Beauty rules you should totally break

There are a lot of rules in life. Some of them are official, like, you know...the road rules. Others are unofficial but polite, like walking to the left on the stairs (seriously people, it's not that hard!) and then there are some that should never have existed in the first place and are meant to be broken. There are so many beauty 'rules' that in my opinion should not be compulsory!

Always wear mascara on your bottom lashes
Never in my life have I worn mascara on my bottom lashes. It looks simply ridiculous on me and it smudges and flakes like nobody's business. Many times I've felt as though I'm doing it wrong but seriously, that's one rule I am happy to break (although I acknowledge that this isn't the case for everyone).

Throw your mascara out after three months
Now I'm no expert on this (but if you are feel free to yell at me about what I'm going to say next) but I totally think you can make a mascara last longer than three months. In fact, my Covergirl Lashblast Length mascara has been going for over a year now (which is quite remarkable considering I literally use it everyday) and it still works like a charm. When it gets gloopy, smells funny or changes colour then sure, I'll swap to one of the million others in my 'backup' pile but until then, I'm not saying sayonara to my best friend just yet.

You can only wear the shade of red lipstick that suits your skintone 
Who made this rule, because they clearly didn't know much about the logistics of red lisptick wearing! There are no rules when it comes to lipstick shades, it's about whether you feel confident! For me, I'll go a blue or red toned lippie, bright or subtle, but I won't venture into the darker, more vampy colours just yet. It's not about the rules, it's about what I like.

Pale skin is something to be ashamed of
I hate this rule, I absolutely hate it. I am white as a ghost and 99% of the time I love it! Sure, a bit of a tan in summer can be quite attractive and healthy looking, but there is nothing wrong with being pale either...it certainly beats oompa loompa orange! Be proud of your paleness!

You can wear either warm or cool toned eyeshadow
Oh my gosh. Biggest load of rubbish ever. I am personally drawn to warmer tones anyway but it doesn't mean cool toned, like a cool taupe for example, is off limits for me. Like the red lippie, wear whatever you feel pretty in!

You must always powder
No, no, no. Powder isn't for everyone, it's for the girls with oily skin who find that by the end of the day their makeup is nowhere to be seen for it has been replaced with an oil slick. For the girls with dry skin, embrace it ladies! Use dewy foundations and rock the glow (glow, not oily mess) because we sure have trouble with it!

Eyes or lips
Okay, so I get where this is coming from - it can be a little overkill when you've got a crazy smokey eye and attention-demanding lippie on when you pop down to the grocery shops, but thick black liner and a red lip can look stunning and in my opinion combines both a strong eye and a strong lip.

You can't wear dark shadow in the day
Seriously, there's not much to say about this one but you can wear whatever you want. I've seen girls walking around in what looks like pyjamas, I'm fairly sure you can wear a dark brown shadow and get away with it!

Certain shades go with certain seasons
I totally fall into the trap of thinking that you can only wear makeup shades that correspond with the time of the year that it is. When I was drooling over a gorgeous ox blood Essence polish the other day, I nearly didn't get it because we'd just come out of winter and pastel shades for Spring were more appropriate. What was I thinking? I ended up purchasing it and I tell you, nothing is going to be stopping me for showing off my new dark red nails!

Never pluck above the eyebrow
If I followed this rule, it wouldn't be good. My brows are, to say the least, a little crazy and so I do everything in my power to keep them lovely and full but neat at the same time. Plucking both above and below the eyebrow is very important for me!

Cut your hair every "insert a short time period here"
I don't remember the last time I got my hair cut. 6 months ago? A year? I don't know but for the time being, it seems to be doing alright. Of course, the time between cuts differs for everyone, but to save money, effort and get lengthier locks, postpone you next cut until you actually need it.

You have to use brushes to apply your makeup
Although decent brushes have drastically changed my makeup routine for the better, you can get so much done using just your fingers. Especially for those who are just starting out with makeup, don't let anyone tell you brushes are the only way to go.

So there are the beauty rules that I love to break and recommend you consider breaking too!