What was the last product you tried and were disappointed by?
Sephora Ultimate Gel eyeliners… too finnicky and inconsistent.
— Christine
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MAC Wrapped Candy Extra Dimension blush. I picked it up before Xmas in one of MAC’s 25% off sales. Seemed a good idea since I’d sort of wanted it (in spite of the fact that it always seemed to turn fairly warm on my skin) since it released. Well, I had to check back on Christine’s review and was surprised when she said it was very pigmented because I couldn’t get it to show up at all. Then, about 2 weeks after I bought it, I saw that it was in the Good byes section of MAC’s website, which really surprised me. But I started to speculate that perhaps what I bought was “old stock” and that explained the poor pigmentation/transfer onto the brushes I tried with it. I’m thinking that maybe when I’ve used it a bit more and the surface is worn away, it might be a bit better. But I was a tad disappointed that it didn’t measure up to Christine’s review of it or to my experience with the other ED blushes I own.
The MAC Extra Dimension blushes are some of my favorite blushes. I have Hushed Tone, Faux Sure and Sweets for my Sweet. I don’t have Wrapped Candy. I find them very pigmented and that they meld into the skin as baked gelee often do. It’s weird they seem to be a bad batch or old as MAC blushes often last a long time. I do find though a more denser brush work better with gelee formulas
I have two others from when they first launched – Into the Pink and Rosy Cheeks – and those 2 are wonderful and they’re why I decided to get Wrapped Candy (I was going to get it also when they first came out but it swatched surprisingly brown and warm on my cool toned skin so I passed on it then). Anyway, the wonderful finish is why I finally got Wrapped Candy but, as I say, I think maybe it was old stock since it was being discontinued. I don’t know….but it was a bit of a disappointment.
Aveeno Clear Complexion moisturizer, and Neutrogena Hydroboost water gel.
The Aveeno pills terribly on my skin if I do anything but very gently pat it on, and the Neutrogena Hydroboost sits on my skin like a very silicone-heavy mask.
Also incredibly disappointed in the NCLA lip sets. You get a miniscule amount of product to begin with, but my experience has been that the pots aren’t filled correctly so there are giant air bubbles meaning you get even less product.
Not enough to return or exchange it, but because of the steep learning curve; Huda Beauty Rose Quartz Palette. First few tries were laughably disastrous! But now that I’ve figured it out and what sort of primer I need to use for the excessively fallout prone glittery shades, I can get it to work for me. Thing is, I shouldn’t have to.
La Mer Moisturizing Cream. Bought it as a “before I die “ try product and it’s underwhelming at best and it made my skin scaly. Such a waste. And Chantecaille Luminescent eyeshadow. Not super shiny or sparkly or special. Just proves imo, spending more doesn’t mean better!
I agree with you. I got a sample of La Mer face cream and was os excited to try it but it wasn’t all that. In face my skin didn’t feel hydrated at all.
I usually don’t have issues with skincare but that did awful things to my skin. Made it so dry and scaly. I had a sample of the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream and thankfully it corrected the damage that La Mer did!
The Marc Jacobs gel highliners were awful for me. They did not hold a point and broke easily. The pale blue one was always patchy in application. I never understood why everyone loved them so much.
So, the highliners remain the only eyeliners I’ve tried (way too many!) that lasts for 8+ hours on my oily skin with primer. I was embarrassingly upset when they were discontinued, and found that my panic buys seemed to be old stock that broke and dragged more often. Maybe that has something to do with your experience? The mattee are also a bit less emollient than the shimmers.
Agreed!! I bought 3 different colors and I never did figure out what so many people loved. They were at best mediocre!
The Highliners dry out super fast. I had three that dried out in a month . For a $26 eyeliner that’s inexcusable
Hmm – I’m struggling to think of one here – thanks to your excellent reviews Christine. But probably Maybelline’s Copper Spark lipstick – it really didn’t show up on my lips at all and was poorly pigmented.
I wasn’t disappointed by the performance but I realized after buying that I didn’t really need the Sydney Grace “Love” palette because I have similar eye shadows from the brand already.Especially since I buy most of their palettes already. Same for the PMG Bridgerton collection I purchased and kinda regret because how many pink eye shadows does one need?
I forgot the one thing I returned this year. The Patrick Ta eye liner in brown. It broke every time I tired to use it. And it even came totally out of the pencil wtf. It get rave reviews but I’ll stick to my Makeup Forever Aqua Resist Color pencils, they last on the waterline and twist up.
I splurged on 2 of his liners in January this year…and enjoy them. Thin enough and soft enough to use almost like a brush. But not sure I’d repurchase because they are pricey, and not THAT special. I was actually planning to buy rh makeup by Mario as I’d seen good reviews on YouTube … but found it to be too dry. My fave is actually Pat McGrath coffee
The Huda Rose Quartz palette. I ordered it the moment it was released. The metallics are merely toppers and the mattes all pull warm on me. I should have revisited the Mercury Retrograde in my collection prior to ordering since I was underwhelmed by that as well.
Guerlain L’Essential Natural Glow Foundation. I was looking for a dupe for my beloved Guerlain Lingerie de Peau Natural Perfection, now discontinued. This was….not it. Heavily perfumed, itchy, heavy and tacky, and would NOT dry down on my skin no matter what. It made me look even more yellow than I would have thought possible (and I’m pretty yellow). Unfortunately, I no longer have the box or the receipt so can not return but I hate this product.
We appreciate the bullet you took for us on that one. As soon as I knew they were crap (via you), I threw them outta my head and will stick their OG good ass formula.