Middle school and high school can be a pretty tragic time when it comes to makeup, discovering your style, and avoiding fights with your parents on what’s appropriate or not. Today I got to go on Portland’s AMNW and talk about common mistakes teens make in the beauty department. If you are a teen, here are some tips to avoid a beauty blunder. If you are a parents, here are some tips to either pass on to your teen, or perhaps….take note of yourself.

1- Not Having a Good Skincare Regimen: Before you invest in makeup, you should know how to properly take care of you skin. I truly believe that it is best to wear as little foundation on your face as necessary and in order to do that, you need to start taking care of your skin now. This means getting on a skincare program that is suited for your skin-type, making sure to wash your face morning and night to get left over makeup, sweat, and oils off your skin. Skincare basic should be cleanser, exfoliator, moisturizer and SPF. If you suffer from acne (and I say “suffer” because I had it…I know how you feel) the best thing to do is to see a dermatologist and stop testing out a million over-the-counter products on your skin.

2- Too Much Foundation: Like I said, if you don’t need it, there is no reason to wear it. My goal when doing a clients makeup is to make it look like they aren’t wearing any at all. Instead of caking it on, use something that is light in texture like the Shine control foundation from Neutrogena. You can even mix that with your moisturizer and make it a tint. If you have a blemish you are wanting to cover up, just use concealer on that spot and tap it in with a your (clean) finger.

3- Wrong Foundation Color: This is one of the hugest mistakes I see teens (and adults) make all the time. Either it’s too light making you appear really washed out, or it is 5 shades too dark. A lot of teens want to look tan so they think a darker foundation will do the trick. Nope, it just really looks bad. So instead of trying to find the right shade by yourself, go to a makeup professional who can match you and make sure you are wearing the correct shade of foundation. If you can’t do that, go to a drugstore that will allow you to return your makeup, choose 3 shades that are close to your skin coloring and swatch them all on you jaw-line. Then squint your eyes while looking at the 3 shades and whichever shade disappears as you squint is the one you should keep.

4- Too Heavy of Eye-Makeup:I know it’s so fun to experiment with eye makeup, but less truly is best for an every day look. When it starts to look a little raccoon like, we have a problem. Try something simple like an eyeshadow stick that is fast, but still gives you a pretty look. Also, if you must wear eyeliner- choose a dark brown shade instead of black. Learn to be really light handed with your eyeliner by making small little dots close to your lash line and then smoothing it out with an angled liner brush. For mascara, finding one that is both thickening and lengthening will allow you to get a good look with just one coat. But if you know that you are a mascara junkie and will add 10 layers instead of 1, choose something that is just lengthening and not thickening. Your lashes should look natural, not spidery and clumpy and there is no need to spend 20 minutes on your lashes by separating each one with the end of tac or pin like I did at 16. Just use a lash comb, be careful with how many layers you apply, and walk out the door.

5- Over Tweezing Your Brows: This is something that unfortunately we all have probably done at some point. When I was a teen, mine looked like Nike signs; it was wasn’t a pretty look. To avoid making my brow blunder, see a brow specialist who can wax or thread your brows, then teach you how to maintain that shape if you can’t afford to go back in for regular maintenance.

NOTE TO PARENTS: To avoid the “fight” altogether on what’s too much and what’s not–take them to a makeup professional that will teach them how to apply their makeup. It will be fun, and a great memory as well.

xoxo-Kendra

4 Comments

Cindy Jacobson says:

April 3, 2013 at 4:35 pm

great tips I’ll share with my daughters. Thanks Kendra!

- Kendra Stanton says:
  
  April 4, 2013 at 2:36 pm
  
  Thanks Cindy! Glad you like it and I seriously wish I had these tips when I was a teen!
  
makeupbymerry says:

May 16, 2013 at 8:49 pm

In the teenage age I prefer the mineral and natural makeup. So I prefer to buy an organic natural products for them. I also believe that your eternal beauty is more important so would prefer to take a healthy diet with lots of water and fresh green veggies and fruits.http://www.makeupbymerry.com/

- Kendra Stanton says:
  
  May 17, 2013 at 10:28 am
  
  I agree, it is absolutely 1,000 better to take care of yourself on the inside than on the outside. Great perspective! Thanks for your comment. xo

5 Teen Makeup Mistakes

xoxo-Kendra

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