How To Fix Makeup Mistakes

We've all had that moment - your makeup is looking amazing...except for that one mistake! You got a smudge of mascara under your eye. Your face looks a little too powdery. The eyeshadow you picked up has major fallout. Here are some beauty hacks that'll help you fix a makeup mistake.

Face

Your foundation is the wrong color. 

• If your foundation is too light, don't fret - it can often be brought to a more decent shade once you add your full face. Bronzer, contour, blush and highlight can do wonders for making your foundation look closer to the right shade.
  
• If your foundation is the wrong color, consider mixing it in with you summer foundation shade (if it's too light) or your winter foundation shade (if it's too dark).
  
• A tinted setting powder can also help color correct your foundation to better match your skin color and tone. 

Your face looks too powdery.

• Start by using a large fluffy face brush (MAC and Marc Jacobs make my favorite large fluffy face brushes) without additional product to dust away excess powder, then use a setting spray to help melt the remaining powder in your skin, reducing the powdery effect.
  

Your contour/bronzer/blush/highlight looks too heavy.

• Use a large fluffy face brush without additional product to buff away at the area.
  
• If you still feel like you need additional help, use a large fluffy face brush and take an extra light hand to pick up some of your your favorite powder foundation or translucent setting powder. Buff it over your cheeks to further bring down the intensity.
  

Your foundation/concealer is breaking up.

• First, use a blotting sheet to pick up any oils in your skin that could be causing your makeup to break up on your face.
  
• Next, use clean finger tips to buff the existing makeup on your face on and around the area where your makeup has broken up.
  
• If you need more product after that, reapply your foundation and concealer.
  
• Set your makeup by pressing, not buffing, a powder foundation or setting powder over the area. Consider using an extra spritz or two of makeup setting spray to combine your existing makeup with the fresh makeup you applied.

Eyes

Your eyeshadow left fallout on your foundation/concealer.

• Red-based, shimmery, or darker eyeshadows are your most likely culprits for eyeshadow fallout due to their formulations. If you are going to use these kinds of shadows, plan ahead - put a generous layer of translucent powder on your under eye area before applying your eyeshadow, which creates a barrier between the foundation/concealer underneath and the eyeshadow fallout. Then use a large fluffy face brush to knock the extra powder off of your face.
  
• If you discovered that your shadow has fallout too late (and we've all been there), use a fluffy face brush with a light dusting of translucent powder or powder foundation to brush off the fallout.

Your mascara transferred onto your upper or lower lids.

• Resist the urge to fix this while the mascara is wet! This will only cause the mascara to smear over the affected area. Instead, wait a few minutes for the mascara to completely set and use a clean cotton swab to swipe away the dried mascara flakes.
  
• If you're in a rush and can't wait for the mascara to dry down, try using a little bit of primer on a clean cotton swab to pick up the mascara. Then use the dry end of the cotton swab to gently wipe away at the primer you've laid down.
  

Your setting spray causes your eye makeup to smear or smudge. 

• Try applying your setting spray before you tackle your eye makeup. Not only will you prevent your eye look from being disturbed later, but the setting spray doubles as an eye primer for your lids.
  
• Put your hand over your eyes before you use your setting spray to shield your shadow from the moisture of the spray.
  

You put on too much brow pencil or brow pomade.

• Run a spoolie through your eyebrows to pick up the majority of the excess product while the product is still wet or hasn't set in.
  
• If you still feel like you've got too much product, run a clean cotton swab through your brows to pick up any additional excess product. Then use a clean spoolie to brush your brow hairs into place.

Lips

Your lipstick bleeds over your lip line.

• Heavily pigmented lipsticks, like reds or burgundies, tend to bleed over. Use a clear lip primer (MAC and Urban Decay make great options) to create a barrier that prevents bleeding.
  
• Line and fill in your lips with a coordinating lip liner before applying lipstick.
  
• Apply your lipstick with a lip brush to prevent too much product from going on and to give you more control over the application.
  
• Avoid applying lipstick or lip gloss at your lip line, where you're more likely to experience your makeup bleeding over.
  
• Using a detail brush with a tiny bit of concealer or the edge of a makeup puff with a bit of powder foundation on it, carefully run the product over the areas where your lipstick bled over to clean up any lipstick and to conceal the pigmentation left behind.

Your liquid lipstick is drying and causes your lips to wrinkle or crack.

• Apply a light layer of Chap Stick under and over your liquid lipstick once it's dried down to prevent it from becoming too drying. It won't prevent your liquid lipstick from lasting throughout the day, and the additional moisture will prevent the product from settling into your lip lines.
  
• If your liquid lipstick caused your lips to wrinkle or crack, remove the liquid lipstick using a bit of cooking oil and a paper towel, which will exfoliate and moisturize your lips at the same time. Wipe off the oil residue with paper towel dampened by warm water, then use an ultra hydrating lip balm (Dior makes my favorite one) to heal your lips.
  
• Try not to wear liquid lipstick too often or over consecutive days to minimize your lips from drying out too much.

Nails

Your nail polish didn't properly set and now you've got "bed sheet nails".

• If you've ever done your nails before going to bed and wake up in the morning with ridges or wrinkles in your paint job, then you've experienced "bed sheet nails". To smooth them out, wash and thoroughly dry your hands before applying a generous layer of fast-drying top coat (Seche Vite is the gold standard for top coats).

The skin along your fingernail sidewalls is hardened.

• I definitely suffer with hardened skin around my sidewalls, which is a good culprit for hang nails. Run a coarse nail file over your side walls to buff away at the hardened skin, then run a smooth nail file over the area to smooth it away.
  
• Finish by using a cuticle oil (olive oil is a great and handy option) and a thick layer of hand cream (my favorite creams are by Caudalie and Soap and Glory) to finish the hand treatment. 

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What are your favorite ways to fix makeup mistakes? Leave your suggestions in the comments below.