The 5 Worst Makeup Mistakes (& How to Avoid Them)

When it comes to figuring out your day-to-day beauty routine, experimentation with cosmetics is key. When you’re perfecting your look, however, there are sometimes beauty blunders along the road. Abide by HC's beauty guidelines to avoid these common makeup mishaps!

The Foundation Line
The first thing to remember when applying makeup is that laying the right foundation will make OR break your look. With that said, making sure your skin tone is even, matching and natural-looking is vital before even thinking about applying any other cosmetics.

If you've ever encountered the dreaded "foundation line," we feel your pain. Somewhere between choosing a shade of face makeup and applying the product, a mistake happens that you carry around all day long.

Actress Jennifer Freeman of My Wife and Kidsknows a thing or two about makeup tips and tricks after spending hours on end in hair and makeup for acting gigs. To combat the foundation line, Jennifer says, "apply bronzer around your forehead and hairline -- it slims your face and hides the weird line."

Another way to avoid this beauty mishap is by shopping for foundations that are specifically formulated to match your skin tone, When applying the makeup, be sure to thoroughly blend it on your face and down your neck as well, creating a seamless look with no dark spots around your jaw line.

When testing foundations, the one tried and true way to tell if an obvious makeup line will occur is by seeing how the shade suits your skin in daylight. "The color is correct if it disappears without blending," says Glamour beauty guru Pat McGrath.

Avoid 'Raccoon Eyes'
Eye makeup is vital, but should be applied correctly and used sparingly. For example, you don’t want to end up wearing so much eyeliner it looks like you have two black holes instead of eyes.

Beauty expert Vincent Longo concurs that the easiest way to make a mistake creating dark sockets for eyes is by going overboard with eyeliner. "The most dreadful mistake I see on women is when the base of the lower eyelashes is traced with a thick eyeliner pencil -- and not blended in," Longo says.

"I have this liquid eyeliner that I love from Stila," Freeman says. "It's like a pen that applies a very thin line. In the daytime I like to wear dark brown instead of black so it doesn't look like 'too much'."

Stick to lining your eyes with a soft black or dark brown shade of eyeliner. Use the liner sparingly, lining only the top eyelid and lower lash line, skipping the water line on the inside of the eye.