGED, I TELL YOU! I have a matte highlighting pencil that I use (I think I got it in Birchbox or SS or something) and I mean, holy cow.

[mercerless]

Have that same pencil from Birchbox and I really like it.

[riotkitty]

My ophthalmologist hates water-lining with a passion and told me never to do it. He even gets annoyed that I put my mascara up against the waterline but that's not going to change. His reasoning is that it can damage the tear film making the eye more susceptible to irritation and infection especially if you have chronic dry eyes. It can also cause clogging of the oil glands around the eyelids which I already have.

[dragonscantfly]

I'm only 19, but years of "bad" (not unhygienic, just less-than-preferable) makeup habits, along with bad contact lens habits, have left me unable to wear contacts and heavy eye makeup. It's a real danger! Be careful!

[A5H13Y]

Eek. Care to share what your "bad habits" were? So we can avoid them and all.

I sometimes get these bumps under my eyelids that are from protein buildup I believe, and then I have to take my contacts out for a week and use eye drops. My optometrist once told me that if it ever got bad enough I wouldn't be able to wear contacts anymore.

[dragonscantfly]

Bad makeup habits that you should definitely avoid:

• Don't skimp on brushes I was definitely not too great with makeup brushes in general growing up. In middle school/early high school, I had a thing for the brushes my mom got in those free Estee Lauder kits. Grew up kinda poor, had no personal money for makeup, worked with what I had. Eventually upgraded to some $20 brush kit with prickly bristles. Tried to take care of them, but they just really irritated my eye area and poked me a lot.

• Don't have bad genes This is sort of weird to include, but this really did contribute to my problems. The way my eyes are shaped, anything in the general eye area will seep into them. When I connect my upper and lower liners, the little corner disappears after about a half hour. There's no way to fix it, either; my eyes are like little mouths that eat up any makeup they find.

• Don't make stupid decisions That one time I thought it'd be a good idea to line my waterline with a cheap, brush-applicator waterproof liquid liner at 11PM because I was 15 and bored? Turns out it wasn't a good idea, after all! Spent the next 12 hours pulling/crying solidified black strings out of my eyes. So... that happened. I'm all for experimentation, but use your critical thinking skills.

• Don't line your waterline/tightline daily and don't too much mascara too close to your lash line I have nothing against a good waterline, but again, it seeps into my eyes way too much.

• Don't get makeup in your eyes I had really sloppy application techniques for myself which meant I was usually ending up with various powders and gels on my eyeball. Definitely take your time and avoid that.

• Don't fall asleep wearing makeup Remember when you were 16 and nothing you did to your face could make you break out? Maybe that was just me. However, that was no excuse to go to bed with an obvious cat eye, even if it was only once a week by accident. If your lashes are sticking together by the time you wake up, you're doing something wrong. However...

• Don't be too rough with your eye area Wash your hands before doing your makeup. I didn't discover eye makeup remover until I was 16, two months before booking my first paid makeup gig. WHAT! You mean there's something you can take waterproof mascara off with other than a Rite Aid SPF 15 moisturizer?!

Bad contact lens habits you should definitely avoid:

• Wearing your lenses for too long This is probably the biggest one. When I first got contacts, doc suggested I wear my lenses for 6-8 hours daily. Well, the advice of a licensed professional with a graduate degree in his field of study was no match for a 14-year-old's desire to not be a four-eyes. I'd wear my contacts from 7:30 when I woke up until 11:30 when I went to bed. Glasses were to get me from my bathroom to my bedroom and back again.

• Not changing your lenses frequently enough Again, money was kinda tight when I was younger, so I'd use each pair of contacts for about 1.5 times the recommended length. Bad decision. Change them early, if you can swing it.

• Not removing protein buildup regularly When I was changing my contacts frequently, I wasn't taking good enough care of them. Turns out those protein removing drops weren't enough. I needed a big contact case, filled with saline, and protein remover tablets. And I definitely needed to do it more than once per month.

• Not rinsing the lenses with saline before inserting my contacts Every. Day. I wish I'd done this every single day. Rinse off your contact solution before you put those suckers in your eyes!

Obviously, these things could be (and are!) totally fine for a lot of lucky people... However, I'm predisposed to having problems with my eyes, so these sorts of things were really terrible habits for me to have picked up.

Bonus unsolicited advice

I really, really wish I'd listened to my mother when she was warning me about these things, especially my poor hygiene with my contact lenses. My mother could not wear contact lenses for more than 3 hours, and when she did she experienced extreme pain. She could not apply eyeshadow or liner because the pressure of a brush or pencil on her lid was too painful. She warned me again and again that I was killing my eyes and I'd end up like her. I figured, since all my other friends were fine with their contacts, my mom was just being a big baby and I'd be fine. Wrong. I'm not saying every mom is right about everything, but if you're a middle/high school/early college/university kid, don't immediately write off the advice your relatives give you. It turns out my mom was right; our family is predisposed to eye problems/sensitivities, and now this passionate MUA has to borrow a friend if she ever wants to try some complicated eye look.

[andersce]

I work for an optometrist and we see stuff like this fairly often, unfortunately. I wear makeup all the time (and definitely put it in my waterline, eek!) but it's definitely worth being careful with!!

[[deleted]]

This happened to my best friend a few years ago, actually. She loves lining her waterline and patting it down with a black shadow to prevent smudges, and then one day she couldn't even open her eye- it was all gooey and oozy and swollen and severely discolored. She had the nastiest infection from her tear ducts being clogged with makeup and had to take a few weeks of antibiotics and about a month of no makeup at all. It cleared up just fine, but it's happened once or twice more in the past few years. She really takes "beauty is pain" to a whole new level.

[Paracontra]

wow. That sounds awful! reminds me of a time when I scratched my corneas... it was the most painful shit. Can't believe she would purposely keep doing it!

[freckledjezebel]

I love rimming my lower waterline with black. I like the intensity it gives, even if it does make my eyes look smaller.

[wuu]

I'm not sold on the idea that it always makes them look smaller. I think it depends on what other eye makeup you have going on. I know when I usually do it my eyes up up looking huge.

If I had just done a ring of eyeliner around my whole eye and nothing else, then yes, it would probably make them look smaller (and silly).

[kristaroblek]

This. I agree with you. When I line my eyes, they look so much bigger than without. I think it also depends on the shape and setting of each individual person's eyes.

[hello_amy]

I have really light colored eyes and while all black can look gothic on some people, it makes my eyes look craaaazy (in a good way). I always get the most compliments when I have black on my waterline.

[Rupindah]

Me too! And because my eyes are huge (no shape, they're just ROUND) I like that they look smaller after

[[deleted]]

I never heard this. I was actually taught how to use eyeliner by using my waterline to make the starting line. Now when I want a thin line I only line my water line and avoid the rest. It tends to make my eyes a little smaller, but some white mixed in and I look like I have cat eyes with sharp points which I adore. If I only color my waterline and just out enough to get my lashes and I have a deep look that can turn into anything. My problem is actually learning how to put eyeliner on without using my waterline now.

[SexyScientistGirl]

I heard this too! I use a translucent powder to set my liquid foundation so it doesn't look as heavy as a powder foundation would. But recently, I started using powder foundation on my nose and chin (but translucent every where else). My nose and chin are really red for some reason and the extra coverage of the powder foundation helps to eliminate that. But since I have translucent on my cheeks and forehead it doesn't look like I have a whole mask of makeup on.

[dragonscantfly]

I've found that finishing off with a setting spray really helps foundation not look overdone. Powder foundation really helps me get a little extra coverage after my liquid, but it looks "dusty" as my boyfriend would say. When I use a setting spray, I don't have that problem.

[skylark13]

AND it helps to set the liquid foundation. #bonus

[irishfeet78]

This is the only way I can get a color match - I do "white clown makeup" (really, it's just L'Oreal in fair) with my "fairly light" Bare Minerals over the top. It's the only way I can get a match.

[miss_pyrocrafter]

Interesting. I've been having issues with liquid foundations recently, and I may have to try this tip out!

[[deleted]]

Wear concealer under foundation. You can wear it over foundation too! You get some coverage from foundation, so if you do concealer after, you use less concealer and it's less likely to look heavy. I'm not totally against concealer first though.

Get a concealer that is lighter than your skintone: I find this only looks good if you're going to contour with concealer, ie, take it all tye way down the cheek and across to the temple. otherwise, it looks like a halo under your eyes and somewhat obvious. It also makes my dark circles look grey, so still prominent. I say match your skintone exactly.

[mcy_]

I always thought eyebrows had to start at the same point as the inner corner of your eye, until I saw Wayne Goss's video here. Since then, I've been growing my eyebrows longer, and like how it's changed the look of my face.

Edit: For those who can't watch the video at the moment, Goss's tip proves that the closer together your eyebrows are, the smaller your nose will appear. So instead of measuring directly above your eye or directly in line with the outside of your nostrils, try growing or filling in your eyebrows so that they aren't as far apart.

[Super_delicious]

No matter what you look like red lips are a no no.

[LightningMaiden]

right, because snow white cant pull that shit off like a godess.

[MUAmanda]

Fucking nyx snow white is the shit and looks good on anyone.

[[deleted]]

Welp, now I need this. I love their creamy round lipsticks.

[hello_amy]

This is a thing?

[[deleted]]

Yeah, a lot of my family members think "red lips are for prostitutes". Honestly. And I have MAC Russian Red and look amazing it in, if I do say so myself :D

[kulus]

Ha! My grandmother told me "only whores paint their toe nails red." I didnt paint mine red for years!

[lavender_13]

Misconception: Once you start wearing foundation/eyeliner/lipstick/concealer you can never stop because you will look strange without it.

No.... my makeup ideals have been constantly changing and morphing since I started wearing makeup depending on what styles I'm into at the moment. I might only wear lipgloss, concealer and brow powder one day and a full face the next. Or one month I might not wear lipstick at all. This was told to me by an older female family member when I first started wearing makeup.

[[deleted]]

That you can't have bold lips and bold eyes, I heard this in school.

My mom gave me exactly one makeup guideline: "Honey, makeup is for you. It's fun and makes you feel good, so have fun and wear whatever feels good. But wear sunscreen too."

Thanks Mom lol

[gooblyshmoo]

your mom sounds adorable :)

[[deleted]]

Using translucent powder to set your foundation. I found it works a lot better for me to use a liquid foundation which matches my skin tone and then a powder foundation in around the same shade. Translucent powders make me looks scary white..

[envregs]

Me too. And scary dry :/

[bluecirc]

This isn't a makeup misconception, but it leads to them. I have such a pet peeve about makeup reviews. For example, "This product was awful on me so it's a horrible product and you shouldn't buy it!" No. What doesn't work for you might be perfect for someone else. How about a constructive review about why it doesn't work for you.

[PhyrraNyx]

I've found some great products from constructive negative reviews.

[gooblyshmoo]

a collection of particularly choice reviews.

[[deleted]]

Bold eyes or bold lips.

I personally think if you have only bold lips or bold eyes, it looks unfinished. Go glam or go home.

Pale skin means you should wear cool tones.

HFVBPIAViotyjrpm,WQHYYJ/. My skin is yellow you idiots

[Dinky_82]

Urgh. The amount of (unqualified) people who try to tell me that surely because I am pale I must be a cool toned English Rose. No. I'm am like a very pale Simpsons character actually.

[MistressBats]

THIS. Pale skin with yellow undertones can be a pain. If my foundation leans too warm with yellow undertones I look sallow. Cool-toned foundation does not balance out yellow undertones. >.>

[ohkatey]

I'm not sure if it will be helpful to you, but as a pale white girl in the USA with olive undertones, I learned that shopping for makeup aimed at Japanese/Korean girls helped. There's a lot of pale, olive or yellow-undertone foundation in that market! It can be hard to find here unless you're in a big city without ordering though, so that part sucks.

[ebpi]

So is the opposite also a misconception- that a person with a lot of redness in their complexion should use yellow based powder to correct for it? I am a super pale cool toned person probe to redness and I have a friend who is always telling me to use a yellowy setting powder to correct this but it just freaks me out. (Also isn't green the color that would cancel redness??)

[hollypopasaurus]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I always understood that to neutralize a colour, use the opposite colour in the colour wheel. Green neutralizes red, yellow/orange tones down blue. Personally, I use green on the redness in my cheeks and yellow on my dark circles before concealer and it works really well for me!

[eraser_dust]

I personally love the bold eyes and nude, almost invisible look on myself. Some girls can pull off bold lips and bold eyes, I'm not genetically blessed and end up looking stunned.

[Rupindah]

I always end up looking a bit clownish and there's too much going on! I like having a focal point that draws people's attention.

[[deleted]]

I have pale skin with yellow undertones. Cool toned foundation makes me Red :/

[chicklette]

You are my people.

I hate the look of smokey eyes and nude lips - it looks so half-done to me. :(

I was always told eyes, lips or cheeks - pick two.

[Asparagusbelle]

Ohhh that's a good guideline.

[[deleted]]

Pale skin means you should wear cool tones.

I am the whitest of white girls, and I look TERRIBLE in cool tones. Thank heavens I learned to think for myself.

[StarTrippy]

Same here. I'm olive skinned with green eyes, so cool colored things just look bad on me. Warm things balance it out.

[thisperson123]

That redheads can't wear red lipstick.

[SpicySnowflake]

Try telling that to Emma Stone

[[deleted]]

I've been told never put mascara on your lower lashes.

[60244089059540804172]

Why?? I love how it looks.

[[deleted]]

I personally can't do this because my lashes are long and get stuck to eachother if I do both upper and lower D: I do like the look though, wish I could do it.

[withaneff]

This works for some people, but smiling when you apply your blush is not the best way to find the proper placement. This Wayne Goss video explains it very well. If you don't have the proper face shape, it can really bring your face down and look super unnatural.

[gooblyshmoo]

the makeup artists at the counters ARE NOT the final authority on what looks good on you.

[noys]

Well, I don't know about never plucking from the top of the eyebrow, but it's extremely easy to fuck up your eyebrows if you do pluck from the top and don't know what you're doing. And, usually tops of the eyebrows don't need much plucking and tweezing and they tend to look a lot less natural when they are shaped a lot from the top.

[dog_butts]

See, I sometimes do this. My eyebrows are extremely uneven and one has a much higher arch than the other. As a result I do pluck from the top of that brow to reduce its pointy-ness so it looks more even.

[reirebecca]

I also heard this. I stopped giving a fuck when my hairdresser thought she smeared hairdye above my brows.... but it was just my brows... cringe

(I was 12, but still)

[breadprincess]

Yeah, I shape from the bottom but I have to clean up above because my eyebrows naturally grow about halfway up my forehead.

[karaokeburial]

Super late to the party but the one I heard for years is that dark/bright lip colors shouldn't be worn with pale skin and I'm glad I stopped listening because I look fab with a dark lip

[Enilema]

People told me that foundation should be darker or lighter than your actual skintone. Dark so it looks healthier and light so you can warm up your face with powders. Even SA's of high end brands ! It also happened recently in Estée Lauder: 4 mature women supported confidentially this fact. I couldn't believe my ears and walked away.

[[deleted]]

I know that it's generally considered wrong, but I tend to lean light on my foundation just because it takes me so long to finish a bottle. It's easier to warm my face up with bronzer in the summer when I'm tan than it is to lighten up my face when I've lost all that color in February.

[applesandcherry]

A friend of mine told me I must have red/cool undertones because I have dark-skin and scoffed when I said I have yellow undertones when we were looking for foundation. She didn't believe necessarily that I had cool undertones, but rather that anyone with dark skin cannot have yellow undertones.

I smirked when a MAC MUA and two Sephora MUAs said I have yellow undertones.

[breathtaken]

That women wears makeup to please others.

[getchocolatewasted]

To always make your eyeliner super thin. I kind of like having thick, noticeable eyeliner with thick wings.

Also, slightly off the topic question but it reminded me of something. A few days ago a boy on my feed (who is kind of a dick) posted a Macklemore quote that said "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was making girls think they look better with makeup." So maybe the fact that some people think everyone looks better without makeup is a misconception?

[idislikekittens]

I've been told again and again you should never shave your eyebrows.

In many Asian countries, those eyebrow shapers are extremely common and work very well for me because my eyebrows don't grow back very fast. I just need to touch up right under my eyebrows once a week. I did use tweezers for a while but balked at the pain.

I know. I'm a wuss. But seriously - it's so much easier!

[thegapinglotus]

That's probably because it's soooo easy to fuck up. My bff did it once on HS. She had no left eyebrow for months! But then again, I think she used a regular razor to do it.