The foundation mistake you might not even know you're making (and how to fix it)

Some foundation issues grab all the headlines, like wearing a shade that's several ethicities too dark or failing to blend past the jawline. And while this one isn't nearly as obvious a boo boo, it still has the capacity to make the face look strangely featureless if it's not rectified.

“It” is not wiping off lips and eyebrows to ensure that they're free of foundation after application, and everyday I have to suppress the urge to run up to random women with a damp muslin cloth to sort out this simplest of foundation faux pas.

"Er... Where'd me brows go?"

The thing is, even if you're not actually daubing the stuff onto those areas directly, liquid foundation in particular has a strange ability to migrate from the edges of the tool you're using to apply it and provide lips and brows with a film of coverage. It's a particular problem for those who use a brush to put on foundation (the MAC 130 is my own weapon of choice) and, like forgetting to paint some colour back into your cheeks with blusher after applying a full coverage base, that migrant foundation leaves the face looking blank and can contribute to dry skin problems under the eyebrow hair.

Happily, there's an easy fix. Rub a damp cloth through your brows and over your lips to remove the excess make-up after you've applied foundation (you may need to use a small amount of make-up remover to shift heavier formulations.)

Simples!