Too Faced has some winners in their product range, but I feel like I am usually less impressed by their cult favorites, often products in the eye category.
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I rarely do well with Sephora and Clinique… and I have no patience for Bare minerals.
I can’t use BareMinerals face products to save my life. The Ready eyeshadow formula is great… I love it. But all the face products have either oxidized straight to OompaLoompa Land on me, have made my face itch and burn, or have been too big of a mess to bother with.
Agreed on the Bare Minerals. Make my face feel like it’s the Sahara. But I will say, Becca Perfect Skin Mineral Powder Foundation changed all that– lovely, moist, smoothing. I’ve tried IT, Bare Minerals, and J Iredale. Did not like any of them–dry, crusty and not long lasting.. Becca, OTOH, game changer. I’m on hour 12 today and the foundation looks great.
PS – I have a love/hate with Becca so I hold anything I try from that line to an impossibly high standard. This passed. 🙂
Oh, thank you. Sounds very interesting to me. I think I have to try the becca powder…
Hi Chris! Now on hour 10, day 3 and I’m sold. The Becca mineral powder foundation looks fresh and with the Becca blush souffle, the whole look has not faded at all .
This is what I’ve done, FWIW…
Day 1 — Moisturize, conceal, powder foundation on its own. Made it to 12 hours, still looked put together.
Day 2 Moisturize, conceal, Becca Backlight Priming Filter, then powder foundation. The primer is super nice, it does add a nice glow and catch the light, but it’s not a 100% game changer. Lasted all day.
Day 3 — Moisturize, conceal, Becca Backlight Priming Filter mixed with Tarte BB Tinted Treatment 12-Hour Primer, then the foundation. I thought it would look like pancake and feel heavy — not at all. This treatment did seem to smooth out my skin a bit more, but again, the foundation over moisturizer worked really well in that simple way. Becca souffle blush with a a light sweep of Laura Mercier bronzer blush and 10 hours later, it looks like I just put it on.
I have been having such a foundation struggle. The Armani silk was just not working for me this summer — breaking apart and just not holding up. I’m pleased I finally have something to settle on after a bit of experimenting. It’s my first foray into mineral powder foundation, and I’m loving it. Hope this helps!
Their yellow foundation options really rustle my jimmies, they’re SO YELLOW. Pretty much no other brand has their golden/sand/etc colors get that yellow, for a good reason.
Bare minerals makes my face itch too 🙁
I totally concur about Bare Minerals. They’re nothing special and I don’t do loose powders.
Pacifica… while I know this really isn’t a mainstream makeup brand I feel that I’ve been very disappointed in all the products. The shadows no matter hmm what primer I use never stay on my lid.
For more mainstream I feel I’ve been disappointed by Lorac with the products I’ve tried. Maybe I need to try their products palettes but I feel apprehensive dropping that much cash especially when I’ve been not too wowed by what I do own.
The Lorac shadow palettes are really hit-or-miss, seems like the formula varies by palette, but I’ve been really impressed with the Lorac Unzipped.
That is good to know about the Unzipped as I haven’t been impressed with other Lorac palettes.
The only Lorac product I own is the pro palette 1, so I can’t speak to anything else, but I love it!
I want to love it as the colors are gorgeous but it is very dusty with fall out, you have to be careful to not overblend and even when I get it on nicely, by about half way through the day it all blends together as if I only put on one shade.
But Pacifica has some really nice perfumes made with natural ingredients! ❤
Oh totally, I’ve tried some of their lotions that smell great and work great! Even their makeup wins smell fantastic. I only have issues with the makeuo. I think because I do enjoy their scent body products is why I keep trying the makeup. 🙂
As much as I absolutely ADORED it in the first several months, the Peter Thomas Roth Laser Free line of skincare. Especially the eye gel, OMG! I must have super sensitive eyes or something, because over several months time, it gradually began to give me very itchy, kind of sore feeling eyes. The face serum also began to irritate my skin, so I gave up and moved on to other brands.
I thought I was the only one! Tried so many of his products and every one irritated my skin . I’m not that sensitive, never happened with any other brand.
Glossier! I want so much to support a cool, female-run business, but the moisturizing primer and skin tint do nothing, the concealer doesn’t conceal. I just don’t get it. The cleanser and lip balm are good and the lippies are great but HTF. They don’t sell even basic stuff like night creams or products with SPF. Too much hype, but I want to believe: i’ve bought every. Single. Product.
I was disappointed with the skin tint as well, but it somehow sneaked it’s way into my routine by mixing it with all of my more full-coverage foundations. Now I’m hooked, although mixing foundations every day is a bit high maintenance. ^_^
Viseart! I tried an eyeshadow palette and I found it hard to blend and harsh. So disappointed.
Urban Decay HANDS DOWN. Have tried them since the early 2000s. Everything I have tossed or got rid of shortly which has included eyeshadows, lipsticks, primer potion and their Naked Palettes. Just think they are sub par and over hyped. Their Naked Palette has so many dusty eyeshadows and they fade throughout the day even with a primer. So many better options for everything like Lorac or Kat Von D. I want to like them bc everyone is ape about them but over 15 yrs and I have yet to be impressed with them!
I totally agree! I have tried several different types of products from Urban Decay as well and have yet to be impressed by any of them! I get tempted every now and then to buy some of their newer products when looking around in Sephora, but then I remember my track record with them and decide to pass. I thought I was the only one who felt this way!
The primer potion is hit or miss with me for whatever reason. The only other product I’ve tried from them is the electric palette and while the colors are beautiful, the can blend away and the fade really easy on my lids. Such a waste of money. I’ll stick with my KVD shadows.
The Primer Potion is the only thing I love completely. The colors of the eyeshadow just look so pretty in swatches but so many that are not neutral or matte are complete misses that get muddy when blended. I have a feeling it’s due to my dark, but not really dark, skin tone.
I’ve tried a few things from Smashbox and they’ve never worked for me. At this point I doubt I’d buy anything from them.
I have only had a couple of things work for me from Smashbox. Blushes. Their lipsticks turn a really funny shade on me no matter what the original color is. So I have just stopped trying them.
I’ve tried a couple things from smashbox, most of it I didn’t like, but I LOVE their automatic liner pencils. LOVE them. And I really like the contour kit, but my elf contour palette is basically the same thing.
Tarte and benefit are the two brands I can never seem to make work!
Benefit never works for me! Tarte, I’ve had one or two!
+1 on the TooFaced eye shadows Christine
I wish I could try Josie Maran stuff but anything with any trace of oil makes my skin go bonkers so I won’t even try.
Benefit often seems more miss than hit for me.
Living Proof Hair products- I’ve tried a number of their shampoos, conditioners, serums, oils, dry shampoos, etc and nothing has really worked great. It’s either a fail or only “meh”, and/or the lingering perfume was so strong it gave me headaches, and my face got irritated from coming in contact with perfumed hair all day long. Fortunately, all of the stuff was deluxe samples or returnable. I’ve found stuff at the DS that works much better for much cheaper. Sorry Jenn, love your hair, but it’s just not meant to be
Yeah, they’re on my NOT list, too.
The very first Living Proof product I tried (that Perfect Hair Day stuff) was so awful that I was amazed I ever tried anything else ever again but I have TWO of their Style Extender. I love it so much that I ordered the liter sized bottle after trying the 5 ounce tube.
Yes, my friend loves the Prime Style Extender. She has very dry, coarse, frizzy hair and doesn’t like to shampoo too much, so the Extender comes in handy. Glad it works for you too!
I had the style extender as a sample and I loved it, I went and bought a full size and for whatever reason it didn’t work the same :/ but I did love my sample of it
Agreed – I found all of their products to be overhyped and not worth it.
NYX. I haven’t found anything that really worked except for their Soft Matte Lip Cream. Everything else I tried proved disappointing.
Agree with Nyx. I want to love them bc they are affordable and offer so many things which you don’t find at the ds but aside from a few lip products, I haven’t been wowed!
For me it’s Benefit. Most brands have one or two marquee products (UD’s eye shadow, Tarte’s blush, Too Faced’s mascara, Becca’s highlighters) but Benefit doesn’t come out on top in any category.
Maybelline and Covergirl. I’ve found drugstore brands I like but outside of mascara these don’t agree with my skin or I just don’t get it.
Haha those two are only really good for their mascara imo. Oh and maybelline’s matte cream lipstick. But other than that…
I was so exited to try Charlotte Tilburry Magic foundation and I was so disappointed the foundation separated on my nose after 2 hours of wear (FYI I have combination skin). 🙁
Such a disappointment for such an expensive foundation.
I will try again anyway with hope that it was just a bad day 🙂
I’ve been amazingly unimpressed by Charlotte Tilbury so far and I really want to like it. I did buy one of the hot lips release that I think may be good, but I’ve had to work to find something appealing.
Too Faced as well for me (though I have a few items from them), as well as Benefit. I’ve tried stuff, but I’ve always been just “meh” about them. I think it’s partly the cutesy packaging as gimmicky stuff like that always annoys me. I think that’s why I’ve never really gotten into The Balm as well. Oh, and Lorac. I just don’t like their eyeshadows and nothing else catches my eye either.
Also on a side note in the more body category- I despise Bath & Body Works with a fiery passion. It smells like cleaning supplies mated with a middle schoolers perfume. I tried to get into it in middle school, but even their hand sanitizers smelled ridiculous to me.
Oh also Smashbox! Aside from ordering Bawse because Lilly Singh is amazing, I just find their products to be uninspiring. Another brand always has something similar that’s either cheaper or better. I think it’s the same with Stila.
I feel you on TheBalm’s packaging and branding, none of the eyeshadows have been much of anything, but I’ll boost exactly one product of theirs: Meet Matt(e) Hughes (urrrrgh this name, this is exactly what I’m talking about) lip color AND lip “gloss”.
The gloss is 0% glossy and the two formulas seem to be exactly the same…but it’s the most drink and transfer-resistant liquid lip color I’ve tried.
Most of Nars products really don’t work for me. Sheer glow foundation left me looking flat.
I like Luster blusher. I bought Madly too but it applies uneven/ patchy. I am still mystified as to what makes Nars so great.
Same goes for Benefit products in general. I love High Beam though.
NARS blushes are hit or miss for me. Some are so dry and stiff. I thought so about their blush unlawful and then I tried it w a duo fiber brush and I had better luck with it but still for $30 that is too much work!
Me too. I should have added Nars to my list. Their foundation turns me yellow — and a few years ago I stuck with it for a few full bottles. Dumb. Their blush and lipstick does not last on me at all — once it was completely gone by the time I walked out of the Sephora store after trying a nee color. Hubby could not believe it. And the best-selling Laguna blush looks like mud on my face. I am mystified too about the Nars mystique, but I bought into for a while until I woke up.
Rouge Bunny Rouge. Despite their ‘long lasting’ eye shadows claim, I find that they fade away after just three hours wear, even with primer. The colours are beautiful and pigmented, but the poor longevity is a huge disappointment. What a waste of money.
Probably Smashbox. Their foundation primers, which are legendary, are all tremendous let-downs for me compared with what is available from other brands. I like their Halo powder (the one with the “shaver”) but feel it is really overpriced and somewhat gimmicky, for what it is. Many of their eyeshadows – especially those in the tiny travel palettes that would otherwise be so good – are disappointing. About the only products of theirs that I really like is the newer spray Primer Water and an overpriced and somewhat weird under-eye primer (it works great with all concealers and makes Nars Radiant Creamy concealer almost wearable).
I don’t like their primers either but I have a highlighter from them I like. Still not sure the price is justified
Ooooh, that primer water, from some S favorites stings like crazy on me. I keep a running list of the ingredients on prods that disagree with me, to deduce which ingredients are a prob, so as to avoid. Gave away that one.
Funny how we’re all so different. I honestly thought it was a complete gimmick and that I wouldn’t like it at all but for some reason, I felt compelled to try it so I got the small travel size. I love it…so, the inevitable happened and I got the full size. I find it gives good results, even in the mad heatwave and humidity we’re experiencing just now.
Too Faced – Their foundation/concealer products oxidize on my skin and look awful.
Buxom, Bare Minerals: Their products make my skin breakout and irritate my eyes.
Sephora eye liners and shadows: Makes my eyes water all day.
Charlotte Tilbury: Skin products (skincare and foundations) make my skin breakout; I believe it’s because of the added fragrance.
I have a problem with brands that seem to cater to those people whose skin tone is yellow based. Thus, I steer clear of brands like Laura Geller and Becca. I’ve yet to find a match to any Cover FX product as the pink side is geared to cancelling out the pink skin tone (and I don’t need that correction, just a match to my pink undertone). There are many, many more of these lines, but my brain has not fully responded to my coffee yet!
(As I write this in the comfort and safety of my home, I must mention my prayers for the victims and their families of the Dallas massacre last night.)
Anne, thank you. I’ve not tried either Becca or Laura Geller (there are simply too many brands to try), but I will make a mental note now that their color scheme is not user friendly to my light, pinkish toned skin. Same problem with It cosmetics and Pixi color cosmetic line. Wanted to love both, but I’ve had to stick to non color items and skincare (Pixi’s skincare line is awesome).
Too faced, also. There’s something in their mascara, eyeliner and shadow primer that makes my eyes red, itchy, and watery.
Tarte and it cosmetics are big offenders for not having deeper shade ranges.
Cover girl and maybelline lip products have nauseating smells that I just can’t tolerate, despite the formulas.
Too Faced was the first tocome to mind for me too. Tarte as well, the new foundation range is too yellow for me.
The Stila items I have tried didn’t work out for me. I tried the Stila In the Know palette because it was matte. But only a few of the shades applied well for me. I ended up using the grey, browns, and black on my hair as a temporary root cover up. There were a couple shades I liked in the palette, but not enough to overcome the “I wasted my money” feeling.
I also didn’t do well with their eyeliner. It didn’t stay in place for me.
I ended up giving away a Stila palette. Just not pigmented at all. I like their felt tip eyeliners though.
Hourglass, though I think it’s a color, not formulation issue. Like anything mood light; even the primer can stand alone. Liq lip: formula not as friendly as kvd. Primer: maybe too siliconey. Eyes: didn’t go there, and certainly won’t after those sculpted palettes. Never was attracted to their blush…too many others grabbing my attention. Their nude lips are wrong on me. Orig ALP sees very little use. Most brands have 1-2 products I like, but the rest, not so much. Includes tf, Nars, kvd, Clinique, LM,Sephora and Ulta house brands.
Surprisingly, MAC! When it comes to foundation/concealer, that is. There’s no shade that’s quite right for me and the foundation always ends up turning my face orange anyway.
I have given up on MAC products as well. I have tried multiple foundations and powders from them, all of which I had to return because they caused my skin to break out. Then, I tried their infamous lipsticks in multiple formulas, and they all dried my lips out so badly that I had to quit them too. Up until recently, their Iipglass was my preferred gloss of choice, but the store nearest me has such horrible customer service that I don’t even bother buying their products anymore. No issues though, since so few of their products actually worked for me anyway!
Revlon – I love their lip products usually, give or take a few lines, but their eye and face categories have never left me impressed. The eyeshadows I never have liked, same with eyeliners and the mascaras. I believe Revlon’s shades for concealers end at medium or tan which wouldn’t suit me at all, even though I have tried and the formulas never worked out for me.
I usually only have success with Revlon for lipsticks. I do like their new mascaras though nothing amazing about them and I like their colorstay foundation which is one of a few foundations I have found to last on my oily skin but yeah their eyeshadows are pretty disappointing!
Living Proof hair products. I know it’s science based and all, and lord knows I’ve tried everything — PHD, regular formula, restorative. Hated every single product. Everything dried out my hair, and left it with a strange texture. OTOH, my colleague’s hair responds beautifully to it and looks amazing. Goes to show ya.
L’Oreal perfect match foundations — never have found one that did not make me look yellow.
The Living Proof products I’ve tried so far haven’t worked for me, either. I have one more product I’ll eventually get around to — some type of anti-frizz spray to combat humidity. They do, however, work really well for my youngest daughter.
Hi Cat, I have that spray. Do not like it — same result as the other stuff. Dry, weird hair. It seemed to work well when I first applied it, and I was psyched. Then it proved to disappoint again. I wish I could give you my can to try and see if it works for you!
Awww, that’s sweet of you! I have a small, travel size that came in a set I ordered. I’m going to take your word for it and not even try it. The last thing I’d want to do after taking the time to do my hair is spray something in it that would “destroy” it. I’ll just gift it to my youngest daughter and she’ll love it. Thanks for saving me from a bad experience!
Melt cosmetics. I wanted to love this brand with their ultra hip owners and fell into the hype. The lipsticks as beyond terrible. They’re so dry they barely swatch and tug at the lips. The eyeshadow stacks are hard to blend. There’s only a few shades that are decent. The purple in the lovesick stack was the biggest dissapointment ever. Actually the while love sick stack. The mattes are very hard to blend. Amelie doesnt even show up on the eyes.
I think the biggest disappointment to me is the Bare Minerals line. I am testing out their new skin care line that launched a little after Christmas, I think, and so far I like it but it isn’t anything to rave about. Their makeup items all seem very “meh” to me and the colors are just not inspiring. I also have issues with foundation lines that are too yellow based because my undertones are quite cool. Revlon gets a lot of hype for their foundations but I have always had trouble with them and their eye shadows are just bad, period. I love the Buxom eye shadows but the lipstick makes my lips and tongue numb which isn’t a feeling I like and the Fiona Stiles lipsticks will bleed outside the lip line no matter what I use. I love some of the colors and have purchased and returned several because I just can’t make them work.
Try out the Becca MineralPowder Foundation. I could have posted your exact comments, then I tried the Becca product. People here will probably get tired of me commenting on my love/hate with that line. But credit where credit is due. The Mineral Powder Foundation blows every other out of the water including IT and Iredale.
It’s rare that a brand works for me across all categories of products. Foundations are especially difficult because my skin won’t tolerate fragrance that close to it, and I’ve got some kind of unusual cool undertone.
So I love IT Cosmetics for their CC+ cream, their gel/creme liners, their “tightline” mascara that I love as a bottom-lash mascara, and their brushes, but not for their color cosmetics (too subtle for my taste).
I love Make Up For Ever for lots of things, but their foundations have fragrance in them.
I love NARS for lots of color cosmetics, but their foundations are all too yellow for me.
I love Hourglass for primers, finishing powders, blushes, highlighters, the super-skinny eyeliner pencil, and the brushes, but the foundations don’t work for me and I don’t care for the new eyeshadows at all.
I like some Clinique mascaras (I’ve never bought one, but all the deluxe samples I get see a lot of use), some lipsticks (the Soft Mattes), the Cheek Pop blushes, and Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm, but not much else from the brand.
Estee Lauder, I like the Color Envy Sculpting lipsticks.
YSL, I like the lipsticks and some mascara samples I’ve gotten (although the lipsticks would be better without the scent).
Tom Ford, I’m willing to pay the extra $$$ for some of the lipsticks, because of unusual, beautiful colors + ease of application + comfortable wear, but have so for resisted laying out the extra $$$ for other products.
Etc., etc.
I liked Too Faced a lot when I first started getting into makeup, then lost enthusiasm. Their eyeshadows are just not quite as good as MUFE, NARS, Viseart, some others, and I like IT’s CC cream better than their BB cream now. I would like to try the new foundation, but can’t seem to find a color match.
Similar with Tarte. I used their BB creams/TMs for at least a couple of years, but, as my skin got less oily, the finish got too matte for me. The vast majority of the eyeshadows seem to be warm neutrals, which aren’t my thing, and somehow the blushes just don’t seem right on me. Also would like to try the new foundation, but no color match.
I’ve had serious difficulty getting Benefit products to work very well for me, except the mascara, which works well but is exceptionally difficult to remove.
A like some of LORAC’s eyeshadows, but otherwise don’t get that inspired by the brand. Smashbox and Stila also just don’t get my excited. I wonder what it is about branding that gets us excited or not?
I really like the idea behind Cover Fx, but none of their foundation shades match me! They’re either too yellow or too pink. I’ve got cool undertones that aren’t pink, and I’m not olive, either… I guess I must be blue.
Too Faced Mascaras and Smashbox primers. I know both are holy grail for so many people. I’ve tried so hard to work with Better than Sex. I would wipe off ALL the product with a tissue before applying, and it was still too much product. Smashbox primers do nothing to extend my wear time, or give me a smooth base to work on. If anything, it made my makeup wear off faster and exaggerated my pores. Maybelline baby skin, Nyx angel veil and Benefit porefessional are 10 times better.
Too faced is the only one that springs to mind.
Too Faced for me, too. In addition to their products not working well for me, their aesthetic bugs.
I do use some Maybelline products and like them, but their entire mascara line burns my eyes and is impossible to remove. I wish I knew which ingredient(s) I could blame!
Rimmel doesn’t work for me.
I don’t like their mascara’s or their “famous” stay matte powder. The foundations never seem to match me, even though I am light beige. The lipsticks are not worth the ten euro price tag, I prefer my cheaper ones. The nail polishes are ok, but nothing spectacular.
Definitely Too Faced and Urban Decay for me. Too Faced is just super-gimmicky to me and always has massive hype around it that the products NEVER live up to. Urban Decay is always over-hyped and I don’t know why. Nothing they come out with is very unique or amazing. Like that Gwen Stefani collab. Hyped to death and now it’s long forgotten, collecting dust in the clearance sections!
ColorPop and Clinique. Both have absolutely no lasting color on me. Sometimes it is true that you get what you pay for. Cheap products; poor performance 🙁
Hourglass. I don’t get the hype at all.
Makeup Geek: Though the couple blushes I had were great, I have not been thrilled with the eyeshadows I’ve bought. Most were dry and had terrible pigmentation. Bitten is the only one I like. The one Foiled shade I bought arrived completely shattered and the texture was really dry. Maybe I’ve just had bad luck, but I don’t get the love for them at all. Their packaging on loose pigments and such has had so many issues, and the company handled the issues so badly, I won’t even try them.
Be A Bombshell: This brand was showing up frequently in subscription boxes last year, and I think it’s extremely overpriced and awful. It’s mid-range priced, but the product quality and packaging is worse than the worst drugstore.
Dr. Brandt: Pores No More does nothing to minimize my pores, and the Pores No More Mattifying Lotion is too harsh on my sensitive skin. None of their skincare I’ve tried has wowed me.
From Ulta, I’ll say Stila, and for cheepcheep drugstore stuff, e.l.f. I’m never buying e.l.f again! (No great loss)
Omg…I agree about ELF. I don’t think I have anything Stila, or if I do, it’s from a beauty box and didn’t impress me enough to use it twice. But ELF…I have tried a few things and it all sucks.
Physicians Formula. I’ve tried a number of products from that brand and the only one I like so far is a pressed powder. Not that special.
There usually only seems to be one or two items per brand that I really gel with; the rest either don’t work or don’t exceed my expectations.
I love Too Faced Melted lipsticks, but I’ve found their eyeshadows to be really hit-or-miss with some of them being total letdowns. Urban Decay I love for eyeshadows and liners but don’t like their mascara at all. Tarte’s foundation powder, concealer, BB primer and blush are all terrific but their liquid lipstick leaves a lot to be desired. It Cosmetics’ CC cream was a HUGE disappointment, but their brow pencil is okay. There’s no one brand that fulfills all of my needs!
The only thing Too Faced has put out that work for me are the chocolate palettes. Their other products seem to melt right off in an hour or two.
Pur Minerals 4-in-1 pressed powder. It’s supposed to be buildable coverage but even the lightest dusting of it looks like an overdone cakey mess on my skin. And don’t get me started on the chisel brush that you’re supposed to use with it…that makes it even worse!
Tarte. Their blushes and eyeshadows are awful, powdery and patchy on my skin. The Better Than Sex mascara was very wet when I initially used it but got better as it dried during further use. Wouldn’t buy it again.
I couldn’t agree more.
Ditto. On all fronts.
Morphe 350 palettes. The colour disappears before I lock the front door! Nice to swatch with my fingers but pathetic on the eyelid. Even with a primer or base my eyelids seem to ingest them and then nothing.
For sure i will say Dior for foundations! Everytime disaster! Shades who are too dark or too rosy or can oxydize!…And even if i have lot of powder products i really not fan,its frequently beauty in pan but its really not a good deal,not pleasure to use,and not happy by the result…I bought lot of limited edition because they are attractive by their beauty,but they’re so dissapointed that i even forgot that they’re in my collection 😉
But hopefully,now i’ve stop and Christine you save me a lot by no buying some products,like last time for a blush that you rated D and that i was wanted so bad when i’ve saw it 🙂
There is no single brand that comes to mind, I generally always find products I like, and products I don’t in every brand. Generally the problem is either ingredients in foundations and primers – especially silicone or talc based products don’t work well with my skin, and the other ones don’t have cool-pink toned foundation options; Hello It Cosmetics. I would love your CC cream if you had a fair to light option that wasn’t yellow. I think maybe they are trying to “correct” the pink tone, but I don’t need or want a correction, I love my cool pink complexion! I’d even settle for a true neutral if I must, but even that seems to be asking too much. Some claim to have cool undertones, but they are peach, or still too warm; Hello Tarte. Same with most eyeshadow palettes skewing warm, warm, warm. I can tell from reading posts on your blog that I am far from being alone with these complaints!
Trying to find a foundation or BB cream in a formula you love AND in a color you can wear seems almost impossible when you have true, pink skin! MUFE has been the only good match for me thus far. Every time a line of new foundations come out, I’m hopeful… then disappointed.
I know where you’re coming from when you say you feel they’re trying to correct the pinkness. My entire body is pink! I don’t want my face to be yellow or peach while my neck and chest are noticeably pinker! It’s like telling someone who wears a size 7/8 to buy a size 3/4 or 11/12 and make it work. I end up either having to alter my coloring (self-tanning) or altering the foundation (adding concealers or luminizers).
The funny thing is, when I do find face products that work with my skin tone, they are often the only color that’s out of stock. That tells me the supply fails to meet the demand of pink-friendly products.
/rant
All so true Cat! When I put on a yellow toned base I look like I have jaundice, not to mention how ridiculous it looks with my neck & chest. It’s all just so frustrating!
Something else I’ve recently realized is that whenever I wear a foundation that matches my true skin tone, or just wear some translucent powder, I get tons of unsolicited complements on how beautiful my skin is. I’m always so (pleasantly) surprised when that happens.
FYI GloMinerals pressed base in the “beige” shades (light, medium) are in the cooler, pinker range. I use that sometimes. I love how they have shades for most every undertone, and light to deep.
MUFE does have a good match for my skin, but sadly it’s silicone based.
I had to laugh (to save myself from crying!) when you suggested GloMinerals because every mineral foundation I’ve ever tried has caused a reaction on my skin. So I can’t do minerals and you can’t do silicone! LOL
I, too, have always received compliments on my skin. When I was younger, I just thought it was because my skin was smooth and I never had problems with acne or large pores. It has never occurred to me that my pink undertones might really be the reason!
I will continue my quest for another foundation that will work for me. (And I’m sure I’ll keep getting excited when I think I’ve found one but it only turns out to be a concealer or a corrector!) I wish you luck on your search, too!
If you’re ok with drugstore brands, Cover Girl runs very pink. But…the product does that have that scent it’s had since we were teenagers.
I always want to comment, but never have until now. I’ll start out by saying I don’t use any drugstore brands. I’m a sucker for some HE brands, based on reputation or packaging. I find that I don’t mind paying more if I’m drawn to the product for either of those readons. Recently, I tried Colour Pop and Gerard Cosmetics. I figured that based on their price tags I didn’t have much to lose. Colour Pop lippies are so drying. Gerard is slightly better. Both color ranges are disappointing in person, even after looking at swatches from different sources. I did order “Churro,” but haven’t received it yet, so maybe that will win me over. For now, I’m going to stick with HE brands. I have a pretty good idea what type of products I like from different lines. I’m always looking for new and exciting, I just find that I’m less disappointed with HE. Maybe it’s mental, maybe I’m a makeup/snob. Lol
I’m a make-up/skincare snob too and perfectly fine about it. I was raised knowing the pitfalls of cheap (not knocking anyone) make-up versus a good skin regime, a great demotologist and quality ingredients. Trying to match yourself in a drugstore with no return policy back then was not with the trouble. I’m hesitant to branch out into affordable brands without knowing much about them and what goes into their products and being on trend isn’t my priority. Now I had great luck with Inglot shadows, but I’m not interested in expanding into all they have on offer. I fully support taking the best of what you like from each brand making a custom collection.
I’ve been reading the comments and can’t disagree with anyone really. Nars makes great lipstick pencils and eyeliner, but I don’t own anything else from them. Doesn’t appeal. Benefit – I think Gimme Brow is great, especially with the added tones. That’s all I own from them. UD I’ve never owned until my recent purchase of two lipsticks and 3 liners. Now I’m good. I see all the palettes Too Faced and Tarte and others put out, but I hate buying a large palette if only half appeals to me. Plus I’m not sure why my shadows need to smell like food. I’ll never again be 100% one brand of skin care and beauty and that’s fine by me.
For those fair gals with cool to neutral skin tones, try Cle de Peau or Shiseido. Honestly, I started with Shiseido as my first make-up and skincare brand in the mid 80’s because they were the best at fair tones (and not just yellow like people assume). Now all these years later, my HG foundation is by Shiseido’s parent company, Cle de Peau. Still the best color match and formula for me. I like my Armani maestro glow and crema nude. I like Tom Ford stick foundation for my purse in case I need to touch up, but I’m just determined to use up what I have and then stick to what I know is the ideal for me!
Wandered slightly off topic. Sorry about that. Just wanted to re-enforce that you can swear by high-end or high-street make-up, it’s whatever makes you feel good and confident.
Thanks for the tip about Cle de Peau or Shiseido foundations in cool to neutral fair foundations. I wonder if they are silicone based. It seems almost all of them are these days.
Benefit – I was disappointed by every single product I’ve tried (and they were many).
Bare Minerals. Their products break me out like no other, which was very frustrating after multiple girlfriends with similar skin issues had recommended them to me.
Hourglass – I tried a few of the eyeshadow palettes (I can’t remember the name specifically but they are the palettes with the pretty windswept look to them), a few ambient lighting powders and the mineral veil primer. For some reason, all of the powder products look and feel dusty on my skin and the primer did not help with mattifying or longevity. I was pretty hopeful but nothing has worked out for me so far.
Urban Decay – I think it’s their marketing and overall aesthetic. They just don’t represent ‘me’, never have, but I thought I’d give it a try once I started getting back into makeup because of their following. I’ve bought all of the Naked palettes, have their setting spray and have a few single shadows and a few eyeliners and lipsticks. I don’t ever reach for the palettes or the single shadows, I buy my setting spray from Skindinavia for cheaper (and Skindinavia makes UD’s setting sprays), and their lipsticks are comparable to brands I regularly buy from. The one exception would be their eyeliner – I really like the staying power. I will most likely end up gifting what I’ve bought later but I am not quite ready to part with them yet. I think I’m lemming some of their palettes right now though, if only for collecting purposes.
Tom Ford lipsticks – I have not had any luck with these. I was so excited when I got my first batch and thank goodness I opted for the mini versions because . . .really? I really thought the frosted lipsticks in particular would work because they seem to have a very fine pearl rather than frost and gave off the perfect amount of sheen, but I found them to be gritty and drying, and the other few shades I’ve gotten to be drying as well. To be fair I bought colors that I’d normally buy so nothing unique, but I may as well stick to brands that I like for the same colors and textures in lipsticks and just keep to buying eye shadows and blushes from TF.
Charlotte Tilbury – I just don’t get it. I’ve seen her tutorials and the models look great when she’s done. Her powder products are gone on me in 3 hours – they have no staying power for me. The eyeliners make my eyes water and the shadows crease. I haven’t tried any lipsticks yet and have been really wanting to swatch the new Hot Lips release, but I don’t think I should even bother because I’m sure I have dupes or can dupe them. I really like the colors and texture of her Eyes to Mesmerize cream color for eyes but I have to do a lot of work to get any kind of decent longevity and wear out of them. As much as I love the colors for the ETM creams, I don’t think they will be a re-purchase for me.
Lancome and Estee Lauder – both have a really unappealing fragrance in their skincare and any makeup products I’ve tried do not have much wear time for me (with the exception of foundations, I haven’t tried any of those). I haven’t tried any products from either brand in about 2 years so maybe there have been improvements (i.e. since Lisa Eldridge is involved, since EL came out with the Edit line) but am not really interested at this point.
Guerlain Maxi Lash mascara – makes my eyes water.
Good point about the heavy, unappealing fragrance in many of Lancome and Estee Lauder’s products, especially in their skincare. That has always turned me off.
Seeing as I only buy eye shadow palettes that have been reviewed and rated well on here, I have been pretty lucky.
Stila – foundation – contains lavender – a known irritant for the skin (Why did they do this?)
Napolean Perdis – just very ordinary makeup – no longevity at all
Haven’t really tried the brands that readers above are suggesting because they are so difficult to get here (Smashbox, bareMinerals, Lorac etc.)
I should have put Revlon at the top – terrible eye shadows, blushes and lipsticks – no longevity at all.
L’Oreal – foundations too yellow based, lipsticks and eye shadows just don’t last on me.
Nars eyeshadows /Charlotte Tilbury blush seem to just fade away even primer.
Tarte. Their blushes are stiff, drying and cakey on me. Palettes are blah. And the lipsticks, for the price, NAH!
Laura Mercier & Tarte
Boscia in particular comes to mind, but I have to be careful with most of the skincare products Sephora offers, as my skin can’t handle a lot of the ingredients that are thrown into high end skincare to make them smell and feel good on the skin.
Boscia is definitely a brand I’ve avoided since trying, and returning, two of their cleansers. Not only did they not clean very well, but I couldn’t stand the way they felt on my face. I didn’t use either long enough to find out if they would have caused a negative reaction.
As much as I hate to say it, It cosmetics. Their color scheme is just wrong for me. Too yellow, too orange, too warm in general. I do want to support them, so I’ve taken to ordering their mascaras (which need regular replacement anyway) and I will likely try a primer or two (as soon as I get through some of my others!
Same with me regarding the “too yellow, too orange” range with It Cosmetics. Then again, most foundations and BB creams are too yellow for me. ***sniff***
I feel exactly the same way! I foolishly keep trying the different bases, and they are simply unwearable for me. Why does she have such few base color options? It’s crazy. And the Bye Bye Redness is an amazing product, but it only comes in one shade which is too dark. I do have lots of other It products that I love though.
Cat, Missha Cho Bo Yang BB cream is neutral. When you put it on it has a bit of a grayish cast, but that quickly goes away. I use the lightest shade in the winter, and mix the two shades in the summer. I’ve been using it for years. It has medium coverage, and a fairly skin like texture – not to dewy, not too matte. I’m about NW15.
Pani, is Missha available in the states or do I have to order overseas? (I’m interested now, with your above entry).
Hi Nikole it’s available in US, I looked up the exact link http://www.misshaus.com/misa-cho-bo-yang-bb-cream-spf30-pa-6028.html
It looks like they only have the darker shade #23 in stock right now. The lighter shade is #21. They have a lot of other BB creams too. I’ve tried some of them, though I didn’t find the coverage as good as Cho Bo Yang. If silicone doesn’t bother you their M Perfect Cover BB Cream is their most popular, but i haven’t tried it since silicone based products don’t work for me. It comes in more shades too. You could try that one or get it’s lightest color #13 and mix with the Cho Bo Yang in #23.
I just lay a stripe on the back of my hand and put a stripe of the other shade right next to it and blend with my finger, that way I can get a shade closest to my own. They are pretty forgiving though, somehow after a few minutes on, they seem to morph with your skintone much better than a regular foundation does. I can get away with wearing #23 by itself, if I need to, but it’s probably best for NW20-25.
Missha products are great quality. They’re Korean, I believe that’s where BB creams first got popular and then spread throughout Asia. When I first started buying it, I used to have to get it from a Korean retailer on eBay. I’m so glad Missha has a US site now. They often have sales, and on the 1st Wed of the month they have free shipping no minimum, otherwise it’s $40 for free shipping. HTH!
I should add that the color swatches on the website look a little darker than they actually are.
Thank you so much for the Missha info Pami! Looking forward to trying it!
I’d forgotten about Missha! A few years ago I was looking for a BB cream that would work for me and discovered the world of Korean cosmetics. I somehow ended up purchasing the BRTC Gold Caviar BB Cream instead of the Missha. I think it was because I couldn’t find a retailer that seemed safe at that time.
The BRTC is like your description of the Cho Bo Yang BB cream, it has a grayish cast that magically morphs to blend in with my skin after a few minutes. I’d say it’s also around a medium coverage and that the finish is neither dewy nor matte. It has SPF50/PA+++ and it’s a thicker cream that I need to warm up a little then blend out.
Now that I can safely purchase Missha products in the US, I’m going to place it on my “to buy” list! I’m so glad you mentioned it! =)
Buxom eyeshadows do not work for me, which is sad considering the lovely shades and their create-your-own palette system. I haven’t been able to use any mineral face products; bareMinerals, MAC Mineralized, etc. Also, Kevyn Aucoin’s The Sensual Skin Enhancer caused an allergic reaction and had to be returned.
SpaRitual nail polish chips on me after only three or four days and I normally get 14+ days of wear from a nail polish. Both Sunday Riley Good Genes and Luna caused bad reactions while they seem to work amazingly well for others. Liquid lipsticks (KVD, The Balm, Too Faced) have only given me that “shriveled-up raisin that’s been hidden under your refrigerator for a year” look. I know there are others I’m forgetting!
I’ve wanted to try KA SSE but it didn’t look like there was a good match. Which shade did you use?
No, there doesn’t seem to be a very good match. I purchased SX02 and I don’t remember exactly how “off” the color was because I was too overcome by the welts that formed on my face within the first five minutes! I’m not sure what caused the reaction, but I do seem to have trouble with oils and mineral oil is the first thing listed.
If you ever do try the Sensual Skin Enhancer and you’re unfamiliar with products like it, look for a few tutorials. It’s highly pigmented, very thick, needs to be warmed up, and you only need a small amount for intense coverage. People seem to either love it or hate it because it does require more effort than a regular foundation.
Smashbox. I want to like it. I try to like it. I really do. Their packaging and products look beautiful, but the pigment is poor and the staying power is worse.