What's the most frustrating makeup "problem" you have?
It’ll always be making coming off of my nose from my sunglasses. It can be better or worse but I’ve never fully eradicated it!
— Christine
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I am yet to find the solution to not patchy foundation on my nose. Also, how to minimize my nose pores 🙁
i find that using more watery foundations (the kind you have to shake before use) helps minimise foundation settling into pores. however, if any do settle, i will use my finger to pat the foundation in and it usually works. maybe it’s the warmth. hope these help!
As a person wearing glasses this is story of my life.
Any liquid foundation immediately settles into my pores and looks like polka dots. This even happens on freshly washed bare skin. Doesn’t matter what I use to apply it, beauty blender, brush, fingers, it all has the same result.
A good pore filling primer in those areas may help. I use them and they have improved the problem forme
Creasing under my eyes. There is no concealer and no amount of concealer that I use that won’t crease. If I set my concealer then my undereyes look dry and still crease, lol.
Have u tried eyeshadow primer. I used to have the same problem then I started using my eyeshadow primer under my eye. My thinking was if it could prevent eyeshadow creasing it should, in theory, work for my under eye creasing problem as well. It did!!! Now I use it anywhere I have creasing problems! My forehead, my smile lines, etc. I prefer Urban Decay original formula lid primer. Hope that helps!?
I have the same issues and I tried several face primers to help with under eye creasing; some worked better than others, but none was full proof. At some point I started compiling combinations of primers and concealers and their ingredients, rated on how `less` or `more` they crease, to understand the `chemistry` of creasing on myself and what works. 😆 For me the best face primers are Isododecane based and contain SPF ingredients (even if it’s a mere 10-15% that actually protects nothing from sun), combined with slightly more liquid concealer formulas that contain Cyclopentasiloxane as silicone. This creases the least for me.
I heard about the eyeshadow trick and tried it; the results look slightly better than face primers, but it personally gave me milia around the eyes. The combination of talc and beeswax in most eye primers is tolerated just by my eyelids; the rest of the face hates it.
Smashbox makes a concealer primer. I also use a more liquid concealer as I find creams tend to crease more
Ugh foundation creasing in my smile lines! Have tried everything: eye primers, a dusting of powder, a little highlighter, but nothing fully solves the problem.
My skin tone! Sometimes I just want to be able to pick a product based on basic rules and have it work. No dice. I rarely get lipstick right, eyeshadow often doesn’t work as expected, even foundation comparisons are always wrong. Face/ cheek products, I just avoid. I’ve resigned myself to needing adult supervision when buying, and extra time and remover when applying.
I have accepted that I need to try on lipsticks, blushes and eyeshadows before purchasing. I wish I could do any color (especially for lipsticks), but most shades end up making me look bad or sick. And while going to a MAC or Sephora counter to try lipsticks is fun, trying blushes and eyeshadows is not.
For me, it’s the fact that I rarely can achieve good winged liner with my hooded eyes. I LOVE the look of winged liner, but it doesn’t love me, lol. Even when I get it right (trust me, I’ve tried all the winged liner for hooded eyes techniques in the book), the pigment tends to fall below my eyes throughout the day. Ugh. Well, what can a person do but try over and over again anyway? 🙂
Have you tried starting the wing from the lower lashline, and winging it out from there?
Makeup coming off the end of my nose and my chin.
I used to have a major issue with my right eye which is more hooded than my left, but I’ve figured out a way to use my ring and pinky fingers above my brow to slightly lift the area so I can blend out above crease shadows keeping the application smooth and properly diffused.
I still haven’t figured out how to best angle my winged liner for my eye shape and hood.
My eyebrows are very thin and it never fails that one eyebrow will always, always, always comes out better than the other. Usually my right is the one that always looks good.
I have serious sinus problems so my nose is always dripping., therefore I use a lot of tissue. By the end of the day there’s a bald spot under my nose and above my lip where makeup used to be! ? I have absolutely no idea how to manage it on the run when I’m out and about running errands so I just walk around with this weird thing happening just above my lip area. Wish I knew a simple fix for it.?
I can’t believe how many issues I have and how many people share them. 😀
I have vasomotor rhinitis so my nose runs a little even with the slightest change in temperature and wind; even eating warm food or an icecream triggers drips. I carry a tissue always with me and try to gently wipe the drips as soon as they appear. But the tip of my nose and upper lip slowly loose foundation during the day. 😆
Same problem! I hate using OTC or rx sprays but flonase helped temporarily. Now I take a Pearly Everlasting (plant) tincture instead for anything sinus related. It helps without creepy side effects. Cold weather and allergies seem to cause this problem for me.
Same here! I’m a daily glasses wearer and it’s so annoying. I’m thinking about maybe trying eyeshadow primer on that spot. I also have a very hard time foundation matching, since I’m extremely pale with a distinct olive undertone, but I’ve found some good matches so it doesn’t bother me like it used to.
Creasing under eye and smile lines.
Although I’m not yet wrinkly, I have an expressive face and two sets of parallel wrinkles on my eyes (it seems I always had them, even in my twenties). I tried lots of products and techniques, I can’t stop creasing; it’s just that some products crease more or less than others. It doesn’t look bad and my creases are not that deep… it’s natural to have creases, right? I think that watching all that beauty community sometimes skews my perception on creasing make-up. 😀 And no, I won’t bake outside the kitchen.
But influenced by Christine’s answer…
I don’t need glasses for vision issues, but I wear screen protective glasses with a small dioptric correction at work (when I use computers for extended time), because my eyes get dry and tired easily. Make-up will always be coming off around the nose at the end of work day, and I almost always forget to tough up. 😆
Creasing under eye and smile lines.
Although I’m not yet wrinkly, I have an expressive face and two sets of parallel wrinkles on my eyes (it seems I always had them, even in my twenties). I tried lots of products and techniques, I can’t stop creasing; it’s just that some products crease more or less than others. It doesn’t look bad and my creases are not that deep… it’s natural to have creases, right? I think that watching all that beauty community sometimes skews my perception on creasing make-up. 😀 And no, I won’t bake outside the kitchen.
But influenced by Christine’s answer…
I don’t need glasses for vision issues, but I wear screen protective glasses with a small dioptric correction at work (when I use computers for extended time), because my eyes get dry and tired easily. Make-up will always be coming off around the nose at the end of work day. I mostly try to blend the area with my fingers a little and it looks decent afterwards.
Yup, the glasses thing (I wear specs all the time so this isn’t just a “sunglasses” issue). But I think my biggest problem is simply finding a concealer that looks natural, lasts all day, doesn’t look dry as a prune AND covers my under eye circles.
Mariella, I’m following HotandFlashy on YT. It doesn’t matter that I’m in my late 30s, I have very dry eye area (+ cheeks and parts of my forehead), and her videos are really helpful. She posted a video a few days ago on “How to STOP Under Eye Concealer Creasing! Mature Skin”. She uses a combination of corrector + concealer. I promised myself to watch it again and to try her tips this weekend 🙂
Starting a couple of years ago, many eyeshadows — powder, cream, whatever — take on a pinkish/reddish tint once applied. My skin is very fair and neutral. I don’t have strong red or pink tones. It doesn’t seem to matter what skincare or eyeshadow primer I use. I have a few minimal-look shadows I can rely on — Bare Minerals’ discontinued 5-in-1 cream shadows are fine — but I miss my other shadows, especially Charlotte Tilbury’s Marie Antoinette. I don’t wear foundation; blush and highlighters don’t change color. I’m in my late forties, so other things have begun changing and may be affecting my skin chemistry. I’m trying to be patient but it’s baffling.
2 douzies!
1.) Because I wear glasses just to see three feet in front of me, yes, the bane of the nose pads from my regular glasses and prescription sunglasses picking up foundation from my nose is a huge pain!
2.) Then, because I have sparse lashes, there’s the whole mascara getting on my lid! Usually it’s the inner lid or lower lashline. But if I don’t catch it right away and it dries, then it’s a PITA to clean up or cover.
Being allergic to almost all black mascaras and some black liquid liners and black eyeshadows. Thanks to a Temptalia reader, I found out some may contain nickel, which I’m extremely allergic to.
Woah thanks. I have a problem with nickle too. I wasn’t aware it might be contributing to eye irritation when I try to wear dark liner and mascara. I’ve been avoiding mascara, liner (even jewelry) which makes me look like a hairless cat, or something. ?
I’d love to know what works for you. I also react to some latex although I love a partially latex very black liquid liner from Japan called Rubotan. Only one that stayed on but it’s extremely black and somewhat shiny.
I react to latex, too. 🙁
Mascaras – anything by Urban Decay, Tarte, Nyx, Physician’s Formula (including waterproof), Almay (including waterproof), Neutrogena (including waterproof), IT Superhero (I haven’t tried their others), and e.l.f.
Liquid liner — Physician’s Formula, Almay, Neutrogena, NYX, e.l.f., Urban Decay, Tarte, Jordana, and Wet n Wild.
It used to be under eye circles. And now it’s under eye circles and marionette lines. I own so many concealers. Viseart, YSL, Surratt, Clarins, By Terry. As to the marionette lines, I am using the NuFace with an army of skin care products you would not believe applied afterward.
Not being able to find a mascara that doesn’t leave little crumblies under my eyes by the end of the day.
My eyelids have a lot of texture, so no matter how steady my hand is, I can never do a really smooth-looking job on my eyeliner.
Also, I’m extremely nearsighted, so I can’t do my eye makeup and stand back far enough to make sure I’m getting both eyes even without popping my glasses on and off many times.
Longevity — even with quality primers and products, by mid-afternoon I need a touch up on foundation, concealer and blush. Sometimes a brightening of eyeshadow.
Definitely, makeup on the nose pieces of my sunglasses is a constant problem. I also have seasonal allergies and, when my nose gets to running, the constant blowing of my nose or dabbing at it with tissues removes the makeup. I give up! LOL. Unless I’m going somewhere special, I apply my makeup in the morning and then just forget about it.
Face sweating. Not just in the summer, but pretty much always in the warm environment. This is seriously disgusting.
I have very dry skin and foundation always seems to age me by at least 5 years. I don’t even bother with it anymore.
Hi Rachel! There is definitely no need to give up on foundation, especially given the choice we have nowadays.
I’m sure you use moisturuzer before applying your foundation. However, for my desert dry skin it is not enough, so I found a miracle worker called Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Oil, which I apply after my moisturizer. 4 drops and my skin is ready! I would strongly recommend trying. Goes without saying that you need to make sure to find foundation that is suitable for dry skin.
Eyeliners smudging from natural oil production over the day. Unless they are really long lasting (CLIO Kill Black liquid liner, Sephora liquid liner with the curved bottle), they move around part way through the day. I wish I could use more eye liner pencils for this reason
My most frustrating makeup problem is when the mascara on my eyelashes leaves streaks on my glasses.
So very annoying.
I have a hard time making both eyes come out the same. I always call my right eye my good eye, because it always looks more polished than my left. And I have tried reversing my application and doing my left eye first but it does not help.
Noone has eyes that are completely symmetrical, so you have to figure out how to “cheat” the application. If your right eye is the one you feel looks consistently best, figure out what’s going on with your left. For me, because I’ve always slept on my left side, my outer corner is the slightest bit hooded, although it’s only noticeable when I apply makeup simply following the natural contour. However, if I stop just before the end with my crease shade, and go just a bit higher with my transition shade, it makes them appear more even. It took me many years to figure it out, and although I really only do it with dramatic looks, it’s a handy technique in my arsenal.
Which is why I don’t put anything on my nose I also wear glasses just not worth the problems…… I am lucky to not need to I suppose which is helpful.
Not being able to really conceal my hyperpigmentation. I know that my daughter says that it isn’t that noticeable but frankly, it is the first thing I see when I happen to look in a mirror. I can sometimes get it pretty well hidden and then an hour later it is peaking its head out. I swear my skin in that area just eats the foundation and concealer away. I have tried every concealer out there from high end to drugstore. I have tried many “tips” incuding putting a dollop of foundation over the area and leave it to set for a while before blending, I guess to let some of the moisture absorb out. I have tried applying with a small brush and then only feathering out the periphery. I have powdered and not powdered, etc. Someday, something will work so I just have to live long enough to find it, LOL!
The only thing you can do is exfoliate it away and try color correcting. Hydroquinone can also help but if you’re not willing to use it, exfoliate, use brightening products and color correct.
I have exactly the same problem and have done exactly the same things you have done to no avail. I have also used a yellow corrector stick on the hyper pigmentation but it does the same thing. A little while later it is showing through ugh!
Hi Brenda,
Yes, I have tried yellow, orange, red and green correction simply to see if any of them would work and nothing has made a difference. I have tried Secret Camouflage because that is suppose to be the holy grail of concealers but that didn’t work either. I swear it will be perfectly covered and an hour later it is peeking out, again. I really want to try some dermatologist treatment, you know, laser, deep exfoliation, etc. but not only am I scared, I don’t want to pay an exorbitant amount and have it not work or just come back. It is one of the worst things about getting older.
Hi Deborah,
About 15 years ago I had some spots removed with laser. At that time it was $100 per spot and they were small spots. It was wonderful, they didn’t hurt at all and they healed really fast. The ones I have now are quite a bit larger so I might look into it before next summer. It sucks wearing foundation in the summer.
My shiny nose. I cannot find anything to keep my t-Zone Matte. On my forehead I do Not mind as it Looks Natural but my shiny nose is a real Problem for me.
Foundation. There is no foundation that does not separate after some time on my very oily skin. It doesn’t matter what primer I use, if I use setting spray, etc. At some point, it will separate. Some primers and setting spray will reduce the oil in some places but it ends up oily and I have to blot. Also, though it may look good at first, eventually it will fade and it will make my pores look like an orange peel.
My left eye and left eye only tears in the outer corner 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so it washes away my concealer and any eye makeup in that corner. So I look like an idiot. It’s frustrating.
Finding a lipstick that’s lasting and doesn’t fade unevenly. Also that doesn’t dry out my lips. I got bite Beauty amuse bouche lipsticks but haven’t tried them yet because I want to a photography shoot of them first.
Most eyeshadows on me just get sucked up by a black hole or something mysterious! Even with primers i don’t notice much difference. Bloody primers give me mellea breakouts and I’ve tried plenty so I have enough for the rest of my life and as vampire but won’t bother to purchase another one. Most eyeshadows from drugstores to HE just won’t stick around. Ones which tend to stick around are super shocks thank God for Colourpop! Lol!
It’s partly a skincare issue, but sometimes I get eczema on my face and it’s just hard to cover up. My usual approach is to use moisturizer, light foundation and powder, and prayer. But halfway through the day, I’ll go to the restroom, see my reflection, and notice flakes and patches of orangey face dandruff. It’s just gross. Not sure if there is any foundation, primer, or concealer that will ever cover it up, and I don’t think I’ll ever have complete control over the eczema.
1. Wearing eyeshadow longer than fifteen minutes on my extremely hooded and recently textured upper lids. Primers don’t help much and sometimes emphasise the dryness and texture more.
2. Pencil liners pulling a disappearing act or simply running (probably due to the same reason).
3. Wearing eyeliner on my lower waterline or lashline: I have round and prominent eyes, I have accepted that this will never work out for me.
All in all, I’m a lipstick lady to the core. As a dark winter type, I can pull off any dark lipstick shade as long as it’s on the cooler side. The eyes are problematic.
Makeup caking up and looking separated because of my excessive sweating!! And making the TF concealer not separate.
Plus my left eye always waters on the outer corner and destroys my makeup.
My undereye area looking dry or creasy, sometimes my concealer looks like my skin drank the liquid and all is left is dryness and some product in my fine lines that are, of course, accentuated, on top of that my nose and cheeks get oily so freaking fast no matter what primer or foundation I use, wheter mattyfing to combat oil or hydrating to avoid excess sebum production from dryness…