It’s no secret that we are in a beautiful and committed relationship with our skin, hair, and makeup. But like any other relationship, we too have our ups and downs – it’s only natural! We’ve all made some mistakes but now we know better, or do we? We reveal our biggest beauty mistakes – from the cause of our breakouts to cringe-worthy makeup faux pas to pretty bad hair days, we’re sharing it all with you guys in hopes that you don’t commit them ever. Take note, ladies!
1. Stepping outside without drying my hair
‘I had super oily hair and so I used to wash it daily, which BTW is another beauty mistake! And since I was never a morning person, getting up on time was a task. Every day I used to wash my hair and step out with sopping wet locks in a rush. After a few months, I realized that I had extreme hair fall, untamable tresses, and split-ends. Wondering what was that one thing I was doing wrong, I told my mother about it. She told me that it was probably because I used to step outside the house without drying my hair. And once I stopped doing that, believe me, it made a lot of difference. I’ve started taking better care of my hair and my mane is definitely happier and healthier. Little changes in your lifestyle have a major effect on how you look!’ – Shivani Shrivastava, Trending Editor
2. Sleeping with makeup on
‘This happened sometime in the start of my college life. I was quite fascinated with different makeup and wanted to try everything that seemed easy to apply. A layer of bb cream, eyeliner and lipstick is what I applied all the time. Which is fine, but not if you keep it on all night! I was too lazy to remove my makeup after coming back home from a party one night and ended up sleeping with it on. Not realizing that for acne prone skin like mine, that’s the worst idea ever! The next week was followed by an array of pimples on my face. Since that day, I have never slept with makeup on, no matter how lazy I am!’ – Srishti Sabharwal, Fashion Writer
3. Sleeping with tightly braided hair!
‘It took me (and my hair) a great deal of loss to finally accept that I’ve unruly, fine hair. I used to sleep with my hair tightly braided to prevent a common enemy – the frizz. Like most of us, I too wanted those #IWokeUpLikeThis waves, and that’s how I came up with this cheat of sleeping with a tight braid. But little did I know… Not only is it uncomfortable to sleep with the bumps of the braid poking the back of your neck, tightly tied hair can also weaken the follicles overnight leading to hair fall. My already fine hair started looking even thinner! I finally did some research and found out what horrors I had been subjecting my poor strands to. It’s okay to tie your hair back loosely if you’re not a fan of leaving it open, but ladies, I swear, tightly tied hair – never again!’ – Sayunkta Jain, Editorial Coordinator
4. Using a foundation that was two shades too light!
‘So this is one mistake that I’ve made not once, not twice, but a good 5 – 6 times during my early 20s. I had just been introduced to foundation and felt that buying two shades lighter than my complexion was always a better option. Plus, I never paid attention to the brand or the quality of the foundation. Also, I would always apply no less than 2 -3 layers to hide every little acne mark on my face and the result was, well, horrendous. Only then, I didn’t think so! To add to the horror, I obviously never bothered to apply it on my neck or ears and more often than not, my pictures looked ghastly. But all said and done, I’ve pretty much mastered my foundation game now. It’s all about buying a good quality product and a shade that is closest to your natural skin tone. Also, use a little product and just blend your way to flawless looking skin!’ – Manasvi Jaitly, Senior Wedding Writer
5. Refusing to get a haircut for two years
‘It was actually my sister’s beauty mistake that caused mine. It was the year 1997 but I remember it as if it were yesterday. My sister, Aastha, was getting a haircut at our favourite salon. Oh, I should mention, 1997 was also the year Diana Haydon was crowned Miss World. Why is that fact important? Well, because my sister had given the hair stylist clear instructions that she wanted a hairstyle just like hers. Unfortunately for Aastha – the hairstylist thought she was talking about Princess Diana. And that’s how she ended up with a boy cut that she hated. Petrified by my sister’s experience I refused to get a haircut for years – that’s how I ended up with frizzy, unmanageable hair. At Least we were in it together – I still have pictures of us at our cousin’s wedding, she has the awkward Princess Diana haircut and I’m proudly posing with my crimped mane.’ – Nitya Uppal, Assistant Editor
6. Not Moisturizing Enough
‘I’m guilty of not moisturizing my skin on a daily basis. I mean, it’s not intentional, it’s just that with work, travel and household chores, I never get the time to moisturize my skin diligently. It was only after I burnt my fingers did I start to realize the importance of taking care of my skin. It had gotten itchy, felt dry and super dull. That’s when I decided to act! Every time I go to bed, I now make it a point to moisturize and massage my knees and elbows using cream. My skin is on the road to recovery!’ – Sharon Alphonso, Lifestyle & Beauty Writer
7. Washing my hair…everyday!
‘I have always been one of those people who has had the need to wash her hair on a daily basis. My mother had this habit which is how I too picked it up over these years. After a certain point in time though, I realized that I was losing a lot of hair because of this. My hair is literally half the size it used to be! *sigh*
Washing your hair on a daily basis is not the best idea for your hair. In fact, if you’re the kind of person who feels incomplete without a hair wash then it’s best to oil it overnight before washing. If you forget to oil, then make sure you condition your locks really well.’ – Krithika Kumar, Features Writer
8. Thinking it’s ‘okay’ to skip sunscreen!
‘I was one of the many to brave the UV rays without applying sunblock for the longest time. My biggest beauty mistake so far has been to think that it’s ‘okay’ to skip sunscreen. But girls, wearing sunscreen can be the healthiest thing you could do to your skin. It’s one magic potion that not only protects your skin from the sun’s damaging rays but also minimizes the development of wrinkles and dark spots.
Matte or tinted, it’s your call but don’t miss out on it every time you step out of the house. Choose an SPF that works the best for you and I promise you won’t regret it when you see a visible difference in your skin a few years from now.’ – Apoorva Poonia, Trending Writer
9. Tying my hair when it’s still wet
‘More often than not, I find myself running out of the house, late to work, with my hair still wet. I am also one of those people who finds open hair really annoying, especially when I am at work. So I would end up tying it up. Which wasn’t such a great idea. I didn’t realise that I was actually putting my strands under too much stress which lead to a large amount of breakage. You see, your hair is at it’s weakest when it’s wet. Which is why my hair got thinner day by day. That was my biggest beauty blunder and my hair has still not completely recovered from it. Though I still tie my wet hair on desperate days, I consciously try not to, while also applying several masks and other products to bring back lush texture it had before.’ – Isheeta Sharma, Senior Lifestyle Writer
10. Washing my face without removing makeup first
‘There was a wedding in the family and it was obvious that I had to wear makeup for 3 – 4 days in a row. I wish I knew better then, but before going to bed I just used to wash my face with a face wash ‘without’ removing the makeup first. Big mistake! After the wedding was over, my face broke out into zits. Well, I had to deal with it for months and let my skin take its time to heal. But, lesson learnt – now, I always make sure to remove my makeup with coconut oil before I wash my face! My skin is thankful, believe me.’ – Sonali Pawar, Beauty Writer & Editorial Coordinator
