If you've ever invested a good hour standing in front of your bathroom mirror applying makeup, only to be dismayed by the lackluster results ("Where did I go wrong?" you might have wondered), well, then you're in the right spot. The truth is that many of us are guilty of a few makeup mistakes. While we're not here to give you hard and fast rules — makeup is supposed to be fun, after all — sometimes half the fun is mastering the art.

We reached out to a couple makeup artists who were glad to share some of the most common makeup mishaps — like making your eyes look droopy with a downward cat eye flick, or overdoing it on the foundation front. They even explained how to fix them — so heed their words!

Image via Imaxtree

Whether we're talking eyeshadow, foundation, or concealer, blending is an absolute must. We have no doubt you're already doing some blending, but the question is, are you doing enough?

"I'm a blend freak," says Lisa Ashley, an Emmy-nominated makeup artist who's worked with everyone from TV hosts to "Dancing With the Stars" competitors. "I like a foundation to look like skin — not makeup. Even if you layer your creams and powders, as I do, they should still be blended so your outcome is a very polished look."

Her go to tool is a classic BeautyBlender, $20. You can dampen it slightly or add a drop or two of your favorite face oil if you want a glow-y finish, to blend everything out flawlessly. Make sure to get areas that tend to get neglected, like around your eyes and lips, the hairline, and jawline. And when you think you've blended enough, blend some more!

The same rule applies to eyeshadow as well: Use a soft, clean blending brush to blend colors into each other. Also, be sure to blend around the perimeter. (Pro tip: Try using an eyeshadow that matches your skin color to blend away harsh edges.)

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On that note, all the blending in the world won't help if you're swiping on the wrong shade of foundation. Brands are getting better at being more inclusive to a larger range of skin shades and their various undertones, so you've definitely got options.

"The color of your face should match your neck and chest, otherwise it looks odd," says Mary Wiles, a celebrity makeup artist to stars such as Carey Mulligan, Naomi Watts, and Amber Heard. "I recommend color matching a foundation to you collar bone and in natural light. This is the truest comparison and the best light." Personally, we're fans of It Cosmetics Confidence in a Foundation, $32, which just launched this year, boasts a whopping 48 shades.

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Many of us deal with "problem spots" on our face. Maybe we have a bit of melasma on our nose and cheeks, dark circles under our eyes, or acne breakouts along the jawline and cheek. These are all normal, and though you may want to cover up everything as a result, that habit isn't doing you any favors. Wiles says that when you do this, you end up with a complexion that looks flat, heavy, and very unnatural. "Makeup is to enhance, not to mask," she notes.

It's so important to look at your face as an entire picture and to focus on concealing only problem areas instead of slathering on gobs of makeup everywhere. When you let the good and healthy skin show, Wiles says it makes your skin look luminous, alive, and tricks people into thinking you're not wearing much makeup at all. She recommends investing in a good concealer — such as Tarte's Shape Tape Contour Concealer, $27 — for problem areas and then letting the rest of your skin shine by using only a sheer foundation, BB cream, or tinted moisturizer.

Lisa Eldridge has an amazing tutorial on covering severe acne without looking like you're wearing tons of makeup, so definitely go watch it when you have a second.

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The story of microblading gone horribly wrong on 42-year-old Jami Ledbetter recently went viral. Though it was an awful experience for her (she's since had it corrected), her mishap does serves as a reminder to all of us to do our research before falling for a good deal on semi-permanent, and even permanent, beauty treatments like microblading.

"With the new microblading brows trend, make sure you do your homework and go to the best. Don't be someone's guinea pig," says Ashley. For a seriously low-key alternative that gives you wow-level brows in literally seconds, try the new Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Gel, $18. It's a serious brow game changer.

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