Beauty: 10 Ways you’re doing it wrong

The only way to feel gorgeous is to act it — so don’t start your day by looking in the mirror and criticizing yourself. Instead, embrace the way you look (perceived flaws and all) and use your bag of beauty tricks to highlight your best features, whether that’s your gorgeous eyes or plump pout.

Take a look at your makeup and skin care products to make sure what you’re putting on your face didn’t expire three years ago. If it’s old, toss it. Expired skin care products won’t be as effective and expired makeup can irritate your skin.

Don’t let a beauty rut happen to you. Your go-to lipstick might be a time-tested beauty companion, but it’s fun to try new looks now and then. Each season, choose one new hue to try. You might even end up with a new favorite.

Too much makeup is never a good thing. Even if you think you’re having a “bad skin day” or trying to hide the effects of last night’s party, less is always more when it comes to foundation. Use it only where you need it most or opt for a sheer product to get the most natural look.

Not every shade looks good on every skin tone. If you’re simply choosing products based on whether you like the color rather than if it will work with your coloring, you might be using hues that don’t flatter. Ask at a makeup counter to find out which color will look the best on you.

While it might not be good to let yourself get into a beauty rut, you also don’t want to end up trying every new makeup trend that graces the pages of your favorite magazines. Pick one trend to try (and one that will work with your skin tone) rather than overdoing it.

If you’re not factoring in skin type when it comes to buying products, they won’t be as effective as you want them to be. Figure out what type of skin you have and then purchase cleansers and moisturizers based on that rather than wasting money on items that won’t do their job.

Overspending on skin care and beauty products is easy. Just walk into any store that sells them and try walking out without opening your wallet. We all want great skin but don’t go overboard. You don’t need to spend $100 or more on a face cream. Just look for items that list their “active” ingredients (the ones that are supposed to benefit your skin) in the first few ingredients mentioned. That way you know you’re getting something of quality.

You might have always wanted to have fuller lips, rounder eyes or longer lashes, but avoid comparing yourself to people who do have those traits. You have your own unique look that you need to embrace. The more comparing you do, the worse you’ll feel about yourself.

Sometimes, the situation just calls for being bold with your beauty choices. So don’t be shy — wear that glitter shadow and rock that red lipstick. Don’t do it every day (and not at the office) but do have fun with your look when you want to spice things up.