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What are deal-breakers for you when purchasing a beauty product?
What are deal-breakers for you when purchasing a beauty product? Tackiness in lipgloss? Fall out with eyeshadow? (and so on and so forth!)
Powderiness, cakiness, excessive fall out, anything that settles into fine lines, makes lids look crepe-y or wrinkled. Lip color that sucks all moisture right out of lips. Blush that fades unevenly.
Thanks to Jade for today’s question! Do you have a question idea? Submit yours here.
1. Unsafe products (Glittersniffer, etc…)
2. Bad customer service
3. Badly formulated products (worse if it’s overpriced)
Oh, and bad-tasting lip products. I’ve had quite a few that tastes like soap. I think I might also be sensitive to an ingredient (probably sweetener) in some of them, as some lip products literally give me a sore, scratchy throat. o_O;
Chunks of glitter. I can handle a sophisticated shimmer, but great gobs of glitter with horrible fallout sends me running for the hills!
Anything that creases quickly. The dreaded fall out problem.
Scented products, in general, as I’m scent sensitive. And who really needs an eyeshadow palette thay smells like chocolate? !
meeee!
If it can’t wear well for more than a few hours, then it’s just not practical for my life. So creasing, patchy fading, and oiliness are the big deal-breakers for me. I can totally put up with weird, heavy or sticky textures, though.
I can usually get a product to work in some capacity, and I realize I may have to try different combinations of product, brushes, primers, bases, etc., so I oveelook alot of that. My biggest issue is having a product cause an adverse reaction.
As far as determining whether or not I’ll purchase a product in the first place has to do with availability. If a company/brand expects me to jump through hoops (ie, stalking the site, pre-ordering, etc.), then I just bother, especially with so many others making it so easy to take my money. I also don’t like being forced to buy online; brands that aren’t available in stores often just get overlooked by me; again, there’s simply too much competition out there.
Blush: chalky texture, fades easily, hard to blend, sheer color payoff, turns patchy
Foundation: fades easily, has a thick texture, makes me look an oil slick, oxidizes, smells unpleasant, unnatural looking
Eyeshadow: crease-prone, excessive fallout, gritty texture, poor pigmentation
Lipgloss: cloying scent, settles into lip lines, sticky
Lipstick: drying, has a scent that causes migraine, not long-wearing, prone to bleeding/feathering
Powder: if it’s just sits on top of the skin and leaves a cakey finish
Excessive packaging. People rave about products like Benefit hoola and coralista, etc, and I just won’t try them because I feel like those big boxes take up too much space. Also things like Urband Decay’s anniversary palette– no thanks. I just don’t have the space in my makeup bag for that, no matter how gorgeous the product is. I also don’t like anything with glitter that doesn’t show up on the eyelids like it does in the pan. What’s the point?
Some deal breakers are extreme eyeshadow fallout and tacky cheap plastic packaging.
I hate, HATE when products get caught all over my dry spots….sinking into my pores and creating weird battlefields is also unacceptable.
Aside from foundations I also hate eyeshadows that aren’t rich and pigmented and flakey mascaras.
The lack of pigment, especially with eyeshadows.
I have quite a few deal breakers: Eyeshadow that are powdery and that has a lot of fallout, lipsticks that are too drying, lipsticks that are not true to color based on the packaging, lipsticks with no formula type on them ( i.e, matte, shine, lustre..), lipsticks with glitter, nail polish that is too thin and runny, shimmer blushes that tends to exacerbate my pores, any product that I want to try that does not come with a tester. This list could be endless.
Definitely scent! It might be the most perfect fuchsia lip gloss, but if it smells funky…. back it goes!
Hard to apply: I have no time for fussy eyeshadow. Nauseating smell: the main reason I won’t go near Rimmel for example. Fast wear or migratory: I need ALL DAY NO STRAY, not kidding!
You’re right about Rimmel. It’s too bad because they have so many beautiful shades of lipsticks. But I get a headache when I wear anything with a strong scent. WHY can’t they just make unscented products? Other companies manage to do it!
Good question! I can’t stand mascara that doesn’t volumise, powder that doesn’t last all day and orange foundation.
creamteaandrosejam.blogspot.co.uk
Drying lipsticks, lipsticks with strong fragrances or taste. Any foundation or powder that emphasizes dry patches.
I personally cannot stand drying lipgloss. In my mind lipgloss should be hydrating! I can deal with slightly drying lipsticks, especially mattes, as I don’t EXPECT them to be hydrating – I just top them with a lip conditioner or hydrating lipgloss. I also can’t stand my mascara smudging, I only wear tubing formulas now. I also like foundations/base products which set/dry down without needing to be set with powder. I powder if I need long wear, but generally I prefer not to. Scent is a big one too, I cannot stand synthetic scents, such as what you find in a lot of drugstore lip products.
If a product[especially face products] has parabens in it, its a deal breaker for me! I mean parabens are the cheapest kind of preservative available. If you are paying a lot of money to buy a certain product, then they ought to use better chemicals! Or else whats the difference between high-end and low-end, other than the money.
Under pigmented products are the biggies*. I DO NOT want to have to build or layer or bring in bases and so on. Also lipsticks that I judge as being likely to bleed, mascaras I know don’t give me the effect I want, lipgloss period (though I make a little exception for some of the Illamasqua ones). I researched my last foundation purchase obsessively because I am so sick of my oily skin just eating the foundation I put on it. I do avoid parabens too, I’m not totally convinced they actually do any harm but since my mother got a breast cancer diagnosis I can’t feel as blase as I used too about them, and I swapped away the paraben containing products I had.
* Which in the case of blush makes no sense, I always buy these super pigmented blushes then curse at the fact that, on my pale skin, they go from zero to sunburned clown with the merest dusting of product. I don’t know why, but whenever I buy a ‘pale girl friendly’ blush, even if it is totally flattering, I always end up feeling ripped off…
Scents in lip products! I am highly sensitive to the fragrances used in many lip products (esp. peppermint and vanilla), so unless I want my lips chapped or even blistered, I won’t buy scented lip products, no matter how much I may love the color!
Foundation: Causes breakouts/clogs pores, makes pores look huge, patchiness, products that slide off in a few hours, looks thick, cakey and mask-like, poor coverage while still looking obvious. Foundations that sticks to facial hair and makes you look super hairy even though you’re not!
Concealer: Cakiness, poor coverage, settle into lines
Eyeshadow: Anything that creases!!! Applies unevenly, hard to blend/looks patchy once blended, fallout, makes lids look older (lines, crepe-y, hooded), chunks of glitter (cough, UD, cough), fades unevenly
Blush/bronzer: Need 10 layers to show up, too pigmented (I just want to grab my regular blush-brush without risking the clown-look), patchy and hard to blend, powdery and unnatural, causes breakouts, visible glitter (shimmer is okay)
Lipstick/gloss: Drying, applies unevenly, looks thick on lips and shows lip texture, fades unevenly, gives me a “lip goo ring” (more likely with gloss that lipstick), gloss that is so sticky that you have to force your mouth open to talk. Shimmer that sticks to the lips after the actual color/product is gone (shimmer/glitter on bare, dry-ish lips is not a hot look)!
Mascara: Most important, it has to be tear, rain and snow resistant! Anything that transfer just a tiny bit when it’s raining heavily goes straight in the trash! Clumpiness, lashes sticking together, flaking, smudging. I am extremely picky when it comes to mascara!
All beauty products: HEAVY FRAGRANCE!
For eyeshadow: lack of pigmentation, patchiness and tendency to crease.
For lips: Lasting under six hours and dehydrating lips. My lips are super dry so I know I’ll be applying balm below and above so if it’s not super long lasting, it’s not going to last more then two hours on me.
May I know that are there any deals on Loreal Lipgloss? and about the above question for me wrinkle creams are the deal breakers.
My ultimate deal breaker is anything made in China. They do not regulate the amount of lead in their products and, particularly given the eyeshadow junkie that I am, I’m not putting anything with unregulated amounts of lead — and God knows what else — on my eyes!
I completely agree.
Mascara that doesn’t hold a curl!
Something that is a high price, for a low quality product. Inconsistencies in brands are also deal-breakers. I want to feel like I can depend on a brand to provide a high-quality product every time.
Eye shadow that doesn’t blend!! I have very dry eyelids to start with and if the shadow doesn’t blend beautifully, then it goes straight back to the store!!!
A deal-breaker for me is any product containing mineral oil and its petroleum-based cousins. Also, any facial creams or serums containing silicone.
Totally agree! Won’t touch those things.
The biggest one for me is an intense dislike of pot or pan lip products. I have a special hate for mixed media palettes that include creams and powders with no way of keeping them separate. I don’t mind my Balm Jovi or Mally More Perfect palettes, because both of those have covers for the cream products. But I skipped Bare Minerals The Perfect Ten (even with a huge price drp on their website) because it does not.
Not many – off hand, these are the only ones that I can think of:
1. Metallic finish (eye shadow or lip product, or anything, really)
2. Formulated for oily skin. My skin is so dry that I have to stick to hydrating formulations.
3. Opened or unsecured items.
4. Is it insulting? (I’m looking at YOU Nars/Guy Bourdin)
5. How gawdawful tacky/juvenile is the packaging (I’m looking at YOU Paul and Joe)
6, Overwhelming number of options – I’m not interested in the mega palettes.
Oh come on! How can cheeky names like deep throat and orgasm be offensive? It’s just a bit of fun! And I’ve seen many a tacky make up packaging (collection, miss sporty etc.) But dont consider paul & joe to be tacky or ‘juvenile’, their designs are beautiful!
Funny smelling lip products (can be plastic-y scents or sickly sweet. MAC plush glass is one for me)
Poor pigmentation on shadows
ANYTHING that creases.
Super drying lip products.
A dealbreaker learned from past experience: lip colors in pots or palettes. I always end up never using them because I don’t like using my finger or a lip brush, So now, even if I’m tempted by the colors, I won’t buy unless it’s a mini lipstick/gloss set.
If a company makes ridiculous claims about a certain product, I will not buy it. Does anyone remember that Physician’s Formula blush that was supposed to be “mood boosting”? I also do not buy products with explicit names. I do not understand why so many cosmetic companies are going that way. I want to epitomize class and elegance, not trash.
Big promises in a product always make me go elsewhere because however the product is, it’ll always disappoint in comparison! Ugly packaging isn’t a deak breaker, but it doesn’t help. For instance the Mac lipstick tubes are ugly in my opinion but I do buy them anyway for the awesome formula xo
Sheer lipstick. Reason why not interested in givenchy lipsticks that you highly rate. Yes, they aren’t opaque enough in my opinion
Eyeshadow that has lower than a rating by you. Palettes I m not that picky, but it can’t be less than a rating by you either.
Metallic finish things. Eyeshadows or lip stuf. No frost lipstick for me.
Duochrome lipstick, that’s why I don’t have that mac fuchsia lipstick that everyone loves
Lipstick that smells bad, I don’t have high standards in this. But I won’t buy maybelline lipsticks for this reason. They go bad v fast, v v fast and smell intolerably bad in the first place. But I have one maybelline red lipstick that is v close to chanel dragon. It is the, the best drugstore red lipstick. I think it’s called red revival.
Expensive mascara. Even though they are better than drugstore in terms of lasting longer. I got lancome Hypnos as a gift, this is when I didn’t wear mascara. That sucker didn’t dry out for years, I m talking years. Didn’t change. Even though I think they are worth it, I’ve a hard time justifying something that I m supposed to discard in a few months.
Unless it’s on sale, or mini size, like the 10 bucks benefit they’re real I picked up
My list is Christine’s list exactly.
Foundations that are oily and unnatural.
Eyeshadow that creases and doesn’t blend seamlessly as well as not been pigmented. Tons of fallout!
Drying lipsticks hate!
Powders that are noticeable!
There are too many, although these are the ones I can think of 😛
I dislike strong odors in products,. they don’t have to be odor free, just not stinky. The application method is important for some products for prevention of contamination. Body lotions are a big deal for me. I but only dermatologist recommendations and pump bottles because my hub uses it too. I think less air in the bottle is better too but that’s my opinion.
Country of origin is very important to me because certain countries have poor hygiene and high incidents of contamination.
What do you mean, “certain countries have poor hygiene”?
I thick she meant ‘poor hygiene in factory production areas’, not ‘foreign people don’t bathe’.
Given how many scares there have been with Chinese produced items (melamine in baby formula anyone?), I can understand why some people are wary or buying comestible or topical products made in China. I’m not saying it’s ONLY a problem with Chinese made products (things like the horse meat scandal show that) but it does appear to be a significant and recurring problem.
My makeup deal-breakers in no particular order:
1) lack of lasting power (I hate touching up my makeup during the day with the exception of gloss.)
2) exorbitant prices for the type or amount of product purchased (i.e. $30+ for eyeliner – NO!)
3) anything that causes my skin to look greasy or dry
4) absolutely any lip products that dry out my lips
5) expensive products that don’t live up to their claims
6) any product that is glittery (it gets everywhere and just makes a mess)
7) products that lacks pigmentation (I need color!)
#1 deal breaker is scent. I like scented products, but not when it smells cheap or too artificial or too overwhelming.
# 2 products with detrimental effect on my skin. self explanatory.
# 3 deal breaker would be packaging. It the packaging is going to break or product will leak, I am not buying no matter how good of a deal it is.
# 4 brand reputation – if the bad has a bad rep, such as using ingredients that cause break outs etc.
Ugly packaging is a killer. Bad tasting lip products and I agree with Kellie, kinky names for products. It’s a turn off. I don’t like vulgarity and I think it’s insulting to women. Tom Ford has some of these including the b word, and Nars also. Not cool.
Glitter fallout! I love the shade range in the naked palette but I truly can’t understand the hype of it because I have nothing but fallout with every use! Gloss tackiness is another big no no and anything that dries out my skin.
Top 3:
1. Extortionate prices
2. Unethical, oppressive practices
3. Toxic ingredients
MADE IN CHINA. MADE IN TAIWAIN. Made in anywhere actually except USA, France, or Japan.
foundation: anything that causes a rash, fades fast, or clings to dry spots
mascara: brushes that pick up too much product, causes my eyes to burn, anything that comes off easily
lip products: most gloss, weird scents, and anything with red dye #40 because i’m super allergic
general: things i can’t test easily or find reviews for, excessive scents(especially in shampoos and foundation, ACCCCKKK)
price, usually, is the biggest deal-breaker. A federal inquiry was recently published in my local newspaper which found that women in Australia pay over 200% more for the same products that cost next to nothing in America and Britain. so yeah if I can’t get it cheaper online, I just won’t get it at all.
to give you an idea… your $15 MAC lipstick costs about $40 here.
product-wise, if the packaging is clunky, feels cheap, impractical or is just plain ugly, it’s a no-go. I am pretty picky about packaging as I move around a fair bit and need things that travel securely.
Another deal-breaker that should be mentioned is ORANGE FOUNDATION! I don’t know who or where these orange people are, but makeup companies everywhere seem to be catering exclusively to them. literally every foundation pulls orange on me no matter how fair, how expensive, how sheer or thick the coverage is, I always wind up with an orange tint.
Cakiness, powderiness, dryness, pigmentation (or if it is sheer, does it look good)…
dryness with lipstick
For me, it’s fallout or lack of pigmentation with eyeshadow. Fallout drives me crazy, and if the shadow doesn’t have a lot of pigment, I won’t use it, because I don’t have the time/patience to spend on applying it. Actually, if I discover that 3-4 eyeshadows in one brand are prone to fallout or have very little pigmentation, I’ll usually avoid that brand altogether.
Hmm
1. Excess fallout, chalky pigmentation (eyeshadow)
2. Greasy, sticky formulas ( foundation)
Basically if the product does more harm than good.
Most pencil eyeliner, they just don’t want to stay on my eyelids. (Don’t even get me started on how nothing stays on my waterline.) Lipglosses that go on nearly transparent despite being an interesting color in the tube. Black eyeshdow in a palette with five pans or fewer, since I have enough black eyeshadow for about twelve lifetimes already. Cream nail polishes. Sticky lipglosses, and also, a lipgloss has to be pretty awesome for me to put up with a doe foot–brushes all the way. In that vein, anything that comes in a click-brush type of applicator, those are evil.
I absolutely will not buy products from companies that I know test on animals