From smudged lipstick to clumpy mascara and cakey foundation, we are no strangers to embarrassing makeup disasters. Sometimes it’s the humidity and pollution that ruins your look and sometimes it’s just poor application. So, whether you’re in the midst of a beauty crisis or are simply short of time, we give you quick fixes for these makeup mistakes for when you’re on-the-go. No matter how serious the mishap, our easy damage control tips have got you covered!
1. Smudged Lipstick
You’re wearing your fave shade of red but when people start giving you funny looks, you realise the colour has spread beyond your lips. You look like you’ve just had a heavy make-out session and nothing like the goddess you thought you looked like when you last checked the mirror.
Quick Fix: Use makeup removal wipes to gently wipe off any excess colour that has seeped outside of your lips. You can also use a swab of cotton or a brush with concealer/foundation on it to remove any traces of smudged lipstick.
Future Prevention: Use a matte lipstick and matte lip liner to prevent your colour from feathering and smudging, glossy lipsticks are more likely to smudge than matte finishes. Also, applying a small amount of base (foundation/concealer) on your lips before swiping on your colour will stop it from smudging.
2. Too Much Foundation
It may have looked perfect when you applied it at home but sometimes catching a glimpse of yourself in a mirror under different light can make you think otherwise. Realising you have way too much foundation on when out and about in public, can be pretty horrifying.
Quick Fix: Use a damp sponge or foundation brush to blend out all the excess foundation, especially along your jaw, hairline and under your eyes. Dust on a bit of compact powder after thoroughly blending to set everything in place and even it out. We like L’Oreal Paris Infallible Press Powder Compact.
Future Prevention: Sometimes, the cakey foundation look is the result of using the wrong shade of foundation. Make sure your foundation is the right shade for you and choose one that is sheer and lightweight. A foundation that is too thick can also be the problem. Also, if you have applied a lot of concealer, it’s a good idea to go easy on the foundation to avoid looking too made-up.
You can even skip the foundation completely and instead, apply a dusting of compact powder to even out your skin tone and set your concealer in place. This would be a good idea on an extra hot day.
3. Annoying Mascara Clumps
You overdid the mascara and now your lashes are a clumpy mess. Instead of looking thick and dramatic, they look more spidery. Removing it will just result in ruining the rest of your carefully applied makeup.
Image: daily vaity.sg
Quick Fix: Gently wipe your mascara brush with a tissue to make sure it’s clean and then wiggle it across your lashes to separate the clumps and get rid of dried clumps. You can even apply a bit of water or makeup remover onto your brush and then go into damage control.
Future Prevention: When applying, make sure your wand doesn’t have excess mascara on it, wipe it off on the side of the tube or on a tissue if there is too much product on your wand. Start on the base of your lashes and then move your brush in a zig-zag motion from the base to the tips of your lashes to prevent clumping.
4. Too Much Eye Shadow
You wanted to try a dazzling shade of midnight blue or thought you had finally perfected the smokey eye, only to realise that you have way too much eye shadow on and your look is trashy rather than classy.
Quick Fix: Use a clean eye shadow brush without any colour on it to blend hard edges and extra eye shadow. You can also use a lighter shade of eye shadow on top of the area to soften the look.
Future Prevention: Always make sure you apply colour onto your lids with a brush and not your finger as it gives you more control and a precise, more polished finish. Also ensure you use a different brush for each colour, if that is too much of a hassle at least be sure to use a different brush for darker and lighter colours. Plus, using an eye makeup primer before sweeping on your colour is always a good idea.
5. Messy Eyeliner
Lining our eyes is the most basic step in our makeup routine, but sometimes rubbing your eyes, sweating, or a sudden sob fest can seriously smudge and ruin your eyeliner.
Quick Fix: It’s important to keep cotton swabs and a travel-sized makeup remover or removal wipes on you when you’re on the go to clean up and refresh your look. If you’re feeling a bit bold, you can even salvage the smudged look and transform it into an impromptu smokey eye. Just use a brush to smudge any defined lines, sweep on a brown eye shadow along your bottom lash line and your upper lids till the crease.
Future Prevention: A gel or liquid liner is always a safer bet than eyeliner pencils as they stay on for longer and are less prone to smudging. Make sure to apply an eye primer like MAC Prep + Prime Vibrancy Eye Primer before you begin lining your eyes so you don’t need to stress about your eye makeup running for the rest of the day.
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