In caring for your looks, like with many things in life, it’s the details that make the difference. If you are doing most things right, you’ll look OK, but if you want to look your absolute best, there’s a lot to take care of.
Stephanie Abramson, a beauty writer over at RealSimple.com, provides another 8 of those details to incorporate into your beauty routine (if you’re not already doing them) in her article 8 Common Beauty Mistakes
Mistake 1: Over conditioning your hair by applying conditioner from the scalp to the roots. Instead, start at the ears and work your way from there to the ends.
My 2 cents: Great tip, unless your hair and scalp are dry and then the roots of your hair will benefit from conditioner too.
Mistake 2: Applying foundation before your moisturizer has time to dry. Give it 60 seconds or blot with tissue if you’re in a hurry. This will prevent uneven coverage and blotchiness.
My 2 cents: Great tip to prevent shine. The only time I don’t do this is for the drier areas of my face (under my eyes) where the moisturizer helps the foundation go on more smoothly.
Mistake 3: Spraying on perfume after you get dressed. As perfume is designed to work with the warmth of the skin it may not work so well on fabric and it can stain your clothes too. Apply to pulse points before you get dressed.
My 2 cents: I agree but if you forget (which I often do) should you go without fragrance? I like to spray the air in front of me and walk through the “fragrance cloud” – probably a bit wasteful – or you can usually dab a little fragrance on your wrists without getting perfume on your clothes.
Mistake 4: Plucking eyebrows right next to the mirror. It’s difficult to see what you are doing and whether the final result will look even. Instead make sure you take a step back every few hairs so you can check the results and avoid uneven or thin brows.
My 2 cents: Got me on that. Guilty m’lord. Mind you I had my eye brows shaped professionally a few years ago so I just pull out a few strays these days.
Mistake 5: Caring for your face but not your neck. Make sure you cleanse and moisturize your neck as well as your face and take moisturizers and sunscreen down onto your chest and the backs of your hands too.
My 2 cents: I have been caring for my skin from forehead to chest for years. I haven’t been so good with the backs of my hands though so I’m going to start doing that. Hope I haven’t left it too late. Wrinkly hands are a dead giveaway about your age even if your face is still smooth.
Mistake 6: Using moisturizer to treat puffiness around the eyes. Puffiness is generally caused by cells retaining too much moisture so moisturizer will not help. It’s a sign of fluid retention. A cold compress applied for 10 to 15 minutes is more likely to do your eyes good than moisturizer unless the skin is also dry or use a lightweight eye gel containing caffeine.
My 2 cents: I haven’t tried this one yet. I am more of a dark circles/Yves St Laurent Touche Eclat girl. And according to the top models hemorrhoid cream is great for shrinking those eye bags but I haven’t tried that one yet either.
Mistake 7: Washing until you’re squeaky clean. This just means that you have washed away all the protective natural oils from your body or skin. Always use a mild shampoo and body wash, don’t use water that is too hot and don’t stay in the shower too long.
My 2 cents: Even if your hair and skin are oily, it doesn’t help to wash all the natural oils away. You will just produce even more oil to make up for it, and faster than you normally would.
Mistake 8: Over-medicating blemishes. Just use the treatment according to the instructions. Applying too much or too often can make skin irritated, red and more prone to breakouts.
My 2 cents: Treat problem skin as gently as possible to avoid stirring up trouble. I know it is all too tempting to try and scrub away the problem but it just makes things worse. (Not that I listened when I was a teenager with acne though…)
