BeautyGrind

The Modern Glow Guide: How to Achieve Radiant Skin With Liquids, Balms, Powders & Skincare

July 13, 2026

A breakdown of the most effective glow enhancing formulas, ranging from glass skin balms to soft focus powders and complexion first skincare.

I can say, without a doubt, that everyone wants radiant glowing skin. The kind of glowing skin that has people stopping to ask what your skincare routine is or if you’re in love. Glowing skin can also be indicative of health and wellness and I don’t think there is any reason why one wouldn’t want not only, of course, to be well but to look well. The task, however, is discovering which products will deliver that lit from within glow, the incandescence that everyone marvels at.

There was a time when achieving glowing skin meant layering on shimmer and hoping for the best. Today, radiance is more refined. Gone are the days where glow is about glitter and obvious highlight – unless, of course, that is what you want. But the beauty industry and consumer demand has shifted toward formulas that create dimension while still allowing skin to look like skin. Today’s options include a focus on consistent skin care and using products and techniques for strategic light reflection.

When it comes to glowing skin there are many ways to achieve the look. You can focus on makeup products like highlighters and luminizers to layer on top of your foundation or opt for luminizing primers to prep the skin for makeup longevity as well as glow. Another way to achieve the look is to focus on skincare. This is a great long term option, assuming you have a skincare routine in place. Here is where you focus on incorporating products with ingredients such as vitamin c, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and retinol. These ingredients will brighten, lighten, tighten and strengthen skin in a way that yields longer lasting cumulative results.

In this guide, we are breaking down four major glow categories — liquids, balms, powders, and skincare — along with the benefits of each and the standout formulas that redefine modern radiance. Whether you prefer a fresh, dewy finish or a more polished soft-focus sheen, the right glow is ultimately less about trend and more about intention, texture, and skin compatibility.

Makeup Formulas

Liquid

Liquid is the easiest formulation to incorporate into your routine and is beginner friendly. This is because you can use liquid formulas in multiple ways. Squeeze out a small amount of liquid highlighter/luminizer into your moisturizer or foundation and apply for an all over glow. For strategic application, use your fingers to apply to the high points of your face like the center of forehead and nose, as well as the Cupid’s bow and cheekbones.

Saie Glowy Super Gel Lightweight Dewy Multipurpose Illuminator

A dewy multiuse illuminator that illuminates the skin without the glitter. It contains squalane which helps with moisture and rose hip seed oil which is rich in antioxidants and also helps with hydration. Mix with your moisturizer or foundation, use as a primer, or apply on top of your foundation along the high points of your face.

Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Glow Serum With Hyaluronic Acid And Niacinamide

This priming serum not only preps your skin for foundation but also contains ingredients to make your skin better. Hyaluronic acid binds moisture to the skin and helps to plump while Vitamin C helps to brighten and help prevent free radical damage. Niacinamide helps with redness and the appearance of pores.

Too Faced Born This Way Super Glow Multiuse Highlighting Skin Enhancer

Formulated with 80% skincare ingredients including Hyaluronic acid, this multiuse skin glow enhancer will give you glow and hydration. Can be worn alone and can also be used on the body for a radiant finish.

Iconic London Prep Set Glow Hydrating Glowy Setting Spray

This is the perfect one step application to help you prep, set, hydrate and illuminate your makeup at the same time. It contains hyaluronic acid to hydrate and smooth, caffeine to help reduce puffiness and antioxidants to form a barrier and protect against pollutants.

Creams And Balms

When it comes to cream, the application requires a bit more precision. The intention behind using a cream (or balm) is that targeted gleaming effect. Think of when the light hits a particular part of the face – like the outer corner of the eye and cheekbone. The compact (non liquid formula) can quickly and conveniently be applied without a mess. Apply with your fingers – the warmth from your fingers will melt cream products beautifully into the skin.

Merit Day Glow Dewy Highlighting Balm

A sheer highlighted glow without glitter and sparkle. Easy to apply and blend down with your finger. Contains Hyaluronic acid for moisture and an amino acid blend to help prevent moisture loss.

Westman Atelier Lit Up Glassy Gel Highlighter Stick

This multi-tasking gel highlighter wakes up tired looking skin in an easy to use stick formulation. It contains Vitus Vita Fruit Extract to firm and hydrate as well as an emollient blend for a smooth application.

Glossier Futuredew Solid Oil Serum Illuminator

This skin care first solid oil serum illuminator will allow you to apply to targeted areas with ease. Squalane sea fennel extract and vitamin E are the key ingredients that will help boost moisture in the skin.

Powder

In the most beautiful made-up way, powder highlighters are intentional. The deliberate strategic application creates a polished makeup look. Powder is applied with a brush and can also set the makeup that’s under it. With powder, you can apply to just the high points of the face or apply all over.

Haus Labs Bio-Radiant Gel Powder Illuminating Highlighter With Fermented Arnica

This unique pressed gel powder seamlessly glides onto the face without looking chalky or dry. Key ingredients include fermented arnica for antioxidant protection and skin redness and irritation as well as silver vine extract for smoothness.

Yves Saint Laurent Hyper Luminize Powder Highlighter

This weightless creamy highlighter provides a multidimensional glow because of the light reflecting micro pearls. Niacinamide will help calm down redness and irritation, hyaluronic acid will hydrate and smooth and limetta which is known for its non drying properties.

Charlotte Tilbury Glow Glide Face Architect Highlighter

A powder highlighter with a creamy texture that also acts as a light filter. Silky squalane is the key ingredient that keeps the skin hydrated and smooth but allows the product itself to deliver a smooth seamless application.

Skincare Formulas

Focusing on consistent skincare is the best foundation to any look. Key skincare products such as toners, serums, oils and exfoliators help to boost radiance and address specific concerns one may have like dryness, dullness and hyperpigmentation. In addition, gentle exfoliation takes your glow even further because physical and chemical exfoliation helps to slough off/lift dead skin cells to help reveal smoother, more radiant skin. Avoid frequent use of exfoliators or ones that are too harsh. Doing so can strip, irritate or damage your skin. If your skin is dry and/or sensitive, exfoliate once (maybe twice) a week with a gentle exfoliator. If you are oily or acne prone, exfoliation with aha, bha, pha toners or peel pads are recommended choices.

Kiehl’s Milk Peel Gentle Exfoliating Toner

A dual phase toner that is great for all skin types that will gently resurface the skin while providing hydration and glow. Key ingredients include lypo-hydroxy acid which helps to gently resurface skin by removing dead skin cells and refine the look of pores. Almond milk helps to hydrate, calm and soothe the skin. Gentle enough to use daily.

Dr Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel Pads

This daily 2 step peel pad addresses concerns with fine lines, wrinkles, pores, texture and clarity. The key ingredients of glycolic acid will address fine lines and wrinkles while lactic (derived from milk) and malic (derived from fruit apples) will help to resurface and refine the skin with cell turnover and renewal to reveal brighter skin. Resveratrol and green tea prevents free radical damage. Recommended for daily use however first time users may need to build up tolerance by using every other day. Follow up with moisturizer and sunscreen

Sunday Riley Juno Face Oil

A lightweight oil that helps with micro circulation, dryness and radiance with a blend of antioxidant rich superfood seed oils. Helps with fine lines, wrinkles and loss of elasticity. Key ingredients include Vitamin A to stimulate collagen production and Vitamin C to brighten, lighten and tighten. Omega fatty acids 3, 6 and 9 help with moisture retention, strengthening skin barrier and calming the skin.

Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum

A lightweight serum that helps with brightening the skin. Rice in amino acids help with hydration while alpha-arbutin helps with dark spots by limiting melanin production.

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant Powder Exfoliant With Salicylic Acid And Rice Enzymes

Gentle enough for everyday use, this micro-exfoliant powder mixes with water to gently exfoliate, refine and retexturize the skin. Key ingredients include salicylic acid – a BHA which unclogs dirt and oil that causes breakouts. Colloidal oatmeal soothes the skin while rice bran exfoliates and smooths.

Paula’s Choice Clinical PRO Retinaldehyde Dual Retinoid Treatment For Clear Luminous Skin

This treatment promotes cell renewal, smoothes texture, clears acne and dark spots and diminishes fine lines and wrinkles. Perfect for oily, combo and normal skin. Key ingredients include pomegranate peel extract for collagen production and to soothe the skin and adapinoid (retinol) to promote clear looking skin.

In conclusion, liquid illuminators deliver dimension and flexibility, balms create effortless lived-in sheen, powders offer refinement and longevity, and skincare lays the foundation for every luminous finish that follows. Each category serves a different purpose and understanding how they differ allows you to customize your glow based on skin type, environment, occasion, and personal aesthetic.

The most beautiful glow is not necessarily about being the brightest and shiniest. It is also about radiance that looks intentional, and is seamlessly integrated into the skin. As beauty and makeup trends continue to lean toward being skin first, the modern approach to radiance is all about layering, mixing textures and using formulas that enhance rather than overpower.

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The Art of Color Correction: Neutralizing Dark Under-Eye Circles With Precision

April 17, 2026

When concealer alone doesn’t make the cut.

Image Courtesy of George Milton via Pexels

It is often said that eyes are the window to the soul. Eyes reflect many things like joy, confusion and late nights. Aside from looking into someone’s eyes and possibly being able to tap into their emotions, it’s the area just beneath the eyes that pose a level of concern for many in the form of shadows or dark under eye circles.

Dark under eye circles can make you look more tired than you actually are and can also make you look older. In addition, dark under eye circles can be caused by many factors including allergies, and in many cases are hereditary. When it comes to makeup, dark under eye circles can make your overall makeup application look incomplete – almost as if you skipped an important step. To solve this makeup concern, applying concealer usually does the trick. Until it doesn’t. What do I mean by that? Well, what happens when you apply concealer in hopes of achieving brightness but those stubborn dark under eye circles still show through? The inclination is to apply more concealer which doesn’t help conceal. It exacerbates the issue by adding texture so then you give up.

How Will You Know If You Need A Color Corrector?

Finding the right products, tools, and techniques to cover dark under eye circles is a task that many are willing to take on. While under eye creams and serums can offer cumulative benefits in the long run and should be a part of your daily skincare routine, a concealer and color corrector offer more of a quick fix for brightening.

The right concealer is key to a flawless under eye look. Like foundation, concealers come in many formulations, finishes and levels of coverage. They address many complexion concerns such as brightening, highlighting or concealing various areas on the face. In most cases the average concealer addresses under eye concerns however there are instances when concealer is not enough. You know those times when you continue to apply and blend concealer but your under eye still looks dull, ashy or gray? In cases such as these, it’s not your concealer per se, it’s the tone of the discoloration that is peeking through. While some darkness and discoloration can be easily concealed, there are some cases where those dark tones need to be neutralized first. This is where color correction is needed.

What Is Color Correction?

Color correction, which is not a new concept, is based on color theory. Remember back in elementary school art class you learned about the color wheel which comprises complementary, analogous, and triadic colors? The color wheel showed you that colors opposite each other are complementary and also cancel each other out when mixed together. For instance, if you have a red tone you want to neutralize (think of acne), you would choose the opposite color on the color wheel, which in this case would be green, to cancel out the redness.

The main color correcting tone when it comes to neutralizing under eye discoloration is peach and the variation of that tone as it relates to one’s complexion and depth of the tone of discoloration under the eye.

Pink – fair skin tones

Peach- fair to light skin tones

Apricot – light, medium to dark skin tones

Red – dark to deep skin tones

These pink, peach, and apricot tones will also give general brightness to the under eye area even if neutralizing dark tones isn’t a major concern for you.

Be mindful when selecting a color correcting shade because you don’t want the color correcting shade to change the shade of the concealer you want to wear. Also look for formulas that have fluid/serum like texture with a radiant finish.

How And When To Apply Color Corrector

Before applying color correctors and concealers, prep with an eye cream to hydrate and smooth the under eye area. Allow serums and creams to absorb into the skin then apply a thin layer of your color correcting shade. Using a flat concealer brush is helpful for precise application however consider using your finger in a stippling/tapping motion. In most instances, the color corrector should almost disappear into the skin and the under eye area should begin to look brighter. You would then apply your concealer in a stippling/bouncing motion with a fluffy concealer brush or Beauty Blender and finish off with a small amount of setting powder in a press, roll, sweep motion to set.

PRO TIP: Applying color corrector and concealer with your finger tip (ring finger) helps to warm up the product and helps the product melt into the skin.

Caliray Hideaway Under Eye Color Corrector

-Color corrector, illuminator and concealer in one

-Lightweight, blendable serum formula easily applied with finger, brush or sponge

-Key Ingredients: 3 types of hyaluronic acid for deep hydration and peptides for smoothing

-10 Shades

-$29

Kosas Revealer Extra Bright Serum Powered Color Correctors For Dark Circles

-Brightening concealer with pink, peach, and apricot tones

-Full coverage

-Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic Acid for hydration, caffeine for depuffing

-5 Shades

-$32

LA Girl HD Pro Conceal

-Creamy texture that is lightweight, longwearing and crease resistant

-Medium to full coverage

-Fragrance free

-6 under eye color correcting shades

-$7

Huda Beauty #FauxFilter Brightening Under Eye Color Corrector

-Color corrector that corrects, evens, and brightens with a natural finish

-Medium coverage

-Key Ingredients: Niacinamide to help with discoloration and vitamin C for brightening

-8 shades

-$31

Tarte Shape Tape Full Coverage Hydrating Color Corrector

-Hydrating full coverage color corrector that brightens and helps with discoloration

-Key Ingredients: Squalane to reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles, ginseng to soothe and energize and hyaluronic acid to hydrate

-5 shades

-$32

Bobbi Brown Skin Long Wearing Color Corrector Stick

-Medium coverage natural finish color corrector that neutralizes gray tones for up to 12 hours

-Key Ingredients: Coffee seed extract and salicornia for immediate and long term hydration and depuffing

-12 shades

-$35

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Vanish Color Corrector

-Full coverage cream color corrector that smooths and lifts

-Key Ingredients: Carnauba wax for smooth application, flavonoids to help with puffiness and mica to illuminate

-4 shades

-$36

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Send business inquiries to info@khalilahneals.com.

For 1 on 1 consulting, customization or updates to your beauty and style questions and concerns, visit khalilahneals.com and fill out the “work with me” form.
5 Reasons Why Vitamin C Should Be A Staple In Your Skincare Routine

April 2, 2026
From brightening to anti-aging, Vitamin C Is your skin care superhero.

Have you ever looked in the mirror and been less than pleased with the way your skin looks? Dull. Uneven. Uninspiring. Sure you have a regular skincare routine that includes cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen. You may even use the occasional manual or chemical exfoliation. All of that is great however you may still find that your skin needs more – brightening, lift, clarity and hydration. What you need is a product that contains a key ingredient that will address the concerns you have and the ones you didn’t know you had.

That Key Ingredient Is Vitamin C

We are all familiar with Vitamin C because of the foods, beverages, and supplements we take. It is also what we turn to when we we not feeling well since it is a well known fact that Vitamin C helps to restore and keep your immune system strong. Vitamin C is also “responsible for the growth and repair of the tissues in all parts of the body” (1) and can aid in the prevention of certain diseases and disorders such as stroke and high blood pressure (2). With all of the amazing benefits that vitamin C provides internally, how much more will your skin benefit from using this ingredient on a regular basis to make it better?

Vitamin C In Skincare

Vitamin C, whether in moisturizer or serum form is one of the most powerful ingredients in your skincare routine. It is a multifaceted ingredient that does the heavy lifting for some of our more pressing skincare concerns and here’s how:
- It is a powerful antioxidant with anti-aging benefits. Antioxidants are ingredients that help fight free radical damage caused by environmental aggressors such as dirt, UV rays and pollution. Free radical damage leads to photosensitivity, hyperpigmentation and wrinkles.
- Helps with collagen growth/synthesis. Collagen, which decreases with age, is a protein that lives in the deeper layers of the skin. It is responsible for the structure and firmness of the skin as well as the connective tissues in the body. Vitamin C helps to stimulate your body’s natural collagen production, thus keeping the skin firm.
- Improves wound healing. This ties back to collagen production and the fact that it is responsible for the connective tissue in the skin. When you have an injury to the skin due to a scratch or even an acne breakout, Vitamin C will help with collagen production/synthesis to rebuild the structure of the connective tissue of the skin so that it is healthy again.
- Helps to brighten the skin and leads to overall clarity. Vitamin helps to regulate melanin production leading to overall evenness of the skin. When you experience hyperpigmentation/discoloration perhaps due to injury or breakout, Vitamin C helps to inhibit the overproduction of melanin by inhibiting melanin synthesis. This is done by “downgrading the activity of an enzyme known as tyrosinase.” (3) Vitamin C also helps to calm down redness.
- Brightens dark under eye circles. Depending on the root cause of the darkness, Vitamin C can be the answer. For instance, if the darkness is caused by hyperpigmentation such as eczema, allergies or perhaps a late night, Vitamin C can help. Unfortunately, if that darkness is hereditary (appearance of pooling or dark veins) Vitamin C will not help much. In these cases, a color corrector and/or concealer can help.
What Are The Most Common Forms Of Topical Vitamin C?

The most common form of Vitamin C is l-ascorbic acid (LAA). It is the most researched, the most popular and the most potent. It is very effective in addressing a myriad of skin concerns. There can, however, be a downside to using this highly potent form of Vitamin C because it is highly unstable. This can lead to irritation such as itching, redness and burning and is most likely the reason why many steer clear of Vitamin C altogether.

There are other forms of Vitamin C which can be more gentle to the skin and help to alleviate some of the discomfort one may experience, especially when first starting out. These forms include Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP) and Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (MAP). The former, SAP is better tolerated for sensitive skin without necessarily causing irritation and purging. SAP still contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and can be helpful to people with acne or rosacea (4). The latter, MAP, which is a more stable form of Vitamin C, is great for hydration, collagen production and works for most skin types (5).

How To Use Vitamin C Correctly

When first introducing Vitamin C into your skin care routine (or any new skin care product for that matter), you want to start slowly. Consider using it every 2-3 days until you are able to use it daily. Mix your Vitamin C serum into a moisturizer or use a Vitamin C infused moisturizer. The best time to use Vitamin C is in the morning after cleansing and toning and before your moisturizer and sunscreen (if using in serum form). Using Vitamin C in the morning benefits your skin because of the powerful antioxidants it contains to protect your skin against environmental aggressors. It is important to follow up with a broad spectrum sunscreen to maximize the benefits of Vitamin C.

Serum vs Moisturizer

When it comes to choosing a formulation of Vitamin C, it comes down to personal preference and skincare need. Serums are usually more lightweight and have more potent ingredients. Since the molecule of a serum is smaller, it will penetrate the skin more deeply to do more repairative work for concerns such as deeper lines and hyperpigmentation. Moisturizers on the other hand are thicker and will do a better job of hydrating and nourishing the skin.

The Best Concentration Of Vitamin C

When looking for a Vitamin C skincare product – whether it be serum based or a moisturizer, there are several things to consider. First things first, consider the concentration. Concentration between 8%-20% is considered to be the most effective. Anything below 8% may be ineffective whereas anything over 20% may cause irritation. When searching for the right concentration of Vitamin C, look for ingredients that are included in the formulation such as Vitamin E, ferulic acid, glutathione, and hyaluronic acid. These ingredients not only can boost the efficacy of Vitamin C but can also act as a buffer (Vitamin E, hyaluronic acid) against irritation and dryness.

How To Store Your Vitamin C Skin Care Products Properly

Because of the instability of most Vitamin C skin care products, it is important to look for packaging that is opaque and dark to protect the ingredients from light and air sources. Not doing so will degrade the product thus rendering it ineffective. You can actually store your vitamin c products (as well as other skincare products) in a refrigerator for preservation. Be sure to take it out a few minutes before use. Also, as with any other skin care or beauty product, pay attention to expiration dates.

Paula’s Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum

Drunk Elephant C- Luma Hydrabright Serum

Ole Henriksen C-Rush Vitamin C Gel Moisturizer

Dr Dennis Gross Skincare Vitamin C Lactic Dewy Deep Cream

Sunday Riley C.E.O. Glow Vitamin C +Turmeric Face Oil

SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic

Supergoop Daily Dose Vitamin C + SPF

PCA Skin C&E Advanced Serum

Hyper Skin Brightening Clearing Vitamin C Serum

Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum

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15 Skincare And Makeup Mistakes To Stop Making Now

March 2, 2026
From the harshness of unblended highlight and contour to using dirty makeup brushes, chances are you have at some point or are currently making some major beauty faux pas.

Image courtesy of George Milton via Pexels

We all have our go to make up routines which include our favorite tips, tricks and tools. But it is definitely possible that our go to make up habits could be doing more harm than good to our skin, tools and overall look. That’s ok because below is a list of 15 common beauty blunders that you might not be aware of and the solution to help fix said faux pas.
1. Using Makeup Wipes To Clean Your Face. I’m not sure when using wipes as the only way to sufficiently cleanse your face became ok but stop it. So you’ve had a long night out and you are too inebriated and too tired to actually cleanse your face – a makeup wipe can help you out until you get yourself together. But please don’t make this a habit – the most a makeup cleansing wipe can do for you is superficially wipe the day off of your face. It will not ever deep clean the surface of your skin let alone get deep down into your pores after a day of wearing sunscreen and makeup and being exposed to the environmental aggressors of dirt, debris and smog. Do your current and your future skin a favor and use a cleansing balm or oil followed by an actual cleanser for your skin type. If you prefer using a makeup wipe, use it a part of your pre-cleanse.
2. Tugging On The Eye Area To Remove/Apply Eye Makeup And Skincare. We’ve all been there: you stretch/pull at the corner of your your eyes to apply your eye liner, roughly rub your eyes to take off your eye makeup or pull and rub on your under eye area to apply eye cream or concealer. Stop it! The under eye area is the most delicate area of the face. Think of it like this: your face is like construction paper and your under eye area is delicate like tissue paper. The under eye area shows the first signs of aging and rough and tumble pulling and tugging can help accelerate the aging process. When it comes to removing eye makeup, use a cotton round with a makeup remover. Apply to the eye area and hold for about 10 seconds to loosen any eye makeup and gently swipe away. When it comes to applying eye liner, apply in sections across the lid and be sure to use a formula that glides on smoothly. Don’t pull on the corner of your eyes. When applying under eye concealer and eye cream, use a brush and/or your ring finger and gently press/tap into the skin.
3. Not Treating The Under Eye Area With Eye Cream/Serum Before Concealer. At this point, eye creams/serums should be a part of your skin care routine. If not, no judgement. Just start now. By prepping with skin care, you will find that your concealer will lay better on your skin. It also prevents your makeup from looking dry and cakey and you won’t have to apply tons to look even and highlighted under the eyes.
4. Not Using Color Corrector. Have you ever applied under eye concealer or even foundation and found that the shade and tone wasn’t sufficient? As a matter of fact, some areas looked gray? That’s because you most likely need to color correct first. Color correcting helps to neutralize blue, purple and brown undertones in the skin so that your actual complexion product will read more accurately. It all goes back to understanding color theory where opposite colors on the color wheel are not only complementary but those same complementary colors also cancel each other out. For instance, if you are experiencing redness, you would use green to color correct before applying your concealer or foundation. If you have blue/brown tones under your eyes, you would use a corrector in the pink/peach/apricot spectrum, depending on your complexion range, to neutralize those tones before applying concealer or foundation.
5. Not Cleaning Makeup Brushes Regularly. Have you ever gone so long with not cleaning your brushes that your brushes feel hard and somewhat stiff? When your brushes are dirty they don’t even perform the same and your make up doesn’t look as good as it could. More importantly, not cleaning your brushes is a great way to spread bacteria on the face. Can we say pimples? Anyway, using a brush cleaner not only cleans your brushes but helps to keep the bristles conditioned.
6. Putting On Concealer Before Foundation. Foundation is just that – foundation. A base. It’s the building block for all of the other makeup you put on your face – aside from good skin care. When you apply concealer first, as you apply the actual foundation, you actually wipe concealer away from the very place you were trying to conceal. Instead, apply foundation first then stipple/bounce concealer on top wherever the discoloration is. You may also find that you won’t need as much concealer when you apply foundation first. When it comes to the under eye, this can be particularly helpful as applying foundation first can help balance and perhaps color correct tones before you apply concealer.
7. Not Blending Your Harsh Highlight And Contour. Chances are you aren’t on stage but in real life – at work, school or the grocery store. The somewhat extreme highlighting and contouring that we see on our social media feeds works better for stage and maybe television with various lighting conditions but those harsh, unblended lines of demarcation can be quite unappealing in real life. Blend thoroughly for a softer look.
8. Using Too Much Product To Mark Out Highlight And Contour. Or using too much foundation in general. Bottom line – it’s TOO MUCH PRODUCT and takes unnecessary amounts off time and effort to blend. Instead of plastering your face with foundation, highlight and contour shades in intricate designs, try applying your foundation first. Then apply your highlight color (1-2 shades lighter, maybe 3 shades if you know how to blend) in the right undertone then blend. Then go in with your contour color and blend. Apply an illuminator/highlighter if you so choose. Blend that as well. Then take a brush and lightly blend the entire face. This way you will look soft, blended and radiant. Not a colorful ashy mess. *note* Applying your highlight first will actually expose the areas that naturally recede for contour. It is also easier to blend a contour (darker color) into a highlight as opposed to the other way around.
9. Not Using A Moisturizer Because You Are Oily. Not using at lease an oil free (controls oil production) or mattifying (prevents appearance of oil, makes skin more matte) moisturizer is actually making you more oily. When you don’t use moisturizer, your skin overcompensates for the lack of moisture in the skin. The oil in the skin is not a moisturizer and the skin becomes more unbalanced when you don’t moisturize which leads to more oily skin.
10. Over-Washing Your Face. It is tempting to want to wash your face multiple times a day especially when you are oily and/or acne prone. However, just like not using a moisturizer when you are oily can have an adverse affect on your skin, over-washing your face can strip your skin, causing it to be dry, flaky and painfully irritated. You might also find that acne can get worse. When washing your face twice a day, consider using a mild low lather or creamy/oil cleanser for the morning and a cleanser for deeper cleanse for the evening to wash the day away.
11. Keeping Expired Makeup. Sure you may love the many items in your make up collection but it is very important to make sure that what you are putting on your face is not expired. Not paying attention to expiration dates can not only cause lack of performance of your favorite items but can also be a breeding ground for skin irritation and possible infection. Learn more about makeup shelf life and expiration dates here.
12. Over-Filling Your Eyebrows. Good eyebrows are one of the most important features in giving good face. Well groomed brows bring shape and structure to the face. When you have neat, beautifully shaped brows, you don’t necessarily need too much of anything else to look polished. It is recommended that you seek a professional to groom your brows. It’s one thing to have a natural full brow however filling in the brow too dark and over the natural shape can spell disaster. When filling in your brows, be sure to follow the natural shape of the brow and fill in only the sparse areas.
13. Not Adjusting Your Foundation As You Age. It’s no secret that your body changes as you get older. This includes changes to your skin. What worked for you in your 20’s (i.e. powder foundation) may not work for you as you get older. Consider using liquid or serum based formulations that address dullness, fine lines, wrinkles, discoloration and dryness.
14. Putting Makeup On Dry Skin. Not prepping the skin before makeup application. Your makeup reflects what is going with your skin. If your skin is dry, your makeup will look dry and cakey. You will also find that your makeup doesn’t apply smoothly to your skin. Be sure to prep with a good moisturizer and hydrating primer before applying your foundation.
15. Putting Too Much Emphasis On Both Eyes And Lips. How you choose to wear your makeup is entirely up to you. However, consider focusing on one feature such as the eyes and let your other features play a supporting role with complementary tones, textures and finishes. Doing so prevents your look from becoming too overwhelming.
Have you made any of the mistakes listed above or do you make mistakes that weren’t even listed above? Leave a comment down below.

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