Makeup is supposed to enhance your appearance, but make one wrong move and that eyeliner or bronzer can quickly make you look worse instead of better. Top makeup artists Tayaba Jafri, of Laura Mercier, and Amy Zdunowski-Roeder, of FACE atelier, have offered BV some tips on how to avoid some common makeup sins.
Concealer, Unconcealed
BV: What is a common mistake some women make when applying concealer, and what are your tips to avoid the "raccoon effect" that some make a mistake doing when applying concealer around the eyes?
Zdunowski-Roeder: Rihanna is a naturally beautiful girl! As we can see in this picture, her concealer is not only applied around her whole eye, but too far down her cheek, which doesn't blend with her skin-toned foundation. Avoid this by dabbing the concealer on the inner corner under your eye and blending it downward to the recessed area under the eye. Blending is critical and the result will be a brighter more composed overall look.
Jafri: In this photo, the makeup on her face looks sheer, and her concealer area has a masque effect, not just because the color is too light, but there's also way too much. Concealer is the most over-used product in cosmetics. Usually the color chosen is too light. Truly, less is more when it comes to concealer. Its best to chose a concealer that is high in pigment so you use even less to cover and correct. I suggest that before applying concealer, try using a sheer brightener such as, Laura Mercier's Secret Brightener ($30, www.lauramercier.com).
There isn't a make up bag that exists without eye shadow. Yet it can be one of the most misused products we own. In many cases, when a woman purchases eye shadow, the make up consultant behind the counter suggests shadow colors, offers overwhelming advice about how to apply and then out the door she goes -- probably in a state of confusion. How do you know if you've purchased the right eye shadow for your specific eye shape to make them shine their best? Do you even know your eye shape? 
