15 Beauty Mistakes You Didn't Know You Were Making

Regardless of age, ethnicity, or body type, everyone in the world is worried about their physical appearance. Somehow, our society has instilled the idea that the better we look, or the more attractive we appear, the higher our status and value. This can be seen in children watching their mothers put on makeup before going out in a fancy dress. And when they are of age, the young girls develop strange habits and ideas about beauty that end up being mistakes that need to be corrected for their health and benefit.

It is important to remember that makeup, at its core, is a cosmetic applied to the skin to enhance or alter one's appearance. Being that there are many factors we are born with; hair color and texture, skin tone, eye color, and etc., most people use makeup to work with what they have. Before dates, before work, before events, women have been known to use makeup to accentuate their features. But, what they are unaware of is the long-term effect makeup malpractice will have on them. So, here's a list of some mistakes that ought to be addressed.

15 Taking Long Shower/Bath Makes You Cleaner

It has always been believed that the longer you spend in the bath or shower, the cleaner you are. This has been a popular myth spread by the idea that longer baths with excessive bubbles meant luxury and wealth. This is a lie that has plagued women for a very long time.

Taking showers and baths longer than 10 minutes ends up stripping your skin of its natural oils and lipids that seal moisture in. The longer you spend in the shower or bath, the longer your body is depleted of that which it needs. Which is why most people moisturize after a long shower or bath. And though moisturizing is good, the body has natural oils for that purpose. Eventually, your body will stop secreting as much and your skin will become more dry as a symptom of it being damaged. Limiting your time soaping your body down and washing away the good and the bad will help your body stay on point in protecting itself from outside harm.

14 Brushing Wet Hair

As seen on television and in movies, after washing their long hair, women brush their long hair from the root to the tip. After all, isn't this just the best and most efficient way to take out knots and untangle hair?

WRONG! When hair is wet, it is best to start brushing the ends of your hair first, untangling and taking out the knots. Slowly, inch your way up to the roots, and your hair will respond better. Not to mention, brushing your hair from the root to the ends will pull out more hair than needs be. Because hair stretches 30% more when it is wet, hair breaks easier. Healthy hair comes from a healthy scalp, thus, taking care of your hair is important. If you put oils in your hair, do so thoroughly and consistently. I have found Moroccan Oil to be a healthy and good smelling option.

13 Using Too Many (Or Too Much) Product In Your Hair At The Same Time

Most hair commercials show hair as light and fluffy, bouncy and shiny. That's how we are taught to see healthy and beautiful hair. But the moment we add products to our hair, the outcome is often different. Hair becomes stiff with too much hairspray, and that 'hold' becomes a vice grip that is less pleasing to the eye. However, when a product is added layer by layer, especially those that are meant to strength hair with heat activation, the outcome is more pleasing and easier to work with.

Makeup and hair product tutorials are everywhere online; YouTube, Instagram, Vine, and etc. If you want to see what's out there, check out the popular beauty blogs or online magazine articles. The topic has no end of recommendation and resources to draw from. The important thing is, instead just adding more, wash your hair, dry it properly, and add what you need. Don't add more than you need, just enough.

12 Using A Lot Of Glitter Makes You Pretty

Don't give into the hype of using glitter. When you were young, it was used to make something look shiny and pretty. People think of glitter as sparkly but dusting craft glitter on your face is just a waste of glitter and time. Certain makeup brands contain cosmetic glitter, which stays on your face and body differently. There are products like body glitter which is glitter in goop, and it's that goop that keeps the glitter on your body. Be smart and don't over-indulge in the use of glitter as a woman.

Some shininess around the eyes can accentuate your eyes, along with eye shadow and lip gloss, but the rest of your face ought to stay glitter-free, because you want people to look at your eyes and not wonder if you had a horrible accident with glitter before going out. Glitter used well can bring people closer to you. Glitter used incorrectly can make others feel you are too young or immature to be in adult company.

11 Not Switching Makeup Seasonally

Like switching out clothes during different seasons, switching out makeup palettes for different seasons are important, too. Makeup is meant to enhance your appearance, thus the colors you wear changes from season to season, which means the makeup you wear would change as well, so as to match your outfits. Trends and styles change, thus your makeup choices must also change. Keeping one look year round also dulls your attractiveness.

When changing things up, friends take notice, men take notice, and this notice can be the difference between chatting as friends and chatting as more. Men want to know you're putting in an effort to catch their eye. Even if certain men hang out with you every day, the change up will definitely get you noticed and, perhaps, even open up other doors of opportunity for you. These changes may seem like a hassle but, in the long run, they keep you changing and allow new experiences to happen. Embrace it!

10 Mixing Water-Based Makeup with Alcohol- and Silicon-Based Makeup

A lot has been said about water-based cosmetics and the hypo-allergenic makeup. To be honest, who wants to apply alcohol or silicon to their skin? Alcohol is known for drying the skin, which can crack the makeup design, force you to change up your plans, and it feels different on the skin. Silicon takes a similar effect. Some argue that because of their oily skin, they can handle it, but moisture is important and alcohol will end up causing more natural oil to come out.

It's also important to find which one you like more and stick with it. If you use water-based foundation, you have to use water-based makeup on your face. Just the same, if you use silicon-based foundation, you have to use silicon-based makeup on your face. Some prefer to mix and match because they like the look of certain brands or lines, but by doing so, you can end up ruining whatever look you are going for.

Although the pricing and options for alcohol and silicon-based makeup different greatly, in the end, you simply have to ask yourself what you want your skin to be a line when the makeup comes off?

9 Spraying Your Clothes With Perfume

The best place to spray perfume so that you smell good is not always on the clothes or on the wrists. WHAT?! Can you believe that we have been doing this all wrong! Perfume is best activated where it can heat up. But keep in mind that where the perfume is sprayed sends different messages. On the nape of the neck and cleavage sends a flirtier message. Behind the ears, on the inner elbows, and other harder to see places often draw men in. Down your torso, along with your core, is a good place because your body is constantly moving.

Celebrities like Halle Berry sprays perfume on the insides of her thighs because when she walks, she creates heat, therefore smelling good all day long. Also, to make the perfume last longer, make sure your skin is hydrated. Apparently, a lot of women like wearing perfume in their hair.

8 Working Out With Makeup On

Looking good while getting fit is important to many, but you have to also consider the health risks of wearing a full face of makeup while sweating for a couple hours. Remember that makeup covers your pores, so as you sweat, you will want to rub and brush hair away, remember that sweat is liquid and causes makeup or other stuff sitting on your skin to move. Also, because it moves, your physical appearance might change, and you might not like the outcome of that change.

For those of you who HAVE to wear makeup or you feel naked, I recommend adding makeup where there are less pores and less sweat. Line your eyebrows but not too dark, maybe some lip gloss, and light eye makeup if you absolutely insist. Just please remember that sweat mixing with makeup isn't good for your skin. Wiping it away changes what you originally intended to look like. So, naturally, work out with a clean face, shower off the sweat, and then you can put on some makeup afterward. Just remember to remove it properly.

7 Using Concealer That Is Too Light

Wearing too much and too thick eyeliner around the eyes creates a raccoon effect. Using concealer that is too light for your skin tone and foundation creates the reverse raccoon effect. Lots of punk rockers or people emanating the goth look like adding black circles around their eyes to create a gaunt-like feel to their face and overall appearance. Some musicians prefer it because of the lights at concerts, but others treat it as a fashion trend that sets them apart from society. In a like manner, using concealer that is too light for you draws more attention to it, creating the opposite effect of what you want.

To help out the ladies of the world, Allure put out ten commandments to follow when choosing a concealer, one of the commandments being make sure you apply it in good lighting and another tip being to use your fingertip to mix and blend instead of a brush. There are many articles and advice out there, so read up and go experiment for yourself.

6 Applying Lipstick That Is Too Dark

Lipstick is the calling card for kissable lips, or so they say. In old films, the sexy lady is always wearing a deep shade of red lipstick that beckons men to her. That's what young girls see as alluring and are taught to imitate, for better or for worse. This dark lipstick trend, however, isn't that great in reality. Lipstick, like other cosmetics, should be chosen carefully based on your skin tone. As much as Jennifer Lawrence can try orange lipstick, she will never look as awesome as Lupita Nyong'O does in orange lipstick. For two very different skin tones, there are baseline red lipsticks that can make both look good, though not their best.

Of course, different seasons and occasions, outfits and locations, everything ties in together as to what color lipstick one might wear. For more formal events, a more red tint seems more appropriate, as opposed to a night out partying with friends wearing a light or bright tint. The color of lipstick also denote a certain level of playfulness that can be played with depending on the wearer's mood. So, although entertainment has told us dark red is alluring and inviting, modern women today are choosing to go lighter, with a more fun and friendly feel.

5 Wearing A Wrong Colored Foundation

Applying makeup that doesn't match your skin tone is like face painting. Remember going to the carnival when you were young? How you would want animals on your face and other designs that stood out? Well, that's what you avoid when it comes to applying makeup. But, if you apply the wrong color of foundation, the results are similar. When your face is a different tone from the rest of your body, it's strange and disconcerting. Also, it won't blend with your skin as well and it changes the color palette for the rest of your makeup.

The best way to know which foundation tone is right and best for you is to talk to a professional makeup artist or someone working for a cosmetic company. Yes, they will try to sell you something, but for the most part, they're trained to know what they're doing. After you figure out the right tone and consistency you want (liquid, powder, gel), you can try things out and make a choice based on how you feel. There are color maps out there you can try, as well.

4 Forgetting to Add Makeup to Your Neck

A common mistake women make is not blending the makeup on the face down to the neck. Makeup, once fully and masterfully applied, should appear effortless and natural. It's pointless when the skin tone of the face is visibly different from the skin tone of the neck. That creates a mask-like look that is a bit unappealing and strange to look at.

Blending the makeup on the face in with the makeup on the neck creates a balanced look to your overall appearance. Imagine painting your face light blue and your neck dark blue. Although that is a rather extreme example, people notice when there is imbalance to your overall image. They ask questions, and try to figure out what is causing this strangeness that you've got going on.

Naturally, makeup comes off over time, but by adding makeup to your neck, everything is more natural and it is less obvious that you are wearing makeup. Your neck is part of your head, constantly moving, and your skin may come off looking healthier than the skin on your face. Which is why you need to add makeup and blend the two together.

3 Not Washing Brushes Thoroughly

For something that will touch your face, you would want it as clean as possible. Why allow excess dust and dirt onto your expensive makeup and precious face when you can keep things clean by washing your brushes and makeup tools? Most experts recommend washing brushes twice a month whereas other tools can be washed once a month. It is important to wash thoroughly and break up any bacteria build up which can lead to infections.

True, some feel it's a hassle to clean your brushes, but if you use dirty brushes on your skin, it can cause massive outbreaks, rashes, and other skin problems. Why risk it when a mild shampoo or instant brush cleaner can make the dirtiness go away? Also, if the bristles of a brush are old or not creating the effect you want, it would be wise to invest in a new brush. Any makeup professional can recommend different brushes for different looks. It's important to buy what you need for the look that you want.

And when there is a break out, don't overuse medication. Some people believe using twice as much will heal the skin twice as fast but that is not true. The extra medication will dry out your skin and make the situation worse. Just follow instructions and you'll be fine.

2 Using Makeup Past The Expiration Date

As much as you shy away from eating expired food, taking expired medication, and eying rotten fruit, you should be as or more afraid of using expired makeup. Over time, the chemical compounds and minerals within makeup start separating, thus becoming less effective or not doing what they should be at all. Some people shake these products, thinking the motion will cause the makeup to bond together again but it is not that simple. A great number of ingredients including oils, dyes, and other forms of pigmentation are combined to make even the smallest of all products.

In our economy, it is understandable to be penny-pinchers, but expired makeup can contain bacteria build up or cause other reactions and irritations to the skin. Sometimes, using such items can damage your skin or cause a reaction that requires medical attention. Just be safe and careful, and throw away your expired makeup.

1 Going To Sleep With Your Make Up On

Please don't do it! Cosmetic products contain chemicals and compounds that can harm your skin over time and improper care. Basically, the makeup you apply sits on your skin, covering your pores, which produces natural skin oils. There are hundreds of reasons why people wear makeup, but, at the end of the day, it is important to remove the makeup before exfoliating your skin. This makes it so that your skin and pores can breathe so that it can maintain a healthy glow instead of a dullness that can only be covered up with more makeup.

We all know how important it is to look good for your partner, but once you start wearing makeup to bed, you can never stop. Your skin can only renew itself when you go to sleep without makeup on. If you never allow your skin to renew itself, you will permanently damage your skin.