You can have the perfect shade of foundation, an eyebrow pencil that couldn't possibly match your hair colour better and a lipstick color that would get make up artists drooling, but none of that is any good if you're not applying it properly. Make sure you're getting the most out of your make up bag by following these tips and avoiding the worst application mistakes...

Firstly, try not to apply make up with your fingers. One part of your make up applied this way is okay, but as soon as you ditch the brush set and do everything with your pinky you're asking for trouble. The skin on our fingers releases oils that we don't want on our face. It also retains sticky lip glosses and shimmery eye shadows and we're unlikely to wash our finger every time we use a particular product.

The second tip is to not clamp your eyelash curlers on once, squeeze them together really hard and then remove them. Doing this gives the appearance of eyelashes that don't curl as they should, but rather stick upwards at a 90 degree angle. Instead, curl your eyelashes in short, sharp bursts that are gentle and move from close to the eyelid, right out to the edge of the eyelash. This way you get an even curve and also, if your curlers have lost their rubber then try and find replacements as using bare metal will give a harsh angle, too.

Most of us know about this next tip, but don't follow it on a regular basis. It is, quite simply, never go to bed with your make up still on. There are a huge number of reasons why you shouldn't do it, but from a putting-your-make-up-on-the-next-day perspective it's because it causes spots. At night your skin uses the down time to regenerate. If it's clogged with make up and oily foundation during that time it's never going to recover and the signs of constant skin-stress will show within days. Not only will there be make up trapped in your pores even after washing it off in the shower, but you're going to add more make up just minutes after you get out so it never has time to breathe. To help combat this habit, try keeping make up remover or cleanser, with a packet of cotton pads next to your bed. That way, no matter how exhausted you are from a night out you can take your make up off lying down.

Our final tip is one of common sense and judgment, and that is never to wear too much of any type of make up. Go to a make up consultant at your beauty store and ask them to find you a foundation shade that matches your complexion. If you're not sure about make up colors, such as eyeshadow or lip gloss then ask them what would suit you as well. From there on you don't need to plaster it on and it actually looks better when you keep it subtle. One way to avoid gloopy mascara is to have your eyelashes tinted instead and then use clear mascara to plump them up.

Stan Tian

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