Every day is a school day and I have to tell you I’ve learned a few things this week from the beauty experts, especially about mascara and eyeliner. We asked those in the know, the Make-up Artists over on Rock My Wedding’s hand picked directory, The Love Lust List to tell us the beauty dos and don’ts they share with their clients.

Do

  • Do apply mascara to bottom eyelashes and always do so before the top lashes.  If you apply mascara to the top lashes first then look up to do the bottom lashes you risk peppering your eyelids or worse still the perfectly blended eyeshadow you just spent ages doing with tiny dots of mascara!{Niki Lawrence from Niki Make-up}
  • Exfoliate your face very gently once a week and hydrate your skin day and night with a good quality moisturiser, especially if it tends to be either very oily or very dry – if you don’t, your skin will suck up any make-up that you apply to it, and it will also cling to any dry patches on your face. {Catherine Bailey}
  • Concealer is crucial, and you should have at least two concealers in your make-up bag – a creamy one for covering any discolouration under your eyes and any redness such as around your nose, and a thicker, more opaque one for covering spots (if needed). Go easy with concealer under your eyes, especially if you’re over 30 – if you apply too much, it will just sit in any fine lines. My favourite concealer for the under eye area is Clarins ‘Instant Concealer’ – the shade range is rubbish, but it gives great coverage, has a light and creamy texture and never looks cakey under the eyes. I really like the new NARS ‘Soft Matte Complete Concealer‘ for covering spots as it glides on, has good coverage and has a matte finish. {Catherine Bailey}
  • When contouring do think about the brushes you use to apply, the more compact the brush is the stronger the contour will be, the less compact the brush is the softer and more natural the application will be. {Charlene Williams}
  • There are no rules when it comes to makeup so don’t feel like to need to conform to trends but do be careful to choose your foundation colour wisely, a base that is too dark or light will instantly stand out no matter how beautiful your eye makeup is.{Elle Hitchens}
  • Treat your skin gently. Use skincare products that are suitable for sensitive skin, even if your skin isn’t sensitive, and it will stay
    looking even, radiant and hydrated. One of my favourite cleansers is Miracle Cleanser by Aurelia – it’s gentle yet very effective and smells divine too! {Kristina Gasperas}

Don’t

  • Don’t share makeup or makeup tools with anyone else ever,  it is not worth the risk of an eye infection, cold sore or much worse. {Niki Lawrence from Niki Make-up}
  • Don’t overcontour! While the Kardashian look can be beautiful, if done incorrectly it can be terrifying and you can look like you’ve fallen into a pile of mud! Unless you know face shapes well contour doesn’t work for everyone. Keep it simple and subtle, think flawless not scary! Think soft bronzes(generally two shades darker) and highlighters that will add a dewy glow and radiance rather that leaving you looking overdone and oily. {Kate Smith from KS Make-up}
  • You don’t need to go crazy with your brows and re-draw them – it looks really fake and dated in my opinion. I just brush Anastasia’s ‘Brow Powder Duo’ through my own with an angled brush to fill any gaps, and then set them with a clear brow gel such as Benefit’s ‘Ready, Set, Brow’. {Catherine Bailey}
  • Don’t draw eyeliner just on the lower lash-line, especially if it’s black. Always balance the lower lash-line with the top one otherwise your eyes will look heavier (unless you’re blessed with naturally cat-shaped eyes). Your liner should never stop abruptly, make sure it blends into the lash-line without an obvious stopping point. A great waterproof eyeliner is Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof. {Kristina Gasperas}
  • Never use a baby wipe or face wipe to take off your make-up. The ingredients are not only harmful to your skin in the long run, but they honestly do a terrible job of removing makeup and are not as cost effective as you might think! {Evie Smith}

My top tip is one I pinched from Lorna and that’s to apply your bronzer in a figure of eight motion. This adds colour to the areas that would usually catch the sun. Clever, yes? What’s your best beauty tip?

The image in the header is one from a archive post on Charlotte’s beauty station. A couple of weeks ago we were a bit giddy to discover an image from the post along with two others have been shortlisted for the Pinterest UK Interior Award. Fingers crossed we’re successful 🙂