Wednesday 23 March 2011

When it just goes HORRIBLY wrong....

Every now and again, I'll feel in the mood to try something a bit different from my usual makeup look. Sometimes, it'll turn out really well and it will inspire me to be more adventurous. Sometimes though, it just goes horribly wrong. Today was a fantastic example of WRONG!

It started with a lipstick. It was a colour I was unsure of but I desperately wanted to try it out. Instead of going with something tried and tested on the eye, I pulled out my palette of often neglected MAC eyeshadows. For reasons best known only to myself, I started applying Sable..... then Carbon. Surely these are eyeshadows I've already mention in my list of 'colours I don't get'? At this point, I realised I'd hit car-crash territory but rather than taking it off and starting again, I just kept on going. Once, I'd finished, I looked a reject from a Robert Palmer video.

Could you point me in the direction of the 80's music video audition?


The experience made me wonder, what do other people do when they go 'wrong' with their makeup. Do you take it off and start again? Or are you like me and when faced with a hole, you keep on digging? Are you happy to wear your mistakes out in public? I also wondered what makeup artists do. Do artists ever get it wrong or does it come off at the first sign of error?

I'd love to hear your stories and how you deal with makeup blunders. I'm desperately hoping I'm not the only one this happens to!

31 comments:

  1. Well... I think this looks lovely! I don't know what that says about me but there you go lol :-P

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  2. I've done exactly this lots of times. I usually keep going and try to dig my way out of the hole. Sometimes I will work at it off and on literally all day and SOMETIMES I can fix it.

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  3. It's funny you should say that as in the picture it doesn't look so bad. In person though.....I'll spare you ;)

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  4. Hi Miss Dress Up. I suspect that I will go back and fiddle too, I do wonder why on earth I went but eyeshadows on that I know I have trouble with. I must have been feeling very brave!

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  5. I don't think you look like a reject from a video! P'raps the lipstick is just a shade too bright, dulling it over with a deeper brown tone might help. I love the eyes though, very pretty!

    You asked what a makeup artist does with 'errors'. It's all in neutralising! If its a minimal mistake on eyes for example, most good quality shadows can be buffed well and the impact of colour 'knocked out'. You mentioned carbon, its a really good example, keep buffing it and it will disperse into the other colours, basically just strengthening their depth of colour, rather than sitting as 'black' all on its own.

    There was an infamous MAC promotional 'how to' image years ago that said it had loads of different eyeshadow colours, but to the naked eye, it would appear that none of them were actual on the model at all, but when you took each individual shade and actually worked and buffed it into the eyes, they were all there.

    buff, buff, buff....!

    if its lips, I go with lipstick first and line after, so if the colour isn't quite right, I can easily slip it off.

    Hopefully though, from a pro side, I don't get it 'wrong' all that often. On me, that's a whole other story...!

    S x

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  6. It doesn't look half as bad as my experiments! They usually involve a lot of bright, shimmery colours and BAD blending! I just take it all off and sulk for a bit!

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  7. I know what you mean. Some days I do my make up and then have to wash my face again!! At least we don't get into make up ruts XD actually never likely to happen while they are bringing out new stuff all the time :D
    Stacie @Kawaii Nail Art
    xoxox

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  8. I actually think the lipstick is gorgeous - what is it?! It looks lovely on you. I can see why you don't love it with the eyeshadow combination, especially if you've already decided those colours don't work for you. But it's a great lipstick! I can go either way, either I cannot be bothered with more make up application, and I just go out looking not to my liking and don't care, or I get obsessive over slightly unsymmetrical eyebrows or unflawless foundation, take it all off and start again. My boyfriend is a patient fellow. xx

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  9. I think you look fine.

    If I've stuffed something up I usually just play around with it and try to put better colours over the top cause I can't be bothered taking everything off and starting again, although there have been a few times when I've really stuffed up that I've taken everything off and started again.

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  10. Erm, am I missing something here? Or do I just have no taste?! I think you look lovely and whilst maybe the lippy is a hint more orange red than is ideal the eyes look great, bit more defined perhaps than you would usually do but I like it! Had a mare last friday eve, took off one lot but when the 2nd went pear shaped too I just blended it all in and added a bit of pale matt shadow on top to take off the screamingly awfullness of it! xx

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  11. I'm the same as @GlossQueen, I'll usually try to salvage what's already there. I do find that a cotton pad can remove heavy-handed blush, but the rest I can usually work with. I like heavy eyeshadow anyway :)

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  12. I actually compiled very similar colours recently on myself and it was a disaster, especially because I tried a new foundation that was just awful! I couldn't be bothered fixing it tho and went to a party- lifes too short I think!

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  13. As if I would love to look as 'wrong' as you! The lights are on, but you're not home........

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  14. If I'm not going anywhere important I'll just keep layering stuff on until I think it looks passable then forget about it and wait for it all to wear off! What is makeup if not temporary after all. xx

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  15. I will usually start over but I always feel like it is such a waste of makeup etc. to do so :S

    I think your makeup looks fine!

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  16. Getting ready for work today I think I overdid the black liquid eyeliner. I tried to fix it by adding a little shadow on top to soften the line, rather than take it off and start over again! My rule (which I don't stick to 100%) is less is more :) because it's easier to add than take away. That lip shade & blush look pretty with your skin tone :)

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  17. The same thing happened to me today. I think its because ive changed my hair colour and the makeup i started putting on just didnt look right at all lol. I just try and blend a neutral tone over to cover up and it worked pretty well xx

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  18. I cannot see anything wrong in the pic, you look lovely! I almost always do my lips last so that if the colour looks wrong, I can easily rub it off and try another colour that goes more with the eyes. I never take it all off unless my base looks wrong. I usually use my Everyday minerals Daydream blush to tone down other blushes or take the edge off eyeshadow.

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  19. well I am disappointed, from your title I was expecting something strangely spectacular! :)
    It is more colour than I am use to seeing on you but I still think you can get away with it.
    I had a mare today, I thought my eyeshadows too warm, my new foundation too dry but told myself it would be ok as I didn't have time to re-do it, sadly it was not ok, once in work I could see that I looked ill with my strange orangy eyes paired with crusty skin,fetching! x

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  20. Um, actually I really like this look!!?

    I wouldn't hesitate to replicate this look at all, I think it's pretty and fresh.

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  21. I feel bad as I realise that loads of you must think I’ve gone quite mad moaning at this picture. I don’t think the lipstick colour come out as bright and orange/coral as it was in reality. I tried for ages yesterday to take another pic yesterday so that you could see just how bright it was but as it was unexpectedly warm yesterday I looked very…..erm…glowy. You will just have to take my word for it. I will admit that I took it off for the school run too!

    @Sam: Thank you so much for this comment Sam. Lots of practical tips on how to fix mistakes, I think it’s especially useful to know as often there’s just not enough time for starting from scratch. I’m definitely going to have a go at using carbon to darken other colours.

    @Ki: It sounds like you’re not alone in sulking. Shimmery colours have often been the offenders in my mistakes too.

    @Stacie: No, definitely not in a rut at the moment! The sunshine is making me feel more adventurous too.

    @Sophie Rosalind: It’s a Lise Watier crayon. The colour is a really vibrant shimmery coral but I think it’s coming up more red in the picture. The lasting power is amazing and it felt really comfortable on. I’m intrigued to try other lip crayons now. It’s interesting how your feeling about makeup being right isn’t always the same. Thank heavens for understanding boyfriends!

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  22. @GlossQueen: Thank you, I do think it was a little more awkward than it came across in the photo. I agree that’s rare that I can be bothered to start again from scratch. The only thing that I changed in the day was the lipstick.

    @Debbie: The lipstick was super coral/orange but it really picks up as red in this photo I think. I think that’s why most people think I’m suddenly barking! I will attempt a colour accurate photo when I’m not so hot and bothered ;). It’s good to know that I’m not the only one that has these incidents. I was really interested in the tips Sam on here and the other MUA on Twitter.

    @Demps: It sounds like a lot of people prefer to keep working at rather than start over. I think in this case my mistake was my determination to wear this lipstick but really knowing what to put with it when I got it on.

    @SweetLikeJelly: I agree, life is too short to worry too much about these things!

    @Skin Scrubs: Ha ha! I have a lip swatch picture of this which I think you’d love. It’s super bright.

    @SFSC: You’re right. I don’t tend to take life too seriously and this goes the same for makeup. I’ve been really interested to read all the responses as it seems most people just prefer to keep going rather than starting again.
    @Melanie: Thanks Melanie, I think it’s the time element that keeps me sticking at it.

    @Makeup Magpie: Eyeliners definitely a tricky one. I tend to make more of a mess trying to take it off so I’ve put eyeshadow over the top before too and quite liked the effect. The blusher I’m wearing is Illamasqua Rude which is a favourite of mine in sunny weather.

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  23. @nicoletta: Oh yes, I think a new hair colour can make it really tricky. Colours you’re used to don’t seem right anymore. I shall have to have a peak at how your new hair looks!

    @Meeta: Bless you, the lipstick was much more orange in the flesh than it appears in the picture. The eyeshadow grew on me, I have to admit. I would normally put lipstick on last too but in this case I really wanted to wear this colour and put it on first then came unstuck with what to put with it. I wonder if doing things “out of order” is what threw me off?

    @Replica: I might send you the picture with the sweaty face, then you would understand ;). Orangy eyes and crusty skin doesn’t like your usual style. I’m guessing no pictures were taken that day?! ;P

    @Jen W: Ah, I think I picked out a picture out of vanity that didn’t look too bad ;). The lips were certainly brighter than they look here, I do wonder whether it’s because I’m so used to subtle neutrals that I didn’t feel confident with the look?

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  24. Hi, I'm a Makeup Artist and I would take it off and start again if it wasn't right. I don't usually get it wrong, in fact the only time I do something again is lipstick - when someone asks me for a specific colour I'll try it and realise it really doesn't go with the look. It's only makeup!

    If anyone has makeup or beauty queries they want answered please check out my blog:

    http://www.askclairemcdonnell.com/

    Love your blog ModestyBrown and think you look nice in the picture. I think a sheer coral colour would look good with those eyes.

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  25. I made a big makeup mistake boo boo yesterday. You know the technique where you use a bit of tape or a business card as a stencil to get a really sharp edge on eyeshadow? Sort of flicking outwards?

    I did that... but I guess I didn't judge very well just how DARK I was applying it and all of a sudden I looked like a drag queen...

    :-O

    I promptly removed it.

    It was godawful.

    I will try the effect again, but choose different colours and probably go easy on it!

    Makeup mistake = remove it! remove it now!

    x

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  26. I'm just catching up on posts. This is the Lise Watier crayon I sent over yes? I got sent two of them and I haven't tried it myself. It does look more red in the pic but I do remember it being a bright red/orange.

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  27. Hi Claire, thank you for your comment. I'll definitely take a look at your blog.

    Hey Clever Rabbit! Is it bad that I am chuckling at the drag queen comment?!

    Hi Michelle, yes it was the crayon. The colour is really vibrant and will be best suited for the summer for me. I totally messed up by going too heavy on the eyes.

    I felt terrible when I read the comment as with the title I thought oh gosh, I hope you didn't think I was saying the crayon was horrible? Although I was nervous about the colour, I think the crayon is amazing. The colour lasted so long and didn't dry out at all. Very impressive. I think it goes really well with Illamasqua Rude blusher too. Next time I will wear it with winged eyeliner. I still have no idea what made me hit the brown eyeshadow.

    Jane x

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  28. Hi Jane! Totally understand! I haven't tried the colour myself as I too wasn't sure what to pair with it! :)

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  29. I know the feeling all too well!
    Which is why I start with eyes first and leave the lips for last - that way by the time I have to decide on a lip color, I know which color family I'm going for!
    For some reason, whenever I start with lips, I get the same... "off" result...!

    xox

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  30. I've had things go wrong at all the worst times, so I try to only experiment when I know there's plenty of time to wash and start over if needed. If things are bad I'll generally keep playing until it's horrific, because at least it gives me some time to practice technique! I'm sure makeup artists have train wrecks sometimes, and I've seen several Pixiwoo videos where Sam just sits down to play and see what happens.

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  31. If I've gone too far on the eyes, I grab a soft fluffy brush, get some neutral matte cream or light taupe and start blending in that sucker! If that doesn't work, I grab that pink egg-shaped beauty blender and blend, blend, blend.

    If it's a crazy looking lip, I blot, blot blot with a tissue, then cover over with a glossy lip balm, then blot again.

    Crazy blush? Loose powder on a big brush over the top, then beauty blender to soften the whole she-bang.

    I am really stubborn, so I won't clean the whole face off and start again, and who has time for that, anyway? There's never too much time to apply makeup, I say!

    I hate when that heppens, though. It's hard when it's before work, and there's no time, and the reflection is giving back Frank'N'Furter or Divine. Sigh...

    :)BeautyJones

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