7 Deadly Makeup Sins

Don't commit a crime against your own face. Here are seven makeup mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. Not wearing any. Sometimes people think it's an all or nothing deal, that they don't "do makeup" or that only high-maintenance women wear it. Almost everyone can benefit from some makeup. It takes minutes or even seconds to use something to even skin tone and cover dark circles, add a little blush or bronzer to warm up the skin, or a bit of lip gloss.

2. Dark liner with light lipstick. Though commonly cited as a makeup "don't", this look still surfaces from time to time on people who have no idea what effect they're creating. Select a lip liner that matches the lipstick.

3. A line at the edge of the jawline where the foundation ends. It should be blended with a sponge or brush so as not to look too obvious.

4. Underestimating the power of nice eyebrows. Cleaning up stray hairs and having nicely shaped brows has a dramatic effect on the rest of on the rest of the face. pencil-thin brows are no longer in style; the goal instead is a nice arch that looks tidy and compliments the face.

5. Clumpy lashes. Lashes should be combed out between coats of mascara, using an eyelash comb. Another useful tool is a heated eyelash curler, which achieves the curl in the eyelashes before application of mascara.

6. Bare skin showing between eyeliner and the eyelashes. There shouldn't be a gap between the eyeliner and eyelashes. You can fix this by lining as closely to the eyelashes as possible. You can also come back in with an eyeliner pencil or a liner brush dipped in gel liner, to fill in any gaps in your application. This way your eyeliner will truly accentuate your eyes, rather than saying "hi, I'm wearing eyeliner!". Another way to give eyeliner extra oomph is tightlining. This is taking an eyeliner brush, dipping it in cake or gel eyeliner, and pushing it into the base of the eyelashes. By applying eyeliner to the base of the lashes you make them look thicker in a very subtle way.

7. The wrong lighting. Apply your makeup in the same type of light in which it will be viewed so you know what you're dealing with. For instance, in the daytime it is best to apply makeup using natural light. That way you won't be taken by surprise by what you see in your car mirror on the way to work, when it's too late to fix it.

Have fun and remember that skillful application of makeup is always in style!