I’m generally a rule-abiding person, but some rules were made to be broken, and the beauty industry definitely has some of those! Some beauty rules are so specific or mystical that not even the beauty experts concur, and we’re all being told completely conflicting advice at all times. What’s a girl to do? Here are the beauty rules that I’d recommend experimenting with breaking. You might find that you prefer sticking to the rules, or you might discover something great, but either way, you’ll know for sure what suits you.
Where do you stand on this? Some people love make up brushes for applying make up. Others love sponges – you can’t beat a good foundation sponge! Others love their fingers. Unless you’ve tried them all, though, you can’t really decide what gives you the best finish. Try applying your primer, concealer and foundation using your fingers, and see if you can spot a difference. For things like eyeshadow and blush, you’re better off sticking with a brush!
Were you taught to skip your lower lashes when it comes to liner and mascara? We’ve started to reclaim on the eyeliner front, but you’d be surprised how many girls don’t mascara their bottom lashes because someone once told them not too. It really doesn’t make your eyes droop, or make you look older. If you’re wearing mascara on your upper lashes, your lower lashes can look short and dull in comparison, so try spreading the love and applying mascara all round. I do.
Looking for a bold look? Smokey eyes and a bright red lip is totally fine. As long as your bold looks are balanced and you don’t look like a clown, you’ll look gorgeous. So, eyes and lips = yes. Eyes, lips and cheeks = No. Boobs and legs = Not really.
I’m a threader – I just can’t tweeze my eyebrows. To make it easier, beauty experts started to advise people not to tweeze above the eyebrow, to protect the natural shape and arch of the eyebrow. All good, right? Apart from sometimes you have straggly hairs above the eyebrow that you need to sort. Sometimes you just need to create some more definition, too. Professionals will groom above and below the eyebrow, so you can too.
Most people's eyebrows are slightly darker than their hair. It’s true! You can’t usually tell, unless you’re really close to someone’s face, but it’s not a perfect match. It doesn’t need to be, either. In fact, dying your eyebrows is a bad idea. It can lead to a weird salt-and-pepper look when it grows out, and it’s a lot of effort. It’s totally okay to dye your hair and not your eyebrows – it’s all over the catwalk, and I don’t see them being criticized. Rock your brows the colour that you like, regardless of how you’re wearing your hair.
Back in the 80s, blue makeup became a bit of a nightmare, so beauty experts stamped on it by declaring it BAD. Sales stopped, and companies switched to other colours. That bad label has carried through, though, and it’s a shame. Blue suits almost all eye colors, and it looks really cool. Try using a navy blue liner, if you’re cautious, or go all out with a smokey blue eye. It’s really striking, and applied right, it looks totally gorgeous.
Blush goes on the apples of your cheeks, right? It makes sense – its replicating a natural flush, and that’s where all the color comes from. Apart from it doesn’t look at all realistic, unless your target look was “Barbie” or clown. Try sweeping upwards from your apples to your ears, and adding a small swipe over your nose for a more natural finish.
These aren’t the only rules that drive me a bit scatty – dark colors in the winter is another! Why, when we all need a colorful boost, are we all wearing dark shades and looking sad?! Which beauty rules would you love to see chucked out?