Look and feel your best with these easy ways to head off everyday beauty blunders.

1.      Common Mistake: Using Conditioner All Over Your Hair

Most people apply conditioner as they do shampoo: starting at the top of the head and working it all through the hair. But the hair closest to the roots is healthy new growth; it’s the ends that are older and more likely to be damaged. Apart from wasting product, conditioning the roots can weigh your hair down and make it look greasy.

A better way: Starting at your ears, apply conditioner all the way to the ends. You will gain volume and won’t have to wash your hair as often.

2.      Common Mistake: Applying Foundation Without Giving Moisturizer Time to Dry

The creaminess of a moisturizer can cause makeup to thin out if the moisturizer hasn’t had enough time to soak into the skin. This can result in blotchiness and ultimately limit the amount of coverage your foundation can offer throughout the day.

A better way: Wait 60 seconds, until the moisturizer is absorbed. Or, if you’re short on time, blot your face with a tissue after moisturizing, then apply foundation.

3.      Common Mistake: Spraying on Perfume After You Are Dressed

Perfume can stain fabric, and fabric fibers can make perfume smell unpleasant. Fragrance is formulated to be applied to the skin, where it interacts with the heat of the body.

A better way: Before dressing, lightly dab or spray it onto the skin at one or two of the “pulse points”―knees, wrists, base of the throat, and behind the earlobes. And don’t rub your wrists together. This breaks down a perfume’s molecular structure.

4.      Common Mistake: Plucking Eyebrows Too Close to the Mirror

When you’re focused on every little hair, you don’t keep track of the shape of the entire eyebrow. The result? Thin or uneven brows.

A better way: Find a large mirror near a window, then step back a few feet to survey your face. Brows should be in proportion to your face shape and the placement and size of your features. Move closer to the mirror and begin tweezing. Step back after every few hairs to check the symmetry of your brows.

5.      Common Mistake: Neglecting Your Neck

When you take care of your face, don’t stop at the chin: The skin on your neck can be thinner and more sensitive than the skin on your face and just as prone to changes in pigment, elasticity, and texture―and, yes, to wrinkles.

A better way: When applying sunscreen to your face, keep going, covering your neck and even your chest. (Spread some on the backs of your hands, too―another vulnerable area.) A separate neck cream is not necessary―these are marketing ploys. Your day and night face moisturizers, as well as most treatment creams, should work just as well on your neck. But if you use products containing alpha hydroxy acids or retinols, do a spot-test first.