These 50 Mistakes Make You Look Less Attractive

You can buy all of the makeup out there, but if you’re applying it in poor lighting, you’re risking a major mishap. Lighting that’s too dim or too harsh can have you overapplying your makeup or not blending it in enough. Natural light reigns supreme, but since that’s not always a guarantee, have this LED mirror on hand. The travel-friendly mirror gives you concentrated lighting in three color modes with adjustable brightness, as well as a kickstand to keep the mirror hands-free.

If you’re looking for ways to reduce your reliance on your curling wand, this heatless curler set is a wildly popular choice. Backed by nearly 20,000 five-star ratings on Amazon, the three-piece set includes a plush, satin-covered rod to wrap your hair around, as well as two satin scrunchies to secure your hair in place. While you sleep, the satin rod is working to shape your hair into voluminous, frizz-free curls that don’t cause any damage.

If you’re going for that your-lips-but-better finish, you need a blurred lip liner to create that pouty effect (and a solid lip balm to keep lips looking their fullest). This lip liner features a domed tip that smudges edges rather than crisply lining them, but it can be further buffed out with your fingertips or a small brush. It comes in a range of soft pinks and browns for a totally neutral finish, but you’ll also find a few berry shades if you want your lips to look slightly flushed.

There comes a point in every gel manicure fanatic’s life when a break is necessary. Rather than go completely polish-free, this nail concealer treatment helps to strengthen nails over time as it immediately adds a sheer wash of color. Pearlescent light reflectors make nails look brighter, while ingredients like celery extract, cucumber extract, and vitamins A and E nourish nails and the cuticle area.

Unless you have your color appointments arranged like clockwork, you’ve probably experienced roots sneaking up on you a time or two. This clever root touchup spray eliminates the problem by temporarily camouflaging visible roots with pigments you can match to your hair. The lightweight, smudge-proof formula can be shampooed out, and it also helps to make your hair look fuller by filling in sparse spots and wide part lines, too.

Not only does a heavy foundation feel uncomfortable after hours of wear, but it can also create a mask-like appearance that highlights, rather than camouflages, imperfections (especially if you have dry skin). This tinted moisturizer gives you sheer coverage to even out your skin tone while still blending in seamlessly. Then, there’s its combination of rice PDRN, collagen, and peptides, which flood skin with moisture to plump up and help soften fine lines.

To keep your blonde color as fresh as possible in between salon appointments, you’ll obviously want to practice good hair habits like using a heat protectant and shielding your strands from sun and chlorine exposure. How you wash your hair matters, too, and if you’re trying to fight brassy tones, a toning shampoo is essential. When used just once or twice each week, this purple shampoo helps to neutralize brassy tones for cooler blonde and gray hair colors. The berry-scented formula also helps to restore hair’s strength and softness with hydrolyzed milk protein and moisturizing fruit extracts.

The self-tanner that you use on your body might not be the right formula for your face. For something that’s a little more foolproof than a mousse or mist, try tanning your face with these serum-like drops. Designed to be mixed in with your go-to moisturizer, the tanning drops give you a more customizable way to achieve a faux glow as you can add as many or as few as you want. The tanning drops include moisturizing ingredients like aloe vera and squalane, and they can be used to tan the rest of your body, too.

Rough hangnails and weak nails that are prone to breaking may just be in need of some moisture. Applying a cuticle oil every day helps to keep the area moisturized and better protected (not to mention it makes your manicure look nicer). This brush-on cuticle oil is easy to apply without a ton of mess, and works to condition your nails and cuticles with its blend of apricot kernel oil, coconut oil and aloe vera.

Black eyeliner is great for creating drama, but when you want your makeup to have a more natural finish, switch to this creamy brown eyeliner. The less intense pigment still lets you define your eyes, but it doesn’t run the risk of overwhelming — especially on those with fairer features.

Your dermatologist will be the first to tell you that the best sunscreen is the one you’ll actually wear. If you’re picky about your SPF, try this sunscreen-serum hybrid. The fragrance-free formula pairs SPF 50 with hyaluronic acid and vitamins C and E to moisturize, brighten, and help further protect your skin from free radicals. Best of all, it doesn’t feel like a chore to apply since it blends in without leaving behind a white cast or greasy residue.

Halter tops and backless dresses seem like a great idea, until it’s time to figure out the bra situation. If you can’t stand the sight of straps sticking out, but you don’t want to go totally braless either, this adhesive style offers a compromise. The strapless bra comes in seven sizes and four neutral colors, each one fitted with a clear clasp at the front to give you some extra support and lift.

• Available sizes: A – G
• Available styles: 5+

Thoroughly removing your makeup at the end of the day is important to the overall health of your skin. And even though you probably already knew that, sometimes it can feel like a struggle (whether because you’re exhausted, you haven’t found a great cleanser, or a combination of both). This cleansing duo doesn’t exactly save you time on nights when you’re feeling tired, but it does guarantee skin that’s completely makeup-free. Start with the cleansing oil, which nourishes skin as it breaks down makeup, sunscreen, dead skin, and oil. Then, after you’ve washed that off, follow up with the cleansing foam to gently exfoliate and soothe as you get rid of any remaining residue.

Matte primers and foundations can be helpful for those with oily skin, but when you have drier skin to begin with, a matte base can emphasize dryness and texture. This moisturizing primer gives you a dewy, fresh-faced finish with or without makeup. Amazon reviewers note that you only need a little bit of the primer, which instantly perks up skin with ingredients like rose flower water, hyaluronic acid, and hydrolyzed collagen.

When it comes to fashion mistakes, there is perhaps nothing more embarrassing than realizing you have noticeable underwear lines (usually when you’re already out for the day with no hope of correcting the error). Rather than chance choosing a pair of underwear that clings or creates ridges, add a set of seamless underwear to your drawer. This five-pack set of thongs features laser-cut edges that ensure a smooth silhouette, no matter if you’re in leggings or a dress.

• Available sizes: X-Small – XX-Large
• Available styles: 5+

Piling on the dry shampoo and not fully washing it out can leave your hair feeling weighed down and gunky. But over time, it can also dry out your scalp and lead to irritation. A weekly scalp scrub can effectively remove all of that buildup, and this two-in-one formula also serves as your shampoo. Sugar crystals combined with rice ferment, willow bark, and tea tree oil work to dislodge impurities and rebalance the scalp, while ingredients like argan oil, mango seed butter, and platinum powder moisturize hair and leave it with a glossy shine.

The right makeup prep can help your foundation and concealer sit more smoothly from the moment you apply it, but it can also give your finished look more staying power. This moisturizer pairs panthenol and skin-plumping peptides with silicones to create a silky base for your makeup. Multiple Amazon reviewers also confirm that it makes for a solid primer, noting that the moisturizer doesn’t pill or leave skin looking shiny.

Instinct says that if you’re trying to cover up something on your face, the more product you pile on, the better. But slathering on a thick layer of concealer may just create a textured finish that highlights what you’re trying to hide. This serum concealer is a lightweight formula with medium coverage that you can still build up (using the thinnest of layers, of course). It’s less likely to cake or crease, too, thanks to moisturizing ingredients, like green tea leaf extract and cica, that help to keep skin smooth.

This seamless bralette is a great solution for eliminating lines under fitted silhouettes with its clasp- and hook-free design. But it’s also just really comfortable, according to countless Amazon reviewers who report that they’ll even wear the bra to sleep in. Lightly lined and fitted with removable pads to give you some support, the bralette is completely wireless and made from a buttery-soft microfiber.

• Available sizes: X-Small – X-Large
• Available styles: 5+

Even with the right makeup prep, shine can start to pop through by lunchtime if you have oily skin or you’re dealing with warmer temperatures. That’s where these oil absorbing sheets come in. The pocket-sized papers are infused with bamboo charcoal to let you quickly blot away oil without disturbing your makeup. Best of all, they’re sold in a budget-friendly pack of three.

Heavily fragranced body washes certainly have their appeal, but most of them don’t do much in the way of moisturizing your skin. This oil-infused body wash was formulated to cleanse the skin without stripping it of moisture. In fact, once you’ve lathered up and rinsed off, the oil-to-gel body wash leaves skin feeling silky-soft with its blend of glycerin, jojoba seed oil, and sea buckthorn oil. Finally, it has a light vanilla scent courtesy of vanilla and coconut fruit extracts.

It would be great if you could just swipe on your lipstick and call it a day, but following that method is guaranteed to give you uneven color that fades faster. This lip scrub and conditioning duo is worth the extra couple of minutes it adds to your routine. Honey crystals in the lip scrub help to buff away flaky skin, while the lightest layer of the lip balm smooths and moisturizes with ceramides and jojoba seed oil. Pro tip: use the lip duo before you even start on the rest of your makeup to give the balm plenty of time to sink in.

Multiple coats of mascara are necessary for creating maximum drama for those of us who weren’t blessed with doll-like lashes. But the more you layer, the more likely you are to end up with some clumping. For fanned out lashes, carefully work this comb from root to tip just before your mascara has completely dried. The stainless steel tines separate lashes and break up clumps for a more natural-looking finish.

Evenly applying eyeliner can even be a challenge for the pros, but you’re doing yourself no favors if you aren’t using the proper tools. If you tend to end up with oversized, chunky winged liner in an effort to even things out, an angled brush will help you get more precise lines from the get-go. This synthetic angled brush lets you create the thinnest lines possible, and you can use it with gel, powder, and liquid eyeliner formulas.

Just as your underwear can create lines, a bra that doesn’t fit properly can do the same. For bras that are a little snug, these extender straps let you increase the band range without any hassle. The extenders hook on with stretchy nylon and metal hooks like a regular bra, and they even come in sets of multiple colors to blend in with the bras you already own.

An eyelash curler does the heavy lifting (quite literally) when it comes to giving your lashes a boost. Before you go in with your mascara, curl clean lashes with this classic Tweezerman tool. The lash curler is fitted with thick silicone pads to prevent sticking to or breaking your lashes, and it comes with a few replacement pads to switch out every couple of months.

A dead giveaway that you’re wearing false lashes is choosing a bulky, full strip. Unless you’re going for a purposefully spidery look, wispy lash clusters are where it’s at. The shorter, feathery mix of falsies blend in more seamlessly with your natural lashes, and they give you more ways to customize your finished look since you can play with the number of clusters and the length.

Form-fitting athleisure wear and bodysuits are comfortable and stylish enough for everyday wear. But there’s one downside: camel toe. If your favorite bike shorts are leaving you with visible lines, this camel toe concealer may be able to help you out. The silicone adhesive comes in several pad-like styles that stick to your underwear to create a smooth finish, even when you’re in your tightest leggings. Each order comes with a pack of five.

We’ve all been there before: one corner of your gel polish starts to lift, and before you know it, you’ve peeled the polish off from every single nail. This obvious no-no leads to thinner, weaker nails, as you’re ultimately picking off the top layer of your nail plate along with your polish. This at-home gel removal kit means you can safely remove your polish without booking in at the salon. While you’ll need to supply your own acetone polish, the kit comes with everything else you need, from nail files and a polish peeler to tiny clips that secure your acetone-soaked pads in place.

This makeup setting spray has won multiple beauty awards for its ability to keep a full beat in place for up to 12 hours. The aerosol-free pump disperses an ultra-fine mist that won’t dry out your skin or leave your makeup looking flat. Instead, ingredients like aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide refresh skin for a finish that’s glowy, not greasy.

If you’re using the same towel that you dry your hands off with to wipe your face after your evening cleanse, chances are you’re just transferring bacteria back onto your face. Leave your hand and bath towels to their respective jobs, and keep a separate towel handy for your face. These single-use towelettes are convenient for both home and travel use, giving you a clean towel every time you wash up. The towelettes are made from a bio-based viscose that’s so soft, it earned the National Eczema Association seal of acceptance, and they’re 100% biodegradable and compostable.

Much of your self-tanning results lie in the prep work, and that includes your application technique. For tanning foams, lotions, and sprays, using a mitt like this one to smooth the product over your skin helps to give you more even, streak-free coverage once the color starts to develop. Plus, a mitt makes it easier to tan the tops of your hands without staining your palms.

In between pedicures (or more intense at-home foot treatments), keep your feet free from calluses and cracks with a nightly cream. This fast-absorbing foot cream counts urea as its star ingredient, which helps to both exfoliate and draw in moisture. That light exfoliation, paired with other nourishing ingredients, like coconut oil and aloe vera, also makes the cream suitable for smoothing rough areas like the elbows and knees.

Putting on your sunscreen in the morning is really only half the battle. If you’re spending time outdoors, you should be reapplying every two hours. That can be difficult to do if you’re wearing makeup, but this powder SPF lets you mattify makeup as you freshen up your sunscreen with broad-spectrum SPF 30. The travel-friendly tube is small enough to fit in your purse, and it’s also a great way to keep your scalp protected, since it won’t leave your hair greasy like a SPF lotion or spray.

Finally being ready to leave the house, only to notice a line of white deodorant across your black top, is annoying. It’s also shockingly difficult to get out. Save yourself the struggle (and from having to change your outfit) by keeping these sponges in your beauty cabinet. Not to be confused with a loofah, the disk-shaped sponge works like magic to remove deodorant marks in just a few swipes.

One way to keep your bra straps hidden under tank tops and styles with a tapered cut at the back is with these bra clips. For less than $10, you’ll get 12 clips that can temporarily convert any bra into a racerback style. Since the clips work by pulling your straps together at the back, they’re also a great way to create some extra lift and cleavage.

As its name suggests, setting powder is key for locking your makeup in place. But instead of trying to color match your powder to your foundation, stick with a universally flattering translucent version. This Laura Mercier loose setting powder is a longtime bestseller for its ability to mattify skin and blur imperfections with a silky formula that doesn’t turn cakey or impart any color.

If you’re a dry shampoo devotee with darker hair, you know all too well that there’s no such thing as a truly invisible formula. In lieu of frantically brushing or tousling your hair with your fingers to try to get rid of any white residue, stop it from showing up in the first place with a tinted dry shampoo. It’s a personal favorite for preventing greasy roots without letting everyone on your morning commute know you skipped wash day. (Just be sure you don’t spray it while wearing a white shirt!)

Hot styling tools can obviously wreck the health of your hair over time, but did you know that they can also cause your color to fade? Cutting back on heat styling is ideal, but when you do reach for your flat iron, always use a heat protectant first. This blow dry primer works to sheild hair from heat damage as it creates a humidity-resistant barrier that locks out frizz for hair so shiny, you could book a Pantene commercial.

In-shower products, like a body scrub or a net sponge, aren’t your only options when it comes to exfoliating. You can also keep bumps at bay after you towel off with a two-in-one body lotion. This exfoliating lotion uses a 12% concentration of lactic acid that helps your skin to retain moisture as it gets to work breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells. The lotion is gentle enough that you can use it daily, and it’s fragrance-free for those who are sensitive to scents.

Even if you live in a studio apartment, you can find the space to store this steamer. The handheld device weighs less than two pounds, but it works in just a few minutes to smooth out wrinkles from fabrics like cotton, linen, chiffon, and silk. It was designed to be convenient for travel as well, and the 8.5-foot cord gives you more reach as you steam your clothes.

One way to give your lipstick more staying power is to line your lips first, then fill them in completely with your lip liner. This drugstore lip liner has a creamy texture that glides over lips, as well as a matte finish that plays nicely with any lipstick. Plus, with more than two dozen color options to choose from, you’ll be able to find a close shade match to every lipstick in your collection.

When foot cream alone isn’t enough to smooth thick calluses and cracked heels, it’s time to bring in the booties. These disposable booties can be worn while you binge your favorite TV show (about 90 minutes), but they completely transform feet by kicking off an intense peeling process via a blend of alpha hydroxy acids, beta hydroxy acids, and fruit extracts. The peeling actually takes a few days to start, and it can last for a solid two weeks, so plan your shoes accordingly as you wait for your pedicure-worthy feet.

Trying to grow your brows and lashes can feel like a futile effort. And while there are plenty of growth serums to try, many of them rely on ingredients with some pretty gnarly side effects to get the job done (mainly, prostaglandin analogs). For something a little less risky, try this castor oil treatment, which only uses USDA-certified organic cold-pressed castor oil. Castor oil is thought to help support lash and brow growth by conditioning and strengthening the hair, and this one gets bonus points for coming in a double-sided tube with a mini brush for lashes and a spoolie for your brows.

If you’re never sure of which makeup brush you should be using, consider skipping the brushes entirely and going for a sponge. This set of six makeup sponges (and one mini) will keep you fully stocked on the makeup artist-favorite tool for applying liquid, cream, and powder formulas. Throwing one of these sponges in your makeup bag (ideally, in a separate mini bag to keep it clean) also helps to save you from packing multiple makeup brushes when traveling.

I would gladly risk it all to pet a puppy, but that doesn’t have to mean walking around covered in hair for the rest of the day. This lint roller grabs onto every piece of pet hair, trapping it onto an adhesive sheet that can be torn right off and thrown away. In addition to pet hair, the lint roller is also convenient for keeping clothes (and even furniture) free from fuzzies and crumbs.

Hard water is one of the biggest offenders when it comes to blonde hair turning brassy. If you don’t have a shower filter, you can still help to combat discoloration with this weekly hair treatment. Each packet contains teeny tiny crystals that form a paste once you add water. As you scrunch the crystalized vitamin complex through your hair, it removes hard water minerals and impurities in about five minutes, restoring the vibrancy of your color and leaving hair feeling softer, too.

Pencils and pomades can certainly work wonders at filling in sparse brows (and even faking arches entirely). But if you’re over having to draw on your brows every single day, an at-home tinting kit can give you defined eyebrows that won’t wash off. This four-piece tinting kit comes with everything you need to mix up and apply your color. The whole process takes less than 10 minutes, and the tint holds up for four to six weeks.

If you’d rather just replace your makeup brushes than deal with cleaning them, this one’s for you. Instead of scrubbing all of your makeup brushes by hand, this USB-powered device does all of the hard work for you, spinning your brushes over a textured silicone bowl to thoroughly remove makeup residue, dirt, and bacteria with the help of a sudsy solution. The cleaning bowl works with brushes of any size, and you don’t even have to get your hands wet.

Even though you probably already know you shouldn’t be picking at your skin, it can be hard to resist popping a zit. The next time you notice a white head, slap on one of these pimple patches instead, which will help you keep your hands off. The hydrocolloid sticker also speeds up healing time by absorbing gunk over the span of six to eight hours.