The Anastasia x Norvina palettes because many shades seemed pigmented, but then the formula was drier and finicky. I really felt like it should have performed better than it did for me, and while I could make it work, it was never worth the effort it took to get there–not when there are tons of other products I have that would get me there faster and with less frustration!
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Thanks to Temptalia, I don’t often have difficulties with products because your reviews are so comprehensive, Christine, and also, I refuse to struggle to make makeup work – it should be easy! But the Marc Jacobs Edgitorial palette was a disappointment and a struggle for me and I ended up returning it (this has to be at least 3 years ago, if not more – it was right after these newer palettes landed in-store).
I struggled so much with the new Pat McGrath quad – Nocturnal Nirvana. I applied them with a finger and tried multiple combinations of primer, setting primer, not setting primer, type of primer, as a topper, glitter glue, asked for tips from various groups, etc. Every time, they creased or faded by hour two or three. I even brought the quad to work where I sit in my office seeing clients and touched up all day but gave up at some point. ? Her less special formula works better for me. I returned the product and was so bummed. The shades went on so beautifully!
Charlotte Tilbury airbrush flawless foundation. I will not be seduced again by a CT base product even with age related youtubers positive reviews. Yes, I looked great from about 4 feet away. Partially my own fault.. I think I can pull off heavier coverage foundations, but wind up hating how they look. Also, something in her skincare (Magic cream) and foundations break me out into these hard nubbin type pimples without a head and yet typically do not have much by means of reactive skin to foundations overall.
I must also add that for a makeup artist, her foundation shades are downright weird.
I tried to love her pressed powder so much! It got good reviews from people I trust, but no matter how I tried to make it work, it just didn’t. It wasn’t awful, but even the cheap Wet’n’Wild pressed powder is eons better.
I don’t even want to try her foundations right now.
If you get red bumps that never come to a head that are generally on your cheeks that’s often rosacea. Lots of people think it’s acne, but my dermatologist told me it’s actually a type of rosacea and put me on a good regimen (Finacea foam and Ovace face wash). Certain ingredients in makeup and skin care do the same thing to me (or it just happens from too much rubbing or weather change, etc), and these 2 help so much. I don’t know if that’s helpful, but thought it might be.
This might be helpful, Laura, thank you. It’s actually on my chin where I get them and it’s very infrequent and my skin typically tolerates most, but not aggressive acids and retinol. I do have reddened cheeks, but I also have autoimmune issues. Perhaps this regimen might reduce that.. worth a try.
Colourpop Strawberry Shake. Dry mattes. Fallout. Metallics need A LOT of building up. Not a fan and I don’t think I’ll ever buy another 9 pan palette. People act like CP is so amazing and I wonder if they weren’t so cheap if people would be more critical. Definitely a fail for me. Even if cheap, I expect better!
I felt that way about the lilac palette and haven’t touched it as a result! But the Smoke Show is really amazing. Lots of pigmentation and easy to use.
Interesting. I like both Lilac You a Lot and Strawberry Shake, though not every shade in either palette. The ones I struggle with are It’s My Pleasure and Uh Huh Honey. I also struggle with You Had Me at Hello. I always use primer with ColourPop palettes…I don’t think they’d work as well without it. And yes, Smoke Show is an awesome palette!
That’s too bad. I have that palette and enjoyed using it.
The last product that made me say “ um no, thanks for playing “ was a sunscreen. It worked but the second ingredient was denatured alcohol and it burned my face.
I love Supergoop sunscreen SPF 50, so nice to my face and serious protection.
Supergoop is hands-down my favourite sunscreen as well! It’s not available in europe as far as I know so I make sure to stock up when I’m in the states!
Those Melt radioactive blushlights. I tried using my finger but that pigment does not want to move once put down. I suppose I could pat them on as eyeshadow, but I have so many easy to use eyeshadows, why bother? ?
Oh wow!!! And if I remember correctly, those things were pretty darn pricey, too!!! I mean, it’s Melt…of course they were, lol…I’m sooo sorry, they looked sooo pretty, too, that really stinks!!! 🙁
The last palette I truly struggled with and tried everything in my power to make it work out of the love for the color story was ABH Subculture. After so many failed attempts, wasted hours and constantly running late I gave it away and duped all the colors from singles and that solved everything. An eye opener when you realize you have every color already within your collection.
It wasn’t the last one, but it was an expensive palette for the size and I didn’t expect it to have any issues because everyone raves about the brand, Viseart’s Golden Hour. I was so under wowed by it and I just didn’t seem to get looks that stunned me (the colors didn’t seem to stand out and it didn’t wear as well as my Natasha Denona palettes with similar colors like her Star palette, which had lots of issues for people.) Now it’s fine and I can work it, but more as a palette to use in conjunction with other palettes.
2 of the mattes in PMG Bronze Seduction Mothership V always give me a bit of agita when trying to blend them out. It’s the 2 browns. I have no idea why. The one cure for the problem is setting my primer very well before going in with these shades. Then they do blend out far easier without sticking in spots and not budging.
Me too Nancy! I always powder my primer before using Pat’s mattes. I’ve also use the smallest amount and apply with my Sonia G crease pro or pencil pro brushes. Once I figured those tricks out I have no issues with her mattes.
I find myself being less and less patient with problematic products. Especially when there are so many good ones out there, including in my own collection. I really count on Temptalia’s site (and now use its vanity dupe look-up feature) to help me avoid problems, but still, I experience them from time to time because of my own personal skin or eye issues, and sometimes, because I’m less skilled in applying or blending.
The last thing I struggled with got great reviews on Temptalia — Linda Hallberg’s Metallic Mysteries II eyeshadow quad. The gold highlight gave me way too much fallout even if I just patted it on. I found the other three shades to be only good for the outer V and even then, the green (which was the shade I most desired) had way too much black in it for my liking. I tried using this quad various times in conjunction with other products and each time, I found the result unsatisfactory. I just donated this quad to a local food shelter that takes sanitized used makeup in good condition.
My patience also seemed to have faded. 😆 Before I was really excited to try new products, even if I needed to make them work. Now, most time when I finish an item that is currently in my routine I just want to go back to an old favorite.
I gave UD Naked (the OG) a shot recently and it’s not nearly as good as I remember it. Maybe the shadows fade over time? But I have other powder shadows 10+ years old that are just pigmented as the day I got them (I think). Maybe I just liked the washed-out look back in the day… maybe I need primer… maybe my lids have just changed that much in the years since I’ve last used it. I depotted all the Naked palettes and those shadows have just been sitting around collecting dust, so I thought I’d at least give them some love..
I struggled with the Viseart Liaison palette after I bought it, and ignored it for months afterward. But I finally went back to it and found a way to make it work. I prime with MAC Paint Pot in Soft Ochre and set it with a sweep of Urban Decay Foxy eyeshadow. The shades that work for me are the three mattes on the top row. It was an expensive palette for having only three shades I like to use. Perhaps I’ll try to work with some of the others in the future.
I don’t have too many problems with products since checking the blog before purchasing but in this case it wouldn’t have helped because it reviewed really well and that is the Jouer Skinny Dip Eye Shadow palette. The shades were beautiful, pigmented and super shiny but boy, the fallout. I tried every primer I own, doubled up on primers, used MAC Fix +, different brushes, fingers, etc and still had massive glitter fallout all day long. It was uncomfortable to wear as it would get into my eyes. I loved the look but haven’t touched it after the first month I purchased.
The Damn Girl! mascara from Too Faced. At first I could live with the bulky packaging and wand; I loved the formula at first because it gave me a nice definition, length and volume without being clumpy (I hate the spider lash or false lash effect). I just was more careful with applying mascara so I won’t get it on my eye lids (I have small hooded eyes). But just one month in the formula started drying out, became clumpy and I didn’t want to make it work. I’m due diligent and use just one mascara at a time, replace it every 2-3 months, but this one will get a premature declutter.
The Viseart original Neutral palette. Everyone raves about it as indispensable. Never worked on me since day one. I’ve kept it and periodically go back to it, hoping that my own technique might have improved to a point where I could use it. But no, the orange-y undertones to the flesh tones clashe with my skin. I rarely wear browns. There’s maybe one taupe I can use along with the white. This is one reason I roll my eyes when any brand, marketer, or blogger describes a product color or color story as “universal.” No such thing. The whole art of makeup is figuring out what works for oneself, and someone else will inevitably be different.
As I generally buy beauty products after reading about them on this blog, I don’t have any real epic fails.
I guess the last product I felt disappointed in was the Bite Beauty Maple lipstick. I found the formula very thick and the colour of the lipstick changed on me from the maple shade to a darker red. I still have it, but don’t use it as often as I would like.
Colourpop Truly, Madly, Deeply palette. I was so underwhelmed with the blend ability of the mattes and the metallics were just so so. With my collection of Pat McG and Natasha Denona I have no place in my collection for so so. I promptly returned it.
ABH Alyssa Edwards palette. Patchy and the colors would blend away in two seconds. Returned that along with the Norvina V.1. I’m no longer going to buy ABH bc it’s such a pain to try them, get disappointed, and have to return them.
I’m SOOO surprised to hear all these negative reviews for the ABHxNorvina palettes!!! ALL of the YouTube reviews I watched about them absolutely RAVED about them and the new formula!!! I was even thinking about picking one up, even though I really don’t seem to get ANY of the 3 color stories and just the straight up disorganization of them!!!
And I’ve had SUCH good luck with that Alyssa Edwards palette. It’s my second favorite ABH, right behind my beloved Sultry. I bought the AE for the saturated look of the neutrals, but I like the whole palette. I do stamp in the color right where I want it the most and then switch to a blending brush for the edges, but I always keep that stamped-in center. This is actually what I do with almost all mattes, no matter what the brand, unless they are only for transition.
The last product I struggled with the the Dominique Lemonade Palette. It was supposed to be from the reforumulated batch that everyone loved, but I couldn’t get it work on me. I tried every kind of primer and base I owned. I tried different brushes, and I tried my fingers. The mattes would not blend for me, and the shimmers barely showed up. I had to video call with member Nancy T. for pointers to get it to work better. I really love the colors, and Dominique’s customer support was excellent, but I just think I don’t get along with the formula for whatever reason. I just decided to not buy any more Dominique Palettes.
tarte’s winter wonderglam palette was a complete fail for me. The metallics did apply sheer, but completely faded within half an hour. Then they looked moody. The mattes are very powdery and dry….. I was not able to send it back or do an exchange for other products, maybe due to I have received it without shipping costs. However, it is not worth the price.
I love those palettes. I really didn’t have any trouble when using them. I Feel that they have filled in missing color tones in my collection. The last product I struggled with was the hour glass unlocked palette. The one they released last year, then rereleased. I’ve heard how amazing they are for years, decided to splurge and was disappointed in how glittery some of the shades were. I don’t mind glitter on the eye, but am not a fan of it on my cheeks.
I really struggled with kat Von d true portrait foundation. I moisturized really well before hand and used a hydrating primer. Still looked dry and cakey. Picked up every flaw my skin had and settled into fine lines. I don’t think it’s a good choice if you are over 30 and have dry skin.