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Have you ever recommended a product to a friend that they didn't end up liking?
Have you ever recommended a product to a friend that they didn’t end up liking? Share your experiences!
I’ve definitely recommended products to both readers and friends that haven’t worked out as well as I wanted them to! One of the hardest parts about making strong recommendations is that a lot of products are your-mileage-may-vary kind of products – which means sometimes they’re fantastic for many but not-so-great for a few. I think, overall, I haven’t steered my friends too far off course and luckily, I’ve helped them find some holy grails, too 🙂 (And hopefully, that statement is true with readers!)
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Of the two friends that I got into makeup, they’ve basically loved everything I recommended, which is heartening!
But then again, they should love everything as these two people basically only use products that I do (mostly face products, and a few lip and eye products). As I’ve personally tried just about every product in these categories that are available at the department store, and tested them stringently, I’d had better get them right! Lol!
I don’t know as there’s a “getting it right” with face products, though. Unless your friends’ skin type and tone is incredibly similar to yours, what wears well on you might not on them and vice versa. I mean, yay that they liked everything you recommended, but I feel like every product should work for *someone* if it’s at least middling quality, that someone may just not be you.
Well “getting it right” for me is helping people find products that they come to love and use frequently. As I said, I’ve stringently tested most high-end foundations and concealers (among other things) and have rated them in a variety of relevant characteristics; and I maintain these records for future reference. As someone with very oily, flaky skin, I’m able to use these observations to help gauge what my friends will like depending on their skin type and preferences. So no, they don’t have to have similar skin types as me to get an accurate and valid recommendation.
Anyways, I then take them into Sephora or wherever, and I walk them through the options available and pick a few that I recommend; it’s about optimizing the choices. Then of course, they pick the final product(s) after sampling those recommended, if in fact said “final” product is even among that group.
It’s not like I say… “Okay, this product is excellent based on my experience, and therefore you should use it.” Instead, it’s a completely cooperative immersion of my knowledge that channeled or perceived through their aesthetic temperament.
I don’t know about you, but that’s an encouraging thing to experience.
Any suggestions for another person with oily, flaky skin? I’m still struggling to find a good combination of products to keep me from being so shiny and also not peeling! Thank you!
Well that’s the thing, I don’t really know enough about you to give you a tailored recommendation. Lol!
Furthermore, while a single rec for a foundation is good, the flakiness, oiliness, etc… are best dealt with holistically, meaning discussing your skin care and makeup routines; not to mention your lifestyle choices, which may also have a mild overall effect.
See how this would work more smoothly with people I know? 🙂
Just popping in to give my 2 cents, if you don’t mind…
I’ve been a reader of John’s blog since close to the beginning (I think) and I respect and value his opinion and reviews. They are consistently well researched and supported by current, reliable & valid scientific studies. John and I have never met, but I trust his recommendations and always take them with a grain of salt — as in: I see how his experience and/or view of a product or ingredient relates to my own particular skin concerns and needs.
BlueRaccoon, I do see what you’re getting at with the “getting it right” point. An “unknown variable” may come into play, such as an unanticipated allergy/sensitivity or product use under markedly different conditions. I also think at some point the onus is on the recommendation’s recipient to assess if that recommendation is compatible with his/her needs.
I hope my 2 cents are coherent. It’s late over here in BooBooNinja-land. 🙂
No, but then I haven’t really made any recommendations to anyone… Usually, my friends will look through my stash, and if something catches their eye, they may ask me about it, and depending on the product (ie, foundation, powder, etc) they may try it. Other times, they may see a product I’m loving at the moment, usually a “color” product, and if they like the shade, they may go out and pick it up themselves. Everyone I know who wears makeup knows what sort of colors they like, so if I’m wearing something in a shade that appeals to them, they’ll simply ask me what brand/shade it is.
Over 25 years ago, I bought a La Prairie lipstick. It was well over $25.00 at that time. My friend loves lipsticks. The vampier, the better. MAC and Chanel were her brands at that time. I wanted something different and I liked La Prairie so I suggested she get one too. She apparently didnt like it as much as I did and complained about it being too mushy and not long lasting.
Only once – since I have a myriad of black eyeliners in the search of The One That Stayed Put (TM), I hand them off frequently to friends. I gave my Tarina Tarantino one to a friend who was looking for a good pencil liner. Unfortunately, she had the same problem with it as I did – too creamy to stay put on the lower lash line.
Not specific products but maybe brands…I’m generally of the opinion that everybody is different and different products will work differently on everyone. For instance, the Maybelline Colour Tattoos apparently are fantastic but they don’t work well on me at all!!
ugh Garnier BB lotion!
That’s one I actually really like. The *only* thing that keeps it from HG status is the SPF is too low (I prefer a minimum of 30). It can also be a touch paler, but that’s something I can easily correct with a powder. Skincare is such a personal thing, which is why I *never* take advice from others.
Yes, when I first got into makeup, one of my first discoveries was Clinique’s Black Honey. It looks great on me, and I raved about its universal appeal to my best friend.
I shared it with her, and I still feel bad about the tone of voice I used when I said, “…oh.” It’s the tone you use when you say “ewwww.”
Of course she just said, “I told you so.”
BTW she is a redhead, trending towards auburn but too red to be auburn. Brown eyes. Burns easily. No freckles. Germanic rather than Irish. I’d swear she’s cool toned, but I have a hard time with undertones.
I actually just bought at least 5 of your recommended award winning products (mostly hair care) so I definitely hope they work 🙂
That being said, I always like recommendations because I feel overwhelmed with all the stuff that is out there and also because it is financially impossible to try everything. However, I have definitely hit some far-from-good products. None of these have been low quality – so I don’t feel badly about the recommendation; they just didn’t work for me. Most of these recommendations have been for make up. I rarely buy into skin care recommendations, unless of course it was from a doctor. I do recommend stuff to friends though but usually after they have tried my stuff!
Fingers crossed!
You’ve definitely given me some awesome recommendations!
I have recommended products to friends that didn’t work out – especially people with sensitive skin or eyes. I think I do pretty well overall, but it’s impossible to get it right every time, and now that I’m doing the beauty blogging people ask me for more and more recommendations! 😀
Yes, sometimes. But I think that regardless of how strongly I recommend something and how much a friend values my opinion, it’s ultimately the friend’s decision to test out the product and buy it or not.
That being said, Christine, your reviews are often how I hear about a product for the first time and I value the score you give to products. The ones you recommend and I like, I jot them down somewhere (Pinterest, haha) and make a point of trying them out next time I’m at a makeup counter. If I like it on me, great, but if not, I move on – and the fact that some of the products you recommend don’t work for me doesn’t change how much I value your opinion. Sometimes I’ll find a product at a makeupcounter and look it up on Temptalia to see what you had to say. 🙂
Thank you, Jiwon! 🙂
I’m about to go out on a limb and buy the OCC concealer based mainly off of your review. I’m a little terrified because I’ve tried all the main concealers people rave about and have been disappointed eventually – but I’m hopeful!
More than likely yes! I often find that my friends and I don’t like the same products.