Beauty Basics: 5 Make Up No-nos that Have Tripped Us All Up

You've crawled in at the crack of dawn and can't be bothered to remove your make up. You hit the sack, war paint and all. Big mistake! Cleansing is the one-way beauty ticketto a long-lasting glowing complexion. Our skin regenerates and repairs itself at night. If it's smothered with foundation, it will suffocate and quickly age.

So you reckon that your foundation could replace a moisturiser? Sorry girls, it won't! Skin can only soak up hydrating active ingredients from specially prepared formulae. Which can also be anti-wrinkle, anti-ageing, mattifying, anti-fatigue and so forth. Whatever you choose, it's vital you apply a moisturiser before your make up.

So, your skin's looking a bit pasty. You slap on an orange-toned foundation to brighten your complexion. And end up looking like a Tango advert. The golden rule: whatever texture you choose, don't ever apply a foundation that's darker than your natural skin tone.

Have you always thought a dash of lipstick is enough to keep your lips kissable? Because it isn't! Firstly, applying lipstick to dry lips won't give you the perfect pout. Secondly, lipsticks don't treat lips that are dry, chapped or sore. Start by gently scrubbing your lips to get rid of dead cells and then apply a coloured balm rather than a lipstick.

Bushy eyebrows getting you down? So you grab your tweezers and pluck away to your heart's content. Until you realise you've overdone it... And eyebrows take time to grow back. A long time. Next time go easy. Keep a neat arch that runs from your inner to outer eye, as this will beautifully define your look.