Make-up pro warns against 'horrific' beauty mistakes adding years to your face

THE very thing you think is helping you turn back the clock could be making you look years older.

That’s right, there are certain makeup mistakes that can highlight wrinkles, leave your eyes looking droopy and make your face look saggy.

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Makeup artist Alison Gay, known as alisongaymakeup on social media, explained the common mistakes people make all the time when applying their everyday products.

The first error is usually too much concealer, the beauty pro explained.

“If you want to go ham on your concealer then be prepared to have lots of crepey liney skin,” she said.

The problem is that “overloading” your concealer will leave your under eyes dry, she added.

“Your eye bags will look absolutely horrific and worse than they were, not to mention you will look 100,” Alison continued.

So, instead of piling on the product, remember that a little goes a long way when it comes to concealer.

Alison recommended using a tiny amount on just the inner and outer corner of each eye, making sure to fully blend it out with a fluffy brush.

But if you want to go the extra mile, Alison suggested adding a spritz of setting spray to a sponge and blending it further.

“This will help lock it in place and give you that moisture that you so need,” she explained.

Contour placement is also important to get right – and you should never apply a random stipe under your cheekboke.

Not only will this look messy, but it will “drag your face right down.”

The product placement should be much higher than most people realise, and you should then create a V-shape towards your temple, before carefully blending everything out.

Most importantly, when blending make sure it never goes further than the tail of your brow, the beauty pro noted.

And finally, when it comes to perfect blush placement, smiling and applying the colour on the apples of your cheeks is a huge no-no.

Sure, it might look good as you’re applying it, but as soon as you stop smiling the placement will be much lower than your anticipated.

When you relax your face, Alison explained that your cheeks drop, and it can make them look “saggy”.

To do it like a pro and avoid looking older, she said you need to put your finger on your cheekbone and only apply the product to the area above the line.

And once again, less is more when it comes to blush.

Since posting the helpful clip, Alison’s tips have gone viral online withs hundreds thanking her for the easy to follow advice.

One said: “Doing my concealer as you directed was a game changer for me.”

A second agreed: “I’m 60 and really appreciate these tips, especailly the concealer.”

“Totally agree with the concealer, I stopped and do it as you described now,” another said.

“So good to see the advice on a real face! This is actually so helpful,” someone else commented.

Biggest beauty mistakes

Fabulous’ Beauty Editor Tara Ledden has shared the do’s and don’ts when it comes to beauty.

“No matter how much time and money you spend on your beauty routine, if you’re not getting the basics right, the rest is wasted.

“There aren’t many non-negotiables, but these are the biggest beauty mistakes sabotaging your regime.”

• Not wearing SPF: Sun-damage is the main cause of premature skin ageing, so if you want to keep your skin looking plump and glowing, sun cream is vital. 
• Using expired products: Best case, they’re ineffective and don’t deliver the results they promise, worst case they cause irritation and infection. The shelf life of beauty products differ – for example, mascara is usually good for 3-6 months while lipstick can last for 9-18 months. Check the ‘POA’ symbol on the packaging (it looks like a jar and will have a number inside for how many months it’s safe once opened. If you can’t remember when you opened your product, throw it away and start again, marking the month and year with a permanent marker on the packaging. 
• Not knowing your undertones: If you’re using make-up with the wrong undertones, it’ll never look natural no matter how much you blend it! An easy trick to work out whether you have cool, warm or neutral undertones is to check the veins on your wrist – if they look blue, you have cool undertones, if they’re green, you have warm and if they’re a mix you have neutral. 
• Skipping heat protector: It might feel unnecessary, but much like sun damage on the skin, excess heat is the most common cause of hair damage. So, if you want shiny, healthy hair, or you’re trying to grow it longer, using a heat protection product is key. 
• Not washing your face before bed: it’s as simple as this, if you’re not washing your face before you go to sleep, everything that’s been on your skin during the day is sitting there for even longer, clogging your pores and drying out the surface. Any skincare applied on top isn’t going to be effective with a layer of dirt underneath, and you’re probably going to end up with dirty pillows too – yuck!