I’ve recently got a nice email from a Makeup Files reader: Leah.  She had some questions that I’d be more than happy to answer.  Have a look!

OMG, this site is great. That is to say, it’s coming along nicely, eh wot?

Okay, so my request: Damage control! All too often, I’ve screwed up horribly on something, and have to start over… Or do I? Sometimes remover (or water) + a q-tip works, but then when it comes time to reapply, the spot is wet, and dabbing with cotton or toilet paper doesn’t always get the job done.

Is makeup remover worth the cost?

Or is this an ounce of prevention thing. What can I do to better AVOID mistakes in the first place?

BTW: This shit takes effort! You’ve got mad skills. Seriously.

Thanks for the kind words, Leah!  Now it’s time to answer these great questions.

Fixing Makeup Mistakes

There are different techniques for fixing the mistakes you make with makeup.  It all really depends on how much you screw up, and how much time you have.

If you do an entire eye makeup look and realize that it looks like crap, do what I do: wash it all off and start over again.  This is for when you’re experimenting and don’t like the end result.

I just take some makeup remover and get rid of the mistake.  I usually wipe out the entire eye and start over.  After this, you should wait around 5 to 10 minutes for your skin to dry.  Then you can start again.  This takes time.  You should only be experimenting with makeup if you have the time to fix it up, just in case.

If you make a little mistake, such as mascara touching the brow bone, you can fix it up as you said with a cotton swab dipped in water or makeup remover.

How to Prevent Makeup Mistakes

The main way to prevent a makeup screw-up is to always go with the tried and true.  If you have a makeup look that you do all of the time and you’ve perfected, try that.  This way, you’ll only have minor, easy to fix mistakes to take care of.

This is perfect for when you don’t have a lot of time to mess around with your makeup.  Go with what you already know and what you’re good at.  Then you can take chances later when you have time to fix a major screw up. Try this for when you’re getting ready for work.

It’s Good to Screw Up

Screwing up your makeup is a good thing.  It helps you learn.  If you do some horrendous eye shadow, you’ll know not to do it again.

Then again, it may actually turn out great.  You’ll never know unless you try.

Readers: how do you fix your screw ups?

I hope that answers your question, Leah!  And if anyone else has a beauty-related question, feel free to ask: trisha@makeupfiles.com.  Make sure you mention whether it’s okay for me to post your question on the blog.  I’ll try to answer regardless, though.

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Tags: How Tos, mail, makeup, Tips and Tricks

This entry was posted on Monday, September 22nd, 2008 at 3:09 pm and is filed under How Tos, Tips and Tricks, Makeup Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.