Hair's the Scoop

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With holiday parties around the corner — and New Year's Eve just weeks away — it's time to start planning, ladies! But before you decide which of the season's top trends to model, let's ensure you've got the skills to "make it work."

To help avoid the season's most common makeup mistakes, I've enlisted the expertise of celebrity artist Amy Zdunowski-Roeder:

Dry Base
Makeup on flaky, dry skin will just intensify the effect. So be sure to exfoliate and hydrate (hydration is so important!), and use a non-alcoholic based foundation or mineral makeup to create balance.

The Dark Side
Some women will purchase their base a few shades darker because they believe they will give them that festive “bronzed” look. What happens instead? The skin looks jarringly unnatural. Foundation should always be tested in natural light, on the wrist, chin or — the best place — neck (as your neck connects your face and décolletage, you can find the best tone that will blend perfectly into both areas).

Scary “Clown”
Makeup should be fun, creative and exciting. However, it is very easy to overdo it during the party season. Simply pick ONE area to emphasize — cheeks, lips or eyes — and use a light hand elsewhere. For example, if you have bold and dramatic dark eye makeup on, complete the look with a pale lip and light, rosy cheeks.

Synthetic Brow
An over-penciled eyebrow has the tendency to look painted on, drawing negative attention to the eyes. Many, many women unknowingly make this mistake, which can be one of the hardest to break. For best results, select an eye shadow color that matches your hair color and apply with a small angled brush, using light brush strokes.

Bad Lines
Blending is the professional makeup artist’s secret weapon! It is what creates the flawless face. Important areas to blend: jaw line, cheeks (so you look flushed and not painted), eyes (when you use multiple shades of eyeshadow) and lips (liner lines — inside or out — are never flattering!).