If you’re not someone who reads the instructions on the back of your beauty products, you’re not alone. Here are 9 beauty products we were shocked to discover that we’ve been using incorrectly, proving once again that reading is fundamental!
By now you’ve probably jumped on the facial brush train, probably with a Clarisonic. You may have noticed a hole in the center of your brush head? That’s the exact amount of facial cleanser needed per use, so if you’ve been distributing your favorite cleanser over the entire head of the brush you’ve been wasting product. See? Less really is more!
Clarisonic Mia 1 Facial Brush $99, macys.com
It’s no secret that Beautyblenders give a flawless finish, but the cult-favorite beauty sponge is often misused as people neglect to wet the sponge prior to application and they also drag them across the face to blend instead of pressing the sponge into the skin in bouncing motions.
Beautyblender $20, at sephora.com
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We get it, you watched you mom do it, you may even have seen it at the salon, but shaking your nail polish before you apply the polish add bubbles to the polish and prevents your polish from laying smooth.
Smith & Cult Nail Lacquer $18, at birchbox.com
As a general rule of thumb, you shouldn’t assume that facial mists will set your makeup. Facial essences and mists all fall under the skincare category, so use them before your apply your face to hydrate the skin, as a midday refresher, or after application to give a healthy glow and dewy finish.
MAC Prep+Prime Fix $22, available at maccosmetics.com
It’s no secret that your skin gets drier during the winter months— bad news if your skin is naturally on the dryer side. To keep your makeup looking fresh and your skin looking its best, consider trading in your powder products for creams instead (think: blush foundation, and maybe even eye shadow).
Revlon Cream Blush $10, at drugstores
Concealer is used to hide dark circles and hyperpigmentation, so applying it before your concealer generally defeats the purpose of using it. Set your base (foundation) then apply your concealer using your fingers or a brush in an inverted triangle and blend.
Bobbi Brown Corrector $25, available at sephora.com
Volumizing mascaras are great, but the brush generally groups your lashes together to create that glamorous, voluminous lash effect that we all love so much. The same voluminous effect doesn’t work as well on your bottom lashes, since the brush is generally to big to coat each individual lash. Instead, apply two coats of mascara to your top lashes and blink in between coats while the mascara is still wet. You’ll get the perfect amount of color transfer and your lashes won’t look clumped together!
We generally use these babies when we’re in a rush without paying attention to how we apply them—we just need those stray hairs to be tucked away. But, you’ll may your hair so much easier to deal with and probably use way less bobby pins if you tuck them in your hair with the rigid side facing your scalp; those ridges help hold your hair in place. If your need additional reinforcement, try crisscrossing two bobby pins, ridge-side down.
To get the most out of your perfume, you want to spray your fragrance on dry skin. Walking through a cloud of fragrance every morning may make you smell like a bed of roses for an hour or two, but your expensive perfume will only cling to the fibers of your top for so long before environmental smells take over. Spritz on your favorite scent right after you’ve applied your moisturizer when you’re fresh out of the shower. It will absorb into the skin better and last all day long.
Miu Miu Miu Miu eau de parfum $69 for 1 oz, available at sephora.com
