Let’s just state the fact that there are absolutely no rules when it comes to makeup. No one ever created a book of makeup laws, so where are people coming up with these things?
It IS fun to experiment, and it’s good to always be open to trying new things. You might discover things that look amazing that you never would have expected. Also, you might realise that after years of avoiding burgundy lipstick cause your mom’s friend’s sister’s cousin told you that it won’t suit you, it actually looks super good.
Here are a few of the most common makeup myths and why they are in no way correct:
You have to wear foundation for a full makeup look
If your skin doesn’t need the coverage, opt for a tinted moisturiser instead. Some people have really good skin and only wear foundation because they think they need to, even though they really don’t.
You can’t pull off a smoky eye look if you have small eyes
To be clear, ANYONE can have a smoky eye look; there is no rule against that. It’s all about how dark/intense you make it look. Smoky eyes don’t always have to be black; you can create a beautiful smoky eye using brown or even burgundy eye shadow. It’s all about blending in the right direction to make smaller eyes appear wider.
You need to match your makeup to your dress
The person who decided to create this myth had no idea how good plum-coloured eye shadow looks with brown eyes, and how it really doesn’t matter if your dress is green and you’re not wearing green eye shadow. If you’re going to match eye shadow to ANYTHING, it should be your eye colour, and you don’t even need to do that. Go crazy!
Brides always have to wear neutral eye shadow
We all love the idea of a natural-looking bride, but there is no law against having smoky eyes at your wedding if it looks good. Maybe the natural look doesn’t suit you as well as an intense look does, so there is no harm in going with your instinct – despite what your mother-in-law thinks.
You shouldn’t wear nude lipsticks if you have fair skin
For starters, anyone can wear nude lipstick. It’s just about finding the right shade to suit your skin tone without making you look too pale or washed out; there is no universal shade of nude lipstick. With fair skin, you should go with a nude shade that has a slight pink tint to it.
Intense mascara and red lipstick look trashy
Dolled up lashes with loads of mascara look insanely good, and red lipstick is classified under one of the most elegant signature red carpet looks. So, who decided that they look trashy together? Wear red lipstick with pride, and apply 5 coats of mascara, because no one can make rules for you.
If you apply makeup too early before an event, it won’t last perfectly all day
Makeup can last up to 15 hours if you want it to. Wear an eye shadow primer to keep your eye makeup in place all day, wear a skin primer before your foundation, and then apply either a fixing mist (yes, they work!) or loose setting powder to keep everything in place. You’ll be good to go for hours.
You can’t wear eye shadow in the morning
You can absolutely wear eye shadow at any time of the day; it’s a matter of creating the right look. If you do an eye “contour” with nude and brown eye shadow, that’s a subtle morning look that just gives your daily look a slight boost.
You can’t wear a dark lipstick colour if you have dramatic eye makeup on
You don’t have to pair intense eye shadow with nude or plain lips. You can always pull off dark lips with intense eyes. It’s one for the daredevils, but there is no law against it – it actually looks really good when you go full drama for a night out.
Seriously, ignore every fake rule you hear about makeup and just use the following statement as your general guide – if you look good, then you’re doing it right!
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By: Nada Motawe
