Debunking Nine of the Biggest Beauty Myths

Hey Beauty Bees,

Over the past few years I have been learning alot more about makeup and beauty products then I ever have before. Up until recently, there have been alot of beauty facts that I thought to be true, only to find out that they are total myths. Today, I want to bring the truth to you about the most mentioned beauty myths I seem to overhear people talking about. Some of them are even ones that I use to believe in for a long time.

Myth: You'll never outgrow acne.

From personal experience I can state that this is in fact a myth. I am 21 years old and I have dealt with acne throughout my teenage years and still do to this day. Women in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and even 50s can have acne just like teenagers. We can blame this on inconsistent hormone levels that like to fluctuate. This seems to happen mostly around the time of our periods.

Myth: It's good when your products cool or tingle skin.

These feelings are our skin telling us that these products are not being nice to our skin. Tingling sensations is actually just your skin responding to irritation, resulting in inflammation. Products that produce that sensation can actually damage your skin's healing process, make scarring worse, cause collagen and elastin to break down, and increase the growth of bacteria that cause pimples.

Myth: Pumping your mascara brush makes for better application. 

This is not true!! This does not pick up more product, it is actually causing more air to go into the mascara tube, making your mascara dry out sooner then usual. This in turn leads to dry, flaky lashes and breeds bacteria in the tube. If you want to pick up more product, swirl or twist the mascara wand inside the tube.

Myth: There’s no way to avoid getting lipstick on your teeth. 

Wrong!! I use this trick every time I wear lipstick. Make an “O” shape with your mouth, and stick your pointer finger directly in the middle of the “O,” then pull out. The lipstick on the inside of your lips will come off on your finger, leaving your teeth lipstick free all day.

Myth: Makeup causes breakouts.

Not true, poor makeup hygiene does. Makeup it self does not cause breakouts but here are 3 things that do.

1. Falling asleep with your makeup on. Whether you just use a makeup wipe or use a full on facial cleansing routine, make sure you remember to take it off 
2. Not cleaning your brushes often enough. You can deep clean your brushes once a month, but think about using a daily antibacterial brush cleanser spray every time you use your brushes to help quickly remove traces of light makeup
3. Keeping and using products well past expiration date. I am not saying to throw out every product the exact day the package says its expired because in reality most products can last alot longer then what it says, but use common sense. If you are using a powder from 3 years ago or your foundation is getting dried out and flaky, its time to toss it and get a new one.

Myth: Match your foundation to your jawline, wrist or cheek.

You should be matching it to your neck. It is the best indicator of your natural coloring, and allows for the best blending when you apply. This one is actually new to me. For the longest time I had been using the same color from the same brand that I had picked out for me from a professional makeup artist. When I decided to branch out into different brands and types of foundation I kept getting the wrong color as I was matching it to my jawline. This was up until I went to Ulta one day and one of the awesome Benefit girls showed me the best way to test foundation.

Myth: Only some women can wear red lipstick.

This is just discrimination to women!! I believe every woman can do whatever she wants and if that is to wear red lipstick, you rock that red lip girl!! It is all about finding the right shade of red for your skin tone. There are so many variations out there that you are guaranteed to find your perfect shade, you just need to be on the lookout. It took me years of searching until I found the right ones for me. 

Myth: Apply concealer before your foundation.

Of course this is what you do...if you want to be a cake face. The opposite is the way to do it. Apply your foundation first because this will cover up most of your problem areas. Concealer is meant for more stubborn or trouble spots that foundation could not cover on its own. I know that this method definitely save me time because some days I notice that I can skip concealer completely since my foundation covered up everything it needed too.

Myth: Expensive cosmetics are better then inexpensive.

There are good and bad products in all price ranges. It is all about the formula and the product itself, not the price. When it comes to makeup, I have products from all different brands and price ranges; from more expensive brands like Benefit, Urban Decay and Too Faced to Covergirl, ELF and Maybelline. For example, everyday I switch up my eye makeup routine. One day I will use my more expensive Urban Decay Naked palette and then the next I will use my Maybelline The Nudes palette. In the end, both of them give off the exact same result of a perfect looking nude eye. It is also about knowing how to use the products correctly.

These are just some of many wives tales floating around out there. Let me know what beauty myths you hear about all the time that you know to be false.