Are there any products you've kept despite not liking them?
I think one thing I really hang onto that I don’t have real justification to hold onto are Tom Ford perfumes that aren’t to my personal taste.
— Christine
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Oh gosh, yes! The first thing that comes to mind is a Clarins 5-pan LE eyeshadow palette from a few years ago. It was LE and had I not “bought” it with SDM points, I probably would have returned it. Also in this category are a few MAC MES’s – Family Silver and She Who Dares. Neither is a product I use much at all (the latter is excellent quality but the colours are a bit outlandish) but I sort of coveted them when I got them so I’m reluctant to let them go.
Not anymore, but I used to. I held on to a bunch of those Too Faced 9-pan palettes (Boudoir, Sugar Pop, PB&J, Matte, Natural Eyes) despite not using most of them (especially Sugar Pop, that one was awful for me). I didn’t like the quality/blendability of the Lime Crime Venus palette, but it was just so cute that I kept it for over 2 years. I also feel like the only person in the world who didn’t care for ABH Modern Renaissance, so I kept it in the hopes that I’d pull it out again and fall in love with it. Didn’t happen.
You’re NOT the only person in the world who didn’t care for Modern Renaissance. I knew just from looking at it that it was so totally NOT for me (but to prove to myself that I’m not just a habit-bound stick in the mud, I had a makeup lady at Sephora try it on me….ugh!) Ditto all its imitators! But I absolutely ADORE the Too Faced Boudoir Eyes palette. I could happily live without the suggestive names (but this isn’t limited just to Too Faced) but it’s such a nice, cool-toned collection of neutrals.
Nope, you’re not the only person who doesn’t like Modern Renaissance. I have never been able to get a good look out of it and I dislike the texture of most of the shades. The only shades I like out of the palette are Vermeer and Primavera, which I use with my all-matte palettes.
No. MacKenzie – I didn’t like or purchase the Mod Ren palette because the shades are just not for me at all. I just can’t wear all those rusty coloured eyeshadows, pinks and reds.
I feel you on the Too Faced PB&J palette! I still have mine and honestly don’t mind holding onto it because it’s cute and doesn’t take up too much space.
A lipstick that my bestie got me that I never wear because it doesn’t suit my skintone, but I keep it for sentimental reasons. Also, I volunteer as tribute if you want to get rid of any of the Tom perfumes. I find that other than his Orchid line, his perfumes are lovely on me. Especially his unisex ones. 🙂
I understand the sentimental feeling about products. I have one of my mom’s perfumes that has probably turned by now, but I’ll never get rid of. She also gave me a powder brush that I just don’t like anymore, but she gave it to me, so I treasure it. (She passed away many years ago.)
I tend to hold onto expensive perfume even if it’s not my taste just bc I spent so much. Also I have a mineralize blush from MAC that I picked up years ago. It’s unique in tone but it doesn’t really suit me. It’s a swirl of two different colors…a plum and a pink but it comes off terracotta. It was either LE or discontunued. I know I can B2M it but I hold onto bc it’s such a unique shade. I keep hoping I’ll change my mind and like it or find a way to wear it lol
Christine, I’ve always been curious about the Tom Ford private blend line, but I’ve had the opportunity to try only few. I know you’ve reviewed some of them – would you be interested in reviewing other perfumes from the line? Or maybe writing up shorter “my impressions” posts? I’d love to read your opinions.
Hi Vee!
Perfume is just on the lowest priority for reviews, and I’m already so behind just getting out what I’d consider “top priority” (and failing miserably, lol) so I don’t think so!
Nars x Andy Warhol Debbie Harry eye & cheek palette. It’s sooooooo baaaaaaaad but I can’t make myself get rid of it because Debbie Harry!
IT Cosmetics CC Creme. Right shade, but the undertone’s too yellow. It cost too much, and there aren’t any better undertone options, so I there’s no point in exchanging it. I use it for gardening, since it has a decent SPF.
I bought pieces from this really super-hyped-hard-to-get LE collection awhile back and I can’t bring myself to really wear any of the products because everytime I look at them, I get mad at all the anxiety and fuss I had to go through just get them. And for what? There is nothing noteworthy about this collection in terms of quality or packaging or performance, either. Neither bad nor good, groundbreaking nor abysmal . . .just meh. I haven’t gotten rid of them yet because it would feel like a failure after all of the effort I put in to procure them.
Exactly! I think you have perfectly expressed what has happened to many of us makeup lovers, addicted dare to say?
Yes, but not out of sentiment or guilt, but either because they were things that I felt I needed but couldn’t find a better version of, or because I felt that the reason I didn’t like it had more to do with my own limitations (skill). Generally, if I just straight up don’t like something and have other alternatives, I discard it.
When I started wearing foundation to cover my rosacea, I kept using any number of foundations that I really didn’t like because they weren’t that flattering, but IMO they were still better than my skin. I had the hardest time finding something that didn’t show up my skin’s natural texture in the worst way, and nothing was the right color. I finally, recently, ran across IT’s CC Cream, and it’s very nearly perfect, just a hair darker than I needed. The moment I tried it and realized how well it worked for me, I discarded my other foundations.
So … I don’t keep anything that I don’t like and have a better version of; I’m still working on improving my skills to better utilize the things that I keep shoving to the back out of frustrations (or … I may eventually decide I’m not interested in the effort, and then get rid of those as well).
Oddly enough, I have to say UD’s 2nd palette. I think I used 1 color (YDK?) when I bought it years ago and nothing else. But I can’t bring myself to toss it.
How much space do I get to answer this? 😀
Here are the first things that come to mind: Out of my 11 Kat Von D Studded Kiss lipsticks, I only wear two of them (Ludwig and Hellbent). That’s pretty sad, isn’t it? I also dislike but still keep a couple of my UD single eyeshadows (Flash and Fireball). I keep ABH Modern Renaissance only because of Vermeer and Primavera, which I use with my UD Ultimate Basics and Tarte Amazonian Clay Mattes palettes. I have about 12 Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks, which I now keep in my desk at work “just in case” of…something? Also a couple of mini palettes from Estée Lauder and Tarte that I never use.
I recently started filling a bag with products I bought but don’t like and never use. Not sure what I will do with it yet. It’s getting pretty full. I just did a Back-to-MAC and unloaded some hated lipsticks, including Dreampot and On & On. I wish all brands did this.
Project Beauty Share takes many gently used products.
I’m so glad you posted this!
I need to check whether they are in LA. Thanks for mentioning it!
Dress for Success a domestic violence shelter for woman in downtown LA takes makeup. Probably there’s some where you live?
Yep. Guilty as charged.
I am terrible about throwing something away, especially if it was mid or high end. Eyeshadow palettes are the hardest to even think about tossing if it’s past the date of return or exchange by the retailer I purchased it from!
Giving it away would be less problematic, though. As long as I knew it would get used and receive more love than I had for it.
Huda Beauty Mauve Obsessions. I keep thinking that my skin tone will change.
I do have certain products that I keep regardless but for the most part if I feel like it is just a bad product I get rid of it. I usually trash it. If it is something that I think is an okay product but just not to my taste or doesn’t look good on me then I keep it and give it to someone that I think will enjoy it. Starving college students are always happy to get any makeup, LOL. A couple of products that I have hung onto that I am not sure why are the Dose of Colors Desi and Katy eye shadow palette. I want to love it so much because a couple of the shades are just so unique but it just doesn’t look good on me and I can’t bring myself to throw it out. My daughter is going to play with it now that she is home and of it works for her then she can have it. I have several eye shadow palettes that I purchased long ago that have a couple of shades in them that I like and the rest I never use. I am loathe to get rid of them because I love those shades. I don’t buy these types of palettes anymore. I need to have all the shades work for me or at the most only 1 or 2 that won’t.
Starving Students! Thanks for mentioning them! I have seen their trucks a few times.
Yes, I do. It’s so hard for me to throw away pretty highlighters! Shiny gets me every time but the kicker is that I don’t wear them. Trying to stop doing this – I really am!
Not really – I have gotten rid of the palettes and lipsticks that I just didn’t like. However I have a few that I like but don’t seem to use much – eg Emerald Pretty.
Because we can’t return products here in India- YES! I have many products I can’t stand that I keep & try to make work.
Certainly do but not many luckily. I try to find a second method to use otherwise. I hate returning things that will only add to more trash. If I can make it work like as an example, I use a very light lavender eyeshadow that is very silky from Almay but hardly shows as transition, although I have plenty of it and could just dump it. But when a product causes a reaction, any kind of rash I have returned very few like this lousy Jergens leg tanner I tried the light and medium shades and did nothing to these pair of bottled milk legs except develop some itch that went away quickly thank goodness! I think is good to let companies know when something is awful especially in skin care it can have serious bad results on some.
I hsve an adult daughter and adult granddaughter both with slightly different coloring. They always get first dibs on products I dislike. My grrat granddaughter is 5 and loves to play with lipsticks for dressup, another source. Many of my girlfriends have daughters so nothing trslly goes to waste.
Yes. I have a Sephora-brand loose powder in such frustrating packaging that I want to smash it with a hammer every time I use it. It’s a darn shame about the packaging, since the powder itself is quite nice!
Yes, ish. I return products if I hate them from the get-go, but tend to keep products around even if I don’t love them and try to make them work for me.
Tarte tartelette (original) palette – some of the tones make me look sick, nars bord de plage – honestly highlights were more glitery than I was anticipating, MUFE waterblend foundation – I get oily too quickly, mac face and body – I become a literal GREASE BALL, cover fx power play foundation – looks beautiful upon first application but breaks down on me despite claiming to be long wearing. There’s a bunch of others, I’m sure, but these are the ones that first come to mind.
Not any more. I’ve done two big purges over the past couple of months and had to be really honest with myself as to whether I would actually use the product, or if I was keeping it because it was limited edition, pretty packaging, in vogue, etc. It feels so good to have a smaller curated collection now and I’m so much more inspired!
I have kept, but never wear, my Cindy Lou Manizer by The Balm. I just don’t even know what to do with it. It doesn’t really show up on me, or maybe it makes me look greasy. I don’t know.
Yes. The Tarte Toasted palette. I guess I just don’t know what to do with it. If anyone wants it, they can have it. It’s so pretty but just applies terribly and lasts even worse.
Laura Geller baked blush in Pink Grapefruit. I loved it for awhile, then decided it pulls too orange. But I’m holding on in case I change my mind again.
Too Faced Peachy Mattes palette. I think some ingredient contributed to an eyelid irritation problem I had — when I stopped using it, the irritation eased a lot — but I like several colors in it so I am having a hard time letting go.