Forget blush overdose and clumpy mascara – here are 3 basic makeup mistakes that are simple to solve, and subtle enough that you might not even know you’re making them…

1. Not applying enough moisturiser
Do you skimp on moisturiser in case your complexion ends up looking oily..?
Don’t! Moisturising the skin before makeup application is essential for a number of reasons. Firstly, it nourishes and hydrates the skin like no makeup product can. It also creates a barrier between the skin and our cosmetics, smoothing and protecting the surface of the skin to allow for more even makeup application. Do you notice dry, flakey and cakey patches appearing on your face throughout the day? This can be down to a few things; but one of them is a lack of moisture. If you’re skimping on moisturiser because you’re afraid it will make your skin look oily, then you’re probably using the wrong moisturiser!
The trick is to choose a moisturiser that’s suited to your skin type:

For oily or combination skin, we love:
Oz Goddess Balancing Moisturiser, Mokosh Face Oil for Oily Skin

For dry, dehydrated skin, we love: 100% Pure Jasmine Green Tea Moisturiser, Mokosh Rich Face Cream

Aggressive anti-ageing without the chemicals!

For sensitive skin, we love: Raw Gaia Living Hemp Moisturiser

For acne-prone skin, we love: If your skin is very oily 100% Pure Purity Spot Treatment If your skin is dry in patches Oz Goddess Balancing Moisturiser

For mature skin, we love: The Little Alchemist Anti-Ageing Defense Complex, 100% Pure Super Fruits Reparative Cream

2. Skipping the primer
We think primer is one of those things you don’t realise you need, until you try it!
A good primer will ultimately double the performance of your foundation. Because primers are designed to smooth and prepare the surface of the skin for makeup
application, foundation goes on smoother, spreads better and more evenly, and stays on longer.
Because most synthetic primers contain silicones, it’s difficult to find a natural primer that performs in the same way, and gives the skin the same ‘slip’ that primers are so famous for.
We love Vapour Organic Beauty’s Stratus Instant Skin Perfector, available from the Vapour website.

3. Using the wrong colour foundation /concealer
This is a mistake made all-too-often!
The trick here is to avoid relying on your foundation to add colour and depth to your complexion. Your foundation should be the same colour as the skin on your face and neck – no darker. Once you’ve applied your foundation, you can then contour and add colour by using bronzer, highlighter or blush (or all three!).
Your under-eye concealer should be ever-so-slightly lighter than your foundation, to brighten the area. Yellow-toned concealers will help to disguise the blue in under-eye circles.
The concealer you use on your blemishes should be the same colour as your foundation, or slightly lighter if it’s not possible to get an exact match. Using a concealer in a green shade first can help to disguise redness in the skin.
Whether you should apply your concealer before or after your foundation is a topic of hot debate. We find that applying under-eye concealer first, then foundation, then concealing your blemishes, gets the best results – but this is a personal thing and will also depend on what kind of products you’re using. The easiest way to discover what works for you is to experiment!

Do you have any helpful tips for flawless makeup application? Have you tried any great natural makeup products? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Until next time..xx