Closeup portrait of woman with makeup brushes near face
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Fix Makeup Mishaps With These 6 Hacks

You’re putting on your makeup and everything is going great. Your look is coming together. You figure today is going to be your day to shine. Then the dog barks or the phone rings, and you’re left with a harsh eyeliner streak leading from your eye to your hairline. But don’t reach for the makeup remover and start all over. There are several ways to easily fix those dreaded makeup mishaps.

Careful With The Makeup Remover

If you need to fix makeup mistakes, you can still reach for the makeup remover, but go easy with it. Simply put a little on a Q-tip, and remove only what makeup you need to. You can also find cotton swabs that come covered with makeup remover already.

Your New Best Friend: A Damp Makeup Sponge

If you put too much makeup on, be it blush, foundation or eyeliner, just lightly dab the area with a damp makeup sponge. Go very light with the sponge to take off any excess, as you don’t need to remove all the makeup. Once you’ve removed some of the makeup, blend the edges of the makeup mishap with your finger or a brush so it looks natural and like part of the rest of the look.

A Plain Brush Can Fix Your Woes

If you added too much of a powder-based product, like blush, eye shadow or a powder foundation, a simple soft makeup brush will do the trick. It shouldn’t have any product on it. Light flicking motions will remove any excess powder. Then use the brush to blend any obvious edges.

Cover Lipstick With Concealer

If you smudged or overdrew your lipstick, it can be hard to remove pigment-heavy lipsticks delicately. So simply outline your lips with a concealer and cover with a translucent powder. That way, you won’t have to wipe the lipstick away and start all over again, so you’ll be saving product.

Fix Crushed Powder

Maybe you didn’t mess up your face. Maybe you dropped your powder makeup, like your eye shadow, and now it’s all cracked and hard to evenly distribute on a brush. Fear not. You can add some Vaseline to make a cream-based formula. Simply ground the broken makeup until it is a fine powder. Mix enough of the powder with some Vaseline to create a cream, but still have the color intensity you desire. No more tragically broken makeup.

De-Clump Mascara

If you put on too much mascara, or used a low-quality product, that can be an easy fix. Simply wet a spoolie brush and lightly run the brush over the clumps until they are teased out. For waterproof mascara, opt for a makeup remover to dip your spoolie brush in.

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