The 2 Most Common Make-Up Mistakes, According To An Expert – And How To Fix Them

Have you ever wondered what a professional would say about your make-up?

Unless you happen to have a personal glam squad, chances are, you’ll never find out if you’re actually wearing the wrong shade of foundation or if your feline flick eyeliner is a bit too steep.

But there are some common mistakes that we should all be aware of.

That’s according to celebrity make-up artist and Rapid White ambassador Aimee Adams, who was responsible for making up Tess Daly every week on the last series of Strictly Come Dancing.

First up is the kind of contouring popularised by the Kardashians, intended to emphasise the cheekbones with a dark powder underneath and a bright highlighter above.

“It’s the metallic-ness of the highlight,” according to Adams, that makes it too harsh. “This is like metal, with a brown stripe.”

Having worked with cast members from reality TV shows such as The Only Way is Essex, Geordie Shore and Love Island, Adams is aware that megawatt highlight and deep brown bronzer is a major trend – and it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.

“That’s what they want, so we often have a battle in the make-up chair. I like to pull it back a bit.”

So, what should we be doing instead? The make-up artist says that a hint of highlighter is OK, but prefers using blusher to enhance the cheekbones.

“I don’t mind it if it’s done subtly. I’ve just discovered Hourglass highlighters, which are more subtle – they’re not that metallic, so that’s really nice.”

The second tip Adams offers isn’t about a particular product, it’s about applying your make-up in the right lighting.

“I see this almost every day – people do not do, or check, their make-up in different light sources.

“A stylist at work the other day came in, we were chatting, and she looked in the mirror and was like, ‘Oh my God, my bronzer!’ – she just threw it on in the bathroom.

“I know it’s winter and it’s dark, so at home, I’ve got magnifying mirrors.”