11 Bad Beauty Habits to Stop Now

Are bad makeup habits preventing you from reaching your full potential? We’ve all been guilty of committing a few beauty faux pas over the years – but that doesn’t make them any less of a mistake. Your missteps might seem harmless now, but once they become routine they’re much harder to break.

On top of being unsanitary (and a little gross!) they can be bad for your skin, nails, and hair, along with your general health and well-being. Check out our list of the top bad beauty habits below, and find out how to break them.

Sleeping in Your Makeup
If you don’t remove your makeup before going to bed, products can build up and clog your pores. This leads to breakouts – which no one wants. Keep a stash of our Organic Cosmetic Wipes in your nightstand for when you’re too tired to fully wash your face before it hits the pillow.

Never Cleaning Your Brushes
We know it’s a hassle, but it should be done every few weeks at a minimum. Use an inexpensive dish soap or simple brush cleanser to thoroughly rinse your brushes and then lay them out to dry overnight. If you’re in need of a new set entirely, our Professional Brush Collection will do the trick.

Not Applying Moisturizer Before Foundation
Moisturizing before putting on your makeup is one of the most important parts of your beauty routine. If you skip this nourishing step, your skin will become uneven and dry – this forces makeup to stick or cling differently to parts of your face. Try our Seaweed Nourishing Moisturizer for all-purpose protection.

Overplucking Your Eyebrows
Going too thin is never a good idea. If you do overpluck, use our Cream Brow Pencil to give your brows some extra volume before they grow back. It will shape, fill in, and define to help you achieve natural-looking arches without harsh edges.

Pumping Your Mascara
The truth about pumping your Mascara? It pushes more and more air into the tube, which causes it to dry out faster. Instead, gently swirl the wand inside the container or simply pull the wand out once and apply multiple coats of mascara.

Forgetting the SPF
Using sunscreen on your face everyday has a multitude of benefits – it prevents wrinkles, discoloration, and blotchiness, as well as more serious conditions like skin cancer. It’s an easy step to add to your routine, and it’s definitely worth it.

Using Your Lipliner Only to Line
No one likes being left with a harsh lip line. To prevent the problem, apply Lipliner along the upper and lower lines of your pout and then blend the color into the middle. You should basically be filling in your entire lips before adding Lipstick into the mix. It will keep your color more natural and even, and will make your pucker seriously pop.

Not Blending Your Foundation
When applying a full face of foundation, we often stop at our chin or jawline. This creates the impression that you’re wearing a makeup mask. To break the mistake, blend your Foundation past your jawline and into your neck with a Kabuki Brush or Sponge – use Bronzer on top for a seamless finish.

Biting Your Nails
Chewing on your nails might be one of the worst bad beauty habits of all, and also one of the hardest to stop. But do you really want everything you touch to end up in your mouth? Definitely not. Keep your nails neat with our Manicure Kit and polished with our Tropical Cool Nail Collection to prevent unnecessary biting.

Using Your Hand to Foundation Match
Admit it, you’ve definitely tested Foundation on your hand to see if it matches your skin tone. The obvious problem with this is that the makeup is going on your hand. Always spot-test it in at least two places on your face to find the best match – we recommend your upper cheekbone near your ear and along your jawline.

Holding Onto Old Products
We’ve touched on this before, but when it doubt always toss it out. Keep the following makeup expiration dates in mind: Typically, mascara and concealer are only good for six months, liquid foundation lasts for six months to one year, lipstick can last for two years, and eyeshadow, pressed powder, blush, and eyeliner is good for three years.