We earn commission on sales tracked from our links and codes. Thank you for your support! We earn commission from affiliate links/codes. Thank you!
What has been the most overrated beauty product you’ve tried? Share!
Dior eyeshadow, in general, leaves something to be desired for me. Don’t get me wrong–some of their quads and palettes over the years are amazing, total go-to palettes that work, but they have some huge flops and issues.
Thanks to reader Polly for today’s question idea Do you have a question idea? Submit yours here.
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
urban decay primer potion! it was the second high end makeup product i had ever purchased and i was so excited but it just didn’t do anything for me. i found products at the drugstore that made my eyeshadow last much longer. at that point i was only able to afford shopping at sephora with christmas gift cards, so buying a product that didn’t work for me was a big deal. i’m still a little miffed about it tbh
They have a super liberal return policy. You could have always taken it back (even weeks later)
Same here! It just did nothing! Do you have dry skin? Because all the people I’ve heard rave about it have oily or combination skin, while mine is just super dehydrated, and I’m wondering whether that would explain the different experiences.
That’s a shame. UDPP is my “old reliable” when I want to be sure that my shadow will last and last. I have other great products, but when in doubt, I always reach for UDPP. Isn’t it odd how different all our needs are? Who’d ever thing that just eye lids could be so varied that a product that is a “gold standard for one person is a real let-down for another. As others have said, Sephora is great about taking back products you’re not happy with.
I found this product overrated too. I was comparing it to an awesome Sephora primer, as well as a couple drugstore ones I’ve. UDPP wasn’t anything special, but I felt I had to use it up.
Nars Orgasm.
Hands down. I work at a beauty retailer and it is all people ever buy. Not because they like it per say, just because of how popular it is. Don’t get me wrong, its a good product, and works well for most, but there are so many other gems (especially by Nars alone) that would suit many clients so much better?????? Its to the point where I can hardly take people seriously when I see them buying it…
Plus it doesn’t even last til the end of the day!
I agree! I bought it & used it once. What a waste.
nars orgasm what? blush lip gloss, shimmer etc???
The blush in particular. The nail polish, lip gloss, etc aren’t as nearly hyped up, and most don’t reach for them. I guess it can apply to the broad spectrum of it all (colour-wise), but my beef with it is the blush itself.
I totally agree! The blush is pretty but the way it’s forced on us just make it unappealing for me
Your last statement rings true with the Bare Minerals Bare Skin foundation. It’s awful. It breaks up on the skin and accentuates dry patches like no other. But people buy it because it’s new and over hyped. I have to hide eye rolls while I ring them up and do my best to steer them to more reliable foundations.
Wasn’t too impressed with the two Hourglass ambient lighting blushes I brought, returned one. Also disappointed in the GlamGlow masks that kept getting great reviews, I noticed nothing.
I agree!
GlamGlow white foil or black foil?
The black foil smells divine but found it too harsh
The white has helped me clear blemishes and I like it a lot ( well I like everything but the price)
Oh yeah, GlamGlow is such a rip off. I was underwhelmed too.
I actually like the Glam Glow products BUT haven’t tried the Hourglass blushes (I have enough blushes to last me a life time Lol) BUT do love the ambient powders I find them fantastic (especially as i’m 45 years young now) x
I think that would have to be covergirl lipsticks. A lot of people love them, but I cannot get over the taste/smell of them. The finish is kinda drying too. Also, revlon one step complexion compact makeup, which irritated my skin, and I could really feel that I was wearing it. Never got the rave reviews, but I unfortunately believed them, until I tried it out.
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder! I tried every shade. Each one left me with a face that didn’t match my neck. 🙁 They weren’t anything worth $40, regardless if they actually matched me.
I totally agree!!! I’m fair skin and none of the Hourglass ambient light powders matches my skin tone. I tried Etheral and that turns my face yellow. The sad thing is it looks so obvious in photos. I did not really understand the hype and why everyone raves about these powders.
I love the Hourglass ambient powders. I am fair skinned and have 4 different ones (the dim, diffused, mood and radiant) and find them brilliant. I am 45 years young now and find a light dusting of them (depending on how my skin looks that morning and time of the year) gives me a great glow and the diffused is great when I have a bit of redness and the mood is just a great all rounder to lift my skin and the radiant is great in the summer or when i’m looking a bit pale! I just use a light dusting! Maybe they are better for the more mature skin? Lol x
ELF makes a decent dupe, at a much more wallet friendly price 🙂
Brow Powder Duo (Anastasia) – even the cool toned ones look too warm and unnatural.
Effacernes (Lancome) – waterproof my … Plus, weak coverage.
Corrector (Bobbi Brown) – good coverage, worst texture, never dries or settles, just super sticky plus it emphasizes all the lines under your eyes. Oh, and doesn’t last at all.
NYX Butter Gloss, Illamasqua glosses, Nars eyeshadows – meh, nothing extraordinary, so much buzz about it.
Well Rested (Bare Minerals) – it does the exact opposite of its purpose – highlights your dark circles, with a powdery chalky look, it doesn’t matter how hydrated (or not) your skin is.
I love my butter glosses cause they have no taste( I haaate most lipglosses cause they have a gross perfume taste…so bitter)…they don’t last much but whatever, nothing does, and if it does, it dries my lips. Tiramisu is very good, a perfect pinky-brown nude, Apple strudel sinks into lip lines more.
Agree! Tiramisu is a cracker!
The original Naked palette was a huge flop for me. Don’t get me wrong–the qualities of the shadows are amazing. It’s just that I read so many reviews about how it was this great universal palette that looked gorgeous on all skin tones. Then, I tried it. And tried it. And tried. It was too gold/copper for my fair, pink-tinged skin. It looked a hot mess no matter what I did. I’ve seen this palette look amazing on so many people, just not on me!
So, I’m not totally alone, after all. I am also very fair with cool undertones and the only shade that was truly complimentary was sin. The Sephora Beauty Adviser looked at me like I was out of my mind when I returned it. I can see why lots of people love it though.
Definitely a big flop for me. I bought it because so many people were raving about it and I think I have used it twice. Boring! How many shades of beige does a person need? And way too much glitter for my taste.
I am having the same problems with the Naked 3 Palette. I do not understand the hype–looks like dirt on my eyes and every look, no matter what colors I use, looks the same. Dirt.
I completely agree. I’m forcing myself to love the Naked 3 because it was a gift from my boyfriend who heard me talk about it way too many times when it came out. I’ve found the quality of the shadows isn’t what it used to be (like with the Naked 1), and the color range isn’t as versatile as I thought. I love Blackheart and Nooner to end, but the rest of the shadows look very similar in my opinion. My greatest qualm with the palette is its structure. I don’t understand why everyone prides Urban Decay on their “evolution” toward hard, “sturdy” packaging (instead of the cardboard original) when the company decided to use a horrible glue for the pans. Maybe it’s just my Naked 3, but the pans keep dislocating, and one of my shadows has been a casualty of the pan pop-out. I’ve tried to use super glue underneath the pans after several shadows have popped out, but it’s no use. I may follow this cringe worthy statement and depot them in a Z palette at this point. Not a happy camper.
OMG I thought I was the only one! ALL of my pans have fallen out! Also my brush is coming apart to like the one side of it keeps falling off! I really dislike that about the naked3!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who didn’t understand the hype of the original Naked Palette. I wanted it after watching countless tutorials and reviews on YouTube about how versatile it is, but when I used it, I felt like most of the shades looked the same and overly glittery against my dark skin. Plus, the shadows didn’t have any staying power for me even with primer. I returned mine after playing around with it for a couple of weeks. I thought maybe it was just that one palette, but I also have the UD 15th Anniversary Palette, and I feel the exact same way about it too. I guess UD shadows just aren’t my cup of tea…
First thing that pops in my mind is Clump Crusher. It does absolutely nothing for me. Coat after coat, nothing.
Mac products in general. I hate saying it because they do have some good products, but the brand has never been a favorite for me. A lot of the products I’ve tried haven’t worked out. Studio Fix foundation left my skin with tiny red bumps all over; Pro longwear concealer was too drying; the mineralize blushes barely last six hours on me; I find both lustre and cremesheen lipsticks to be drying; Black track fluidline migrates to my bottom lashline within a few hours; the eyeshadows have a drier texture whereas I prefer a more buttery one.
Ditto!
I agree TBH the only thing I really like of MAC is their pigments I find them to be brilliant x
I have heard the same thing Christine.
I have to post, Urban Decay Naked 2. I just don’t get the hype. I have it and I rarely reach to use it.
Urban Decay Nakeds.. Nothing about it really works for me. And the formula of eyeshadow, no matter how I’ve applied it, it always ends up falling all over my face – its just not for me. Looks great on everybody else though. :/
Chanel rouge coco shines. I don’t get the hype on these. They don’t last long on my lips and it’s extremely sheer. Not worth the price IMO.
SAME
Me too. Chanel Coco Shines and some palettes too. Never worked for me.
Oh man, definitely Benefit They’re Real. I have bought that mascara three different times thinking “oh I was just using it wrong the last time, so many people can’t be wrong!” and I just consistently hate it. It gives me crazy, clumpy spider lashes no matter what I do and refuses to be layared with other mascaras. I want to love it, but I just can’t!
That was my choice, too!
Once I saw it on QVC and it did not look very appealing as they were putting it on the model lol!
didn’t even remotely finish the tube before I tossed it.
I agree! I mentioned their mascara (and in fact benefit in general) and think it’s one of the worst mascara’s you can buy! I absolutely adore Guerlain’s mascara’s especially the Noir and cils d’enfer they really last and the Guerlain Noir G is just fantastic. One coat gives you lashes to die for, lasts all day (and before now I’ve fallen asleep and forgotten to take my make up off OOOooops) and it has still been perfect and good to go the next morning. It also lengthens, thickens and curls. Yes it’s pricey BUT really lasts, doesn’t dry out and one coat is brilliant and 2 coats and your lashes are just WOW (almost like you have false lashes on) and doesn’t clump! So in fact is VFM! Do I sound impressed and happy by the Noir G by any chance? Lol x
I just used a sample of cils denfer and now I want it. Ahhhhhhhh! I usually stick to drugstore and the gazillion samples I seem to stockpile for mascara. Usually I’m not all that impressed but I look for volume and length at the same time.
I have to agree. I have two samples of it. I though it was either me not getting it, or that it was something wrong with the sample.
creme de la mer! like trying to spread chap stick on your face.
LOL!
Nars orgasm…..I bought another color instead
I think it’s a tie between lip crayons and Mac lipsticks for the same reasons. I love the Huggable lipstick I have, but the two others just catch on to flaws because of which my lips have to be in perfect condition. The amplified formula is drying as well. As for lip crayons, I have Revlon’s Mischievous matte balm and one by Bourjois, and they have similar issues. The colours are all so beautiful though.
I have quite a few products I didnt think were worth so much hype!
To start with Nars Orgasm.. such a shimmer fest how can it be a daily pick for anyone?
MAC lipsticks.. especially the Lustre formulas.. I know there are way too many MAC lipstick fans but they don’t just work that well on me.
Also a lot of high end skincare has been a let down, like the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing gel.. doesn’t feel like it cleans that well and also the Ren glycolactic radiance mask.. you need to find a way to work that thing!
In my personal choice for the most overrated brand is probably Benefit. Don’t get me wrong I like some of their blusher,cute packaging but I often find their products not ”that good” for my money,especially as they’re at the pricier end of the market. I really want to love many products of Benefit that I brough 🙁
For me it’s the By terry Baume de rose for lips. It is pretty great but it no miracle worker. A lip balm is still a lip balm no matter how expensive it is! So more than overrated I’d say over priced!
Benefit They’re Real! Mascara left me stone-dead COLD. It made my lashes heavy and super straight, and removal was the absolute worst – the pigment came off my lashes and stuck to my skin, then WOULD NOT BUDGE.
Probably UD Primer Potion. It is pretty good, but still creases on me after only four or so hours. I bought it back when everybody was all about Primer Potion and it’s all I knew of primers so I hadn’t heard of any potentially better ones.
Also, Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo. I’ve seen tons of raving reviews on the internet and it did nothing but cake on my face no matter how much or how little I applied or what type of application I used.
That’s completely off-topic, but I’ve noticed that a lot of shades of Guerlain Rouge Automatique lipsticks are missing on my usual retail websites (I’m in France)… Are they being pulled out? Because I sure hope not! Do you happen to have some information, Christine?
Too Faced better than sex mascara
Urban Decay Naked Palettes and Primer potion
MAC fluid line in Blacktrack
Yep, black track was no big deal!
It looked like a dark grey on me and that drove me crazy >.<
I’ve been let down by many high-end foundations. But that’s probably not the foundation’s fault and more the fact that they weren’t right for my skin.
Another one is Korean BB cream. I just don’t like the grayish undertones most of them have, and I dislike how cakey they look on me due to the heavy coverage. Moreover, the color selection tends to be poor and most of them also contain too much fragrance for my skin.
I also don’t love sheet masks due to the fragrance issue, but also because none of them seem to stay very well on my face.
Estee Lauder Double Wear… everyone says it’s the best, but mine is really crappy; doesn’t blend, it’s sticky, brings up flaky skin, just awful.
Have you tried the Estee Lauder double wear light or the double wear BB cream? They are fantastic! I found the original double wear a bit too heavy and powdery BUT the light and BB cream are fantastic and don’t look so thick and heavy but give great coverage at the same time! Maybe you should get a sample of each from a department store of each one of those and you might be very pleasantly surprised? x
It wasn’t powdery for me, it was a bit shiny and very sticky. Maybe they just ship the crap out to my country or something, because I’ve had problems with all EL products that I’ve tried.
But it’s ok, I’ll just use other brands.:)
This is so true. It made my face all shiny and it ended up making me look oily. By the end of the day my face was flaky.
Nars Orgasm blush. It’s soooo glittery that makes my pores look like satelite dishes and my cheeks look like disco balls sparkling like mad. Moreover, the shade is not even nice, a peachy tone on the orange side that doesn’t flatter me at all. I just tried it twice and gave it to a friend of mine.
MUFE HD Foundation gets a lot of attention but I thought it was quite ordinary and drying. Another disappointment was Tarte’s 12-Hour Blushes—I feel like I’m the only one that doesn’t like them!
I don’t like the Tarte blushes either!
agree on both counts. MUFE HD is nothing special IMO and tarte blushes tend to be stiff and then get eaten by my skin in a an hour..gone.
Lip Venom
Dior Fluidsticks. They all pull screamingly orange on me. >:|
Nars Niagara and MAC Vegas Volt lipsticks. There are so many better corals available.
I think the most over-rated products I have tried are Benefit! I know I will probably be hated for saying that BUT I find most of their items over-priced for what they are as they are OK but nothing great and especially their primers are definitely overpriced for what they are. They are not bad as primers go but not very good value for money especially the ‘That gal’ primer which is only 11ml BUT costs £22.50 over here! You could buy a Chanel or other great premium brand primer that is between 20-35ml for between (£20-£35) which is 2-3 times as big and delivers as good or better results and as for their mascara’s YIKES! Give me a Guerlain mascara any day they deliver what they promise and last and last and last! So as you can possibly tell I am not a great fan of Benefit cosmetics Lol x
LORAC Pro Palette. Everyone is raving about it, but I didn’t like it, and I never reached for it. I ended up selling it in a blog sale…
I didn’t like it either. The colors went muddy on me.
currently that damned Benefit Push-up Liner…. biggest POS ever.
And it’s being promoted LIKE CRAZY! UGH!
I’ve been quite lucky, actually, in that I don’t tend to end up buying much on hype without reading ALL THE REVIEWS EVAR – and even then I won’t get a thing unless I really feel it might work for me. It’s part of that NZ pricing/no returns thing – mistakes are expensive!
If pressed, though, I’d probably say ‘every mascara ever’, because I have yet to find one that actually wowed me. I have tried many absolutely decent ones, and even in my own experience I can rate them, but somehow… 😉
The Naked 3 Palette for me….I haven’t tried the other 2 but to me this one just seems so powdery and none of the colors seem to show up well.
I’m not alone in disliking Naked 3! Honestly try the other two I own the first two and they’re so much better than the 3! It makes me think that Urban Decay is going downhill 🙁
I’m glad I’m not alone lol, everyone always raves about it! It was my first big expensive makeup purchase and I’m glad I decided to give brand name stuff another chance because after that I was ready to go back to drugstore! I decided on Naked3 because my go-to colors are usually rosegolds and such, so I do love the actual colors. But fallout from almost every shade, powdery, no pigment…I wish I would have sent it back but I never did. There are so many better things I could have spent almost $55 on!
Definitely MAC MSF Natural. I tried using it with different foundations and it just did nothing for me. This is not a must have product.
Nars eyeshadows. Some are amaxing, while others, when applied to the lid, look like muddy-something. Their quality is very inconsistent.
The Naked palettes. Some colrs are great, but too much glitter to my taste.
The Hourglass ambient powders. They are alright, and sure they were innovative and nothing like it on the market, but still they are by no means the solution to your imperfections, as promised. A lot of hype, with little results.
Off the top of my head:
Hourglass Ambient Light powders
It Cosmetics Bye Bye Redness
Maybelline Great Lash Mascara
(Sadly) most Maybelline Color Tattoos (they sheer out to nothing)
UD 24/7 eyeliners
I agree with the “Great Lash” over-hype! That stuff is AWFUL!
I agree w/ UD 24/7 liners – they fade on me & don’t last on the waterline.
The YSLTouche Eclat highlighting pen for me ! Biggest disappointment ! I don’t think I expected too much either ..just expected it to work/do something..anything. Well..on me, it did next to nothing and I have 3 other products that work way better lol
Dee D – me too! I got nothing from this product at all!
Chanel eyeshadow quads. In my opinion they aren’t worth the investment. For the price I want all four colors to be pigmented, easy to blend, last well, etc. Many of the shadows are sheer and fade quickly, and I don’t want to fuss with adding water just to get them to have decent pigmentation.
Agree.
I know others might disagree, but M.A.C. lipsticks are the most overrated makeup items for me. They all dry my lips out, especially the matte and satin formulas. Ugh! Can’t fathom why they are so loved.
agree!
BB creams and some MAC products.
I know what you mean about the BB creams.. I just can’t find one that works for my skin.. I am very dry and I tinted moisturizer works best for me always.
I would try L’occitane bb cream or khiel’s bb cream (spf 50)
I like them both
( I am using normal foundation maybelline now because is 1/3 of the price of those bb creams and I have run out of both above. If you can get a couple of samples try them first though)
The Cle de Peau concealer.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a decent product. Better than half other concealers I’ve used. But for the price and the hype, I expected something that would completely cover my dark circles without drying or creasing. That did not happen.
OCC Lip Tars!! They’re so slimy at first and then they dry your lips like a drought’s hit them. Sooo overrated.
That cause they contain mint.
MAC eyeshadows. They’re not the best. In 8 years of makeup collecting, I think I only own 8 or 9 of the singles. Mind you, I do LOVE Humid and Lucky Green, and I only bought the Miss Piggy one cuz I’m a Muppets fan, but I can easily find better eyeshadows elsewhere. I feel like MAC is too dry.
Totally agree! I buy only the unique colors.
I will admit that I have been that person to buy things because of all the hype they get– these are my disappointments:
– Nars Orgasm blush: too light for my skin tone and way too shimmery
– Lorac Pro 1: The shadows in the first palette are nice, but WAY TOO powdery.
-MAC blush in Sea Me, Hear Me (from the ’14 Alluring Aquatics Collection): It was the darkest blush in the collection and EVERYONE was raving about it. I bought it and it barely shows up on me. Medium complexion.
– Smashbox eye primer: It is sooo thick, it’s like super duper concealer.
– Nars lipglosses: they are not worth the hype or the price. At least not the older ones. I know they reformulated the glosses, but I still feel that hey are not worth the money. There are drugstore-brand glosses that have more pigment than the Nars glosses. And, why is Turkish Delight so popular???!! LOL. I don’t get it!
I am sure I have more, but these are the ones I remember.
Kim kardashian hyped up the Turkish delight long ago, I think!
Dior Iconic Overcurl Mascara. Did absoluetly NOTHING for me! I’ve had drugstore mascaras that do more for my lashes than that did! And for $28 bucks…nope
Burberry eyeshadow 🙁
Most recently (because there have been a few over the years): Eve Lom foundation and tinted moisturizer. Why oh why did I succumb to the hype? I truly HATE both and they were pricey!!!!
NARS TM: I’m sorry I strayed. You’ve always been fabulous.
Ben Nye banana powder – drying and cakey. Never again.
IT cosmetics. With the exception of the brushes, I’ve returned every product I’ve tried. They’re obviously unaware of women of color with medium brown (neutral) skintones or darker.
Lorac Pro palette. I don’t understand the raves and the adoration. I don’t see anything special about it when I see it in Ulta…..dupable colors/textures that I already own.
Naked palettes! the shadows have so much fallout
Lots of drugstore eyeshadows. UDPP. I had some good days with it, but mostly bad. Smashbox products.
Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palette.
This simply would not work for me. I originallly wanted
to get the Naked Palette but thought the colors would be
too light for me since I am African American. I bought the Chocolate Bar palette instead, and the colors were beautiful. I couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t work , because I’ve worn similiar colors before and they worked. I even bought a set of brushes thinking that might help, but the result was still the same. The Palette was a big disappointment. Now I have this huge palette taking up space in my makeup case.
That is one item I would love to try (I am light-medium fair skintone with strawberry blonde hair) I love neutrals, browns and golds and have seen this and been tempted but never bought it (I am a beauty junkie Lol) I have heard also it smells of chocolate is that true??? x
So would I, Natasha. I’ve almost ordered it a couple of times, but it cost a bit too much, and I already have quite a few neutral palettes. It is themptin, though. 🙂
Most higher end mascaras! The only one I was anywhere near impressed with was Buxom lash, which is actually my go-to now, but every other one I’ve tried was vastly outperformed by multiple offerings by Maybelline.
Most of the MAC products, to me. Especially their foundations and face products. I love most of their lipsticks and pearlglide eyeliners and fluidline. Industrial, black swan, undercurrent are all my favorites. However, their face products from mineral blushes to highlighters to studio fix , they all break me out somehow. No exception. I thought it might be me being in a transitional period (moving to a new city, experiencing different climate and so on), so I gave them chances after chances till I gave up and went back to basic Japanese and Korean BB creams. That saved my skin from bumps, acne and other problems.
Last week I somehow picked up MAC mineral foundation for a night out, coz it seems to be the most suitable color for my skin these days. And I feel a lot better compared with the reaction I had before. I guess I become resistant to it over the year of aging.
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder for sure. I’m going to return mine because it does nothing for me. It actually looks really terrible and I cannot make it work no matter what I do. Maybelline Rocket mascara also sucks.
Too Faced Melted Lipsticks. Dried out my lips, strayed out of my lip line, and left patchy color in a very short time. I thought it might be only the coral color, so I tried the purple with the same result.
NUXE Reve de Miel
Caudalie Beauty Elixir
Bobbi Brown Gel Liner
YSL Rouge Volupté
When I tried each of these products, I was genuinely disappointed. Especially because we can’t refund opened products in the UK!
Oooh, yeah, the Nuxe lip balm really wasn’t all it was hyped to be. It was kind of grainy and I had to reapply really often.
Ko Gen Do Aqua Foundation – It was like trying to apply tinted water and did little to nothing as far as coverage.
Illamasqua Lipsticks – drop-dead gorgeous colors, but like trying to apply paste to my lips no matter what I do or how much balm I use. I occasionally still open and say hello to both Over and Obey, but that’s as far as I ever get.
Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow palettes – everyone raves about how easy, neutral, etc. they are. My experience with the one pricey palette I own is just a bunch of similar looking, very sheer shades. But then – it was limited addition and I sort of bought it for the packaging ;). EL Double Wear (both versions) – a horrible, drying product that makes my face all itchy. Becca’s Beach tints – I really like the color of Fig, but yes, they separate really badly and have way too much fragrance (and after reading your recent reviews, Christine, I was just reminded that I should ALWAYS wait for your reviews before purchasing :)).
THANK YOU on the bobbi brown shadows! i thought i was alone on this one. i’m always tempted because they look so slick and luxe, but the swatches are drugstore quality. i love her other products but the shadows are a failure!
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder- Like my dirt cheap powder was doing the same job with the same results. What’s the fuss about? My face has a tendency to oxidize so I was hoping it would keep me looking the same as when I first applied the foundation but nope.
YSLTouche Eclat- I understand it’s a highlighter so I don’t expect it to conceal or cover. I thought I would it use it over my undereye concealer and over the places I use my mary lou over but it does… nothing. Like it doesn’t even highlight my cheeks. My face just absorbs it…
This is such a great question and I love that “I’m not the only one feeling!” So many of these products mentioned I have tried and were just total fails for me…
Urban decay primer potion
YSL ToucheEclat
Kat von D eye shadows – so powdery
Nars shadow primer
OCC lip tar – suck the moisture right out!
Thanks, AMYBS!
I asked it cos I thought there must be so many out there, that probably change over the years.
Sometimes it’s good to have a good ol’ rant! 😉
GlamGlow products! I tried the original mask and it didn’t do anything special for me. If anything the Mario Badescu Flower and Tonic Mask works the exact same and costs way less.
No kidding! Glam glow is like scratch paper on your skin! Just horrible!
Philosophy Purity Made Simple. – It gives me pimples.
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils, – creasing, stinging, fading, messy looking, I don’t know how they can be used as a base, just horrible, and the white one is the worst.
Bobbi Brown corrector – covers well but the texture is too slippery & doesn’t last at all on the skin!
Tarte Amazonian clay blushes – I own 3 & while I like the colors, the texture is so dry & the pigmentation is mediocre. The texture is not as good as Nars, Illamasqua, the Balm, or MAC.
Korean BB creams – I’ve tried Skin 79 & Missha. Both felt heavy on the skin & were grease city! Not for oily skin at all. Would probably work well on anyone w/ normal to dry skin.
I have a love hate with BB corrector and concealer.. they are for yellow undertone and I think I am a pink undertone! They cover my redness very well, even out my skin tone.. (that is worth it’s weight in gold to me) but yeah, you are RIGHT they are so creamy.. sometimes it’s just too much slip and slide 😉
Benefit High Beam and Smashbox Photo Finish Primer!!
So far….
Benefit Stay 24/7 primer concealer stuff it is horrible! I am fairly certain that my eye shadows don’t stick to it at all but I spent the money on it so I have to use it.
Benefit They’re Real Mascara horrid not only does it make my eyes burn when I use it, it is a pain to get off and leaves me with raccoon eyes well into the next day.
MAC foundations, eh I don’t get the hype my Loreal Lumi is a perfect match and doesn’t break me out and it is such a better price.
Tarte Smolder Eyes, mascara and eyeshadow from their 2013 Holiday bag. I am pretty certain I am allergic to all their mascaras I itch terribly when I use them. The eyeshadow doesn’t seem very pigmented at all and I have tried a variety of looks with it but again it could be the primer I am using. The smolder eyes just didn’t work for me hubby got them for me as part of my Christmas gift and I was so disappointed that he spent the money on them.
Maybelline Eye Studio eye, I saw the gold one and then a mauve one and these smudge like no other and crease horribly, granted they aren’t that pricey but I was not impressed.
The Baby Lips balms. They weren’t so much moisturizing as they were just a sticky layer of gunk, the colors I tried all looked unnatural on me, and they wore off so fast that I was having to reapply every 15 minutes or so. Really didn’t get the craze with that one.
Totally agree. They feel like wax going on and do absolutely nothing as far as moisturizing. I don’t get the hype at all.
What a great question!
IT Celebration Foundation. Oh. My. Gosh. I didn’t think companies still made pink foundations. Wanted to love it….makes me a pinkish orange shade. And the coverage is medium, at best; when “built up” it cakes tremendously on my middle aged skin. ???
I love Bobbi Brown….but she is supposedly famous for her lipsticks? It must be ME because I can not for the life of me find a truly flattering shade. They all turn brownish or orangey, or neon-garish looking. I guess it’s just me, and my ph—-ha—but really, the shades need tweaking. AND they also don’t have much staying power… for that amount of money, I need something to last.
UD Revolution lipsticks. Pretty hues, but they need to expand the line to offer different textures. Where are the multifaceted and complex shades, the shimmer shades, etc?
Weird, but I have same issue with Bobbi Brown lipsticks. I have tried different formulas under the BBrown umbrella with same result. They dry my lips out and all end up looking *yawn* somehow muddled and boring on my lips. They feel awful and waxy too.
Maybelline’s The Rocket, Benefit’s They’re Real, Smashbox Primer Color Correcting(green one), Naked 3.
Naked 3 was the biggest disappointment for me since I was so excitied when they first announced it. The first quarter of the colors hardly showed up one me and it just wasn’t up to par with it’s predecessors. I hope UD isn’t going downhill 🙁
For me, it was not sleeping to stalk the Anastasia Contour Kit. Finally got it through Sephora a while ago and I was underwhelmed. Most disturbing was that it was made in China and had parabens. It’s fine, but not great, and given the negatives, I wouldn’t have bought it.
Butter nail polish, no staying power, Julep too for that matter.
For me it was a product called “spackle” – to be honest, I really didn’t have big a need for it but it did absolutely nothing on my skin.
DIorshow mascara. Nothing wrong with it, but it is just like any other mascara, really. The Diorshow Blackout mascara is amazing though.
Nyx Jumbo Pencils. They crease like crazy on me.
Dior eyeshadow palettes. They will have one or two great colors in the pan, then once on, they are barely there. The rest of the colors in the palette for the most part I already own. MAC foundations, if you are between NW15 and NW10, they have nothing. Also MAC blushes, not great. The packaging of the Maestro products from Armani. The new blush makes a huge mess. Plus you need less then a drop or you look like a clown. So why such a large amount in the bottle? Smaller amounts, lower the price, the dropper is a nightmare. Repackage the products and make them user friendly, please!!!!!
Burts Bees.. don’t like it
I could name things all day.. But the fact is just because it worked for many people and not me doesn’t mean it was overhyped. Just mean it wasn’t a product that was good for me.. I have products that was hyped that worked great. Then I have some hyped products that didn’t. Trial and error. I’ve learned what work for some mite not work for me!!!!
Most MAC products are overrated.
Zoya nail polish – I had only one, but gosh… after like 3 hours after application and proper drying time, it got kind of wrinkled on every nail, and I could peel it off with one swipe… probably my nail and this do not work well together… not even dollar store type of “cheap” polish did not do that
Bioderma – worked just as well as non-micellar water based drugstore make-up removers…
(a mostly European one): Bourjois blushes – nice shades, but after the second use, it got so dry I had to scratch it to get even decent payoff
Dove bar soap – it dried my skin as no other
Zoya polish is 3-Free. did you use a conventional base or top coat with it? Polishes that are not 3-Free DO NOT play nice with 3-Free polishes. They do the wrinkly-peely thing you’re describing.
I totally agree. Zoya is awesome and they definitely need a base coat with a similar formula or else disaster will happen.
Thought of another one–Too Faced La Creme Lipsticks. After yearning for all the corals I finally bought Bon Bon. The color was gorgeous, but the texture was awful. Waaaay too slippery. I wore it with lipliner and it was still everywhere after about 10 minutes. It got sent back and I guess I’ll just have to admire the line from afar lol.
Tarte Amazonian Clay foundation products are awful too…way too yellow (no matter what shade you buy) and extremely cakey.
On the lower end, e.l.f’s eyeshadow primer kind of sucks. I use it when I’m just going to be out for a few hours, but it keeps my eyeshadow on for like 5 hours max. I might just go for one of MAC’s paint pots because I’ve been using Maybelline’s color tattoos as a base and they work pretty well but are too shimmery. I like a nice flat matte tan base.
Peter John Roth Un-Wrinkle Eyes. I really wanted to love it. It left a dry film on my skin no matter how I applied it. I followed the videos on You Tube to no avail.
Chanel Nail Polish- I have Emprise. Amazing colour-nothing else compares but I would need a Valium or some tranquilizer to apply it because is soo streaky. Painful really.
Sarah Chapman Skinesis- Overnight Treatment oils. Is good but there are many essential oils that do the same at a fraction of the price…
Dior Creme de Rose- Is good, I like it but I have others like carmex or elizabeth arden or clinique o even the Body shop that do the same.
..and They are real- Benefit- I don’t have the greatest lashes but this one doesn’t help me. Most drugstores ones actually lift and hold the curl .but They are real just makes everything go down! ( maybei is my (non)-technique!
Ooops: I forgot about Chanel Nail Polishes. The formula is not good but he brush doesn’t help either.. soooo thin! They should learn from Barry M at 2.99! ( Chanel cost me about 19 for ONE bottle)
I agree about the Chanel polish. I bought the Peridot that was popular a few years ago off eBay because I had to have it. The color is okay,but not worth the price tag. I found the same exact color in Sephora – Antique Gold, for less than half the price. It wears better.
I agree about the Chanel polish. I bought the Peridot that was popular a few years ago off eBay because I had to have it. The color is okay,but not worth the price tag. I found the same exact color in Sephora – Antique Gold, for less than half the price. It wears better. UD Primer Potion, Better Than Sex mascara, MAC foundation, 95% of Bond No. 9 scents, MAC Nail Varnish – the formula is awful, Painterly Paint Pot, and I believe that most high end polish is a crap shoot depending on the pigments used no matter what the brand. MAC Lip Glass is also a miss for me. Pretty colors, but feels too yucky on the lips.
EOS lip balms!
Agreed! I really dislike the EOS balms. First of all, they’re way too clunky – I get the visual appeal of those cute little colorful spheres, but I like to keep a balm in my pocket and women’s clothing pockets are nonexistent (who decided fake pockets should be a thing?) or tiny and there’s no way in hell those can be fit in a pocket. Even if they could, it would look mighty weird. And they’re too greasy! They didn’t feel moisturizing at all for me, they just had a lot of slip and felt like my lips were greasy/oily while it lasted. The scents are a little strong as well. I’m just not impressed! I like my Jack Black or good ol’ Nivea.
Chanel Ombres Perlees Eyeshadow Palette. It lasts just for a couple of hours on me.
Guerlain meteorites. Not a fav. Had wanted it for years finally got it and I think it does nothing.
Just remembered another product I hate which is Ciate nail polishes. I find them to be the worst (although lots of people say they love them?) I find them really watery, patchy and within a few hours (even with a base and top coat) it has chipped or peeled off. I just really really hate this nail polish with a vengeance Lol. The best nail polish I have tried and love is A-England now that is one absolutely brilliant polish that stays put for up to a week without chipping and always looks fantastic x
Oh man, I was so excited to try the Ciate Oil Slick polish but it’s SO SHEER and SO WATERY. Bleh, no thanks.
Ciate Oil Slick is the very same color as Chanel’s Peridot ( more expensive) and Sephora Pantone’s Antique Gold (way cheaper). I don’t know how 3 different companies came up with 3 totally different names for the exact same color polish and 3 different price points. Amazing…
The Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette. I loved the original packaging even though it was too chunky but the colors are not warm enough for me so the colors don’t look that good with my skin tone. However, I absolutely love the slim tin so I keep it on my dresser just to look at and occasionally sniff.
I would have to say Benefit’s They’re Real mascara and even though it’s beautiful, Hourglass ambient blush. Beautiful, but not 35 plus tax and shipping beautiful, and sadly the Naked 3 palette. I know this is a love for some, but a miss for me 🙁
Napoleon Perdis foundation. I had the MUA help me choose the colour (all wrong as it turned out) and I bought the foundation. It was way too yellow based for my fair skin. I had to throw it out.
A lipstick I bought from Chanel lasted 3 weeks in my makeup bag at home before it broke in two.
Dior Rouge Volupte lipstick- Found the formula very sheer and not overly moisturizing. The color wasn’t all that great either (bought online; seen in a magazine). I was expecting all the opposite I guess.
MAC cosmetics: Overrated & overhyped. The colors are beautiful but don’t always perform as such.
Hourglass Moodlight Blush- I bought Ethereal Glow. It was like adding chalk to my already pale complexion. The hype got me there.
UD Primer Potion: Awful on me. Applicator scratched my lids and formula dried in creases.
I meant YSL (not Dior) Rouge Volupte lipstick.
Maybelline Great Lash! Who started the rumor that it was a good mascara? And I’m not a fan of Dior Show, either.
I second the whole Diorshow thing! I tried a tube and it wasn’t impressive enough for me to buy another
Alrighty. So I have a little list, which is scary, but goes to show how much makeup I buy!
1. Benefit’s They’re Real Mascara-
Clumpy as hell and was such a pain to get off (even with waterproof makeup remover). I tried for months to love this mascara, but the formula just wasn’t my jam
2. Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Light
I couldn’t stand the way it made my skin feel for some bizarre reason. It felt really greasy, even when I purchased the oil free one.
3. UD B6 Complexion Prep Spray
Maybe it’s just me, but that stuff didn’t do anything for my skin. I tried again and again to see if maybe I was using it incorrectly, but I summed it up to the fact that it just didn’t do anything for me.
Great question!
I have quite a few:
-benefit “porefessional”
-smashbox photo finish primer
-mac eyeshadows, foundations & some of the blushes
-revlon colorstay foundation
-too faced better than sex mascara
-nars sheer matte foundation
I was initially disappointed with the nars orgasm blush like so many and on a whim I pulled it out a few months ago and used a dense brush to pack it on my cheeks and it worked quite well, since then I’ve worked it into my normal blush rotation.
Nars Orgasm blush! it made me look like a disco ball, that, paired with my light-medium skin overall disaster and Tarte blushing bride gel blush melted on me like butter…ew!
NARS Orgasm blush. When I put on one layer, it didn’t show upp. When I put on two layers, it looked like someone had punched me in the face. Lol what a waste, especially for the price…
All MAC foundations (the concealers are great though), Smashbox primer, Urban Decay Primer Potion…
Two things come to mind – first, MAC Beauty Powders. I only have one and can’t quite understand what it’s all about. Is it a blush? A finishing powder? Both? How can it be both? And Nars Sheer Glow Foundation. For some odd reason, I cannot get a decent colour match and even the closest match for me looks patchy, fake and just sort of awful….like I didn’t have a clue how to apply foundation!
My skin hates Smashbox primers, breakouts and I’m 64! Don’t care for most Benefit Products except the powder blushes.
No matter what I do, how I apply, and what brand; lipstick will not stay on me for more than an hour or so.
I don’t like waterproof mascara- too hard on my eyelashes.
Yes, waterproof can be rough. Especially because when I first started wearing mascara that is what my mom got me in maybelline great lash so it probably was barely even worth it with that junk. Lol! It was like this is what mascara is all about? I switched to the clear kind and didn’t use black for years.
Overrated to me means not worthy of the stratospheric hype, not nec. that i don’t use them….just that I wind up thinking ‘they’re NOT all that’ for me. Orgasm: what truly gripes me is that Enfant Terrible Francois insists on putting it in virtually every collection palette. I must have 5 of them. And when they were depotted, guess what? They were not even all the same color. Some were not even all that close. That says something about quality control + reliability of Nars production in general.
Naked 1 is not in heavy rotation + was massively overhyped. As another reader said, it looks rather dirty on me. (2+3 have faired better.) Monarch is a fear better neutral palette for me, personally.
I gifted They’re Real + she despises it. Don’t you just love giving someone something that is all wrong for the recipient?
The MAC LE collections have generated so much hype that it does not matter whether or not they are good. By the time they are reviewed, they’re gone. And any product that makes people skip work to make sure they can drop the send button on their cart….it’s more obsession than good sense. Hey, I’m too old to care if I got voted off the Dodgy Girl Island. It has gone beyond passion to competitive and puerile.
The Urban Decay Naked2 palette was a huge disappointment for me! Don’t get me wrong I absolutely love the Naked1 and Naked3, but there’s something off about the colours in the 2.. I NEVER reach for it.
I’d have to say the NARS light reflecting loose setting powder. A total turd and waste of money. I gave it away after just three uses.
Also, on a whim I bought a NYX lipstick a few months ago, I think a matte cream formula, I’m unsure of the exact name…and it was very unpleasant in terms of the color and longevity. It looked like clown makeup. Then I tired Tom Ford lipsticks and everything made sense.
Also, I would like to add that I LOVE the Dior 5 couleurs eyeshadows. They are some of the best I have ever used. Buttery and so long lasting. I wore Rosy Tan #754 on my wedding day and it lasted all day and night and was beautiful. And I just picked up #809 and #734 on my honeymoon :0)
I have a couple of real disappointments:
MAC Lipsticks – drying
NARS Orgasm – shimmery shimmer!
NARS eye shadow – chalky colors
I forgot…any BB product, high end or drugstore. I’ve tried about 5 and they all have been a huge disappointment.
Any of those hd powders…mine just sit. Nars orgasm blush just because you could buy 50 other versions for half the price. Most high end mascaras cuz I can’t tell the difference between drugstore. I think Chanel as a brand is overrated. I mean yeah, there are some junk dior quints, but when they’re good, they’re good! Nice and smooth and buttery, practically blend themselves. But chanel quads, less pigmentation, less product, less variety and they are just as hit and miss as dior quints can be. I think even moreso cuz they are naturally more sheer. But that’s why I always read this blog before buying.
Mine has to be; probably one of the most reviewed products on the planet, Urban Decay 24/7 glide on eye pencil. This run and smudged on me so bad! I was so disappointed as I really wanted this to work and they came part of a eyeshadow kit as well.
Naked3 Palette. I still own it and use it but I can’t believe how much work it takes to get some of the shades to do anything besides fall out on my cheek. I will admit though that the highlight shade, strange in it is now my favorite. It pulls so many looks together. But I’m sure I’ll hit pan on strange, nooner, and limit and then not know what to do with the rest of it.
baby lips definitly. they’re not even moisturising, and that’s the only thing i ask for in a lip balm…
also l’oreals true match foundation. i have oily skin and it was just awful, i looked shiny all day no matter if i powdered. however i find the concealer working great! (weirdly enough)
Benefit’s brow zings in my opinion is very overated. Ive had way less expensive products do the same oreven better job on the brows. I still don’t get what all the hype is about.
I would definitely say the Dior lash primer! Totally not worth it.
MAC eyeshadows!! All of them! Very sad texture, disappointing shades when used, and overall mediocre!
Oh, this was fun, I’ve just read all the answers and I agree with some and disagree with others. Just shows how different makeup cna behave on different people.
So, a little list of hyped, or at least talked about products I’ve bought and enede up really regretting.
Smashbox Full Exposure Eyeshadow Palette, unpigmented, unerwhelming and I got loads of fallout, not just on application but during the wear as well.
Benefit They’re real mascara, spidery not separated lashes,I just can’t weem to make it work. I probably do something wrong.
The Maybelline mascara in the pink and green tube. The one that was so talked about years and years ago. I couldn’t even see I’d used anything on the lashes.
Most Chanel eyeshadow quads, though they might be better now as I stopped buying them a long time ago.
Clinique nail polish, I’ve only tried one, and I bought the base as I though it would help, it didn’t. Streaky and peeled of in no time.
Some Dior eyeshadow palettes. Some have been just wonderful though, I must say.
I have a feeling I will add Benefit They’re real Push Up Eyeliner to this list, am still trying to get the application right. It sure have a steep learning curve, that one 🙂
Naked 3. The colors don’t even show up on my skin tone and they have too much fall out.
Too Faced palettes. I’ve heard rave reviews about their pigmentation and blendability. I have the Naked Eye and Boudoir palette. I wish I wouldn’t have purchased them. The Wet N Wild Silent Treatment trio is a great dupe and works so much better for me.
Definitely agree on the Dior eyeshadows, as well as Urban Decay eyeshadow primer, Bobbi Brown corrector/concealer, Diorshow mascara, Benefit They’re Real mascara (and Benefit in general), Tarte blushes (even the popular shade Exposed was nothing to me), and MAC eyeshadows (they are sooo dry!)
Most MAC products. The lipsticks are hit-or-miss (though Sin is one of my all-time favorites), the eye liners flake on me, and the shadows were always iffy. In fact about 2 years ago I started having allergic reactions to the shadows!
I know they have a big cult following but the products just don’t live up to it for me, and lately I’m especially unimpressed with their practice of releasing hyped up LE collections every few months that sell out in minutes but have sub-par quality.
Nars Orgasm: barely shows up on my light skin
A LOT of Chanel products, including the nail lacquers (chip within a day on me), lipsticks and eyeshadows
Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner pencils: the shades are very inconsistent, there’s hits and misses, some of them have really weak pigmentation
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders: they do absolutely nothing but make my skin look chalky, so I really don’t get the hype…
MAC Cremesheen Glass – Expensive and nothing impressive. Kak.
Pur Minerals Highlighter – Even applied with a very very light hand, it aged me 20 years. My skin looked crepey and you could count every pore. I don’t have noticeably big pores.
P.S. – Oh, and Essie nail polish! Awful formula for the most part, at least in my experience.
Benefit They’re Real Mascara. It lengthens and separates nicely, but I can NEVER get it to hold a curl. My lashes are stubborn, yes, but it won’t even keep a curl when layered over waterproof mascara (which is what I have to do to keep my lashes curled with every mascara). I like it fine outside of that, but it’s not a miracle product for me.
Hourglass ambient lighting palette – I barely shows, I could not understand the hype that this product got!
Laura Mercier primer- It is pretty much just a lightweight moisturizer- thats it!
Stila convertible lip/cheek color- these are not long lasting or too pigmented. I was dissapointed because I read great reviews on these.
Naked 3 Palette- Not for everyone
I saw many posts on Nars orgasm being overrated- Nars blushes are wonderful and have many colors that are great, not just orgasm. There are now so many dupes for orgasm that it is not worth spending the money on that one.