Biggest beauty sins

Just Be’s beauty editor Nadia Stennett lists off the most common beauty sins women commit, and how to avoid them.

Trying to change your skin colour
Women are notorious for selecting foundation that is two or three shades darker or lighter than their natural skin tone, in an effort to achieve their ideal complexion. The results are never good. A white face and a brown body (or vice versa) is not a becoming (or natural!) look. Instead, if you’re desperate to whiten your complexion, try a skin whitening cream, like SK-II’s Whitening Source Derm Brightener ($195.00) or if you’re determined to have a bronze glow, invest in a great all-over face and body tanning system, like Ella Bache Great Facetan Without Sun ($38.00) and Ella Bache Great Tan Without Sun ($40.00).

Squeezing and picking at your zits
When you squeeze at a pimple, a tiny amount of puss generally stays behind, underneath the head of the pimple where you are squeezing. The pressing and squeezing motion causes this puss to go deeper into the skin, resulting in prolonged redness. For a much more effective attack, try a treatment containing a highly concentrated solution of salycic acid like Yes To Tomatoes Clear Skin Acne Spot Stick ($14.95) right on the head of the pimple three times a day. The pimple should disappear in as little as 48 hours.

Sleeping in your makeup
No matter how tired/drunk/lazy you are feeling, do not ever do this! It can not be emphasized enough how bad a single night’s sleep in your makeup is for your skin. During the day, your skin’s natural oils and environmental debris get trapped in your makeup, so it’s essential to remove it as soon as you get home. Leaving it on will cause the oil and dirt under your makeup to fester into a nasty breakout, so don’t do it ladies!!