40 Fashion Do’s and Don’ts That Make People Seem Older Than They Are

40 Fashion Do’s and Don’ts That Make People Seem Older Than They Are

Everyone has a unique aim with the way that they dress. Some people love to show off their fun side, prove their professionalism, or even create a number of exciting illusions. If your aim is to try and look a little younger or you just don’t want to look any older than you are, these tips might just be what you’re looking for!

Don’t: Worry About “Dressing Your Age”

There’s a lot of advice out there about what people should wear in their specific age ranges. No one said styles had a maximum age limit, though.

Don’t: Worry About “Dressing Your Age”

Fashion is all about expressing your individuality and sometimes that might not match with what you think people expect you to dress like. If you like a style popular in an age range a decade below you, it’s not all that unreasonable to give these styles a try!

Do: Shake Up Your Style

When you find something you love in fashion, it’s easy to lean toward that trend from then on. Knowing what you like isn’t always a bad thing.

Do: Shake Up Your Style

If your aim is to look younger, though, experimenting with your style can help out quite a bit. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to keep up with all of the latest trends. It just means it can help to have a more dynamic style and modernize different elements of your wardrobe.

Don’t: Wear All Black

Black is an often-used color in fashion. After all, it’s been described as everything from neutral, to bold, to slimming. It definitely has its place in a wardrobe.

Don’t: Wear All Black

If you’re trying to create a younger appearance, though, all black may start to work against you over time. This doesn’t mean you have to get rid of your favorite outfits. You can brighten them up a little bit with a bold-toned accessory, like a bright jacket, or even play with more vibrant makeup.

Do: Try Out Matte Eye Shadow

Speaking of makeup, there are a few things you can do to help create a more youthful appearance. For instance, you might want to try out some matte eyeshadow.

Do: Try Out Matte Eye Shadow

There’s nothing wrong with glittery eye shadow. Those sparkles can really catch the light! For this purpose, though, sparkling eye shadow falls short because it has a way of defining your wrinkles as it settles in. If you want to show off your natural wrinkles, perfect! But if you’re trying to look a little younger, matte eyeshadow has this effect.

Don’t: Skip Out on Accessories

Even if you’ve found the best top, pants, skirt, or dress, it’s going to look a little plain if you wear the outfit all by itself. So, you’ll want to spice it up with the right accessories!

Don’t: Skip Out on Accessories

You can opt for decorative or practical here. For instance, a bag or watch can do the trick. Other options include glasses, scarves, hats, belts, or jewelry. Remember, you don’t want to load yourself down with accessories either.

Do: Wear a Knee-Length Skirt

There’s a tendency as people age to veer away from some clothes they wouldn’t have avoided at one point. It seems as people get older, they often want to lengthen their skirts.

Do: Wear a Knee-Length Skirt

Maxi and midi skirts are rather popular for good reason. They can be really flattering! On the other hand, if you want to give yourself a slightly younger appearance, give a few shorter skirts a try. You don’t have to opt for a mini skirt but you might be surprised by the results from a knee-length number.

Don’t: Wear a Statement Necklace

We covered earlier that accessorizing can really make you look younger. Still, there are a few accessories that it’d probably be best if you avoided.

Don’t: Wear a Statement Necklace

For one, you won’t want to wear an oversized statement necklace. These first rose to popularity a few decades ago in the 1980s. However, unlike mullets and mini skirts, this one hasn’t remained as popular and often comes off as dated.

Do: Wear Fitted Clothes

Fitted vs. baggy clothes seem to swap places on which one is in style at any given time. If you’re worried about looking older, fitted clothes can help you avoid this.

Do: Wear Fitted Clothes

You’ll notice a difference the minute you try on a fitted outfit. This type of outfit will go a long way in making sure you’re wearing the right size. In the same regard, wearing clothes that are too small will be uncomfortable and counterintuitive as well. You want clothes that work for you!

Do: Break Up the Baggy

If you do like the baggier style of clothing, there are ways to implement it more effectively if you’re worried it could make you look older.

Do: Break Up the Baggy

While it can look great on some people, some find the illusion of baggy clothes give a little too much of an aging effect. To mesh the style with your style goal of looking younger, try to vary your silhouette. If you’re wearing baggy pants, opt for a fitted top or vice versa.

Don’t: Wear Baggy Formal Wear

Baggy clothes, as mentioned, have their place in fashion. Done correctly, the effect can really make casual wear stand out or it can make more formal wear have a more casual look.

Don’t: Wear Baggy Formal Wear

On the other hand, you’ll want to make sure your professional and formal wear is properly fitted. Boxy blazers, for example, often make you look older than a fitted cut. In similar fashion, if you opt for a shorter blazer, it’ll have a similar effect to a fitted one rather than a loose one.

Do: Wear Jeans

There are some items of clothing that you can always turn to when you want to add a bit of a younger look to your wardrobe. We can’t recommend a pair of jeans enough!

Do: Wear Jeans

Plus, there are a lot of different cuts, washes, and styles to help you find something that fits in your wardrobe. If you find denim uncomfortable, there are “jeans” in softer materials. Just make sure they’re the right size to avoid bunching.

Don’t: Forget About Denim Jackets

While jeans are a great way to make yourself look younger, they aren’t the only thing that denim can help you with. Another instantly youthful option is to opt for a denim jacket.

Don’t: Forget About Denim Jackets

Much like jeans, this is one piece of clothing that seems to stay popular among younger people. These are great, especially during the spring and fall when the weather is slightly cooler.

Do: Throw on Some Shades

This one is, to be fair, specific to sunny days. Wearing the best pair of shades to the office on a cloudy day might confuse people.

Do: Throw on Some Shades

However, when the sun is out, try to think of sunglasses as an accessory as well as a necessity. Finding the right statement pair can really draw the eye to your face right away, as well as give you a younger appearance.

Don’t: Just Rely on Trends

Earlier, we told you not to be afraid of new trends. They’re for everyone to try out, no matter how old you are! On the other hand, you won’t want to fill your wardrobe with just trendy pieces either.

Don’t: Just Rely on Trends

If you do, you’ll look younger for a little while but the fad will cycle out eventually. It’s better to incorporate trends into your wardrobe rather than to just rely on them.

Don’t: Wear Big Florals

Floral print definitely has its place. In the spring, vibrant florals make a comeback in stores almost every single year. Neutral-toned florals are often popular but they can age you quite a bit.

Don’t: Wear Big Florals

There are a few ways you can brighten up the look. Once again, bright colors can help out a lot here. If you want to keep the color palette neutral, try out geometric patterns over floral ones.

Don’t: Wear Frameless Glasses

The right accessory can really make or break an outfit. If your goal is to look younger, you’ll want to consider your glasses carefully. The right pair can help you look a bit younger.

Don’t: Wear Frameless Glasses

Frameless glasses pair with just about anything, but they have the potential to make you look older. Using frames can make you look a little younger. Don’t be afraid to play with different shapes either!

Don’t: Wear (Loose) Jersey Fabric

There are some fabrics that are naturally flattering. Others may not work for purposes such as making yourself look younger. Jersey fabric is amazingly soft but the trade-off is that it tends to fold over on itself and clump up.

Don’t: Wear (Loose) Jersey Fabric

Luckily, there are ways to make jersey fabric more flattering. One way is to opt for a tighter fit with less opportunity for fabric to clump up. Or look for products made with double-knitted jersey, which is thicker.

Do: Wear Layers

Layers can work really well or they can really take away from an outfit, depending on how you pull them off. There’s a way to use layers to make sure that you look younger.

Do: Wear Layers

Implementing this isn’t too hard either. You don’t have to get too complicated with it, after all. To give it a shot, try just adding a jacket over the slacks and shirt you were about to wear out the door. It’s a stylish touch that can help your outfit really stand out!

Don’t: Avoid Casual Clothes

As you get older, you probably get more used to donning professional clothes. After all, you probably get used to dressing a certain way for work.

Don’t: Avoid Casual Clothes

Dropping some of the professional outfits, in your free time, can help create a more youthful appearance. Just because you’re older doesn’t mean you have to avoid casual clothes that are popular among younger adults. This doesn’t mean dropping professional outfits forever, but don’t be afraid to try out some sneakers, frayed jeans, or even a few relaxed shirts.

Do: Update Your Sneakers

If you’re someone who keeps an old pair of running shoes in the back of the closet, they’re probably better for the gym than the runway.

Do: Update Your Sneakers

While you don’t have to be runway-ready when you leave the house, opting for these over a pair of more stylish sneakers can make you look older than you’re aiming for. Another great benefit to this is that it’s a comfortable footwear option too!

Don’t: Avoid Color Blocking

First, let’s define color blocking: This is when you plan your outfit based on a few bold colors throughout the outfit.

Don’t: Avoid Color Blocking

For example, if you decided to wear a black top, let a colorful pair of pants shine, or even choose differing bold colors for a paired top and skirt. That’s color-blocking. Not only will it make you look younger but it’s a rather eye-catching fashion trick to get the hang of.

Do: Keep Some Ankle Boots Around

There are some pairs of shoes you definitely won’t want to go without when you’re stocking up your closet. It’s important to grab these as they can be lasting staples in your wardrobe.

Do: Keep Some Ankle Boots Around

One timeless option is an ankle heel. These heels, as the name suggests, stop at your ankle. In other words, they’re easy to pair with a number of different outfits and offer a more timeless look than a higher-cut boot.

Don’t: Hide Your Ankles

Showing a little ankle might sound like pretty dated fashion advice but it actually goes a long way to add a youthful touch to your outfit.

Don’t: Hide Your Ankles

A long pant leg can make you look surprisingly older but wearing capris can have a similar effect. You can go halfway with fashionable pants where the pantline falls just above the ankle. It’ll keep you a little cooler and look a little more modern.

Do: Keep Your Accessories in Order

The right bag or shoes can add a lot to an outfit. If they’re not looking their best, though, they can also really drag an outfit down. When you’re trying to avoid looking older, make sure your accessories are in good condition.

Do: Keep Your Accessories in Order

Shoes that look like they’re worn down or bags that have seen better days, may age you. This doesn’t mean you have to buy new stuff, but a little leather care can help a lot with longevity!

Don’t: Shy Away from Vintage

As we said, evolving your style over time will help you look younger. Yet, this doesn’t mean you have to throw out every piece you once loved.

Don’t: Shy Away from Vintage

Older pieces often come back into style again and show off a little bit of personality. You can work an old piece into a new outfit by adding a few modern elements. This is a great way to make your pieces last longer than just the seasons they’re in style for.

Do: Grab the Right Socks

Back in the ’90s and early 2000s, it wasn’t uncommon to see people pulling their socks up high. It’s a great idea when you need a little extra warmth.

Do: Grab the Right Socks

If you have your lower legs showing, it’s a good idea to ditch the showing socks. Sure, if you’re a real sock fan and want to show off your collection, go for it! On the other hand, no show or low-cut socks will do you better if your goal is a younger appearance.

Don’t: Wear Brooches

When you want a younger appearance, there are some accessories you may want to avoid. Wearing a brooch, once in a while, can be a classy touch.

Don’t: Wear Brooches

The only problem is that this trend hasn’t always stayed as popular as it once was. They’re fantastic as a statement piece for the occasional outfit. However, donning one for work every day can start to age you after a while.

Don’t: Wear Old-Fashioned Hosiery

Pantyhose, leggings, and tights can help you out by adding an extra layer and, in some cases, it can help add an even tone when you’re seeking one.

Don’t: Wear Old-Fashioned Hosiery

For a long time, pantyhose with a bit of shine to them was considered the standard. Today, a lot of people still go for them, but they aren’t as popular among the younger generation. You can even switch to semi-sheer pantyhose or one without any sheer to make this subtle change.

Do: Try Some Plaid

It can sometimes seem like patterns are a wild guess. Which ones will age you and which ones will make you look a little younger than you are? One option to try out is a little bit of plaid.

Do: Try Some Plaid

This is a pattern you don’t want to overdo and multiple plaid patterns in one outfit can get a little overwhelming. Yet, it also offers a timeless look and because it’s easy to go overboard, it’s great for when you want a striking focal point in an otherwise neutral outfit.

Don’t: Reach for Large-Print Tops

Earlier, we talked about how a large floral print can look really great. However, a bright, large-printed floral top can also age you quite a bit.

Don’t: Reach for Large-Print Tops

The same sentiment is true for any oversized print in a bright color. You have to be careful with these because the style is simply a bit dated and, in turn, can make you look older than you’re aiming for.

Do: Try a Low Heel

If you avoid heels because they aren’t comfortable or stable enough for you, that’s totally fine! You should never sacrifice safety for style.

Do: Try a Low Heel

However, if you’re comfortable with a low heel, it can help make you look younger. Similarly, if you’re wearing flats, look for ones that prioritize both style and comfort when you’re trying to choose footwear for the sake of looking younger.

Don’t: Rely on a Ponytail

This isn’t to say that young people don’t wear ponytails. Not to mention, they’re great when you’re working out or simply want your hair out of your face.

Don’t: Rely on a Ponytail

Wearing a tight ponytail that pulls all of your hair back from your face won’t help the illusion of looking younger. If you want to hide some of the signs of aging, such as wrinkles and fine lines on the forehead, a hairstyle with a bit of a bangs can lend to the effect.

Do: Find Inspiration

If you’re trying to revitalize your wardrobe with a new goal – looking younger – in mind, it can be intimidating to find what you feel you look good in, while trying to new ideas. One great place for inspiration is actually Hollywood!

Do: Find Inspiration

While you don’t need to see what the most popular stars are wearing, you might want to take a look at a star with a similar body type to you and check out their casual clothes and street style. You can Google this and it’ll give you some inspiration that’s a little more practical than the red carpet.

Don’t: Reach for an Oversized Sweater

An oversized sweater is a cozy choice when the weather turns colder. Not to mention, these are some really comfy additions to have in your closet!

Don’t: Reach for an Oversized Sweater

If you want to look younger, though, you’ll want to pass on the oversized sweaters. Much like blazers, you’ll have an easier time creating a younger appearance if you opt for something more fitted. At the very least, try pairing your baggy sweaters with more fitted pants.

Do: Use Blush Carefully

To be clear, we don’t think you should avoid blush entirely. If it’s a beloved part of your makeup routine, you don’t have to throw it out! You’ll want to use your blush sparingly if you want to look younger, though.

Do: Use Blush Carefully

All you really need is a little on your cheeks. Once it’s in place, you’ll want to use a tool like a beauty blender to make sure the blush is well-blended. This will give it a more modern look.

Don’t: Reach for Dark, Matte Lipstick

There are some makeup dos and don’ts you’ll want to consider when you’re trying to look younger. For instance, lipstick matters a lot. Lipstick that’s a lot darker than your skin tone will make your lips look smaller, which can make you look older.

Don’t: Reach for Dark, Matte Lipstick

To try for a younger look, go for lighter, brighter, or even nude lipstick. Staying away from matte colors will also help you look more youthful.

Do: Go for Simple Pants

Pants have changed a lot over the years and keeping your pants modern is a useful touch when you’re trying to look younger. Extra details, like pleating or bunching, aren’t as popular as they once were.

Do: Go for Simple Pants

Plus, this is once again a concept where a fitted garment won’t make you look older the same way a baggy one might. For something more modern, keep things sleek and simple.

Don’t: Hold Onto Worn-Down Garments

While it might not be the first thing you think about, old and worn-out pieces won’t help you create a more youthful appearance. We don’t mean purposefully designed items like distressed jeans, but clothes that are genuinely past their prime.

Don’t: Hold Onto Worn-Down Garments

Opting for something that fits, and is still in pretty good shape, will help you look younger than something torn and old. Sometimes, you can even repurpose older pieces into something stylishly distressed!

Do: Grab a Brow Brush

When you get older, you’ll likely notice your brows starting to thin out a bit. This isn’t a negative, it’s just a natural part of the aging process. So, if you want to try and appear a little younger, filling in your brows a bit can help.

Do: Grab a Brow Brush

Overdoing it can also work against you, though. A helpful tool to tackle this is an eyebrow pencil that’s a shade lighter than your brows. With your pencil at an angle, you can use small, gentle strokes to fill your brows in.

Don’t: Settle for Bad Handbags

Purses and bags have a noticeable use when it comes to heading out for the day. However, they hold an aesthetic appeal as well.

Don’t: Settle for Bad Handbags

If you just choose a purse for utility and don’t pay attention to aesthetics, you’re likely to end up with something clashing or something that makes you look older. Even if you need a lot of extra space in your bag, you can find stylish options that answer this need.

Do: Use Your Eyelash Curler

An eyelash curler is made to lift your lashes, curling them upward and making your eyes look a little brighter. This is actually a great anti-aging tool. While it’s not going to reverse the effects of aging, it can help a lot.

Do: Use Your Eyelash Curler

As you get older, your eyelashes can lose their curl. While you don’t always have to bust out a tube of mascara to look younger, taking a second to curl your eyelashes can help brighten up your face.

Don’t: Turn to Black Eye Liner

Black eyeliner is a classic choice. It’s a great place to turn to if you want to create a dramatic or eye-catching look. Unless you prefer a classic cat-eye, you’ll want to use brown eyeliner to avoid looking older.

Don’t: Turn to Black Eye Liner

Brown is a great color choice because it’ll help outline your eyes but it’s a bit more subtle than a darker option like black, which looks great but can age you.

Do: Be Sparing With Setting Powder

Your skin changes over the years. So, as you age, some of the techniques you used to rely on may have more of an aging effect than they once did. To look a little younger, use a lighter hand when using a setting powder.

Do: Be Sparing With Setting Powder

Powders have a tendency to settle into areas like wrinkles and fine lines when applied. Therefore, a lot of powder can give you a heavier, older look which will work against you if you’re trying to look younger.

Do: Consider Smaller Frames

As we just covered, you don’t want to wear frameless glasses if you’re worried about looking older. However, thick frames aren’t the best option either.

Do: Consider Smaller Frames

Many lean towards thick, dark frames in the hope of covering signs of aging around the eyes. However, this heavy look can work against you. Instead, opt for thin frames. In addition, it’ll help even more if you take the time to find a bold, bright color you like for your frames.

Do: Express Yourself!

At the end of the day, fashion is an art form meant to help you express yourself. So, don’t be afraid to do just that and let your personality shine through! It’s easy to fall into the idea that you have to dress a specific way to pull off the illusion you want.

Do: Express Yourself!

In this case, that means not looking older. The best way to use the advice we’ve covered so far is to consider how you can incorporate things you like, as opposed to just changing everything and foregoing personal preference.

40+ Women Who Know Why “Beauty Is Pain” Better Than Anyone

Whether it’s about waxing, high heels, or achieving the perfect up-do, women know that sometimes there’s a little discomfort before the big reveal. However, for these women, “beauty is pain” takes on a whole new meaning.

SOS, Major Explosion

While some of our beauty mishaps so far have caused real, physical pain, this one is more about emotional pain. After all, your stomach really sinks when a $40 tube of foundation ends up splattered all over your mirror. This is likely to happen if you’ve recently been on an airplane and your foundation has been subject to changing air pressure.

SOS, Major Explosion

I Said Curled, Not Cut

As you’ll see throughout this list, eyelash curlers aren’t to be trusted. They already look like tiny Victorian torture devices, so it’s no wonder they’re capable of leaving your eyelid half bald. This person was trying to end up with gorgeous curled lashes and instead walked away with a missing chunk of hair in the center of their eye.

I Said Curled, Not Cut

We feel for this person, and not just because they ripped out their lashes. This will be really difficult to hide because there’s nothing to put mascara on!

Tingling in the Wrong Places

This particular beauty mishap actually ended up going viral, after someone reached for Original Source Mint Shower Gel when their usual product ran out. Naturally, tea tree oil has a very strong, almost medicinal scent, and mint has a similar tingly sensation. When this person decided to get clean using this shower gel, they used it in places where they shouldn’t have.

Tingling in the Wrong Places

This person actually described their experience with Original Source Mint Shower Gel as giving them PTSD. Let that be a warning to you all.

Pretty in Pink

It’s hard to look at this picture and not burst out laughing. We’re sorry – we know it’s a beauty disaster – but this person’s pink expression is just too much for us to deal with. As you might have guessed, this painful beauty mess came about when someone slathered Lush Razzle Dazzle bath oil all over their skin.

Pretty in Pink

As it turns out, this particular bath oil is supposed to be diluted and added to the tub, not pasted directly onto human skin.

Promise to Patch Test

This is the first of several times on this list where we’ll praise the humble patch test. For those not yet in the know, a patch test is when you get a patch of product applied to your skin before a hair or beauty appointment.

Promise to Patch Test

This means that you can see if you’re allergic to the ingredients before they’re slathered all over your body. This person went to a beautician to have false lashes applied and soon ended up with a burning, bald lower lash line.

Don’t Grab the Gorilla Glue

Anyone who spends time on Twitter already knows about Tessica Brown. Yes, this is the woman who reached for Gorilla Glue Spray Adhesive when she ran out of regular hairspray. Let’s just take a minute to note that regular hairspray and Gorilla Glue are not reasonable replacements for one another.

Don’t Grab the Gorilla Glue

One is a commonly used beauty product, while the other is an industrial-strength home DIY product. Anyway, Brown ended up in the ER with a burning scalp and severe headaches.

Please, Avert Your Eyes

This is a difficult home haircut to look at because this person has such gorgeous, thick, and lustrous hair. At least they’ll still have gorgeous, thick, and lustrous hair when it inevitably has to be trimmed into a bob because of this disaster.

Please, Avert Your Eyes

What we’re looking at here is a quarantine haircut. We really hope this person at least tried to separate the hair before hacking into it. Either way, it’s truly a crime against hair, and should never be repeated.

Makeup Mirror Up in Flames

We were genuinely surprised to see this picture and learn that a makeup mirror can actually catch on fire. This person left their makeup mirror next to the window, and it ended up reflecting the sunlight and causing a small fire. As you can see, the flames destroyed several items and left behind a pile of unsightly ash.

Makeup Mirror Up in Flames

We’re not even sure how to make sure this doesn’t happen again. Should mirrors be placed away from windows or sunlight? Is all our stuff going to catch on fire or go up in flames? Help us!

Scars and Scabbing

Thanks to bushy-browed models like Cara Delevingne, lots of women are in search of bigger and bolder eyebrows. There are several ways to achieve this, from full-on HD brows to a simple wax and tint. This person went to a salon and asked for a brow tint, wax, and thread.

Scars and Scabbing

Somewhere along the way, something went wrong, because eyebrows aren’t supposed to look like they do in this picture. When this person woke up, her eyebrows were red, itchy, and covered in scabs.

Flies on the Eyes

This example of women knowing when beauty is pain is absolutely hilarious. Basically, someone’s mom messaged them for help because she was struggling to attach her false eyelashes without her glasses on. So far, so reasonable.

Flies on the Eyes

However, when this mom sent her daughter a photograph of the situation, her daughter spotted an issue. Perhaps this mom was struggling because she was trying to glue a dead fly to her eyelid rather than a false lash. Truly disgusting, and truly hysterical.

Plenty of Pus

In case you haven’t guessed already, this list is going to be full of some rather gruesome pictures. That includes a face covered in pus-filled pimples like this one. This image comes from a beauty blogger who went for a facial and ended up with increasingly terrible skin.

Plenty of Pus

We’re pretty sure that’s not how it’s supposed to work. Right after their facial, this person was pleased, but after several days her skin started to erupt in white-topped pustules.

Hold on the Heat Styling

Here’s another truly iconic woman that knows that beauty is pain. Tori Locklear went viral when she attempted to curl her hair and ended up burning off a chunk. The then 13-year-old exclaimed, “My hair just burnt off,” and the internet erupted into giggles.

Hold on the Heat Styling

More importantly, Tori Locklear taught us all that we must use heat protection spray and pay attention while using a curling wand. Amusingly, Locklear is now working on a hair tutorial with Pantene.

Not Feathered or Fluffy

It’s hard to know what’s going on in this image, but there’s one thing for sure — those are some seriously questionable eyebrows. We assume that this person didn’t go to a salon for this look, because if they did, that salon should be closed down right away. Rather, we assume this person brushed their own eyebrows into straight, grassy strands.

Not Feathered or Fluffy

However, why would anyone do this? These terribly feathered eyebrows are a beauty crime that just doesn’t make any sense.

Waxing Didn’t Work Out

When it comes to beauty and pain, waxing is one of the main culprits. After all, ripping hair out of your skin from the follicle is never going to be painless. Of course, some parts of the body are more sensitive than others.

Waxing Didn’t Work Out

Pulling hair from a hardy leg calf is nothing compared to removing the whiskers that might grow around your top lip. This person decided to wax their lip, and ended up with a nice red mustache. May we recommend hair removal cream in the future?

Please, No More Purple

We’ve already seen a pink-skinned person, and here we have their purple-handed friend. This person has clearly decided to give themselves a couple of dye jobs and for some reason, isn’t using the gloves that are usually provided with a home dye kit.

Please, No More Purple

There’s nothing else to say except that this person is going to have purple hands for a couple of weeks. That is, unless they get some lemon juice and olive oil and get scrubbing.

Wanted, Waterproof Mascara

Now, we have to blame this person for their own beauty pain because they could’ve avoided it by just purchasing some waterproof mascara. However, we don’t all have the foresight to do such a thing. Perhaps this person had no idea that sweat plus black eyelash paste would lead to a streaked face, but hey, it does.

Wanted, Waterproof Mascara

This is a particularly streaky face, so this woman must really have been going at it. In general, it’s best to just go barefaced when working out.

Falsely Advertised Face Masks

OK, there’s a story behind this one. Here we have a beauty blogger that recommended a homemade facemask made with cinnamon, claiming it has “antioxidant, regenerating, and purifying properties.” However, cinnamon is actually not the best ingredient to put on the skin, because it can cause burns.

Falsely Advertised Face Masks

Actually, it’s an allergenic plant, which is why it’s not used much in skincare. Sadly, lots of users tried out this mask and ended up with burnt, irritated skin. Listen, when it comes to face masks, there should be no pain!

Messed Up Microblading

What we have here is someone who wanted their brows to be microbladed, but ended up with an unmitigated catastrophe. Truly, we can’t stress enough how awful these brows are. Microblading is effectively an eyebrow tattoo where hair strokes are created using a tiny blade.

Messed Up Microblading

The process is supposed to leave you with realistic-looking, full brows. As is abundantly clear here, these microbladed brows are not done correctly. These strokes are far too large and straight to pass for strands of hair.

Coloring Over the Lines

When many people found themselves indoors over the past year, they decided to try giving themselves a haircut or a manicure. However, these aren’t easy tasks, and they’re normally performed by people that are trained and skilled.

Coloring Over the Lines

In the case of a manicure, nails must be shaped and buffed before they’re painted with multiple coats of polish and cured individually. This person seems to have missed their nail and colored over the lines in almost every case. What can we say?

This Was a Rash Decision

Alright, here’s the first person on our list that became a victim of the “Kylie Lip Challenge.” This viral trend saw teenagers creating a vacuum using lids, small jars, or bottles in order to get inflated lips like the youngest Kardashian sibling, Kylie Jenner.

This Was a Rash Decision

At the time, the reality star had undergone lip enhancement but maintained to the public that she was simply overlining her lips with makeup. Alas, many teenagers that tried this ended up with red, bruised, swollen, and rash-covered faces.

Glued to This Look

We’ve already seen Tessica Brown and her terrible decision to use Gorilla Glue instead of hairspray, and here we have something similar. This adorable little girl decided to apply some false lashes, but she reached for super glue instead of eyelash glue.

Glued to This Look

We can only imagine the look on her mom’s face when she found out. We don’t need to tell you that it’s a terrible idea to put superglue anywhere on your body. It’s basically asking for pain.

Swollen and Scary

Here we are again to talk about the importance of patch tests. This person didn’t get one before dying her hair, and had a huge allergic reaction. As you can see, this person’s entire head swelled up, and they unsurprisingly ended up in the emergency room.

Swollen and Scary

As with some other allergic reactions on this list, this person’s symptoms didn’t start until the next day. Also, this person had used this particular dye before, making a patch test even more important!

Angered by an Abscess

Now, here’s a horror story for you. Many women with long hair wear a hair tie around their wrist. It’s an easy place to keep it, and it means you’ll never have to look far when you’re in a need of a scrunchie. However, there’s a chance that this innocent practice could lead to a whole world of pain.

Angered by an Abscess

This person noticed a bump on her arm and thought it was a spider bite. In fact, it was a large abscess caused by bacteria stuck underneath the hair tie.

Burnt and Battered

We’re getting into gruesome territory here with this picture of a burnt and battered arm. This picture comes from a 16-year-old British teen who decided to get a henna tattoo while on vacation in Turkey. Alas, the fetching dreamcatcher design quickly started scabbing and causing painful burns.

Burnt and Battered

It turns out the dye used in this tattoo — p-paraphenylenediamine — is not regulated by the US FDA or the European Union. That means that this synthetic dye will likely cause permanent scarring.

Bye-Bye to My Brushes

Let’s move to something a little bit lighter with our next image. Here we have the aftermath of a cat that isn’t particularly impressed by makeup culture. That’s right, the kitty responsible for this mess is sick of the high standards placed on women’s physical appearance, and wanted to take a stand.

Bye-Bye to My Brushes

This feline whirlwind expressed their disgust with modern-day beauty culture by throwing all of their owner’s makeup brushes around the bathroom. That’ll show them!

Badly Done Balayage

Those that keep on top of their hair trends know that balayage is a highlighting technique where a colorist hand-paints color onto the hair. The result is a blended sun-kissed effect that almost looks natural. What we have in this picture is far from balayage — it’s blasphemous.

Badly Done Balayage

Balayage is a skilled technique, meaning not everyone can just pick up a box of dye and give it a go. As always, if you want professional-looking hair, then go to a professional.

I Made My Own Mustache

We’ve already seen one victim of the Kylie Jenner lip challenge, and here we have another. This challenge sees people suck their lips into round objects in the hopes that they’ll end up with a perfect pout. More often than not, they end up with bruises, swollen lips, and itchy skin.

I Made My Own Mustache

After this viral challenge did the rounds, beauty companies started selling official lip enhancers. These products came with instructions and were less dangerous than teens making up their own rules.

Why Is My Sink Pink?

When it comes to home hair dye kits, it’s good to be prepared and organized in advance. This means having containers, gloves, and multiple surfaces available to avoid scenes like this.

Why Is My Sink Pink?

Once you’ve gotten one smear of bright pink dye on the bathroom, then chances are you’ll just give up and splatter the stuff everywhere. It’s hard to look at this image and not think about all the cleaning products required to scrub these pink stains off.

Done With This Design

Shaved undercuts are pretty popular, and some people like to have patterns or designs etched into the shaved section of their hair. For some bold fashionistas, this means leopard print patches, and for others, it’s the logo of their favorite sports team. Each to their own, eh?

Done With This Design

This person went to the salon wanting a striking geometric pattern shaved into their undercut. Instead, they walked away with these random, blurry lines. Is it just us, or does the bottom section look like chicken feet?

You’re Charging Me for This?

There are all sorts of painful beauty disasters that can happen at a salon. One of the most common is the hairstylist not listening to what you want, or not being able to deliver what you’ve asked for. Of course, some people come in with wild expectations, but others are genuinely looking for a striking new do.

You’re Charging Me for This?

The woman in this image was after a chic, bohemian, messy braid. Unfortunately, she ended up with more of a bird’s nest. Our sympathies…

My Dog Ate My Blender

Beauty blenders are pretty important to the people who use them. If you’ve committed to purchasing a beauty blender, it’s usually your go-to makeup application tool. Beauty blender users aren’t here for foundation brushes or fingertip application — they’re all about that compact and squishy makeup sponge. Beauty blenders, forever!

My Dog Ate My Blender

So, imagine the pain this beauty blender owner must have felt when she realized her dog had chewed on her beloved sponge. Clearly, past its best, this blender has blended its final face.

Badly Blended Bronzer

And while we’re talking about blending, let’s not forget the cardinal sin of poorly blended bronzer. As we can see in this image, badly blended bronzer makes a face look ashen, unnatural, and outright ridiculous.

Badly Blended Bronzer

Rather than slathering bronzer all over your cheeks, draw a short line outwards from the center of your ear. Then, it’s all about the buffing and the blending – and using the right tool. As with all makeup, it’s usually best to gradually apply products.

The Fake Tan Diaries

Women go to great lengths to alter aspects of their appearance. Whether it’s playing with makeup, dying our hair different colors, or painting our nails — we’re invested in the process. However, some of these are messier and more painful than others.

The Fake Tan Diaries

While fake tan can make us look fabulous, it tends to rub off on clothing and soft furnishings. This means that fake tan fans can wake up with a perfectly orange silhouette of themselves on their bedsheets. A masterpiece!

Isn’t This a Whitener?

When it comes to charcoal toothpaste, there’s a bit of a debate about whether it’s safe or not. Some say that the mild abrasive does whiten teeth, whereas others claim it simply weakens your tooth enamel. Regardless, charcoal toothpaste hasn’t exactly gone to plan for this person.

Isn’t This a Whitener?

We assume this mess was made with charcoal powder, as it really seems to have gotten everywhere. Perhaps this person dipped their whirring electric toothbrush in the pot without thinking about the results. Happy cleaning!

Patch Test or Bald Patches

Here we are again, going on about the importance of patch tests. With pictures like this, can you blame us? This snap was taken by Tracie Hashton, part of a group of women who sued hair brand Wen. The brand is big in the “no-poo” non-shampooing world, but clearly, its products weren’t doing what they were supposed to.

Patch Test or Bald Patches

The hair company denies any claims that their products cause harm, but they’re being sued by over 200 women. Patch test people!

All About the Allergens

Here’s another woman who really experienced the notion that “beauty is pain.” This lady bought a box of cheap hair dye online, and the instructions weren’t available in English. Despite not knowing exactly how to use the product, this woman slathered it onto her scalp.

All About the Allergens

As we’ve seen with other allergic reactions to dye, she ended up with a blistering scalp, raw skin, and bald patches. After checking what was in the dye, this woman was horrified to hear she had slapped multiple non-approved allergens onto her head.

Sweet Smelling Eyeshadow Palettes

Cosmetics company Two Faced makes a popular eyeshadow palette that looks and smells like chocolate. It’s called “The Chocolate Bar,” and it features chocolate-y shades of eyeshadow set into a bar-shaped tray. For that reason, we can understand why this mischievous little one has mistaken it for the real thing and really gone to town.

Sweet Smelling Eyeshadow Palettes

Of course, for the owner of this palette, the situation is a little more painful. That’s $40 of eyeshadow that’s now full of tiny little fingerprints.

Extra Sticky Lips

To be honest, the fact that many women have eyelash or nail glue on their person at any given time must lead to lots of painful beauty mishaps. We’ve seen just what can go wrong with a tiny tube of glue, so perhaps we need a better way of packaging sticky products.

Extra Sticky Lips

Should they all come in neon-colored tubes or something? The person who took this snap confused their protecting lip crème with a tube of lash adhesive. That couldn’t have tasted good.

Terrible Tattoo Removal Kits

Remember that gory picture of a henna tattoo gone wrong? Well, this one is much worse. As you can see, someone had a terrible reaction with a home tattoo removal kit, leaving them with scabbing, bubbling flesh. Before we proceed, it’s best not to order one of these kits online as they’re still being investigated and approved.

Terrible Tattoo Removal Kits

For now, stay away from anything that contains corrosive chemicals. This particular kit contained TCA, a corrosive ingredient that burns off skin. Now, this is pain.

Buried Under the Bubbles

And now for something a little lighter…literally. These masks are fun to put on and they do what they say they do. Considering some of the dangerous items on this list, that’s pretty successful. These carbonated bubble masks get bigger once they’re on the skin as the mask oxidizes with the air.

Buried Under the Bubbles

Yes, you may look like a foam version of the abominable snowman, but at least your skin won’t fall off. Supposedly, these bubble masks help to exfoliate dead skin, unclog pores, and provide skin-improving ingredients.

Lovely Lockdown Manicures

It’s time for another lockdown manicure. Or, in this case, someone who’s in need of a lockdown manicure. This is the unpleasant sight of a grown-out manicure, where once-perfect colored gel polish used to sit neatly on a nail. Now, it’s a lumpy, chipped mess.

Lovely Lockdown Manicures

Most people would have picked the polish off at this stage, so we have to commend this person for not doing that. We advise soaking the nails in a tray of acetone until the offending polish is gone.

That’s a Waist of Money

Sigh. We’ve already blamed one Kardashian-Jenner for a painful beauty trend on this list, and now we’re going to do it again. At one point, several members of the famous family hawked waist trainers just like these ones. These were essentially updated corsets, and promised to “train” the waist into being smaller. Yes, it’s as ridiculous as it sounds.

That’s a Waist of Money

Victorian corsets used to cause women’s internal organs to shift around, and caused terrible muscle pain. Waist trainers aren’t much better, and haven’t been proven to work at all.

Marvelously Messy Manicures

You know, for some reason, we feel relieved when we look at this picture. This manicure is so terribly done that there’s no point getting upset about it — it is what it is. Plus, they’re the ones that are stuck with five layers of thick nail polish on each of their fingertips. Have fun getting that off!

Marvelously Messy Manicures

As we’ve said already, being a nail technician is a skilled job. That means that not everyone can do it. It requires patience, precision, and a steady hand.

Cute like Curly Sue

In John Hughes’ final movie Curly Sue Alisan Porter plays the curly-haired homeless kid with a heart of gold. For a while, the character stood in for anyone with curly hair, like this woman with Sue-like ringlets.

Cute like Curly Sue

Honestly, we’re obsessed with the expression on this woman’s face as she looks at her hair — it’s absolutely priceless. Admittedly, this isn’t the best work we’ve seen with a curling iron. We just hope it’s a temporary job and not actually permed.

Welcome to Walmart

When people bleach their own hair, they often put a plastic bag on top of it and then lightly blow-dry the area. Salons also do this, but with plastic bonnets rather than grocery bags. The thing is, when you put a bag on your head and apply heat, it can transfer the plastic logo already printed on the bag.

Welcome to Walmart

That’s how this woman ended up with “Walmart” plastered across her hair. This actually happens quite often, and thankfully it usually just washes out.