A makeup routine can become so second nature that mishaps go unchecked. Are you getting the most from your beauty routine? Find out which common makeup mistakes many of us make and how to correct them.

We’ve all committed a beauty faux pas at some point. We are not talking the pink and purple eye shadow of the ’80s or the dark vampire lip of the ’90s. These beauty slips are more subtle.

Are you committing common makeup mistakes? Don’t feel bad. Even celebs sometimes fall victim to beauty disasters. A simple quick fix and all is right in the makeup world.

6 Common Makeup Mistakes and How to Fix Them

1 Using the Wrong Color Foundation // You’ve seen it time and again. Foundation that makes a woman’s face look artificial or orange. Don’t fall victim to this makeup faux pas. Foundation should match natural skin color as closely as possible. To do this, find your skin’s undertone and then test foundation on your jawline (in good lighting) for a most accurate match. I find the best lighting to check any makeup is outdoors. Hop in your car, during the day, and pull down your vanity mirror to scope out how samples appear on your skin. It’s also important to choose a foundation that works with your skin type. Those with oily skin should use a lighter formula, like W3LL People Altruist Mineral Foundation. Dry skin types should lean toward a more emollient product, like Kjaer Weis Cream Foundation, to steer clear of flakiness or cracking.

2 Using the Wrong Color Concealer // This is an easy mistake to make, but super important to avoid. The idea is to camouflage blemishes and discoloration, and brighten dark circles, without going too light or too dark. A lightweight, creamy formula made with natural ingredients, like Oscar-worthy Ilia Beauty Vivid Concealer, provides natural looking coverage. Pro tip: Choose a concealer one shade lighter than your foundation color.

3 Eyeliner in All The Wrong Places // Eyeliner can make peepers pop or induce instant raccoon eyes. To prevent eyeliner overload avoid the Toos: Too dark shade and Too heavy a hand. Black eyeliner make you look like Liza Minnelli? Love Liza, but not everyone can pull off her look! Try brown. The softer shade gives the same depth without being as harsh. To keep eyes looking lively and awake, skip lining the lower lash line with your dark pencil and use a nude or white pencil instead. Benecos Natural Eyeliner comes in a wide range of colors, including brown and white.

4 Not Quite Right Red Lipstick // Yes, color matters. Different hues work better on different skin tones. Eco makeup artist, Kristen Arnett, fills us in on how to choose and apply a red lip color that flatters your skin and hair. Keep your preferred tube in your bag for touch-ups.

5 Arachnid-esque Lashes // With mascara, more is definitely not better. A decent mascara provides length, color, or volume without having to go full spider eye. Black is pretty universal, though if you have very light lashes you may want to go with brown for a more natural look. Top picks in this product category? For volume try Dr. Hauschka Volume Mascara. To add length to already full lashes go with 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Mascara. And for just a hint of defining color opt for RMS Beauty Defining Mascara.

6 Vanishing Eyebrows // Oh boy. So many things can go wrong when managing brows. Please, please do not tweeze your brows to within inches of their poor little lives. It is not a good look and they often don’t fill back in completely. Again, take a less is more approach to tweezing or waxing. If you decide to go DIY, follow this guide to tweezing the perfect brow. If you are more of a wax kinda gal, I love MOOM Organic Hair Removal Kit.

File these tips away to flaw-free makeup application every time.

Related on EcolSalon

Makeup Color Match Tips to Complement Your Eye Color

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Image of woman with makeup mistakes via Shutterstock

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How to rock metallic makeup – you know, without looking like The Tin Man.

As much as I love the look of metallic makeup, I’m secretly terrified to use it – I mean, one wrong move and you end up resembling aluminum foil. That being said, I’m constantly drawn to take the plunge because of its futuristic and streamlined aesthetic. Whether you dive into the world of metallic eyeshadows or you dig a shimmery pout, metallic makeup can take what would otherwise be a ho-hum look and kick it up a notch (or seven).

So how to you make sure you don’t end up looking pale and ghost-like? Here are 6 important tips to ensure your metallic makeup look is more human than cyborg:

1. Start with your skin

A smooth canvas is crucial when pulling off a metallic makeup look. Much like applying foundation to dry skin, the metallic particles will exaggerate every fine line and dry patch. Make sure to exfoliate, moisturize and prime before applying. Use a matte effect on the rest of your look to give the shimmer of your metallic makeup the attention it deserves.

2. Work with your skin tone

The general breakdown of metallics versus skin tone goes a little something like this:

• If you have fair skin with cool undertones, go with pale pink or pearl shades.
• If you have fair skin with yellow undertones, test the waters with soft gold.
• If you have medium skin with cool undertones, choose rose-gold.
• If you have medium skin with yellow undertones, a peachy-gold metallic is your best bet.
• If you have olive skin, reddish-copper is best.
• If you have dark skin with cool undertones, break in with bronze.
• If you have dark skin with warm undertones, make a statement with copper.

3. Choose a focal point

Choose whether you’re going to use metallic makeup on your eyes or your lips, and keep the rest of your look soft and fresh.

4. Morph your go-to picks into metallic makeup

The best way to ease into using metallic makeup is to play with the beauty staples you’re already super comfortable with. For example, plaster on your go-to lipstick and add a frosted lip gloss on top of it. It amps up your look without taking it to an entirely new dimension.

5. Start small

If you want to take the plunge with your eye makeup first, a great way to do so is to run a thick line of metallic eye shadow across your top lash line, much like you would if you were applying eyeliner. Pair with a black eyeliner and mascara and you’ve got yourself a beauty statement.

6. Always use an applicator brush

When it comes to applying metallic makeup, blending is key – use an applicator brush instead of your fingertips, and make sure you swirl the brush on the shade instead of rubbing it so you don’t pick up too much on the brush.

What do you love most about metallic makeup?

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Image: Makeup photo via Shutterstock

The post 6 Ways to Get Your Glam on With Metallic Makeup appeared first on EcoSalon.

To makeup color match, you have to take into consideration your features, regardless of what shades or colors you think will look best.

It’s really not enough to look at a celebrity you admire and try to replicate her look by using the same exact makeup colors and tones – they simply may not work well with your individual features. At the end of the day, the next person is not you and doesn’t work with the same blank canvas.

Instead of starting with a makeup trend and applying it directly to your face, start with what you’ve got and choose makeup that will complement your features. Your eye color, for instance, is an important benchmark in determining other makeup colors, from your shadow down to your lips, that will present your features in the best way possible. Here are useful makeup color match tips every girl should have in her arsenal to perfectly complement her unique eye color.

If you have…

1. Brown eyes

The majority of the world has brown eyes. But in exchange for being run-of-the-mill, brown eyes compensate with versatility! Just about every color works well with brown eyes, but the following colors are a great place to start experimenting.

Shadow: cobalt blue, greenish gold, copper, navy, gold

Mascara: dark purple, brown, green, navy

Liner: navy

Lipstick: red with an orange undertone; cinnamon, terracotta or a rich red for very dark brown eyes; golden coral or red for brown eyes with golden flecks; bronze for brown eyes with green undertones. Avoid muddy tones.

2. Blue eyes

Your eyes are already glowing, so you need very little to accent their color – au naturel always fits the bill. However, don’t be afraid to go glam! A rich smoky look never fails.

Shadow: sheer, terracotta, purple, orange, smoky, bronze

Mascara: navy

Liner: bronze, eye-brightening beige for the lower lash line, turquoise

Lipstick: lilac, mauve, soft plum, coral with a strong pink base

3. Green eyes

Only about 2 percent of the world population has green eyes, making it one of the most rare types of eye color. Embrace your uniqueness by indulging in the following makeup colors that are built just for you!

Shadow: taupe, all shades of purple, smoky silver, metallic sage

Mascara: purple, plum

Liner: slate, espresso

Lipstick: classic red with brown undertones, copper, taupe, cinnamon, bold corals

4. Hazel eyes

Hazel eyes sure are beautiful, but they aren’t the easiest to find flattering makeup for. Luckily, I’ve done the research for you!

Shadow: brown, gold, bronze and green shades

Mascara: green, silver, metallic black

Liner: earthy brown, warm green, dark purple

Lipstick: nude tones

Related on EcoSalon

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Photo Credit: Dr. Wendy Longo

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Lately, I’ve been talking to a lot of makeup artists. Why? I’m getting married in a few weeks and would just as soon dump an entire tube of makeup down my dress than attempt to apply it myself. And while I’m talking to these artists, I’m getting the same question over and over – how do you envision your bridal look? Do you want “sexy vixen” or “glamour gal”? You could be “fun and flirty” or better yet the “no-makeup makeup” look?

Frankly, I envision my bridal look as Michelle Obama’s toned arms mixed with Heidi Klum’s supermodel height – but that’s not going to happen without 50 push-ups a day or, far more unlikely, lengthening surgery. So for now, I’m sticking with makeup. At this moment, I’m toying with “sexy vixen” (not literally).

“Sexy vixen” is all about the smoky eye. Put some smoldering eye shadow and mascara on your peeps, and you’ll be strutting down the sidewalk with more confidence than a tomcat in an alley of kitties. And here’s what I’ve discovered, complete with eco-product suggestions.

First, what to pick? The key to a great smoky eye is to find the shade that best works for your skin. Black is traditionally thought of as the go-to color for smoky eye, but not if you are fair-skinned. (Unless you want to look like a vampire.) If you have darker skin, go with black and deep purples. If you have lighter skin, pick moss greens, browns, grays, and plums. And check out this handy guide to pick the perfect eye shadow for your eye color.

One of the best eyeshadows for the smoky eye is Tarte’s Lock & Roll 12-Hour Eye shadow ($17). And you can read more about it here. It is free of phthalates, petrolatum, SLS, and synthetic fragrances. But it is not entirely natural – click here to read about its ingredients to determine your own comfort level with them.

Tarte also offers a high definition eyeliner called EmphasEYES, which comes in with a Skin Deep rating of 4. This eyeliner is one of the easier to use on the market, as it allow you to get a clean line on both your lower and upper lids.

Mascara? Our pick is Lavera’s Volume Mascara. This product’s ingredients seem low on hazard levels, and it is free of parabens and heavy-metals. Also? It works like a charm and is available in browns and blacks.

Next, pick up an eye gloss. Yes, eye gloss exists and it is awesome. Jane Iredale’s Eye Gloss is available in dusky colors great for accenting your eyes. It goes on smooth and adds a beautiful finish to your eyes. Best of all, they have the safest rating possible from Skin Deep.

Now we have our products. How to apply to become sexy vixens? Using your dark eyeliner, line your upper and lower lash lines as well as the inside rims of your eyes (carefully). Smudge out the outer lines with a cotton tip. Then apply your eye shadow to your lids and blend it well into the crease. Do this twice to increase the effect.

Apply the same eye shadow under your lower lash lines and be sure to smudge it out. Apply the eye gloss or a shimmery eye shadow to your brow bones and on the inside corner of your eyes. Curl your lashes and apply two coats of mascara. Finally, finish with a soft pink blush for a natural look, as well as a nude lip gloss.

Finally, just add Significant Other and prepare for an eco-seduction.

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