The Most Astonishing Makeup Fails Ever
Makeup can be really difficult to work with, even for those of us who have plenty of practice. And like anything that takes skill, that also means that there is also an opportunity for major fails.Over the last few years especially, the makeup world has seen a lot of questionable trends that we'll be scratching our heads about in the future.
Here are some of the worst makeup fails of all time. Just remember this: If you feel like you're bad at doing makeup, chances are it's nowhere near as bad as these people are.
This All Around Rough Face
It's hard to tell exactly where to start with this full face of makeup, but there are several mistakes here that most of us probably made in the beginning of our journey with cosmetics. Bright colors are definitely fun to use, but not all over your entire face.
This girl probably would have been better off had she chosen a bright lip or a bright eye, not both... and it might be good for her to keep in mind that eyeshadow shouldn't necessarily meet your eyebrows. Combine that with the blush, and you practically need sunglasses to look at this girl's face.
An Attempt Was Certainly Made Here
This girl took several concepts that are important for anyone who wants to become a makeup pro to learn... and then took them to a level they never should have reached. Lining your lips is good, lining them with a color so drastically different than the lip color? Not so much.
Highlighting around your brow bone and cleaning up around your brows with concealer? Tricks of the trade, but not quite like this. We just have to hope that this was a joke, because we'd hate to think someone would actually leave the house thinking this looks good.... or, god forbid, do a tutorial about it.
This Contour & Highlight Situation
Contouring is obviously a popular trend and can look absolutely gorgeous when done correctly, but if you're not willing to put in the hours of practice, you're probably going to come out looking something like this. Granted, this fail isn't quite as bad as some of the others on this list, but it's definitely a good example of what not to do when you're trying to contour your face.
This girl ended up with a pretty muddy look that doesn't look good on anybody... and the highlighting makes it worse. Hopefully, she at least knew to blend all this out before calling it a day.
This Hot Pink & Black Look
Smoky eyes and bright lips can look amazing when they're done right, but in this case, they just aren't. Her eyeshadow obviously isn't blended at all and is so heavy and dark that it makes her eyes look teeny tiny, and then, those lips? Yeah, um, she didn't even try to keep the lipstick in the same zip code as her actual lips.
Overlining is a thing, but not quite like this. And of course, the quintessential part to any makeup fail: bad eyebrows, which appear to have disappeared from this girl's face. Why does everyone think eyebrows are a bad thing?!
Harsh Lines Never Look Good
This lady looks so happy and so sweet, but she'd probably be even happier if someone helped her with her eyebrows and lip liner. Is she even wearing lipstick? If not, lip liner kind of isn't necessary... and it definitely shouldn't meet in the middle like that, since it's just meant to line the outside of your lips.
The eyebrows aren't that bad, except for that part closest to her nose where she has some kind of harsh rectangle situation going on. Fading your brows out gradually looks way better... and way more natural. If she fixed those two things, her look isn't too bad!
The Orange Trend Was Difficult For Us All
If anything, this photo will definitely make you feel a sense of relief that the period where orange tans were in is now over. Remember in the early-to-mid 2000s, when Jersey Shore reigned supreme and many, many girls were getting super orange fake tans to look like beach bunnies all year long?
This look is a perfect salute to that horrible time. Oh, and we just noticed the fact that her eyebrows are nonexistent. Sorry, we were a little distracted by that tan... and the bright lips... and those eyes. Yikes. Hopefully, this wasn't a recent look, and this girl did her makeup like this back when these terrible trends were still in.
This Look Is Actually Illegal
Most people don't look awesome in their mugshots, but it's not because their makeup is bad. As if it wasn't bad enough that this poor woman got arrested, but this photo definitely isn't a keeper. Those eyebrows are rough — not only are they pencil-thin, but for some reason, they're slanted upward? And the dark eye makeup is bad, but it's not nearly as bad as those lips.
Traditionally, your cupid's bow isn't supposed to be triangular, but hey — maybe she's starting a new prison trend. Either way, we hope this woman is doing better these days... and that she's learned a better makeup routine.
The Celebrity Powder Issue
So many celebrities have fallen victim to this bad, bad setting powder malfunction, and it's proof that nobody -- not even someone as gorgeous and flawless as Nicole Kidman -- is immune to makeup fails. It's happened so many celebs during red carpet shoots, from Angelina Jolie to Taylor Swift, and it's not a pretty look.
If you're ever in the situation where you're going to be photographed by high powered flash, you want to make sure you choose a setting powder that isn't going to reflect off that flash and make you look like you just dipped your face in a bowl of powdered sugar. Just a little tip.
The Orange Face Returns... And Gets Worse
It's easy to see this girl was going for a wide-eyed look, but instead, her makeup kind of just made her look like she's absolutely nuts. The orange face is bad, yes, but the rest of it is so much worse... mostly, those eyebrows. Drawing on your eyebrows is something a lot of us have to do every day, but maybe not in this shape. The ends look like tadpoles, don't they?
Add in the spider mascara, the eyeliner, and the lipstick that's way too pale for the look she's going for, and it basically turns into a disaster. A few YouTube videos on how to properly do your eyebrows would go a long way for this girl.
These Cringeworthy Eyebrows
Considering the fact that so many of us were just learning how to do our makeup in that terrible era of skinny eyebrows and over plucked, no matter how many times our moms told us it was a horrible idea, it's understandable that now, many of us are also dealing with really bad natural brows that never quite grew back.
It makes sense if you want to shave them off and start over — if you have the skills to make it work, and it doesn't seem that this girl did. They're not even in the same place as her eyebrows used to be, and that's just the beginning of her problems. Fingers crossed they're not a tattoo.
A Double Whammy
In this photo, we get two makeup fails for the price of one. Lucky us! The bleached hair isn't great, and neither is that orange tan that we've been talking so much about, but thanks to these girls' teeth and eyeshadow, they look like they glow in the dark. White shadow can certainly look pretty when it's done right, but that is not what is happening here.
It looks they just painted their eyes with white-out, used what was left on their teeth, and then called it a day. Just about everything here needs to be toned down SO much.
As If Lindsay Lohan Didn't Have Enough Issues
Poor, poor Lindsay Lohan. She went from being so naturally gorgeous in movies like Mean Girls to this. It's hard to tell whether this was an actual makeup artist's mistake or Lindsay herself, but we certainly hope she didn't pay anybody for her face to turn out like this. Like we said earlier, contouring can be very tricky, and it's very easy to end up with a muddy streak across your face like this.
Poor LiLo. Hopefully, she's figured things out since this photo was taken. This girl has been through enough over the last few years — she doesn't deserve to deal with her makeup looking this rough on top of all of that!
XTina's Former Look
How crazy is it that when this photo was taken, Christina, her makeup artist, and people in general probably thought she looked amazing? Makeup trends are fun, but they don't last forever... and sometimes, when it's all over, your throwback photos end up looking as ridiculous as this one does.
Everything from her hair, the orange face, and the eye makeup are probably decisions she'd rather forget... but fortunately, none of it stopped her from becoming one of the most successful singers of all time. Just goes to show that not even major makeup fails can hold you back, right?
And Poor, Poor Leighton Meester
If Blair Waldorf ever saw this photo, she'd be absolutely horrified. Leighton Meester is usually incredibly beautiful, especially when she goes for a natural look. Unfortunately, the makeup she wore to this event was anything but natural. The red lips aren't so much the problem, even though they do look a bit too striking compared to her pale complexion, but the purple eyes and the red lips?
Not a great combination. She would have looked much better with downplayed eyes instead. Remember this rule, everyone: Bold eyes or bold lips, but probably not both. Some people can pull both off at the same time, but for most of us mere mortals, not going overboard is never a bad choice.
This One Is Just An Overall Bad Look
Yikes. Why is it that so many people have fallen into the orange skin trap? Honestly, it makes a bad makeup look even worse, emphasizing all the wrong parts of your face... and for this poor lady, that's just the beginning of a long list of what's going wrong here.
Like, where are her eyebrows? What happened to them? Those tiny ones that have been drawn on were a waste of time, because it's nearly impossible to see them. And then, there's the matter of the lips and the bad false lashes. False lashes are not for the faint of heart, ladies.
When Ariana Grande's Eyes Were In A Terrible Accident
This photo became a very long lasting meme after fans discovered it, and now, it's sealed permanently as one of the worst makeup fails of all time. Presumably, Ariana had her makeup professionally done before this event, and if so, she needs to get her money back. If not?
Well, clearly, she was running late and had to do her makeup in the car, because it's hard to see how this disaster happened otherwise. What's worse: the clumpy lashes, the eyeshadow, or the horribly mangled eyeliner? It's hard to tell, honestly... and if we knew our eye makeup looked that bad, we certainly wouldn't be closing our eyes for kiss face pictures.
That Awful Squiggle Trend
It seems like this eyebrow trend died as soon as it began, so cross your fingers it never comes back. And as if just the squiggle eyebrows weren't bad enough, this girl took it to a new level, doing all her makeup in the same style. This had to have been a joke, right? Please tell us it was a joke.
The eyeliner is bad but not horrible, and even worse than the eyebrows are squiggle lips, which makes it look like she put on her lipstick in a moving vehicle. Maybe she helped Ariana Grande do her eye makeup? That would certainly answer a lot of questions that are bouncing around in our heads right now.
And Then, This Weird Trend, Which We Apparently Missed
As if the squiggle trend wasn't bad enough, there's... this. Plenty of makeup artists and gurus will tell you that it's a good idea to draw individual hairs when you're filling in your eyebrows, but, um, this is taking that advice to a brand new level we never knew was possible. The rest of her makeup is fine, but her eyebrows look like they'd be sharp to touch like they're barbed wire or something.
Is she trying to start a new trend, or is she mocking how insane eyebrows have gotten over the past year or so? We hope it's the second one. This cannot be real.
This Major Makeover Fail
This woman said her makeup look is a result of a professional makeover she had done, and for that, we are so sorry that this happened to her. Not only is her face a different color than her neck, but that contour is a disaster and so is her eye makeup, which hasn't even been blended out.
And then, the worst part (which, as you can see, is always the biggest makeup fail that can happen) is those eyebrows. Did this artist even try to give this poor woman a good look, or was she playing some kind of prank? Can she please get her money back?
And This Poor Makeover Victim, As Well
If this girl looks angry, it's because she is. It's one thing if your makeup fail is your own fault, but when it happens at the hands of professionals? It just never should have happened. According to this woman, her face was done by Urban Decay artists, who apparently had no idea what they were doing.
She said it made her come out looking like a potato, and we simply cannot disagree with her. If this girl paid for the makeover, she deserves a refund and a few coupons thrown in, and the artist should probably find a new career path to follow.
Lip Makeup? No Thanks
Why would anyone want to put makeup on their lips? We're impressed that this girl was able to give herself a cheetah look but how long could it possibly last? Buy a few drinks while out with your girlfriends and your lips will probably start looking like a hot mess. We guess if your goal is to draw attention to your lips this is one way to go about it. In the meantime, we're going to stick with more traditional lip gloss and lipstick.
Even a little bit of glitter would have been more club-friendly than this hot mess of lip makeup. There are some makeup styles we hope never become a trend and this definitely tops our list.
Two Sets Of Eyebrows?
We've seen women try to draw on their own eyebrows and it's usually a mess. This woman decided one set of eyebrows was not enough. Why anyone would try to draw this much attention to a really bad makeup job is beyond our understanding. On the other hand, if gaining a bunch of attention was her goal, achievement unlocked!
From the bad blending job to the look that shouts "pay attention to me" this is just one makeup fail that nobody should ever try to emulate in the future. Maybe this is a popular look in a certain geographic area but we sure hope it was just a bad mistake.
One Too Many Drinks Before Applying Her Makeup?
We would really like to believe that this woman's makeup choice was a direct result of drinking one too many Blue Moon's before applying her choice of eyeshadow and other makeup. Even the look on her face adds to the makeup fail she created.
On a positive note, if she kept on drinking more beers she probably totally didn't notice all of the people who were staring at her face in an attempt to figure out how she made such a mess of her applied colors of choice. Personal expression or just a huge mess of makeup fails? You be the judge.
Excuse Me But Are You Awake?
Can you imagine being at the bar and seeing this girl blink after a few drinks? Is she awake? Does she have cartoon eyes? From the overuse of colors to the creepy eyelid makeup, this is a shocking and rather creepy take on doing your makeup. Hopefully, she isn't a heavy blinker or this makeup fail could send people running for the doors.
At least when she falls asleep she can scare the crap out of anyone who walks into the room. Some people should just leave the application of makeup to professional makeup artists. We shuddered a little bit when we saw this makeup fail.
The Contrast Is Killing Us
Too much tanning spray or time in the sun is usually pretty easy to spot. When you have stark silver/white hair the contrast is just too much to handle. If this woman was attempting to create a juxtaposition between her hair and face she accomplished her goal.
At the end of the day, we find that the best use of makeup is subtle and helps define a woman's natural beauty. This woman could use a lesson in how to find the right hair coloring to make a really bad makeup job. At least she's memorable in her very own unique way.
Please Tell Us She Was Going To A Rave
For our own sanity, we are going to assume this girl was going to a rave where bold colors are celebrated. If this is how she goes out every day a lesson in color choices would be well deserved. She could have at least matched her color palette and chosen some options that matched her skin tone and maybe even her hair color.
This might be a huge makeup fail but we can't help but celebrate someone who is willing to go all out to express their own individuality in such a crazy and bold way, even if it seems bizarre.
A Job Half Done Isn't Worth Doing
We're not really sure why this woman decided to only color in half of her eyes but it leaves us wanting more. Remove the strange eye makeup and the overuse of blush and she appears to have a beautiful face. Fortune may benefit the bold but that doesn't seem to apply when you're putting makeup on your face.
She has amazing cheekbones but her makeup is drawing way too much attention to her strange choice in an unfinished job. At least she took a unique approach to apply her makeup.
Is This A Sequel To Saw?
We haven't seen cheeks stand out this much since Jigsaw started tormenting his captives in the movie Saw. Applying makeup can be hard work, especially if you don't really know which shades to use. We understand that her eye coloring was a personal choice but that is way too much color to apply on such a small surface of your face.
If your goal is to shock everyone around you this might be just the type of unique makeup fail you can attempt on your own. At least she gave the camera a look that screams, "I don't care what you think of my makeup skills."
Two Toned Skin? No Thanks
We're going to assume this was just a lazy attempt at spray tanning. It's one thing to look like an Oompa Loompa did your makeup and it's entirely something different to give yourself a two-toned skin color look. If you are going for the Snooki look at least make sure the rest of your skin looks the same color as your face.
This girl obviously wanted to show off a severe tan look with bright lips but we can't stop staring at the different color of her face versus her neck, chest, and arms. Please leave your Jersey Shore look at home when you plan on going out in public.
Who Wore It Better?
When your "who wore it better" makeup fail leaves you looking more awkward than a gremlin bride it's time to reassess how you apply your makeup. Yes, this type of dramatic makeup in a cultural choice for some people. No, that's doesn't make it right. We actually think the gremlin did a better job because they already have bright skin that lends itself to a dramatic makeup makeover.
If your goal is to draw more attention to your eyes there are some far less dramatic choices you can make. Also, we get it, you have cheeks but we don't need 20 pounds of makeup to find them right there on the side of your face.
Making An Awful Spray Tan Even Worse
Spray tans look awful and this woman found a way to make it look even worse. All it took was some white makeup that pretty much looks like the whiteout we use to fix spelling mistakes on school papers. If her goal was to draw attention to her eyes and lips she succeeded in her task.
At least she managed to match her eye and lip colors to her hair. Honestly, her makeup looks like something a psychotic clown would apply before heading out to find their next victim. Some people should really stay away from tanning booths and every type of makeup product.
Her Eyebrows Are Sliding Off Her Face
They are called eyebrows, not "side of face" brows. If you are going to paint on eyebrows you should probably keep your makeup job isolated around your eyes. Looking at this picture we can't help but feel like her eyebrows are sliding off the side of her face.
Add in a mess of eye and cheek shades and you have a hilarious and semi-scary makeup fail that shouldn't be worn in public. At least she looks happy and that's all that really matters at the end of the day. In all honestly, nobody could pull off this total mess of a look.
The "Full Eyebrow" Look
We're going to ignore this woman's awful spray tan for a moment and focus on those insane eyebrows she drew in. We understand that many women want a full eyebrow look but they shouldn't take over your entire face. We're assuming she was trying to correct for an eyebrow plucking incident but she went about 300% too far in drawing in those eyebrows.
We have to question if she finished with this makeup fail and thought her girlfriends would be jealous of her unusually full eyebrows. It's definitely a bold makeup choice but that's all the positive messaging we have for her personal choice.
Don't Match Your Makeup To Your Accessories
This girl is wearing some massive hoop earnings that can't be comfortable for long periods of time. The only thing less comfortable might be anyone who has to be seen in public with this woman and her horrendous makeup fail. If you are starving for attention this might be the way to go.
The bold colors of her earrings don't match her skin tone and she applied way too much makeup to her cheeks, eyes, and lips. She's only seconds away from getting out of a clown car at the circus. Also, what's up with those ridiculous eyelashes she painted on?
Is That A Mustache?
Please tell us that this weird mustache and lip highlighting makeup isn't a trend? We have noticed some commonalities between our makeup fails. One of those common traits is that women attempt to highlight a certain part of their face with ill-advised makeup tricks. This woman attempted to highlight her lips but the strange color choice and pencil thin lines ended up looking like a poorly grown in mustache.
If you want to highlight certain facial features you should probably consult with a professional who can show you the right away to apply makeup. Do you think anything could pull off this look? Ya, us either.
The Evil Eyebrows
This lady drew on eyebrows that make her look like she is always in a bad mood. Throw in matching lip makeup and she has achieved the double makeup fail. It doesn't help that her pale skin isn't a good match to the very dark colors she chose for her makeup. If you end up in a situation where your mugshot might be taken this could be a good luck.
One glance at this photo seems to show that she won't take any mouthing off from the people around her. There is definitely a lot of people who shouldn't attempt to apply their own makeup.
Eyebrows Don't Go In That Direction
Eyebrows have a defined arch to them. As their name suggests, they surround our eyes. This woman decided to try something completely different and drew eyebrows that traveled halfway up her forehead. Throw in the strange makeup she applied below her eyes and the pink makeup she used to highlight her work and we are left with a huge mess.
At least she is wearing sunglasses which hopefully helped her cover up all of the makeup fails she managed to apply in one sitting. We love her hair color though so at least there's a big win to go with her horrible makeup fails.
Natural Skin Tone? Nope.
We're pretty sure that questions of race on various official forms don't ask if you are a "silver/grey" person instead of black, caucasian, etc. This girl's makeup doesn't appear to be mimicking a spray tan and it honestly has us baffled. It's a shame because she has totally nailed the rainbow hair coloring trend and she appears to have a pretty face under all of her strange concealer.
This is another prime example of someone who doesn't understand how to match their makeup to their own skin tone. We would have rather seen a rainbow color face that we could define in some way.
We Have No Idea
Remember when you were a child and you traced random photos? That was a great way to learn about drawing. Unfortunately, that childhood task doesn't really translate well to applying makeup. This woman traced her lips with a really dark shade and matched it to her eyebrows.
We can't imagine walking around in public with a stuck on expression caused by our makeup. Her eyebrows make her look like she's always giving a very specific expression and it's only matched by her lips. Nobody could possibly pull off this look without comical effect.
Way Too Much Lip
You know when your parents tell you to stop giving them so much lip - this isn't what they have in mind. When you highlight your big and bold eyebrows with an equally big and bold helping of lipstick, it can become really distracting. This girl is all over the place with her choice of colors.
We can't help but bounce back and forth from her bold eyebrows, her darkened eye shades, and her incredibly bright red lipstick. Find your color palette and make sure it all matches up, it really isn't that hard and you can avoid this type of socially sharable makeup fail.
