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Home » Interesting Discussions » Your Say: What’s the worst Makeup or Skincare mistake that’s ever happened to you?

Your Say: What’s the worst Makeup or Skincare mistake that’s ever happened to you?

October 23, 2012 Paris B 86 Comments

makeup and skincare mistakes
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Last week, those of you following me on Twitter might have come across this status update:

Just mistook nail polish remover for eye makeup remover. Hurts like a mofo! Don’t try this at home kids!

— Paris B (@paris_b) October 19, 2012

Yeah, I know. Ouch!

I’m not quite sure what happened, to be perfectly honest. I was tired, yes but not exceedingly so. It wasn’t terribly late, but I’d had some furniture delivered, and I had been clearing up my spaces. I was about to have my shower, when I realised I still had my makeup on from the day. (For the record, the Kanebo Lunasol Water Gel Foundation is seriously something. So impressed!)

So I reached for the first blue bottle I saw on the counter, picked it up, thought it smelled funny, wet a piece of cotton pad, laid the cotton pad against my eye … and promptly ran screaming for the bathroom. It BURNS!

Even as I ran cold water from the tap over my eyes, I could not help wondering why my regular Lip and Eye makeup remover would suddenly turn on me. I wondered if I had accidentally cut my eye lid.

It was only a few moments later that the strong, unmistakeable smell of nail polish remover cut through the fog in my brain. “I just put nail polish remover on my eye!!” You know when people say “/facepalm” but they just say it? I had a literal /facepalm moment right there.

There doesn’t seem to be any lasting damage, thankfully. I had closed my eyes to remove the eyeshadow and mascara, and had almost immediately rinsed it off my skin. I was almost afraid to open my right eye lest I had gone blind but fortunately, it all seems to be good.

I now keep my nail polish remover in a separate room. Not taking my chances again!

Oh and for the record, nail polish remover sucks at removing eye makeup 😉

What’s the worst/most painful makeup or skincare mistake that has ever happened to you?

On a scale of 1-10, this has had to be a 10 on the scale of pain, stupidity and now that I’d told you about it, acute embarrassment LOL!

Paris B

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About Paris B

Paris B is a 40-something beauty and skincare enthusiast with a practical and very critical view of beauty products and the world of beauty. Her mission on My Women Stuff is to deliver clear, honest reviews and facilitate discussions about beauty trends and life, tempered with a healthy dose of humour. Let the buyer's remorse be ours not yours! When not testing the newest skincare creams and lotions, or playing with makeup, find her testing her culinary skills in the kitchen at Chez PB. Read more about us here or leave a comment below or connect with us on social media at Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

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86 comments ... Read or JOIN THE DISCUSSION

  1. Hanny Daforcena says

    October 23, 2012 at 12:54 pm

    Ouch… Poor poor PB. >.<"

    My mistake would be using toner as nail polish remover. Nothing happened of course, other than the sting of my toner on an eczema patch on my finger. Heh heh heh. It stings, but the patch got better! So yeah.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      October 23, 2012 at 5:57 pm

      Hahaha glad something good came out of it! And let me guess – toner doesn’t remove nail polish right? LOL!

      Reply
  2. Kay says

    October 23, 2012 at 1:04 pm

    Ouch! I’m sorry that happened to you. I’m glad the mistake was not worse.

    I’ve mixed up things like hair spray and eyeglass cleaner, both in spray bottles and in close proximity, and while not serious, this post is a good reminder to separate like items.

    I’m going to move my nail polish remover tonight. I think I will put some rubber bands around it as a tactile reminder that this is something I need to pay attention to if/when I pick it up by mistake.

    Thanks, Paris.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      October 23, 2012 at 5:58 pm

      It does serve as a timely reminder, Kay 🙂 Do be careful. This is an experience I never want anyone to have and I’m thankful its not worse.

      Reply
  3. beetrice says

    October 23, 2012 at 1:14 pm

    PB, how many fingers am I holding up?? 😛

    1. I’ve mistaken my scrub and facial wash for shampoo before (it HAD to be on rushed mornings when I wasn’t intending to wash my hair – guess my brain was insisting I had to!)…and this has happened more than once!

    2. Almost brushed my teeth with facial cleanser – was wondering why my toothpaste smelt like pink grapefruit, lucky I didn’t put it in my mouth!

    3. Mistook a sample sachet of moisturiser for cleanser – in my defence, the contents were white and runny, and the text on the sachet was all in Japanese! 😛

    I’m sure there’s more, but those would be the top three…

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      October 23, 2012 at 6:00 pm

      How did you fit 7 fingers on one hand, Bee! 😛 And scrub for shampoo! Nice clean scalp eh? But goodness, what a hassle rinsing out the bits >.<

      Reply
  4. gio says

    October 23, 2012 at 1:29 pm

    Ouch, that must have been painful! I used a face makeup remover to take off eye makeup once. It irritated them a bit, but no serious harm was done.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      October 23, 2012 at 6:01 pm

      Good to know nothing serious happened with yours Gio 🙂

      Reply
  5. peach_ says

    October 23, 2012 at 1:39 pm

    OMG ToT I’m glad your eyes are okay. I’ve accidentally used those disinfecting contact lens solutions you’re supposed to leave for 6+ hours to rinse my contacts before putting it on instead. I freaked out because it burned so much. I was crying and trying to get the contact lens out of my eye at the same time. I was afraid I’d gone blind, too. Not fun at all. I definitely empathize with you.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      October 23, 2012 at 6:02 pm

      I’m glad too, Peach thanks! 🙂 I can’t imagine the pain in your case, especially with a contact lens stuck to your eye. When I wore contacts, and I wanted them out in a hurry, I could never do it! Glad that nothing serious happened in your case too.

      Reply
  6. Sze Ling says

    October 23, 2012 at 1:42 pm

    Oh god…that must have really hurt. Luckily no permanent damage was done. Phew!

    I’ve once mistaken my conditioner for shampoo. Thought it was weird how the shampoo wouldn’t foam up. LOL. 😀

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      October 23, 2012 at 6:04 pm

      It did, but I’m thankful too that the pain went away. Eh you know what? There is this movement that advocates using conditioner BEFORE shampoo. Apparently it makes hair softer and shiner. I’m not sure how true it is. I tried it but it was just too weird to me.

      Reply
  7. bita says

    October 23, 2012 at 1:56 pm

    lol. very funny. I remember applying L’oreal “after bed” on my face!! it is as you know a styling hair cream! my face felt awful!

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      October 23, 2012 at 6:08 pm

      Yikes! That must have been terrible! Hopefully you didn’t break out 🙂

      Reply
  8. Swati says

    October 23, 2012 at 2:22 pm

    oh my gosh!!! that must have been really terrible!! i don’t think i made such kind of goof ups ever but yup when i used liz earle cleanser for the first time, i didn’t really know how to use it 😀 i had never used a cleanser before that!!

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      October 23, 2012 at 6:09 pm

      Haha lucky that you haven’t done something as silly as this, Swati! 😀

      Reply
  9. Kate says

    October 23, 2012 at 3:10 pm

    I somehow always mixed up hair conditioner with shampoo especially when both the packaging colours look identical. So you can imagine, early morning when I wake up with my sleepy eyes closed, I wet my hair and my hand would reach out for the conditioner first. Then later i would think how come there isnt much foam no matter how I lather in circular motion.. and sh#@!!

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      October 23, 2012 at 6:10 pm

      Oh dear, that would be terribly frustrating (and expensive!) I did however read somewhere about people using conditioner before shampoo. Apparently they say it makes their hair softer and shinier – did you experience that?

      Reply
  10. mess says

    October 23, 2012 at 4:53 pm

    I mistook my body lotion for my cream cleanser, my eyes howled at the mistake.

    It’s not makeup or skincare related, but my oddest moment was when I mistakenly put both contact lenses in one eye, and it took me quite a while of wondering and panicking why my vision was still blurry after putting on my contact lenses.

    Such a profoundly bimbo moment that I finally decided to opt for Lasik after a decade or so of being such a chicken about it.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      October 23, 2012 at 6:12 pm

      LOL! Sorry, but I had to laugh at what prompted your Lasik 😀 When I was wearing contacts, I once put one side in the wrong way and wondered why my vision was wonky, and why it was so uncomfortable >.< Thank God for modern technology and Lasik!

      Reply
    • Juanneth says

      October 24, 2012 at 2:12 am

      That happened to my friend! We searched high and low,on the floor,here and there,and finally she realized that she had both in one eye. Funny,but very tired moment XD

      Reply
  11. mrsdjones says

    October 23, 2012 at 4:57 pm

    I do this mistake the most (yes, I did this a few times!): Put on my facial cleanser on my toothbrush and it usually happens early in the morning :p hahaa

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      October 23, 2012 at 6:12 pm

      LOL! Sounds like there’s quite a few who do that! 😀 Hopefully you didn’t end up brushing your teeth 😉

      Reply
  12. Camy says

    October 23, 2012 at 5:36 pm

    ouch. that’s very very hurtful!

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      October 23, 2012 at 6:13 pm

      It was, so its a good reminder to be careful! 😉

      Reply
  13. Esther says

    October 23, 2012 at 7:19 pm

    Eeeep! I’m glad your eye is okay – nail polish remover is powerful stuff, if not particularly good at removing eye makeup.

    Reply
  14. Jyoan says

    October 23, 2012 at 11:37 pm

    =P I don’t remember having any. and I hope I wouldn’t! =P

    Reply
  15. Lisa says

    October 24, 2012 at 12:23 am

    waaa… i’m glad you are ok. Cross my fingers i have not much mishaps with makeup yet. The worst was poking my pupil with my eyeliner in the rushed mornings. Immediately tear and my eye turns red for a few good hours.

    Reply
  16. Alison says

    October 24, 2012 at 12:54 am

    I have a few of these, but my favourite one was curling my lashes (I was a newbie 13-year-old, so come on…) or rather, attempting to AFTER I applied mascara. I nearly clamped my lashes off, ow!

    My least favourite (which has been impacting me ever since) was using one of those nose pore strips. I was thirteen and had just started to get pimples and tried using one just once because my Mother was using them. Well. At the time, the skin on my nose was completely smooth and my pores were basically perfect: I just had a clogged pore/breakout or two and they were always easily solvable, but I thought the strip would be a quick, easy solution. After using it, overnight I developed a blackhead problem. It was like my pores were stretched and just instantly clogged up. I used toner and cold water afterwards but somehow my pores just STAYED open and I then had a nose covered in blackheads! It was scary-terrible and even now my nose still isn’t the same, and I have had larger pores ever since. So sad. I really don’t recommend those on young teenage skin. I know this doesn’t happen to everyone but its my biggest skin care regret, ever.

    Reply
  17. Juanneth says

    October 24, 2012 at 2:02 am

    It was a day,I was being particular about my eyes make up. It took me more than 2 hours,blame it to the butterfly in my tummy,to get ready (to meet long-distance bf). I keep on adjusting the eyeliner’s thickness before applied the mascara heavily for that dollish look. Thanks to absent-mindedness at the moment,I almost forgot to tightlining,so I did it without let the mascara dried first. My phone ringing, and I ACCIDENTALLY poked my eyes with the brush and ACCIDENTALLY rubbed it like a crazy woman.

    Looked at the mirror,and yes,I look like one. Imagine the wet mascara and the eyeliner and the bloodshot and the ruined make up, and when Im answering the phone,my bf just 10 minutes to reach.

    And I took a bottle of hand sanitizer and put it on a cotton pad,thinking it was my make up remover. He thought I was cried and I told him that I just woke up -shhhh,don’t tell him 😛

    Reply
  18. Deepa says

    October 24, 2012 at 3:42 am

    OMG, That is insane!!!!!!!!!!!, But I have something that will make all of ya’ll cringe and cry out, “Thank God she realised at the last minute!!” I was swatching nail polish on my fingers and I was wiping them off using my Corine De Farme Remover( Awesome remover, removes everything in just 1 wipe, and its moisturising too) And I had a water bottle on the other end of the table, And every now and then, I will take a swig at it. AND guess what, I grabbed the nail polish remover instead, (its in a huge 200ml clear glass bottle, similar to my drinking bottle) and nearly too a swig, Had it on my lips and all, however the smell aroused my suspicion, and I glanced down, and lo behold!, its polish remover!!!!! I sat still for a full 5 minute, looking at that doozy bottle……………………

    Reply
  19. Ollie says

    October 24, 2012 at 2:19 pm

    I don’t know if this qualifies? I used my dog’s shampoo, surprisingly (maybe not) a lot of people noticed I smelled like my dog. It’s scented “fresh.” The type of smell people associate with water sans the generic masculine odor.

    My grandmother drank nail polish remover, she mistook it for mouthwash, she had issues with her saliva glands the rest of her life:(
    be careful x

    Reply
  20. May says

    October 24, 2012 at 2:47 pm

    Hmm…Not sure if this can be considered as mistake. Tried applying toothpaste as zit-zapper, my face burnt and left a dark scar. Yikes!!

    Reply
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