First Date Beauty Mistakes To Avoid This Summer

It's only natural to want to make a good first impression whenever going out with someone new, which is why it's perfectly normal to worry a bit more than usual about making crucial makeup mistakes on a first date. At a time when most first dates happen after two people swipe right, dressing to impress (or at least to live up to your Insta-filtered profile picture) seems all the more stressful.

Bold eye or bold lip? Blush or no blush? Falsies or just mascara? With all the options to consider, it's just as easy to go overboard as it is to worry about not really wearing enough. Then, of course, there are the questions of whether or not the makeup will run or rub off — what works for a cold winter's night might end up dripping down your face come summertime. Or, there are the general worries as to whether or not the makeup will rub your date the right way, or if it actually represents who you are. Because if anything has the potential to alter reality, it's a thick layer of makeup.

Certainly, the best makeup look for any date is that which makes you the most comfortable, because at the end of the day, the only person you need to impress is and will always be yourself. But it's always good to watch out for crucial makeup missteps that could leave you feeling a little less than confident when trying to land that guy or girl of your dreams, or at least just making it to the end of the night.

Have Fun...

Whenever I get ready for a first date, I worry incessantly about properly conveying who I am. Giving off the wrong impression either means I'll end up loosing the man of my dreams or I'll end up marrying the guy who isn't right for me. This results in far too much time spent rummaging through my makeup bag (not to mention an increased level of anxiety that results in sweaty palms and the subsequent pit stains, neither of which make for comfy first date characteristics) trying to find the perfect combination of foundation, eyeshadow, and blush that somehow best represents all of my values and beliefs.

This, of course, will always prove a meaningless endeavor, as no amount of makeup will ever fully represent or misrepresent a personality. It's a fact that is equal parts comforting and disconcerting, especially because on first dates, first impressions really do count. But once I remember that for better or for worse, the lipstick I choose will never hide my true personality, I remember to just sort of have fun with it.

Having fun with makeup on a first date can mean a lot of things. Personally, I don't think it's the best idea to go too overboard with a beauty look the first time meeting someone new. Again, makeup can never hide who you truly are, but a first date is kinda when first impressions really count.

However, it's still important to have a little bit of fun. If I'm feeling up for a T. Swift-esque bold lip, I'll go for it — even if it's in a shade I don't normally choose. Conversely, if I'm just feeling just a bit of balm, I'll go with that. Certainly, makeup preferences depend on the person and the place, and because I'm quite a reserved human who tends to stick to bars and cafés, my "having fun" means something different than my friend who spends Saturday nights at the club. But in any and every case, adding a little whimsy to a first date makeup look does more good than harm.

...But Stick To The Classics

Without trying to completely contradict myself, however, I also think it's important to mostly stick to a few makeup classics. First dates are awkward enough, so the last thing you want to be worrying about is whether or not that new eyeshadow makes you look like a raccoon or if your lipstick is all over your teeth.

Whenever I'm comfortable on a first date is when I feel the most confident, and therefore when the best me shines through. Yes, I've gotten a bit of an ego boost from a brand new lipstick shade, but I've also had to deal with a new lip gloss that made my lips chapped, wine-stained, and covered in glitter.

Take chances, but never second guess a sure-fire go-to. One of my good friends, for example, decided to wear a new perfume on a first date one night. Few cosmetics are more intimate and self-defining as a perfume, so I think her story is kind of case and point. She felt uncomfortable the entire time; not because the perfume didn't smell great, but because it just wasn't her. Once again, at the end of the day, regardless of makeup, a personality will shine through — but if you don't feel comfortable, it's going to be a whole lot harder to show who you really are. So take chances, but remember that the classics are classics for a reason.

Impress Yourself

So really, the best way to avoid making first date makeup mistakes is really just to wear the makeup that impresses you. If you can't love anyone until you love yourself, it's safe to say that you can't have fun on a first date if you don't like how you look in a certain blush. Yes, there's the standard protocol — don't wear a lot of makeup on a hot day (it will always melt off), maybe choose lighter colors in the spring, and save the darker shades for fall — but the biggest mistake would be to apply makeup that doesn't make you feel good. It's a broad answer, but trust me, you'll know what works the second you put it on.

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