Fashion
5 Beauty Mistakes I Made So You Don't Have To
They say rules were meant to be broken, and that's certainly is true—but not for every rule. Sure, it's great to eat Tasti D-Lite before—and, yes, sometimes for—dinner, but, alas, there some rules exist for a reason. Unfortunately, I am the kind of person who likes to play with fire, or, in some cases, an eyelash curler on the train. Now, gather round, as I tell the story of when I overplucked my eyebrows... [Image: kinkate/Pexels]
The Mistake: Overplucking My Brows
I don’t know why, but I got really into plucking my eyebrows junior year of college. Like, really into it. So into it that I eventually did not have a left eyebrow. Overplucking your brows typically happens when you’re looking too closely to what you’re doing. As fascinating as those magnifying mirrors are for looking at each and every single one of your pores (I’m not the only one who does this, dammit), they can be an eyebrow’s worst enemy.The sad truth is, once the damage is done, it’s done, and there’s nothing you can do except wait from your brows to grow back. While playing the waiting game, I fell in love with Smashbox’s Brow Tech To Go. The angled waterproof pencil is super easy to apply, and the clear brow gel makes your DIY brow stay put all day long.
The Mistake: Sleeping With My Eye Makeup On
Alright, so, I didn’t do this every night (I’m not an animal), but, yes, there were many a Friday and Saturday nights where I found myself in bed before taking the .7 seconds to take off my mascara. Whatever, right? As long as I do it in the morning, who cares? What’s the worst that can happen? Answer: I can wake up with an eye infection so disgusting that I’ll spare you the details, but just know that it was bad news bears. Now, I am addicted to Bliss’s Lid + Lash Wash Makeup Remover. The cooling gel depuffs tired eyes, while the possibly-magic forumla manages to get off every little last bit of makeup. I find that most eye makeup removers are too greasy or harsh, but this forumla is incredibly gentle.
The Mistake: Using a Regular Brush On Wet Hair
Especially when it comes to curly hair (like mine), it’s important to use a wide toothed comb on wet hair, or your hair will break (like mine did). A regular comb or brush is too harsh on fragile wet hair, causing it to snap into a mess of frizzy, frazzled ends. Until your hair is partially dry, remove any knots with a wide tooth comb. There’s no need to splurge on one of those fancy ones; a $2 drugstore comb will do just fine, which means that you have absolutely zero excuses for using your regular brush on wet hair. Seriously. Put the brush down.
The Mistake: Picking At My Skin
I know it’s gross, but whenever I break out, my urge is to pick at my skin. Often times, I don’t even realize what I’m doing until it’s too late and I’m left with a slightly discolored acne scar on my cheek. A friend of mine turned me on to Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Peel, and it has quickly become an essential in my medicine cabinet. I admit that, at $88, it’s definitely a splurge, but the product lasts for a month and the results last even longer. The two-step treatment pads help to keep my skin clear, while brightening up any evidence that I was once (*hangs head in shame*) a skin picker.
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Peel, $88, Check It Out
The Mistake: Curling My Eyelashes... In a Car
This is maybe one of the top five dumbest things I have ever done. It was sophomore year of high school, but I remember it like yesterday. My mom was driving me to school, and I was doing my makeup. She hit a bump in the road just as I was curling my lashes, and, next thing I knew, my left eye was completely lash-less.As you can imagine, this was a deeply traumatizing experience for me. It was years before I could even look at an eyelash curler. OK, that’s a bit much, but the truth is, eyelash curlers were out for me for quite a long time. It wasn’t until I tried the Chella Heated Eyelash Curler that I conquered my fears. Now, I know it sounds pretty terrifying to put anything heated near your eyes, but I can assure you that this only gets marginally warm. I can also assure you that it gives you beautiful eyelashes, without all the crimping and pinching of a standard curler.
