by Elke Von Freudenberg

You've seen them, make-up looks gone bad.  Horribly bad.  So in my attempt to rid the beauty world of the overly extreme makeover, here are my all-time make-up 'please don't do this!' tips. As a makeup artist, I've seen every one.  Don't let these looks happen to you!

1. WAAAYYYY too much blush -  Blush is supposed to look natural, flushed, pretty. Think J.Low. She's got it down. Apply your blush before ANY other color on your face. If you look like you could throw on lip gloss and mascara and run out the door, you're good!

The best blush color? No, it's not fuscia. It's a pinky/peach. Look for something with  soft shimmer, a pinky/peach that looks young, fresh on anyone of any age. (J.Low and Lara Flynn Boyle rarely make an appearance without it on.) And it's all about location, location, location. Smile, tap blush on apple cheeks. Done. That's where you blush. Period. Easy.
2. The dreaded blue eyeshadow a la 1960's.  Okay, I think whenever someone is in that dreaded "color" shadow mode, it's because someone at some time said "gee! that looks great honey!" When it painfully didn't. We're suckers for a compliment. Someone likes that blazer I'm wearing and I'm wearing that thing 3 days in a row. Beauty is supposed to make you look at the whole image. Not just one thing. You want the whole you to shine.

In photography makeup, a trait of a good makeup artist is when their makeup style blends in with the whole photo. It doesn't stand out like a sore thumb.  I feel complimented on my work when someone oohs and aahs over the photo, not my work. Then I know I've done a good job.

3. Navy blue, dark blue, any blue.  - Anything with blue, dark blue or grayish blue around your eyes really brings out the dark blue undereye circle under it. Copy a color on your face that you don't like in your makeup, and it'll look worse. Way worse. Case in point: a red dress with sunburn. See? Doesn't work. Go warmer, chestnutty, bronzy in shadows and liner instead. Trust me.

4. "You're looking a little tired. Are you feeling ok?" - We've all been there. If people ask if you're tired when you aren't it's could be your makeup. Incorrect make-up color choices can actually make your skin look tired. How? By unintentionally wearing colors that have gray in them. A grayish pink blush, a grayish mauvey lipstick, a grayish eyeshadow -- even your foundation might be gray. All that gray can make you look tired by bringing out the gray in your skin.

The good news is, you don't need a facial. You need another color. How can you tell? Put your cosmetic color onto white paper. What color do you see? If you see gray, that's the culprit. And gray is the #1 added color to cosmetics. Makes me wonder how many women have run to the skincare counters to get the latest alpha hydroxy, skin brightening wonder creams, only to find out it's really the makeup that makes you look, well, you know, tired.

5. The old school overdrawn lips.  Overdrawing the lips does NOT make your lips look bigger. It can make youlook like a clown. So how do you fake the illusion? It's in the color and the shine.  Yes - shine! Start our with a lighter color, think about a nude pink.  Look for a shade that mimics your lip color, or is 2 shades deeper than your actual lip color. Apply to your lip line and not a millimeter more. Then add shine. Shine bounces light and gives the illusion of a fuller pout. Try Bobbi Brown's lip gloss. She has a different type of shimmer going on in her lipglosses that makes your lips look 3-dimensional. It truly works.

There's a lot of great make-up out there to play with.  Stay away from these common pitfalls and you're well on your way to looking fabulous.

A review of L'Occitane best sellers

LOccitane is a line of high quality body care, skincare and fragrance products made from organic essential oil and shea butter. Ive reviewed a couple of their p...

Skin sins: smoking, alcohol & caffeine

Besides the fact that smoking as well asdrinkingalcohol and caffeine are bad for your health, they are also bad for yourbeauty as these can accelerate the aging...

Tips to optimize your beauty sleep

Weve all heard or read about how sleep is thecheapest and easiest anti-aging treatment available but apparently,beauty sleep isnt just about getting enoughnoctu...

Toner, toning mist or facial spray?

I have been wondering for weeks now about the difference between a toner, a toning mistand a facial sprayand I think I have found the answer after reading Skin ...

Quench the Thirst of Frizzy Hair

Why is my hair so FRIZZY and dry, coarse or brittle? The simple answer - your hair needs moisture. 90% of us suffer with dry, brittle or frizzy hair because our...

Fame and Forgiveness

I'm the only girl in our family; I have four older brothers. When I was six, my father left our family because of marriage problems. That was the last time I sa...

How to Choose a Swimsuit That Flatters your Body

Look in the mirror in just your underwear and assess yourself frankly. Which of these describe you best? Shoulders, hips and waist about the same size. Not much...