Like most people, in the process of applying makeup I’ve made so many mistakes, just think of it, I’ve probably done it more than once! From using a wrong shade of foundation, to uneven brows, cakey finish, harsh marks or unevenly blended eyeshadow and what have you. I’ll share some of the mistakes I’ve made and how I have been able to correct them without destroying the entire look in the process.

Wrong Foundation Shade 

This is a real bummer, the most common of all and seemingly most difficult to correct, fret not! There’s a way around this.

Too light or too dark : If you find that the foundation is a wrong shade, you can fix it in two ways. 

• Apply the correct shade over it, it’s really that simple :-). Maybe you were expecting some genius recommendation (sorry hon) quite frankly just go back in with the correct shade. I have done this a good number of times without any issues. Also, when doing professional makeup I apply two coats so its more or less the same thing but remember not to use the same tool you used in applying the first foundation.

• Contour a little differently. If the foundation is too light, contour darker around the cheekbones and below the chin, blend a little bit more into the face than you ordinarily would. On the other hand, if the foundation is too dark do the reverse, use a concealer that is two shades lighter than the original shade under the eyes, forehead and chin, this would instantly brighten up the face and make it appear fairer.

Cakey face

Sometimes after applying a super matte primer, foundation and layers of powder, it’s almost inevitable that you may run into some caking. I learnt this trick from ColorDujor and it works perfectly. Wet (not soak) your beauty blender with some setting spray and buff it into the skin, it would reduce the powdery appearance.

Brows

Several things can go wrong with the brows, from having it drawn wrongly to making it too light or dark or drawing one eye higher than the other, and since it is the most striking feature your face you want to make sure you address this.

 

Too dark –  Use a tinted brow pomade in a lighter shade (the type that comes with a spooly) as shown above and brush all over the hair to reduce the intensity

Too light – Same as above. Use a dark pomade.

Uneven brows – Have your client knit their brows together i.e squeeze their face, the kind of expression they would have if they were frowning. That way you can tell which brow is higher or lower and correct it. This is best done with a pencil.

Crooked Winged Eyeliner

I use a concealer to smoothen or erase the edges of the liner but please ensure the liner is fully dry in order to avoid smudging it.

Sharp lines

Makeup is supposed to be fluid i.e. blending or transitioning different colours together seamlessly without leaving harsh lines. When you do have harsh lines on your lid or face, they can be corrected in virtually the same way.

Face – Blend out with a blending powder brush and swipe back and forth over and again until the harshness thins out, you can also add a little powder to the brush and apply to the spot, the lines will gradually fade out.

For the eyes, use a matte nude eyeshadow that matches with the color of the skin. Apply a little product on a fluffy or blending brush and swipe.

 

Lips 

I think of concealer as an eraser to clean off fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots, eye bags and all those good stuff. If you find that you have used a lipstick that you do not like, wipe it off, apply concealer over the lips and reapply another lipstick of your choice. If you have applied the lipstick over the natural lip line, use a concealer to clean the affected area.

Creasing Concealer

My first instinct usually would be to just apply more concealer and blend out with a damp beauty blender especially when dealing with under eyes. Truth be told, I’m still trying to figure it out so if you know how to work a broken crease please share.  

Lastly, the worst thing you can do is freak out when you make a mistake, calm your nerves down and figure out the next best approach. You’ll do good!

Xoxo

Nike