Let’s Gloss Over It: Women Share Their Biggest Beauty Blunders

We all have that one beauty slip-up we hope nobody remembers, don't we?

Sometimes, when I'm mid-eyeshadow application and wielding my glitter-dipped brush, I find myself commending how good I've gotten at doing makeup. Not to toot my own horn or anything (though that's exactly what I'm doing), but I know when to give myself due credit. As someone whose appreciation for beauty started relatively late and who only learned how to wing her eyeliner two years ago, I'd say that this is one of those times when I deserve a little horn-tooting. My skills aren't comparable to those of a professional and I still can't nail a smokey eye to save my life, but my skill set has seen some vast improvements on the beauty front––especially when I look back on all the times I hilariously fucked up in the name of beauty.

Between making that impulsive, stress-induced decision to go for bangs, bandwagoning on a downright unflattering makeup trend or committing to a harmful skincare routine for years before achieving a state of enlightenment, beauty blunders are something of a necessary evil. As convenient as it would be to pretend they never happened, a little revisiting won’t hurt anyone (besides our pride), right? The thing about mistakes is that as much as making them sucks in the moment, they’re a meter for improvement in hindsight. 

To prove that point and kick off what will hopefully become a space where we can collectively laugh at all the messes we’ve made, I’ve asked several women––all of whom are well-versed in the realms of skincare or makeup––to tell the tale of their biggest beauty blunder. If they moved on and learned from their mistakes, trust us: so can you. Have a good, well-deserved laugh as you scroll through their stories below, or chime in with your own horror stories in the comments!

RELATED: I Tried Getting Pink Hair and Got Haunted by My History with Boxed Dye

Lea Guangko, Hair and Makeup Artist

My biggest beauty blunder happened a few years ago when the 10-step-skincare was highly raved about. I tried it out for myself hoping to achieve the Korean glass skin look, but ended up breaking out instead. Though it may work for some people, it sadly didn't work for me.

Since then, I started to simplify my skincare routine and only used what I think my skin needed at the time, that’s when I achieved the best results!

Lea's hair and makeup work spans from event to commercial to editorial. Check out what she's up to by following her on Instagram!

Krisha Gaffud, Artist, Stylist and Beauty Aficionado

I used to be obsessed with everything Kylie Jenner did, so I'd do the Kylie Instragram brow, which was this arched sharp black brow, with my thin straight brow. It was actually initially done by Hrush Achemyan and I tried to incorporate it into my [routine]. I was a university student at a time and mostly broke, so I used eyeliner for everything––even my brows.

The results were horrible. It looked like a sharpie brow. People would tell me [how they were] in awe of how much confidence I had wearing my brows [like that]. After some time I went back to look at the pictures, and now I understand. Haha!

[It's important to] observe your face and understand what it needs. Only then can you adjust and incorporate the look you're going for.

Krisha's an all-rounder in the creative field, doing everything from painting to styling to her own little makeup experiments, all of which live on her Instagram feed.

Bianca Mascenon, Former Beauty Editor

I waited till prom to get my eyebrows groomed! My brows were  incredibly messy and bushy, and I don’t really know whose idea it was (mine, my mom, my grandma, or my tita’s), but it was all to get that Princess Diaries moment on prom night. Honestly, I don’t think anyone cared. But I do look back on my awkward phase and think, I did that to myself!

I’ve noticed I do these things often, I delay facials, hair appointments, and the use of products, saving them for some upcoming occasion. I really have to stop doing that! Keeping myself looking crazy for a glow up is actually just that: me looking crazy.

From beauty editorship to her stint at Sunnies Face, you can bet Bianca knows the ins and outs of beauty. Keep up with this newly minted freelancer over on Instagram!

Jia Achacruz, Makeup Artist

I think my biggest beauty blunder was bleaching my hair and [putting it through] way too many different color changes in a year. It was fun at first to see my hair in blue, pink, purple and green, but what people won’t tell you is that it damages your hair SO MUCH. It’s horrifying to see my hair become short, not because I cut it, but because of breakage! It also slowed down my hair growth and left my hair super hard to maintain. Now I miss my virgin hair.

Another is trying out trendy skincare like the Aztec Clay Mask. People were raving about it so I had to give it a try. After using it once, I had a major breakout and I instantly knew it wasn’t for my sensitive skin even if a lot of people claim that it’s good for detoxifying. I realized that not all beauty trends can and will work for you. Always research on ingredients and never try out a lot of products all at once!

Jia's one of our go-to gals for eccentric, adventurous makeup looks. If that's right up your alley, keep up with her beauty adventures over on the ‘gram!

RELATED: Where to Buy What: A Comparative Guide to Shopping Your Favorite Beauty Brands Online

Art Alexandra Lara