What brand do you love that you feel like isn't talked about enough in the beauty community?
I like a lot of what I’ve tried from Cle de Peau, and I don’t see a lot of other bloggers covering the brand or a lot of readers touting it as their favorite — it is undoubtedly an expensive brand, so I suspect that has a lot to do with it. (But then I see how much coverage Tom Ford gets, and I start wondering!)
While we’ve seen a good deal of indie brands get representation in the online beauty community as of late, I think brands like Fyrinnae and Shiro deserve more recognition. The exploration of independent beauty brands as a whole doesn’t have to be limited to what is received by beauty bloggers/vloggers as PR. There are some lovely Asian beauty products out there as well that don’t get much attention. It’s great to see people like Isabella Muse discuss products from MemeBox and review things that might otherwise fly under the radar.
What is said is true however Christine has often said that skin care is not what she feels she can review bc of the infinite variety of skin sensitivity and the plethora of products. It is a need but overloaded with skin problems and products. I would have no idea as to how to start and I’m in the medical profession.
First of all, I have gotta tel you how right you are about that brand! This is the only place I believe I have even seen a review or swatches of their products? I could be wrong?
The brand I see less fuss over, at least lately, is one who has been morphing more and more, from a DS brand into nearing ME. Y’all gonna think I’ve lost my mind once you read it, though: Nyx! I just saw and swatches the testers for some brand new 16 (?) pan palettes, the “brights” one blew my mind! It’s not that the brand receives zero attention, but not nearly enough considering how they bring it.
*swatched. Autocorrect sucks!
I really like the CeraVe moisturizers and cleansers. Very recommended by dermatologists and gentle to skin. I also like Paula’s Choice products. Again skin care but well researched and less reactive than many products. I also love European skin care such as Liz Earle and Caudilie, probably others. I feel Europe is more cautious allowing toxic products than we are. I’m also not saying the U.S. has bad products, I am more cautious though. Much is excellent, some, not so much.
I feel like access and price point kills Cle de Peau online representation. If you can’t buy it, test it out in persona or afford the items means less sales and less online reviews.
Brands that do get more online representation is A. Cheap/Easy to get hold of, B. Give out press samples, and C. gives credit to contributors on the brand’s social media outlets/website.
C. Is important because if a brand shares work the contributors also get exposure and are more likely to post review/swatches/looks from that brand in turn. I referred to this as the Share Economy because it’s advertising for both the brands products and the creators.
Excellent points.
I totally agree! It seems NYX does get quite a bit of attention for certain products, but many of their new(er) offerings are are still under the radar. The Full Throttle & High Voltage lipsticks come to mind, and the Strobe of Genius palette is great, especially if one is looking for dupes of Becca highlighters. I also can’t find much on the Foundation Mixers…
I don’t think you’ve lost your mind at all. I’ve been a fan of NYX for a lot of years, since before they got the high profile they have now. The quality and variety is as good as MUFE and the prices are really budget-friendly.
NYX is great! They have beautiful highly pigmented colors, edgy looks, and great neutrals, and the quality is excellent. I think their quality is better than Smashbox and MUFE. I have that Brights palette with the 16 colors (it’s called ombre, in Brights), and the colors are really nice. I have bottle green eyes, and I especially like the warm yellowy greens, the yellows, and the orange. It’s actually hard to find a palette that has both yellow and orange, and then to have the right green on top of it – makeup heaven for me.
Hey Bonnie, I fully intend on buying that Brights Ombre palette ( plus something else, because BOGO50%). If a fellow reader hadn’t brought it to my attention, I may have overlooked it!
I love Dr. Denese skincare products. But, most of my friends over 50 have never heard of it. Also, I love Wet n’ Wild lipstick. It is creamy and stays color true. I like their black eye pencil for lower lids(not water line though.) I color my hair with good old Nice and Easy. I get compliments every day. Other women my age, 62 , get their hair colored in the beauty shop. It always looks wiry, ashy, green.
It seems everyone raves about WnW Megalast, which are GREAT, but their Silk Finish lipsticks are really nice, too. They don’t get enough love.
Shiseido, which is also the parent company of Cle de Peau. I also don’t feel that Estee Lauder gets a lot of attention and think it suffers from an “old lady” reputation which I think they are trying to rectify with their Estee Edit collection with Kendall Jenner as the spokesmodel. It’s a shame because both Shiseido and Estee Lauder have excellent products that are well worth checking out.
I agree with Shiseido!!!
It’s so funny to me how Estee Lauder is thought of as an “old lady” brand when I started using it in my early early 20’s. I love their DayWear moisturizer, it’s one of the few moisturizers that I can use any primer on top and it doesn’t make it pill up, plus it absorbs well into my oily skin and smells yummy. Love their DoubleWear foundation for my oily skin as well. They have great lip products and mascaras. One of the ladies at the counter was surprised to see me shop there because of my age (26 who looks 17), but I love Estee Lauder and will use DayWear cream forever and ever. One of the few items in my skincare collection that I repurchase time and time again.
Agree about Estée Lauder. I definitely thinks it’s viewers as an old ladies brand. I swear by their doublewear foundation. I’ve been using it for 7 years now. I literally will never try and other foundation. I work 13hr shifts as an ER nurse and it’s the only thing that doesn’t budge or sweat off me! However, I’ve never liked anything else of theirs. I bought a blush once and ended up giving it too my mum. I felt like I couldn’t get good colour payoff from it. Do they even make palettes of eyeshadows? I’ve honestly never looked. Nor have I looked at their lipsticks. I literally visit their counter for my foundation, then move on to the Mac, benefit & UD counters etc. Also I feel Lancôme is an old lady brand.
I love Estee Lauder!
I use the Double Wear foundation almost daily- alone or mixed with other foundations. I also use their Double Wear concealer daily. I have been really interested in trying other products from them also, they have a lot to choose from.
Haha my daughter and I were just talking about Estee Lauder and how it suffers from the “old lady” image. Aside from double wear, I never hear people give it much love. I admit I have walked past this brand though through the years I have enjoyed many of their products. They just lack excitement and when there are so many brands and they are coming out with such fun products, Estee Lauder could benefit from a serious makeover. Get rid of the heavy, clunky packaging. That is a big reason it has its old lady rep. Just never comes off as a cool girl’s type of brand. Kendall Jenner as a spokesperson is a step in the right direction!
I wish more people talked about Essence. I’ve raved about their Silky Touch blushes a million times: they’re basically slightly less pigmented versions of the Tarte formulation. For $2,99, I’m not going to quibble about the pigmentation when I prefer subtle blush anyway. Essence also has a lipstick labeled “Cool Nude,” which endears them to me forever because high end brands still don’t bother with cooler tones as often as they should.
I think Becca gets lost in the fray a bit. Everyone loves their highlighters but their prices are at a weird midpoint between Sephora-level high end and full-on luxury.
Ummm….
Makeup Revolution
Kiko Cosmetics
I love both <3
Yes to Revolution…I have two lip colors from the that I love. This is a company that knows how to do purple lips, and the price is definitely right.
I just got a ‘Naked’ style eyeshadow palette from MUR in my Dollibox this month. Haven’t tried it out yet, but it seems less glittery than UDs eyeshadows. I just hope it doesn’t have as much fallout, and has a good colour payoff.
Inglot, they get some love but are stuck in a place where tgey are not popular enough to be every where so not enough people know about theirvamazing selection that to me is so muchbetterbthan mac and even more focused on the creativity of makeup
Hey Tamara I so agree with you about Inglot. I know this brand by name, I have easy access to it, I’m curious about it, but I do not own any Inglot products. And I am quite sure that this is because the lack of reviews.
Dior, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent
Catrice
I can’t think of a high end brand… I don’t hear a lot about Shu Uemura or Shiseido, but I haven’t tried enough from either to say I “love” them. As far as drugstore, I think Profusion doesn’t get enough credit. They are super inexpensive, but they actually have some very nice products. Jordana and Jcat don’t get enough coverage, either. A lot of Sleek’s products are ignored: Bloggers mention the blushes and a few of the eyeshadow palettes, and very little else.
In general, a lot of indie brands are ignored by most bloggers. I don’t know if it’s because many make loose powder products, or if it’s because a lot of them don’t ship worldwide, but I think it’s a shame. There is a huge variety, and the prices are usually very reasonable.
I agree. Profusion doesn’t get nearly enough love and I find their shadows to be comparable to my UD shadows, especially when used with a primer.
Jordana does have some nice lipsticks, and a few other products that are okay. Is Sleek available in the US? I was going to order some lipsticks on Ebay by Sleek.
Sleek is not available in the US. I buy mine from their UK website or Amazon.
Shiseido, without a doubt. Their lipsticks (Perfect Rouge) are fantastic and I adore the quality of their powders. Their eyeshadows are great and have a very interesting texture and good color payoff, with imaginative color choices inspired by nature, as always with Japanese brands.
I remember my mom used to LOVE those lipsticks years ago when they still sold them in-store at Sephora and the packaging was kind of tapered, I think. She went through so many tubes!
KIKO – their quality and packaging is on par with MAC, but for half the price and they’re cruelty free! I especially love the new high pigment eyeshadows, their nail polishes, and the limited edition collections.
I agree. I have sooo many of their lipsticks and nearly all nail polishes.
Like it very much.
Here in Europe I feel that Smashbox doesn’t get the love and attention it deserves.
Canadian beauty brands, for sure, like Lise Watier. And a favourite of mine (not Canadian, though) – Clarins, which I think a lot of people view as “stodgy”.
Okay, I just checked the “Reviews” listings and while there is an alphabetical listing for Lise Watier, there isn’t a single product listed within that heading. There’s nothing for truly amazing brands like Marcelle, Annabelle, Vasanti (I’m pretty sure Vasanti is available in the US because I see a lot of reviews for their Brighten Up Enzymatic Scrub on Makeupalley). This pretty much illustrates my point…
There is s reason why I keep putting out reviews on Marcelle and Annabelle products because some of them also kick’s some higher end products in terms of quality. (And most of the US brand drugstore items as well) 😉
Face Stockholm – yes, it’s expensive, but the eyeshadow pans are huge (0.10 oz/2.80gms), the colour range is extensive, the lipstick cases look very glamorous, and it’s cruelty-free.
Milani
That is what I was thinking and Jordana…
I do not see some of the more traditional premium lines garnering as much attention. Armani doesn’t pack the punch it used to. They have come out with many innovative products, but very infrequently.
Black Radiance, Black Up, and Sacha Cosmetics.
Very true, which is a shame. Besides being a disservice to consumers who are WOC, I think these brands do have something to offer everyone. Even as fair as I am, I really like Black Radiance eyeshadows and lipsticks because I like intense colors. Iman’s lipsticks are beautiful, too, and I never see her stuff reviewed. I haven’t tried anything from Black Up or Sacha. There are some Black Up lipsticks I have my eye on.
Armani! They get some coverage, but nothing like that given to other luxury brands like Chanel, Guerlain or even Tom Ford.
I agree with Cle de Peu, even though I can’t afford their makeup myself. I’ve only heard a handful of people talk about their items, and yet every single one of them has RAVED endlessly about the products! I want to save up and get their concealer stick someday, I’ve heard it’s just unbeatable.
Inglot! Still not very much love outside the MUA industry for this one. There is a reason I have 7 custom palettes of their eyeshadows……
I think most brands as a whole get attention, but specific products get ignored. For example, L’Oreal did a range of awesome eyeshadow singles, but the Infallibles were the only ones ever mentioned. NARS only gets press for lip & cheek products, while eyeshadows are only mentioned as part of a seasonal collection (yes, they can be tricky to use at first, but take patience to “break in”).
There are just too many brands these days, and it seems a lot of v/bloggers rely too much on PR samples or mainstream brands…
Agreed!
Completely agree on the PR sample statement.
I absolutely love Cle de Peau, By Terry and Chantecaille, but like you stated earlier, not a lot of talk about those brands. I wish more bloggers would talk about those products. I hope that you will be be focusing more on those brands though.
Thanks!
Completely agree! CdP and Chantecaille have been staples for me for years. I would also agree that Armani doesn’t get enough attention.
My Pretty Zombie, Blackbird Cosmetics, and Pretty Zombie Cosmetics.
Lancôme! They have some great products, especially the more recent releases (their lip products are consistently excellent), their price points are lower than competitors such as Dior or Guerlain, yet they don’t get as much buzz as other brands. When I mention them people still say that they have an image of a brand for older customers. And I don’t see them featured in blogs very often at all.
Interesting! I bought a Lancôme blush (Meil Glacé I think?) on a whim and was impressed by how beautiful it is. I don’t think it was much more expensive than the Tarte or UD blushes I have been buying. I was surprised by that, I’ve always walked right by their counter thinking it was the same price as Dior. It made me want to dip my toe in & see what else they’ve got. Glad to hear you like their products.
Lancone…I agree. Love their eyeshadows, blush, mascara and lipstick. Their lipstick is one of the most moisturizing lipsticks available.
Lancome…I agree. Love their eyeshadows, blush, mascara and lipstick. Their lipstick is one of the most moisturizing lipsticks available.
I think it just depends on which blogs you read 🙂 Most bloggers have a bias and feature products which they can easily access. Also, trends vary from geographic area to geographic area with some products attaining HG status in some areas while being virtually unheard of in others. The small niche brands aside, in general it is easy enough to find the blogs that feature the products that interest you.
Apropos Clé de Peau, because I read a lot of Asian blogs, I encounter CdP reviews frequently and look forward to seeing swatches and LOTDs whenever new products come out. CdP; however, does not have a strong advertising presence in the US and so it goes unnoticed by most women here except for those who routinely shop the luxury brands and are looking for something along the lines of refined elegance. Tom Ford, on the other hand, has a much more aggressive advertising platform, targets a younger woman than CdP, and imbues everything with the promise of sexual allure. When you factor in that CdP is owned by a Japanese company (Shiseido) and Tom Ford is owned by an American company (Estée Lauder), it is no wonder tha TF gets more exposure on US blogs.
Elizabeth Arden don’t get the attention it deserve. They really stepped up their game lately.
Trish McEvoy
Their planners and travel kits are well done.
I am going to stick up for Lise Watier too. A wonderful Canadian brand that just keeps getting better and better with each new collection. They just came out with cushion foundation, eyeliner and blush, and the price point is not too bad. Tons of reviews for things we can’t get here, or not without great expense, like Colorpop and Kiko, so why not one for us? Just picked up a couple items from their newest collection and they are beautiful quality and packaging too.
Buxom cosmetics! I love the hot escapes bronzer
Bésame Cosmetics. I collect red lipsticks and theirs are insanely pigmented and long lasting! Being a niche brand, they aren’t as talked about, even though they’re the cosmetics company most used in period film & TV productions. At least now they’re sold at Sephora.
I’ve only tried their powders, but I love them and have almost all of them.
Mary kay! They have amazing skin care products and also some high quality makeup although they’re more tradicional with the makeup line launches
Spectrum Brushes. While not all of the ones I got in the set are my faves, a vast majority of them are. And they are easy on the eyes too.
Pat McGrath a wonderful make up artist. Would like to see her selections of lipstick, lip pencils and blushes
M. Phan another great one. Would love to see her products.
for high end brands i think La mer is overlooked, i hear some good things but never any real reviews. that’s probably because its so expensive!
for lower end or Independent i think Saucebox needs more attention! Although their stock needs improvement, their shadows aren’t bad for the size/price.
Senna.
I think Make Up Revolution, Essence and Hard Candy – all of which have amazing products but you don’t hear them mentioned near as often as brands like Revlon or Loreal.
Shu uemura
MAC gets too much press and I don’t find the quality is there. I’ve gone back to companies with good reputation and great colour because they are easier to use, better colour, and cheaper in the long run. I wish high end companies would be covered more often. I use Nars, Burberry, Dior, Chanel, Tom Ford, and I’m currently trying out Gucci.
Id love to see Youngblood cosmetics , sleek makeup eyeshadow and blushes are highly pigmented. I’ve been using sulwhasoo cushion and the powder is divine.
Good question!
1. Avon. As someone pointed out, access can be an issue for some brands, and Avon is one. I order solely online these days… frequent free ship with $10 purchase (always free ship with $35). Mascara, lipstick, entire Glimmersticks line of twist-up eyeliners, lipliners, brow pencils (avoid glitter eyeliners) are high points, plus lots of cheap limited edition fun items…flavored lip balm! Dollar hand lotion! to round out orders. (Anew skincare line worth a look. They put effort into R&D.) Also the Mark line is interesting.
2. Revlon. All I can say is, if you are a lipstick junkie, spend a while at a display, look at shades (thru clear lid!), try a few at home. High-end and trendy dupes or close-enough shades are often findable. Good wear time, I like the easily stored, compact, straight-sided cases. A few I love: Pink Velvet. Rose Velvet (true ML shade), Blushing Nude, Mauvy Night (all cremes.) Many more… Brazilian Tan is a good “tan nude” …this doesn’t even get into the reds. They offer oranges, lots of light shades, lots of reds. Mattes too, i havent tried them. Some great sheers (called “shine”…Fuschia Shock is a great sheer fuschia pop). Other drugstore brands lipsticks get love, not so much the Revlon!
Perhaps I don’t see those many comments on Burberry eyeshadows, which I find to be of truly high quality.
Kiko, Trish McEvoy, Face Stockholm, Gabriel Organics
CLIO without a doubt. They have the most amazing lip products, especially their Virgin Kiss Tension Lip. The pigmentation is on par with every high-end brand I’ve tried, the wear time is extremely long for a creamy lip product, and the price is generally under $20 per lippie in the US (it’s a S Korean brand, but they have a US presence via Club CLIO USA website). I also agree with the comments about Armani not being given enough love (which I really don’t understand). Their eye palettes and lipsticks are beautiful, pigmented, long-wearing, and are on par price-wise with Dior and Chanel. (Well except for the holiday and seasonal limited edition palettes…I can’t figure out why they are double the price of their standard offerings.)
i don’t hear nearly enough about Sunday Riley & Make up Forever. I know Sunday is $$$ & mufe is a little boring/confusing since they don’t name their colors, but I have liked the skin care products I’ve tried from both.
In the EU there are sooo many brands that deserve to be loved just as much as Tom Ford and MAC! Inglot, L.A. Girl, Milani, Cle de Peau, Bite Beauty, Fyrinnae, MUFE (Yes kiko is more hyped/accessible here…nobody knows MUFE here) among the few… I understand that some of these brands are not available here but it’s not too late to let them shine! Someone get them better marketing teams!
I think it depends on the beauty communities, forums or magazine publications you are readng. There are many beauty blogs and publications that only speak about high end products. If I stayed with those confines, all I would ever read about would be Chanel, Yves St. Laurent, Cle de Peau, Dior and the like. On other beauty blogs, I would read more about NYX, Milani, cosmetics for women of color and Essence.
I also believe on blogs and certain magazines, an idea is promoted that if one doesn’t use the high end products, that one is choosing to use second rate cosmetics either because they can’t or won’t spend the money for the products. I remember the first time I came upon the NYX products in a high end and medium to low end (price wise) store in a city where my daughter lived. I’d NEVER heard anything, but I was so blown away by all of the blushes, lipstick and eye shadow color selections, I just couldn’t pass them by. I bought a couple of eye shadows, a blush and a lipstick. After I got home, I decided to give them a try. Then, I was TRULY blown away! The products performed as well or better than the MAC products I had been scrimping and saving to buy and I am PICKY. Of course, they have been my “go to” products ever since. I hear obout them a little more often than I used to, but they still are not given their proper “due” in the various media outlets.
I realize you are focusing on “makeup” but i think Clarisonic is not reallu reviewed in our makeup community. I would love to see all of this wonderful community of sisters have one. They have a $100 machine, now and I think it is THE BEST thing to prime skin. One of the coolest things is tgat it ups your skincare game even if you only buy drugstore or plain old soap.
Tony Burch – he has some beautiful eye shadow palettes that I would love to see reviewed
Milani
Shiseido
Cle de Peau would be great; I’ve long wanted to try it, but since it’s not available around here, I would have to rely on online representation of colors, and it’s too expensive to take that chance or experiment.
Lancôme. I tried a lipgloss recently, and it was surprisingly nice.
I agree with an earlier commenter re MAC — so aggressively marketed, a frenetic pace of introductions, and inconsistent quality anymore; I’ve lost interest — it doesn’t merit my hard earned dollar.
I miss coverage of Illamasqua but it’s lack of availability in the US is a fair excuse. Ditto for Bourjois which has great high quality products and is slowly coming back to the US through Asos. On the other hand, I’m always amazed at all the coverage of Colour Pop since it’s only online and its product pictures don’t make it look particularly appealing. That baffles me.
Algenist, Cle de peau, Avene, many asian brands ( and i dont mean just far east asia)
I really like Milani, which I think is supposed to be marketed for “women of color.” Well, my color is medium tan, and I love everything I tried by Milani, especially a Color Statment lipstick in a metallic pink, and a glittery neutral eye shadow that I think is discontinued.
The Balm Cosmetics…love their Nude Tude and Nude Dude palettes….also Bon Jovi palette….heck, might as well throw in their Meet Matte Nude palette and CindyLou Luminizer. All very pigmented.
I really like the CeraVe moisturizers and cleansers. Very recommended by dermatologists and gentle to skin. I also like Paula’s Choice products. Again skin care but well researched and less reactive than many products. I also love European skin care such as Liz Earle and Caudilie, probably others. I feel Europe is more cautious allowing toxic products than we are. I’m also not saying the U.S. has bad products, I am more cautious though. Much is excellent, some, not so much.
Clarins and Elizabeth Arden could really use some exposure. And Clarisonic as well. I actually submitted a question about the Clarisonic opal on Temptalia. I didn’t receive a response or see a posting about it. I still would like to see reviews for the Clarisonic opal.
Of course, Dolce & Gabanna.
Nyx!!!
I really like Anna Sui – the packaging is to die for and every product I’ve had has been good quality. The star lipstick in Maroon Pink x Brown is such a wearable shade, and their eyeshadow palette is super pigmented. I also have their perfumes which are gorgeous. The body lotions that come with the sets have always been very moisturising, they’re not just there to match the scent. I’ve had samples of their serum and hair oil, which seem fine, although not amazing, but then again I only used them once, so who knows? Rose scents never did anything for me until I started using Anna Sui products; now I associate the smell with their make-up!
Other brands that seem under the radar are Gerard Cosmetics, NYX and Too Faced, in my opinion. Too Faced has never had anything bigger than a small sales stand in every department store that has it, when what I’d really like is a full counter like other brands like Benefit, NARS, etc. With their amazingly cute packaging, I’m so surprised they don’t! They could have a fully decked out counter like Benefit or Charlotte Tilbury and people would browse just because it looks amazing. Like the high end, Western Etude House.
Mary Kay!
They have Cream Color Shadows which are on par with MAC paint pots. I have the colors Apricot Twist and Violet Storm, and they are AWESOME. They last all day, and are buildable. They also have Mineral Cheek Color Duo blushes. I purchased the color Ripe Watermelon- it is mind blowing!!! One of the shades is a very bright, pigmented barbie pink, and the second shade they call a ‘toner’ (it’s basically a frosty highlighter shade) and it’s intended to be used over the blush to tone it down. It is truly stunning.
Had I not been invited to a Mary Kay make up party a few weeks ago.. I would have never considered purchasing anything from them, EVER. The party was set up so that you do your make up start to finish with Mary Kay products, which I think is a great way to try everything out. They do not have a huge selection of colors, but what they do have is worth trying out!
Tom Ford cosmetics are definitely some of the best. The eye shadows and lipsticks come in glorious shades, and are presented beautifully.
I just started using the skincare from Drunk Elephant and I love it, but I don’t see too much about it on YouTube.
Stila is not talked about enough especially their eyeliners, they have so many colors and they wear beautifully. For the drugstore Physicians Formula is amazing. I love their foundations, powders, bronzers and they have gorgeous eyeshadows and eyeliners
Oh I always see cle de peau concealer everywhere. I just feel the brand is too pricey for me. A few of their other products I see too. I’m not on YouTube much anymore so I can’t say what is on there or not, but I feel like Make Up Design I think it is called at CVS.
Oops MUA it is called
Mary Kay! They had refillable compacts well before other brands. They have super eye colors that actually stay on, and the skin care line is quite good too. I think because it’s direct sales that people look down on it.