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Easy question…ColourPop! Pre-pandemic, I was a huge ColourPop fan. I have 15+ palettes, plus lipsticks, blushes, highlighters, etc.
These days, I’d rather have fewer products with better quality. The only ColourPop products I use anymore are a couple of eyeshadow brushes.
I think since Charlotte Tilbury sold her company on, that’s the one for me. There’s only so many pillow talk products you can make
I had no idea she sold her company, interesting! Yes, the pillow talk thing is overdone!
Urban decay, they used to do no wrong. And now it is mostly just wrong, shame
Urban Decay is the ONE for me. They are the brand that got me into makeup. Also MAC deserves an honorable mention in this category. They changed their lipstick formula and now all their lip products produce a burning sensation.
Definitely UD, but also Colourpop. The super shocks were the product that got me into eyeshadow and I used to want everything they released. Now they release so much that I’ve just stopped paying attention completely; I think a lot of people feel that way.
I totally agree, too many releases!
Urban Decay and Estee Lauder.
MAC (and UD too.) In the 2005-2010 range, MAC was THE brand I feel like. They had inspired capsule collections, a good base range, and the quality was good. The price also fit what you got. MAC has woefully not kept up with the changing landscape of cosmetics, and their prices are astronomical for what used to be one of the few midrange brands.
I can’t remember the last time I bought or used MAC.
🙁
I totally agree, I have discovered so many indie brands on Christine’s sight that rival MAC singles (Coloured Raine, Give me Glow, ect). MAC’s individual refills were what kept me coming back, but sadly we can get so much better quality singles for the same price from indie brands.
There are so many brands I’m over but I have to agree with you, Christine, that Urban Decay is the only one that is a sad story. UD was my first foray into “high-end” makeup and they were always fun, consistent, and a staple in my stash, making some of my favorite products. I almost always purchased every new release! But not so much any longer. I only have a few UD items left, having gotten rid of the ones that aged out, and I rarely purchase any of the new products.
I agree Christine…UD I used to love but now only purchase their 24/7 eyeliner pencils occasionally. Their shadow formulas seem to have taken a dive in recent years. Also MAC…..used to be the holy grail of makeup, but sadly I no longer find most of their products of interest to me. Although “Modern Romance” was one of my oldie but goodie shadow palettes I haven’t found any of the new products in Anastasia tempting…So many new lines coming out that are really inovating the older lines are going to have to step up!
Urban Decay is also the one for me, used to love their products but nowadays they just don’t do it for me. They lost me somewhere between the gazillion brow products and Naked Cherry.
Anastasia Beverly Hills. I love the Nouveau palette colour story, and the quality is good, but the shimmers seem THICK and FOILED but like, not in a complimentary way for the eyes? Maybe my shimmer preferences have changed, since I am more drawn to sparkle over metallic in general.
Urban Decay, ABH, Too Faced, Stila, MAC, Glamlite, BH Cosmetics, City Color Cosmetics, Makeup Revolution, and Wet n Wild. (Going purely by products and/or quality in this list, except ABH, which is products and ethics. There are several others due to ethical reasons, but I don’t think that’s the intent of the question.)
Stila! I forgot how much I loved each and every item they had about ten years ago. Now I wouldn’t even purchase any. Those lipsticks, sigh.
I remember when Estee Lauder was the ultimate makeup brand for me , 35 plus years ago. But I’ve not purchased a Lauder product in decades. Urban Decay breaks my heart but I would still buy their liners (until they ruin them) and I’m willing to give some of their future products a try, maybe…
Urban Decay for me also. I used to grab almost everything they released and loved it. Now most releases are just meh and the quality tends to be poor.
Like you, first thought I had was UD. Makes me so sad that the brand I once adored has gone so far downhill that I seriously doubt it’ll ever be a shadow of it’s former self again.
KVD. Before I knew about any of her personal beliefs & the issues surrounding her politics, I really enjoyed the products and the aesthetic of the brand. I’ve purchased some items since the rebranding, but they don’t have the draw they used to have.
I forgot about KVD! I used to love the brand, too. And that reminds me of how I used to buy all Jeffree Star’s palettes since I really enjoyed the eyeshadow formula and unique color stories, even the monochromatic palettes. But that is a thing of the past and I no longer support his brand either.
I totally forgot about KVD! Yes.
You will be surprised, but Pat McGrath. I haven’t bought anything since her latest large palette came out. I’m saturated with her perpetually repeating products and haven’t seen anything even mildly interesting from her lately. I don’t even care about her bronzers, I have several and don’t need another one just because it’s from her.
I completely agree! Haven’t been inspired by anything since Divine Rose II.
There are quite a few brands that started out really good (Stila, UD, MAC, Tarte) and now have put out so many shoddy products that they have really lost their fan base. Some of them put out the occasional winner, but really they are mostly very average. ColourPop falls into this category too with their constant releases.
Agree with UD and have to add ABH, Too Faced, Stila, KVD, Colourpop, Melt, Tarte, Smashbox & Tom Ford.
Let me on the bus! UD, I bought Naked palettes when they made sense, but they kept calling everything naked no matter if it was bright frosted turquoise or cyber purple. They discontinued or drastically reduced things I’d paid full price for, or still wanted, while producing nothing useable.
MAC i was obsessed with the releases and QUADS!!! The prices were so great I even put my own together and depotted many singles. There were some great palettes with maybe 8 neutrals during Nordstrom Anniversary sales, but not anymore. I won’t splurge with their prices, but am not even tempted.
Urban Decay also came to mind for me! I used to splurge on all of their eyeshadow palettes, like, 10 years ago. Now there are so many better products for a fraction of the price, which is nice.
Pat McGrath used to get my attention, now it’s meh but most of all I’d have to say Tom Ford has been a huge disappointment for the past 2/3 years. He was so cutting edge with his Boys Girls lipstick. Sigh.
Urban Decay for me too. The liners are still good (hopefully those don’t get ruined too) but I used to love everything they made and couldn’t wait for new releases- now I don’t even care anymore.
Tom Ford. I used to eagerly await each summer collection and basically any small offering from them, but now I find their beauty brand boring.
I agree with UD , I also think about ABH. Everything seems just meh.
UD, ABH, MUFE are the ones that come to mind.
MUFE is another one I forgot about. When they reformulated those fabulous eyeshadows and for rid of the HD Cream Blushes, I was out.
Dior and Too-Faced. I was obsessed with Dior quads, they were the BEST and then they changed the formula. Ooaf! I thought too-faced packaging was adorable but they lost me with the scratch ands sniff palettes. lol. Laura Mercier and Clinique were always kind of sleepers…
Melt – Their campaign photography and concepts are always compelling to me, but their products in practice are so inconsistent.
MAC, of course. I’m Canadian. MAC counters were everything.
I was never that much of a fan of UD.
UD. It’s been years since they were any good, and this was finally the year I accepted that and bought nothing from them.
I used to be a MAC girl and had an obsession with getting at least one item from every collection and MAC cranks out collections left and right. I adored Smashbox and colourpop but haven’t bought anything from them in years. Since the pandemic I just don’t wear as much makeup as I used to. I’m more focused on fragrances, candles, skin and body care.
Same! Urban Decay and Too Face
Urban Decay!!!! I still can’t believe it.