What was the last beauty product you bought but didn’t like? Why didn’t it work out for you?
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It was probably a Chanel glossimer – Wild Rose, I think – which just didn’t go on as pigmented as I had envisioned. I really should learn to try things on my lips in-store!
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I bought a bunch of Everyday Mineral blushes without even trying the product before hand. I though each one of them was crap. They really highlighted my large pores quite nicely. Gave them to my Ma.
Mac big bow lipstick, judging by all the swatches i’ve seen, I thought it would a nice sheer red color but instead it just look like bright fushia on me, not very flattering, I hate it
Smashbox’s Halo powder. Normally I wouldn’t spend so much on a product, but it had great reviews on QVC & Sephora.com. It says it has moisturizing properties, but I didn’t see any difference between Halo & any other powder on the market. The few times I’ve used it, I’ve broken out. Also the tiny kabuki brush that comes with it is awful. On the plus side, the packaging IS nice & neat & you just use a tiny bit, but at $59??? Not worth it.
I was really disappointed, too. I thought it would be good from my sensitive & dry skin.. but it was not worth the price for me. Oh yeah, you’re right, that brush is a joke!
Thanks for the heads up ladies, I was interested in this product.
Yeah, when i first used it i loved it, but then the ‘Fair’ became to light and ‘Light’ to dark, again its just a powder! Plus not really great by itself, best applied after foundation. Brush is the biggest joke since Nam!
WOW really? I am actually in love with mine. I use it all the time just not with that rediculous brush they give you. Maybe cause i have oily skin it just works better.
Everyday minerals’ foundations. thank god i only got the samples..but i hate them enough. they look soooo powdery and cakey. i was really hoping to like them because i’m tired of liquid foundations and just wanted to have something that’s fast when i’m in a hurry in the morn. always try out samples!
Sorry you didn’t care for it. I’ve used EM for years and it was the fifth mineral makeup I’d tried and the only one that didn’t break me out. Perhaps you should try a different finish of it?
I have too many to mention but the one I just returned was MAC Strobe cream…just did nothing for me…
The new urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin. Its suppose to be just like the original but with shimmer. I am sooo disappointed cuz it doesnt work for me like the original.
I returned this also Cat… just didn’t look good on me and the original is a staple in makeup routine!
I was disapointed in this too. It’s too shimmery for a good base and doesn’t last as long as the original. But I still use it for a quick wash of color on days when I wear very minimal make-up.
NARS orgasm. Too orangey/dark for me, i can use it, but i have to blend down a LOT to make it acceptable.
Also not thrilled with MAC cyber. I like the color in principle, but i don’t like how it applies or blends.I Would love it if the tones were in a sheer gloss, that could be worn either over a bright red(like the combo of it and cult of cherry gloss) or for a more natural deep plum. But hte lipstick just didn’t seem to wokr evenly for me on, and the tones aren’t quiiiite right for my skin. SO i look like bad halloween goth.
I feel the same way about NARS Orgasm!
I got it about a month ago after reading nothing but raves.
But when I put it on, I feel like a circus clown! I’ve been working on my technique to get it to go on lighter… I’ve never worn a blush that was so pigmented and went on so dark, even when I apply with the least amount of product and the lightest hand possible…
I was {this} close to buying Orgasm. All the reviews say it’s the greatest thing ever but the product looked too dark in photos to me. So glad I saw your posts.
My recommendations for technique, to wear it down a bit?
For streetwear, use it for contouring cheekbones, and then use a highlighter or shimmery color. Buff together with a thick fluffy brush(i use sephoras bronzer brush, but i suppose a dense kabuki would do the trick too). The trick is in BUFFING afterwards to blend and remove the harshness. I buff it a LOT. Probably take most of the darn product off! Heh. But it makes it look more normal on me.
For a more dramatic, or evening look, you can use a deeper blush, contour, orgasm on the apple, highlight, and then blend same as above. But you still have to be a bit careful to make sure you buff it down! I usually do this for stage makeup, where it needs to show up, and i want the contouring effect to be a bit more obvious than just using the orgasm lower on the cheeks, and buffing upward.
But yeah, that’s the ONLY way i’ve been able to get it to work relatively decently, and i am suuuure that is wasting a lot of product…
Its so sad, because i vetted it really thoroughly before buying, and yeah-i heard NOTHING but raves.
I would love it if it were less orangey, more pinky, and if it actually went on a bit sheerer. It DOES stay put on me, after the buffing-at least, I maintain a soft shimmer from it. But the pigmentation is very difficult to work with.
Same here – it was too dark for me so i started using it as contouring powder and it actually works really well
Sandy B lipstick from MAC. Way too frosty.
BE Well Rested concealer.. made me look as though I have puffy eyes and greatly accentuated my undereye circles, which generally aren’t so bad — definitely didn’t conceal anything.
I also regret getting the MAC Pink Fish TLC.. its way too cool for my skin tone and gave me purplish lavender lips, which just looks terrible on me.
Hi…lurker here. Great blog! Thanks for all of it.
My last purchase that didn’t work was Lipstick Queen Oxymoron “gloss” in Honest Politician and Medieval. The first was too brown and the second, too pink. (The two Saint colors I bought worked great tho….Natural and Pink.)
MAC Permaplum Powerpoint eye liner pencil. Gave me puffy, itchy, red eyelids.
These Max Factor trios are horrid, it’s not the last thing I bought. I think their pigmentation is null. As for skincare Johnson’s and Nuetrogena products makes my face crack and peel. :[
I’ll have to agree with you, Christine on the Glossimer – Wild Rose. I have to wear it on top of another lippie, which is sad because I have too many sheer glosses anyway! BTW, it is gorgeous on top of Chanel’s Rouge Allure Desireable 🙂
I have to say Bobbi Brown Brights palette. I swore I wouldn’t buy it as it’s way too expensive, but someone was selling it on Ebay for 1/3 less, so I gave in and got it. I’ve only tried a few colours out so far, but they are very powdery, just don’t blend very well and fall off my eyelids (even though I use a base and other eyeshadows are fine). Also they aren’t very bright either, just sort of pastely. I can’t return it and I’m still trying to make it work, but not happy with it. Tbh for me it’s only the shimmer bricks that I really like from BB, the rest are a bit blah (I’m not into nudes that much and almost everything she does seems to be nudes). Rant over.
Same problem here – the colors are sooooo light. I use it as highlighter on the brown bone. Or I blend all the colors together and use highlight the cheeks. This way I’m getting some kind of use out of the damn thing.
Clinique’s pretty lash mascara…unimpressed.
I’ve actually been pretty happy with everything I’ve gotten recently. So the last thing I didn’t like was months and months ago and it was MAC’s eye primer. It did absolutely nothing. Luckily I got UDPP but its a bit like drying and hard to blend.
Nars Multiples, I didn’t like them at all and returned them. Maybe I don’t know how to use them properly but didn’t like them.
I didnt even know you could return it…always thought once you open and use the product then you cant return it.
I always buy new mascaras and try them out. I’m still searching for that “perfect” one for me. The last one I bought was Double Extensions Beauty Tubes by L’oreal (I think that’s what it’s called – I don’t have it sitting next to me). Anyway, I thought it was junk. It did nothing special for my lashes and flaked all day and hurt my eyes.
So…the quest continues!
I have been dying to try this mascara so I’m so glad I read your post that says it flakes. I hate flaky mascara!
I have the waterproof one (blue/white) and I love it!
Stila’s Gift of Glaze. I found it to be drying and sticky. It was disappointing since I’ve heard nothing but positive reviews about Stila.
ALSO – I’d like to add that I’m REALLY disliking UDPP’s packaging. I adore the product itself, but hate the packaging. I’m thinking about switching to TFSI instead. Anyone use it regularly and have any thoughts on it vs. UDPP?
I’ve used both, and personally I dont feel much of a difference between the two anyway, and the packaging for the too faced one is much more effective and less wasteful. So I’d go with that one
I use them both – they are exactly the same but shadow insurence has better packaging, with primer potion you are just wasting product with that awful wand.
Shisedo lasting lift mascara. By the end of the day, I had half of raccoon eyes. (Product ended up on my undereye area).
I also returned MAC’s lipgel. Toooooo sticky.
smashbox o-glow blush. looked great on when the mua applied it to my cheeks. the next day when i tried it not so great, the stuff doesn’t stay on my cheeks and it makes my face look like i just broke out. it was kind of expensive.
Ack! I tried O-Glow at Sephora. It made my skin BRIGHT pink! We’re talking clowns at the circus bright pink. UGH!
I think you should try it again, Sue. I was actually surprised by this product when I got this “unwillingly” when I purchased the value kit at Sephora. I tried this out at the drug store, and I hate it. I saw MakeupByTiffanyD’s video on how to apply it, and now I’m in love with the product! Put the product on your fingers, rub, then gently pat the product onto your cheeks. It gives a nice glow, but no the circus clown face before seeing the vid. You should really try it again. You’ve love it!
I think you should try it again, Sue. I was actually surprised by this product when I got this “unwillingly” when I purchased the value kit at Sephora. I tried this out at the drug store, and I hate it. I saw MakeupByTiffanyD’s video on how to apply it, and now I’m in love with the product! Put the product on your fingers, rub, then gently pat the product onto your cheeks. It gives a nice glow, but no the circus clown face before seeing the vid. You should really try it again. You’ll love it!
Trying on lipgloss is hard at the counter…I always feel like I’m going to catch something cruel. The last thing I bought and didn’t like must be one of those minty BB glosses in the squeeze tube. I love the color (Punch) but the taste is terrible.
I really like Wild Rose! I have a very fair complexion so maybe it shows up more on me… but I was really disappointed with Dior’s 5-Colour Iridescent Eyeshadow in Parisian Lights, too shimmery, too orangey, too pinky. Blech.
Wow I feel the same way about Parisian Lights, too shimmery and not so pigmented….just shimmers, I kept it anyways though hoping I’ll find a way to like it more
Dazzle lash. The MA told me after the fact that it’s for people with sparse lashes.Not the right formula for me.
Give me plushlash!
Cleanser is a beauty product, yeah? Well, I got this mini skincare kit from Lush and it included the Ultra Bland cleanser. I have oily to normal skin, and it wasn’t the right product for me. I put it on my face and it felt like I was wearing a layer of oil. I had to scrub with my facecloth to get it off. I was really dissappointed. Definately going to go talk to them about it …
MAC Blush Frankly Scarlet to red for me, finally end up to sold to another pal in blog
I’ve been disappointed by a lot of things lately. I wish I hadn’t gotten Big Bow or Strayin’ lipstics because I can’t do those kinds of pinks well. The Hello Kitty Kouture didn’t impress me, YSL’s Touchet Eclat was not worth the money, and I dunno, I just can’t get enough pigment out of my iridescent Dior quints. …sigh
I had bought MAC Amplified lipstick in Crave not too long ago & ended up bringing it back. I was looking for a nice burgundy lipstick & this just looked too ’80’s on me (magenta-ish). I can get a better burgundy color out of my MAC New York Apple, lined with MAC Quartz & topped with Sonic Vibe lipglass. 3 steps to get to the 1 I was hoping for but it does look pretty when done.
Stila tinted moisturizer. I couldn’t stand the smell of the SPF and it felt quite heavy for a tinted moisturizer.
N.Y.C. concealer stick. I know I shouldn’t be asking so much from a cheap drug store product line, but I really only use the smallest amount under my eye in the morning so I don’t feel the need to shell out a lot of money on the more expensive ones. Either way, it was absolutely horrible. I then went and replaced it with NYX’s Concealer In A Jar and it’s a lot better. Nothing compares to my beloved (and missed) Besame one. RIP.
Mac studio fix fluid foundation in nc42. The lady color matched me and told me I was an nc42 but when I arrived home and test it on myself-it was tooooo yellow. I’m guessing it was the lighting at the place. I’ll keep it for the summer though..=(
MAC Pop Mode lipglass – I wanted to love it, but it just didn’t look quite right on me. 🙁
I just returned that Guerlain spring shadow palette (the one with the light green and pink shadows). The pigmentation was cruddy.
I also really dislike the Coastal Scents 88 Shimmer Palette. I have to find someone to give this to or else it’ll end up in the trash. It’s too powdery and the pigmentation is lacking.
Newly Minted e/s from MAC. I’d been trying to build up my collection of mattes and I thought this would work for me but it’s just way too blue (I was thinking it’d look more green). It’s the only e/s I have that I can’t make work for me at all.
NYC eye pencil . sucked
This stupid lip gloss from walgreens=[ i forget what brand it is, but it was duo sided (one side color, other side gloss) well it stained my lips pink that day, its sticky as ever and the gloss doesn’t even look nice=[
L’oreal Hot liss. It’s completely a shit.
Now I’m using living T, but I want to try CHI. In Italian is not available. T-T
I have to say the CS gel liners. I got the black one and the truffle. It just didnt work for me especially the truffle. I had to do two to three applications and had to wait for it to try in between to have a solid line. Nothing beats MAC fluidline.
MAC Love Nectar lustreglass…really pretty peach in the tube, but too sheer
Mac’s new studio sculpt foundation. It practically melts off my face!! Does not stay on at all. It looks great when I first apply it but after a while it starts to melt off me! I was very disappointed! Thank God it was a sample and I didn’t waste money on it.
i agree–i also got the studio sculpt as a sample only, but was pretty disappointed. it doesn’t flake on me, but i find it makes me look ghostly even though its the right colour….are you suppose to buy three different shades and contour your face…?
I’m really glad I only got a sample of this stuff.
It looked pretty good on, it wore decently well, but it made my face break out pretty bad.
Do I have to list just one? MAC Penultimate liner.
A bb cream =( it was so expensive bleh.
Please don’t get mad, but I really didn’t like Fashion Mews from the Hello Kitty MAC collection. It just looked strange on my skintone (NC37/40). The only way I can make it work is by adding a bit of shimmery golden or bronze lipstick or lipglass.
I love love love make up forever, but the smoky lash mascara and aqua eyes sucks!!! I’m returning them tomorrow. The mascara wand is stiff and the formula made my eyes burn. I have tried many many mascaras and this has never happened. Aqua eyes was a huge let down because the colors are gorgeous. They are not smooth and I couldn’t get it on my water line. Ridiculous. I’ll stick to the hd foundation and shadows.
Smashbox JetSet Waterproof eyeliner. I hated it so much. I was really suprised that it was so bad because I read so many great reviews on it. I used it on my waterline…and it started stinging as soon as I put it on. Then, after a while, it started flaking and going into my eyes. I wear contacts so I hurt really bad, too. My eyes started watering because of the flakes, and my friends kept asking me why I was crying. lol. So basically, I paid $40.00 for crappy eyeliner that gave me itchy, watery eyes. Totally not worth it. I sent it back the very next day.
MAC Slimshine in Grenadine – the MUA said it was sheer red, but on me in showed as opaque hot pink. It looked HORRIBLE.
Clinique’s Lash Building Primer – HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT. Full, long and whispy lashes are very important to me and I thought this product would give me even more volume than before but it really disappointed me. It gave me EXTREMELY stiff, spidery and clumpy lashes.
MAC Plushlash. I tried using it a hundred different ways. It’s way too wet and clumpy. At least I can B2M it.
It would have to be YSL Rouge Volupte in #9 Caress Pink, didn’t like the color & the formula was nothing special.
Sephora smoothing primer. I have never had breakouts with any makeup and this made me breakout so badly.
Mineralize Satinfinish foudation NC25. Awful!!! No cover up! It’s like you’re using no foudation at all!
An eye moisturizer from Physician’s Formula, its so greasy and doesn’t do anything for my eyes at all!
o_o You know what? I’m actually having a hard time remembering the last thing I bought that I didn’t like, lol. I think that means I’ve been good about not spending as much and for doing my due diligence in research and testing before buying stuff! 😀
The last thing I bought and didn’t like… would have to be a mini bottle of Seche Vite I got at Empire Beauty, but I suspect the problem is that it’s gotten a little old. Everyone swears by this stuff!
Smashbox Photo Finish Light Primer – noticed no difference, didn’t make my foundation stay on any longer, didn’t minimize pores. The only thing it did was make my skin feel smooth but that is it. Supposed to be “oil-free” but the 3 days I have used it, my face has been more oily than before :[ Returning it tomorrow! Really disappointed since the majority of reviews have been positive.
Blonde MSF, the shimmer made me look like I had HUGE pores! I tried it every which way, but could not get it to work. Before that I would say Bare Minerals foundation, too heavy, felt wierd on. I was so used to Jane Iredale as a mineral foundation that this was a big dissapointment. Now you’ve got me thinking back to all those things I bought that didn’t work (if only I had that money back and could spend it on good stuff)
1. I really disliked MAC Cremesheen lippies. The one I got is such a gorgeous peachy color, Shy Girl, and goes so perfect with my creamy complexion but dries out my lips almost immediately like a harsh toothpaste. No wonder, it has three various Glycerides (petrochemicals) right in the beginning of the ingredient list. Same story is with Cremesheen Ravishing. No other lipstick would ever do that to me. I’ve been putting Smashbox lipgloss in Fashion over Shy Girl and it seems to dilute the chemicals a bit. That’s why they came up with pricey Cremesheen glosses, I guess. To combat the moisture-sucking factor. I didn’t believe you girls, until I experienced it in person. Is there a dupe for Shy Girl in another brand or finish? I found Missy Slimshine be somewhat close but not quite.
2. One more disappointment is MAC Cult of Cherry lip glass. All the swatches I looked at online were pretty, warm red on many people but on my lips it showed as vampy dark, plain FUCHSIA you can buy on every corner in a form of lipstick, the only shade I don’t look good in because of cool undertones to my lips :(( If COC had just a touch of yellow instead of blue, I’d be much happier. Is it safe to mix some kind of yellow pigment into it? The same misunderstanding goes for MAC Racy lipstick – everyone’s swatches showed it as a bright, racing car red but on me it looks like a very dark brick red and I prefer it this way actually, ha-ha 😛
Do not always believe the swatches you see, ladies. Even on your own hand. Although they are usually so helpful if you are able find someone with a skin and lip tone similar to yours. I try to never test lip or eye products in stores unless they have brand new testers. So I pray to bloggers like Christine and their precious swatches! This saves so many trips to the mall, too.
3. Another disappointment is BE Foundation. It seems to cause severe breakouts if worn on bare skin.
4. Oh, and I strongly dislike waterproof mascara. Lashes seem to fall out a lot after using it even if you remove it properly and completely with oil-based eye makeup remover. I had a very bad experience with Elizabeth Arden waterproof mascara. The worst ever.
MAC lipglosses, the glitter in them gives me an allergic reaction after a few hours of applying it. As much as I love the Creamsheen colours I’m worried that paying $40 for it will turn to bust so I reluctantly miss out 🙁
I caved on Lollipop Lovin in store on the Sugar Sweet unit. I had passed it by last time when it was in a previous collection, and now that I try it on, it does nothing for me. Almost unnoticeable.
diorskin nude foundation. i think it was partically the sales lady fault though, she matched me to shade 022 and i’m nc25 in mac.. SO off. 022 is so ridiculously cool toned, and i’m warm. it looks RIDICULOUS.
Jane quad in brownie points quad or something close to that. Yes, it was a cheapie but two of the e/s are unusable. I’m pale so usually everything shows up on me but two of the e/s have zero pigmentation.
Urban Decay Midnight cowboy e/s. Too much big chunky glitters :O
Eyeko 3-in-1 cream. I loved how it looked on my face, but my dry/bit sensitive skin wasn’t liking the cream…. It’s such a shame.
Chanel Lipgloss in Bubble Plum. Didn’t like the texture/consistency.