Sometimes — in fact, all too frequently, it would appear that many of us have forgotten the entire original purpose we ever started wearing makeup in the first place. If you go anywhere out in public, you will be very likely to see at least one person who apparently seems to have missed the boat, in terms of understanding that we put on makeup in an effort to accentuate our best features and downplay our not so favorite ones. We began (and continue to) use makeup to make ourselves look better. 

Makeup Mainliners, not the Extremes
Of course, there will always be the “fringe” element of any particular dimension of life, however we are not talking about the band “Kiss,” or any of the other clowns and people whose trademark is to be entirely covered in statement makeup that obscures their real identity. We are talking about regular women who regard makeup as a part of their daily wardrobe, and as an essential component to looking their best, especially whenever they go out.

If you are among these conventional women, the following 5 tips could help you to avoid a makeup fail at any time in the future.

Too Much
Possibly the most frequent mistake most women make is in using too much makeup. Makeup should not ever become a distraction away from your natural beauty. You don’t want the first thing people notice about you to be your makeup. While it is not an intelligent and fair response, most people tend to devalue the sensibility and integrity of a woman who is wearing too much makeup. Learn what works for you, and while you can change out colors to match different wardrobe schemes, try to stick to two basic “looks:” day and evening.

Accentuating Everything 
Often, a woman with really pretty eyes will concentrate on playing them up with makeup. Same thing applies to women whose lips are their best feature. There is nothing wrong with this – in fact it is what you should  Use makeup to accentuate your strong points. A problem occurs when equal prominence is given to both the eyes and the lips. It’s best to stick with one to show off and the other can be downplayed a bit. So, if your eyes are your best feature, you can apply more makeup to them, but consequently select a lipstick shade that is subtle and neutral, and vice versa.

Using too Much or too Little Foundation 
No matter what your age is, and no matter how much makeup you use on your eyes and lips, you should always use foundation. It not only evens out your skin tones and covers blemishes, but it protects your face from the harmful effects of nature. Add to this mistake,not choosing the right color of foundation for you, as this can be the single most worst makeup fail you could ever make. Take the time and consult a specialist to find the ideal shade and sheen for you, and stick with it. Before you even commit to a particular brand or shade, try wearing it for several hours and then check to see how it looks. Even when you have little time to do more, some foundation and a little lipstick or gloss is better than nothing.

Going too Light 
While you want to find a foundation that is just as close as possible to your skin color, you never want to use one that is lighter in value than your skin tone. You don’t want to look like you might be a mime! If you must choose between a lighter and a darker shade, always choose the darker one, but again, try to keep it as close as possible to your natural skin shade.

Choosing Unflattering Lip Color
There are a myriad of beautiful shades of lipstick out there, and while they all look tempting in the store, the truth is that each of us has specific colors that can make or break a makeup job. Some women look best with corals and oranges, some look better with lipstick colors in the mauve and brown family. Not everyone can wear ultra light colors of lipstick, so try to avoid, unless you know it looks good on you. It is better to go with plain gloss than to apply the wrong shade of lipstick, so find out which color family suits you best and stick with colors in that family.