The Biggest Problems With Your Everyday Makeup Routine And How You Can Fix Them
We’ve got some tricks and easy fixes to solve the biggest beauty woes of your everyday makeup routine. Problem #1 - Your foundation disappears or looks caked on Your base sets the tone for the rest of your everyday makeup look, so it’s important to get it right! This anti-caking tip is loved by many makeup gurus and may actually change your life. Mix two to three drops of oil with your foundation before you apply it. Cold-pressed Moroccan argan oil or cold-pressed rosehip are great options. Why? It adds extra hydration to the skin and makes it appear more luminous, avoiding that caked on look. Adding oil won’t change the formulation of your foundation and powder applied later will look flawless, not clumpy. You might already know it’s a bit of a crime not to prime when it comes to giving your foundation real, long-lasting staying power. But even with a primer, are you finding that foundation slides off areas like your nose, chin, upper lip, and centre forehead? Try using an eyeshadow primer in these areas instead and your usual primer everywhere else. An eyeshadow primer that dries down to a matte finish will lock in your foundation in areas it usually slides off. Problem #2: You’ve chosen the wrong colours When you pick the colour of your foundation, you need to think about 2 things, tone, and undertone. The tone is light, medium, dark while the undertone is actually the ‘hidden’ colour. A big problem with your everyday makeup routine is choosing a foundation with the right tone, but the wrong undertone. You can tell what colour your undertone is by taking a look at the colour of the veins on your wrist. If they have a greenish hue, you have a yellow undertone and a bluish hue means you have more of a cool tone. If you can’t really tell, you’re likely to have a neutral undertone, which is a combination of both. When it comes to eyeshadow colour, here’s a quick guide to nailing the right hue for everyday makeup. Blue eyes: Purple and lavender can make your eyes look grey /blue. Rust with teal or brown colours is also a good choice to make blue eyes pop. Green eyes: A mustard or peach colour will make your eyes look brighter. Team with chocolate, taupe or gold shadow for a nighttime look. Brown eyes: A gorgeous choice is a rich brown or burgundy. You can take your pick of navy or midnight blue too. Problem #3 - You’re stuck in a makeup rut Giving your everyday makeup look an overhaul can really be quite intimidating. It might seem safer to stick with the everyday makeup routine you’ve had for years...but are you missing out? Updating your look can be fun, confidence boosting and it doesn’t have to be as overwhelming! It’s also important if you’ve had a dramatic change in hair colour. One of your best resources to update your everyday makeup routine is YouTube. There are a gazillion video tutorials for every look you can think of. Search YouTube for a look you’d like to try, like ‘smokey eye’ or ‘simple makeup for everyday’ and pick a video - and a YouTuber - that resonates with you. Spend some time practicing new techniques and as your old makeup runs update it with new colours or brands. This is also a good opportunity to make the swap to cruelty free options! Problem #4 - Your highlighting, not hiding, fine lines Are you applying a lot of concealer really close to the lash line of your eye? This isn’t helping your wrinkle hiding efforts. The majority of fine lines and wrinkles appear around our eyes but it's an area that has a lot of movement. The more product you apply there, the more it will crease and make those fine lines even more prominent. Instead, taper off the concealer application a little before the lash line. This will also make your eyes appear a little bigger whereas taking the concealer right up to the edge can close them up. Problem #5 - You’re not cleaning your makeup tools regularly Using dirty makeup tools in your everyday makeup routine is a big problem. Let’s be honest...how often do you clean yours? Avoiding breakouts and acne is the biggest reason to keep tools clean. Bacteria and dead skin cells get caught up in the bristles and foams of your makeup applicators. Using dirty brushes on clean skin will clog your pores, spread bacteria and bring those breakouts on. Colour application of eyeshadows, blush, and highlighters is also better with clean tools. Shades become muddied with all different colours if you don’t wash your brushes frequently. Wash your sponge applicators as part of everyday makeup routine and brushes on a weekly basis. Problem #6 - Forgetting your brows A great pair of brows does wonders for your face and if you don’t believe us just Google ‘celebrities without brows’. Don’t forget to show your brows some love! Even if you do very little else with your face get your brows right and you’ll nail a simple everyday makeup look that is polished yet natural. Check out our brow dos and don’ts right here. Having easy to use brow tools with epic staying power in your makeup arsenal will make nailing the perfect brow effortless!
Makeup: Expectations vs Reality
Makeup an art form. Whether you’re creating a bold or natural look, it takes practice to nail it. No matter how many YouTube tutorials or Pinterest boards you’ve stalked, sometimes the new look you try won’t exactly hit the mark. Here’s a few common makeup fails when it comes to expectations versus reality….. and their fixes! The Bold Lip Expectation: Bold, beautiful lips Reality: Bobo the clown TIPS TO GET IT RIGHT Always prep your lips first. Buff away any dry flaky skin with a tissue and apply lip balm. Leave enough time for the balm to absorb and blot excess away. Never apply lipstick straight on top of balm. Don’t apply lip liner first. Apply lipstick with a brush, really working the colour in, then tidy the outer edges with liner. Do blot your lips with a tissue then reapply the lip colour for a bold lip that lasts. Don’t underestimate the power of blotting! Do use an angle brush to blend concealer around your lip line to ‘clean’ up any edges and colour bleeding. Choosing the right lip colour Knowing your skin’s undertone is key to choosing the right colours to meet your bold lip expectations. Orange based reds work well for warm coloured skin tones. For cool skin tones, opt for reds with a blue base for a truly flattering effect. Winged Eyeliner Expectation: The purrfect cat eye with a polished flick Reality: Uneven, sloppy wings TIPS TO GET IT RIGHT Avoid applying eyeliner to a bare, unprepped eye. The liner will mix with the natural oils of your skin and smudge into your upper lid. Use an eyeshadow primer first followed by a translucent powder to set the area. Shaky hands? The ‘tape’ technique is a foolproof way to create a wobble-free wing. Use a small piece of scotch tape as a stencil and place it on the skin around the eye the eye where you’d like the wing to go. Then draw along the tape. Even if it’s a little wobbly, it will end up as a straight line once the tape is removed. Note to self: Avoid sticking the tape down hard, your eye area is delicate! Don’t raise your eyebrow while applying winged eyeliner. You’ll only end up lining an area that will be hidden or creased once the eyebrow is relaxed. Result? An unflattering, droopy wing shape. Choosing the right eyeliner We LOVE eyeliner but choosing the right one isn’t always easy! For beginners, liquid eyeliners are a great option because the product is dispersed evenly across the eyes, easy to hold and they come in felt, sponge or brush tip. Brows Expectation: Beautifully defined, natural looking Reality: Harsh, fake looking TIPS TO GET IT RIGHT Don’t draw on your brows in a hard straight line. This look is super harsh. It’s better to feather the brows, make smaller, shorter strokes in the natural shape of your brow. Avoid ‘squaring’ off your brows when filling them in. It doesn’t look natural. Instead, follow the shape of your brow. Don’t brush your eyebrows downward, this drags the eye down. Brush them upwards to lift up the eye and the brow. Try not to smother your brows in too much makeup. Allow your natural hairs to pop up, creating a more natural look. Using a tinted brow gel or a soft brow powder are great options to enhance your natural shape without flooding the brow with makeup. Choosing the right brow colour The colour of your brow makeup is so important. It can mean the difference between nailing a Cara Delevingne’esque look or a brows gone bad Pinterest board. For natural looking but defined brows, if you have dark brown or black hair, select a colour one or two shades lighter. On the flip side, if you have blonde or light brown hair, opt for a colour one or two shades darker. Or, try our universal Brow Magic; one colour suits all! When It’s Hot Outside Expectation: A beautiful bronzed glow. Reality: A face that’s more slick than shimmer. TIPS TO GET IT RIGHT Do choose a non-greasy sunscreen to apply under makeup because….sunscreen ALWAYS matters. Don’t skip the primer. When you’re a little sweaty, things can get creasy real quick! Primer takes just a moment to apply and will keep your look in place all day. Opt for a brow powder, rather than pencil, for maximum staying power in the heat. Don’t cover every inch of your face with bronzer. You’ll end up faked baked, not bronzed goddess. Instead, apply bronzer to the areas the sun hits naturally: cheekbones, forehead, chin, and nose. Choosing heat proof makeup shades The right makeup product matters in the heat. Switch to more sheer versions of your favourite lip and eye colours. A lighter look suits warmer weather more than those rich, dark colours. Contouring Expectation: Highlight your natural bone structure. Reality: You’ve drawn an actual skull line on your face. TIPS TO GET IT RIGHT The golden rule of contouring? Blending is your best friend. We’ll say it again, blend, blend, blend. Be selective. Choose just one area to contour; jaws, nose, cheekbones etc, rather than trying to do it all. Save it for a special event. Unless you’re part of the Kardashian clan, contouring isn’t necessarily a look you’d rock for on a grocery trip to the supermarket. Choosing the right contour shade Your choice of contour makeup product will make or break your look. Your contour shade is most believable when it’s a shade or two darker than your actual foundation.
Cruelty Free Eyebrow Makeup Explained
Love animals and your brows? Choose cruelty free eyebrow makeup to ethically lift your beauty game. Nasty things go on in laboratories when cosmetic ingredients are tested on animals. Our gentle friends are put through hideous experiments and live short, painful lives trapped in cages. Let’s end their suffering and give them a voice by choosing cruelty free beauty. Cruelty Free Eyebrow Makeup We never test our eyebrow makeup or any of the PONi range on animals. There are safe, MORE effective ways to test the formulations of everything from your mascara to your brow makeup. If you’re obsessed with having the perfect brow (ps - we think you should be!) get obsessed with finding the perfect cruelty free eyebrow makeup too. Our new Brow Magic Pencil keeps brows WOW and bunnies safe. Winning.
