What makeup niches, if any, do you believe still need to be filled? Share!
More good purple eyeshadows, larger foundation ranges, less “one shade fits all” marketing, more shadowy/gray/taupe contouring shades. I think you can find just about everything, but you won’t find it mainstream yet.
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I second “good purple eyeshadows”!
I also think cool-toned contour powders are still a challenge to find, salmon-toned concealers and large fluffy powder brushes.
I’m dying for a spray on sunscreen that doesn’t feel greasy for the face! People are always saying that you need to reapply, but once you have a full face of make up on, who really does? I know that coola does one, which initially made me happy but I read the list of ingredients and it’s mostly alcohol. This needs to happen people.
Yes to this! I want a sunscreen I can apply throughout the day over my makeup that isn’t bad for my skin.
Yes to spray on sunscreen! What a brilliant idea. Not everyone can pull off the no makeup look and I defo need my base even in the summer heat.
Spray on products could often be mainly propellant, so the high alcohol content is not surprising. (I got the worst reaction from a spray-on dry shampoo so avoid all spray products.) There is a Peter Thomas Roth sunscreen powder with a built-in brush that looks like a great option for reapplying over makeup.
I just saw this on the Sephora site! Supergoop! Defense Refresh Setting Mist SPF 50 comes in two sizes – 1oz for $12 and 3.4oz for $28.
I found one by Shiseido that isn’t at all greasy.
It appears to be removed from Sephora’s Canadian website now, but its called “Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Spray SPF 50”.
I agree with the purple shadow thing–especially the bluish purples. They always seem to be way to chalky and patchy in application. Too bad, because if there were more good blue-purples, I’d be all over them even though I don’t wear much eyeshadow anymore! Also, I totally get the foundation shade range thing. I’m a very common shade but all my good friends are very pale and always have trouble finding a shade match.
If you haven’t yet you should check out Ardency Inn Royal, a gorgeous blue-purple! Christine did a review on this and gave it a Temptalia recommends to boot!
Better purple and blue shadows, cooler toned bronzers and contours, more makeup products with SPF, more true matte lipsticks (not semi-matte, not satin), better formulated lipsticks in purple/vampy shades
BTW, speaking of cooler, gray-toned contours, I tried Sephora’s Tranquil ( the dupe for Chanel Notorious), and mine wasn’t powdery at all!! It was perfect. I even used a firmer brush, swiped it across the pan, and it didn’t not kick up any powder. The powder adhered well to the brush and cheekbones. Temptalia and another reader said theirs was very powdery, so it looks like there’s QC issues. Since cool contours are so rare, and it’s only $15, I think it’s worth giving a try, and if you get a bad batch, just return to Sephora and get another one
I just picked up Tranquil, as well, and not only is mine not powdery, it is very firm/densely packed. In fact, it is so firm, I have to apply a few layers, which is probably for the best with this type of shade, which can easily endup llooking dirty if one goes overboard. I find a soft, dense brush works best (Essence of Beauty or Real Techniques), and I definitely need to powder first, or it can get patchy. I also bought a backup, so I’m curious to see how that one is. The “tester” I tried was completely untouched, and wasn’t powdery, either.
Oh, glad you got a decent one! Such a hard-to-find shade. It’s suppose to be permanent, but I will probably buy a backup just in case they ever discontinue it.
While things are certainly getting there in terms of a larger variety of tones and depths in foundation, there needs to be a greater variety in the BB and CC cream offerings! Goes for powders, too! Because it is really pitiful how few tones or depths are covered at present. Also, I wholeheartedly echo your thoughts on purple eyeshadows! I cannot, for the life of me understand WHY it is so incredibly difficult to formulate great, well-pigmented purple shades. Although, I do have one that’s pretty perfect, UD Freakshow, but it’s LE, and not full-size either. Did see a crazy pigmented one by Nyx I may grab!
UD Freakshow used to be permanent. It was part of the Deluxe line, which was DC’d when UD reformulated a couple of years ago. You may still be able to come across it on eBay.
Thank you, Amy! I will see if I can nab one there, as long as it’s not for a king’s ransom! LoL! Yeah, I do love that one a lot, I saw one by Nyx, I cannot remember the color name, that when I swatched it’s tester, blew me away because it was very richly pigmented!
If you find out the name of that purple shadow by NYX, let me know! I’m always looking for good purple shadows, and NYX won’t cost a fortune either
Katherine T, it’s one of Nyx’s Baked Eyeshadows called Love Junkie, but when I looked up reviews on it, there was only ONE review. It was by xxbeautyredefinedxx, she claimed that it swatches fantastic, but doesn’t apply to lids well unless it’s over a primer or a sticky base? Idk, I may still see if I can make it work? Or just enjoy UD Freakshow?
Thanks for the info Nancy! Might have to buy that Pixie Epoxy thing she’s using….dang, it makes the shadow look amazing! I have some palettes with some dud shadows, that might be the way to make use of them. Some day purple shadows will be as good a neutral shadows
YW! That’s the color it swatched on my hand, that same ultra-intense purple! Yep, someday there will be more great quality purples that don’t require us to do back-flips or somersaults in order to make them work. Or at least we can hope…
I totally agree with you on more gray contouring shade,many brands made a brown orange powder and called them a contour powder.Contour=creating a shadow=cool gray and bronzer=sun glow=warm brown!
“…more shadowy/gray/taupe contouring shades,” was the first thing that popped into my mind. I’m trying to find a creamy contour shade for me to use alone or as a base under my ABH palette. Since using the sample kit from Dr Jart, I’ve realized how much better and more natural my powdered contour looks when I apply it over a base. The past few nights, I’ve spent hours trying to find swatches of various brands, and trying to find photos of contour products on individuals with a comparable skin tone is near impossible. (At least it’s keeping my mind busy.)
Christine, is there a way to search for only cream contour on Temptalia? I’ve tried but I keep getting powder contours, contour brushes, and highlighters as well in the results. Maybe I’m not searching the site in an effective manner.
The other thing I would love to see are more layering lipsticks, such as Bite Beauty’s Opal or Givenchy’s Noir. More like the Opal because everything about it (non-drying, long-lasting, amazing formula) is awesome! Having more transformative lipsticks, not glosses or balms, would definitely make some shades more wearable… and more interesting.
Hi Cat,
I’m not sure where you’re searching from, but:
SG > Type = Contour, select Cream
http://www.temptalia.com/swatch-gallery?type=12989
(I would also select Bronzer and then select only Cream)
— when you select any type, the default is to show you ALL of the type (liquid, powder, etc.) but you can click on just “Cream” to see only cream versions of that type
MyTemptalia Product Database
Makeup > Contour > Cream
http://www.temptalia.com/p/_makeup/_face/_contour/_contour-cream
Click to browse all Makeup products, then under Face (left sidebar), you’ll see “Contour.” This will bring up all contouring products, and if you just want cream, further refine by clicking “Cream” in the left sidebar.
NYX has a double-ended contour/highlight stick, and the Fair/Light one is a great color. However, it does contain mineral oil. The Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Duo #4 is also really nice, but is kind of pricey. The pan is small, so it’s difficult to fit a brush, but a little does go a long way. Lancome also has a double-ended stick, but I haven’t tried it, nor have I found much online about it, but it’s one I’ve been wanting to try. I, too, am looking for a cream contour, LOL!
I’ve seen/swatched the Laura Mercier palette, and while it has some nice options, I don’t know if I’ll use the highlighters…
If the one from Kevyn Aucoin had equal sized highlight and contour, I would definitely consider it. The Laura Mercier palette was on display at Sephora and, after everyone had dipped into it, it looked so gross. I wouldn’t even swatch it. =(
I have been looking at the Nyx and Lancome double-ended sticks and those are looking like my best options. (Sephora brand also offers one but it sounds problematic based on reviews.) My one concern with Lancome is that the contour color seems really light. In the videos I’ve watched, the contour almost blends away into nothing. This makes me question the longevity of the formula.
The NYX Wonder Stick definitely has my attention. For the price, I could pick up two (light and universal) and find a separate highlight shade that doesn’t lean yellow. With all of that, if I couldn’t make it work, I’d just give in and buy the Dr Jart trio as I already know the highlight and contour shades work for me. I could probably find a way to work with the Neutralize shade.
Wow. This has really become an obsession for me. Hopefully all the time and thought I’m putting into it will be worth it in the end.
Don’t get me started on the obsession of finding the perfect contour products… I really liked the NARS Multiple in St. Bart’s, but as my luck would have it, it was literally DC’d around the time I discovered it, and too late to buy a backup, LOL!
Thank you! I was searching in the search box at the top of the page (looking for reviews) and I was searching in the swatch gallery but, being as internet savvy and technologically-gifted as I am, I screwed up the search perimeters. DOH! :-/
Olive (by that I mean yellow+blue) undertoned fair and very fair foundations in liquid and cream formulas, not just mineral powder ones from unreachable online brands from the Us, like meow cosmetics or asian ones 🙁
and without any red/pink in it.
Have you looked into Borghese? Is it available to you? It’s been DC’d from the mainstream US market for a while, but I remember they had a great range of foundation shades for fairer skin.
I googled it. It isn’t available here nor does it ship here 🙁 I’m from Romania (Central-eastern Europe, bad place for online ordering, huge shipping costs or they don’t even ship here from the US…except iherb 🙂 )
I use a few products that i mix together (for coverage and texture, no combo is ideal cause they are only neutral to warm, not olive-y-warms are too yellow-orange on me). They are very pale (especially the estee and vichy) and the seventeen one (greek brand) is very neutral so they may help some:
– catrice all matt in 010 light beige (close but barely medium coverage, i got very pink acne marks so…not enough);
– seventeen natural velvet in 03 light beige (medium and more if layered);
– estee lauder max cover in 11 light; vichy dermablend in opal 15 (these two are marketed as full coverage stuff but even they can’t cover my acne spots and zombie dark circles…how could they cover tattoos? lol.)
Sorry if I complain so much 🙁 i’m sick of my economy lol
I’m medium not fair but yes to olive shades! Are you in the uk too?
Everything has too much pink in it and makes me look orange, even if it’s a shade too light for me.
Yesss this needs to happen!! I’m light-medium so there are some choices but I would have to buy everything online which is just not happening w things you need to test in person.
I wish I was in the UK, hehe. I’m from Romania (don’t worry, I’m 100% romanian, not of that certain minority that does bad stuff over here and over there, hah). 🙁
I thought it would be easier over there…with local brands. Maybe you could try proffessional brands like Kryolan or Ben Nye (they have many shades) if they have physical stores there (sadly they don’t here and the online ones that sell them here are so overpriced. I know this cause I want to be a MUA tho not sure yet). They have more shades but it’s too much of a risk with ordering face stuff online…
As for orange stuff, I find Rimmel and Maybelline are the worst as shade range goes :))
I hope you’ll find a nice match 😀
My 2 favorite foundations are Rimmel & Maybelline, but they lack the coverage you’re looking for… I’m Greek & Irish, so I have the Mediterranean undertone with fair skin, and it’s almost impossible to get a solid foundation match. I’ve had good luck with Lancome, but my skin doesn’t care for any of the formulas I’ve tried lately…
I generally agree with Cristine, also, some really good separating maskara, a really black steady pencil for the waterline, these I have in mind
Can you suggest a good contouring product closer to grey/taupe than to brown (cool toned), even an eyeshadow (matte of course)?? (from brands Benefit, MAC, Clinique,Chanel,Estee Lauder, Maybelline, Loreal,Maxfactor, Sephora)
Sephora has an eyeshadow in their house-brand called Cashmere Coat that may be worth llooking into!
Hey thanks I ll check it out!!!
I couldn’t agree more! More purple/blue/green eye shadows with good pigmentation would be on my list! Those always seem to be the hardest to get perfect.
IMHO, companies need to make more cool shades that look less Barbie/80’s and look more cool/neutral or neutral/cool. It seems like every time I see something cool it’s too frosted or the base is too blue or too gray. It also seems like the only options are very warm, warm, warm/neutral or very cool with nothing between, especially for blush and lipstick. I feel like they’re missing out on a lot of money by not making that many shades. Am I crazy or does anyone else feel this way?
No, you aren’t crazy, LOL! I totally agree. Even finding a basic neutral red lipstick is a challenge. They almost always lean too blue, pink, orange, berry… Don’t get me started on neutral eyeshadow palettes; as inundated as the market seems, there are so few that are entirely cool or neutral; nearly every one has some seemingly obligatory bronze/gold shade I will never wear. In the case of eyeshadow palettes, however, I think brands take into account the overall aesthetic of the actual palette, and the average consumer will look at a collection of muddy looking browns, and not realize how well it works when actually applied.
Agreed! It’s always such a yellowy gold, too. I have to be so careful with combinations of browns in “neutral” palettes because they can turn muddy in a hurry. Then if I turn around and get a “cool” palette, the grays and silvers always make me look bruised! I usually wind up mixing and matching shadows from different pallets to come up with a good look somewhere in the middle.
For the record, I’m SO glad someone agrees with me 🙂
Agree, too. I need colours for cool / neutral aswell. I know that there are plenty of people who don’t care for the cool/warm-separation at all and wear all the colours that they like; or who wear contrasting shades on purpose but none of that looks right on me, so I really need cool/neutral shades that are not too bland, either.
I totally agree! I cannot wear warm shades at all, so it drives me nuts when a new lipstick range is released and the only cool shades in the line are fuschias, orchids, bright purple or hot pink. I like those kinds of colors, but not for every day. Finding the cool equivalent of the nude, every day lip color is such a chore.
Is a neutral/cool rosy lip gloss with white gold shimmer too much to ask? Or a cool/neutral pink based nude in several shades from light to dark? Nudes always get me because I look ultra washed out.
Totally agree with yours – especially less “one size fits all” as it’s pretty much never the case.
Oh, and more foundation shades for olive/green undertones! It’s basically impossible for me to find something that matches because yellow based foundations are more of an orange/peachy yellow than the olive yellow I have.
More foundations for us porcelain pale girls (I’m looking at you especially MAC!) When even the palest shade in a range is orange there’s not a lot of hope.
Because of my kids I am outside a lot more than I would choose to be, so I am darker than my winter color but would like more pale options. They always seem so pink or yellow, too.
I think we need more make-up with high SPF. I’m talking primers, blushes, translucent powders, lipsticks, glosses,… SPF ALL THE THINGS!
I totally agree…especially SPF for under eye concealer since it’s never in eye cream!
A concealer that really does not crease at all and that fills in the “trough” under the eye where the dark circles also are! (ha! I know that’s impossible but….I had a bruise under my eye some months back and that little “trough” swelled up a bit – the bruise was no darker than my dark circle so was easy to cover but my one eye looked FABULOUS!). I agree also about better purple shadows – they almost always seem to be the ones that under-perform. And, yes-sir-ee, a grey/mauve contour shade like Chanel Notorious (I’m going to give the Sephora one a try once it arrives in-store).
Full heavy waterproof long lasting coverage on a spf foundation. I find myself using medium coverage foundation with concealer and seperate spf sunblock too ! Reduce the steps lol
I want to reduce the time it takes for doing my makeup and face bit takes the longest…
So funny you mention the purple shadows because I was just at beauty counters last night realizing the limitations of those offerings though Lancome has a few and there is always Lavender Lust. Overall, I feel bright matte or minimal shimmer cool toned eye shadows are somewhat lacking. I found a cornflower blue e/s but hard to find. Not everyone looks good with dark eye shadows. Also there used to be lots of periwinkle shades in nail polishes but now RBL has the only one. Would also love to see a really good quality angle eye liner. More of a real range of shades in eyebrow pencils. I love the new Dior and Chanel chrome nail polishes — best quality seen yet, but would love to see them do some dirtier- off shades, gray-green, more like some of the shades that RBL is genius at though her formula is more streaky. I also was amazed that Chanel did four new nude polishes and not a single one of them was wearable as far as I was concerned. Would also love to see eye tints in vibrant matte shades, not everything metallic.
I would love a company to make a true matte purple (not plum) that is not streaky or patchy, maybe it will have a better texture if they make it a semi-matte.
I would also like MAC to bring back the eyeshadow Modest Tone and to add it to their regular line or maybe someone can make a dupe of it (I have searched high and low and no other company makes anything even remotely close to it).
Have you tried MUFE 92? It’s an amazing deep purple matte and I don’t think it’s streaky or patchy at all.
It’s been DC’d… Why MUFE decided to reformulate is beyond me, especially with so many “cult favorites”. I don’t care for the new formula, at all.
Wider range of highlight powders for darker skin.
Definitely a lot wider shade ranges. Every time I’m in the drug store, it looks like most of the brands’ ranges end their shades at dark tan but don’t include dark or very dark colors.
Forgot to add that it’s not just the drug store, but I’m in drug stores more often than Sephora or Ulta. 😛 I’ve noticed a lot of high end brands also have crappy shade ranges, but there are some that do a good job of having lots of shades.
Agree with your reply! I think it’s just misleading for the crowd.
The biggest one for me is foundation shade ranges. not everyone who is pale is pink and not everyone who is medium is warm. One shade fits all is very misleading. And BB creams need to come in a variety of shades, not just 3 or 4.
Products for very fair and very dark skin tones tops my list. Also, foundation, concealer, etc. for neutral undertones; it’s very hard to find ones that don’t skew yellow or pink.
Brow and lash products for redheads: There is Just For Redheads, but they’re a bit spendy and don’t have a huge selection, especially not for sensitive eyes. I hope they keep expanding their range.
Colored mascaras, waterproof mascaras, and liquid eyeliners for sensitive eyes. There isn’t much out there, especially if you want something besides black and brown.
I would love to see an easily accessible, mainstream brand of “alternative” and unusual colors and finishes. (There are lots of indie brands, but TAT and shipping takes a long time, and they can’t do huge batches of product, they’re frequently sold out, etc.)
If Temptalia comments are anything to go by, it looks like there is a real need for high-quality cool-toned neutral palettes.
I’d love to see more lip products (tinted balms, lipsticks, glosses) with SPF, especially mineral-based. I’m allergic to chemical sunscreen actives, and I can’t find any kind of protection for my lips.
Lots more options for silicone, alcohol and fragrance-free moisturizers and makeup, and better pigmentation for darker blue and purple eyeshadows.
I’ll agree with all the ones who say more and better-formulated purple eye shadows. Also, quality eye liner that lasts yet comes off easily with eye makeup remover. If I have to scrub and scrub, even with e.m.r., and take off half my eyelashes in the process, I ain’t wearing it.
Better purple eyeshadows (not that I really wear them!), a better shade range (I think that’s number one for me and a lot of people! It’s ridiculous to charge like $50 for a foundation and only have like 5 shades), and a more advanced SPF technology, so that an “SPF 15” foundation ACTUALLY gives SPF 15 protection.
Oh, and more sensitive-skin friendly options for acne and other skin conditions at the lower-to-mid price range. My current skincare routine is pretty pricey for a young person, but if I don’t shell out the dough and use cheaper products instead my skin takes on the color and texture of a sun-dried tomato! 🙁
That is so true; my skin is very sensitive to a lot of ingredients and I actually have to pay more to get a lotion that contains very few ingredients (but no mineral oil and no silicones) and no scent; while some of those with 25 ingredients and perfumed like a bodylotion are super cheap. I found something mid-price at the pharmacy, but in fact it is really overpriced for what it is :/ If I could do with just some almond oil or coconut oil or something similar, I would, but it does not work as a foundation base for me.
So I am essentially hoping that there is basic skincare at an affordable price that does not just contain vaseline :/
Longer lasting blush formulas. I know I can’t be the only one who has issues with blush lasting on my skin, even with powder and setting spray. I don’t even have oily skin. Nars orgasm literally disappears from my skin in an hour. Tarte lasts longer than others but still isn’t great. Any recommendations from people with the same issue?
Have you tried a face primer under the blush? That can work, even if you don’t use a foundation. Many people layer powder blush over cream blush, too.
Rachel, I always wear foundation, should I put more primer on top of the foundation before applying blush?
I put the primer under the foundation. My blush stays on over the primer and foundation. I’ve never tried putting primer over the foundation but under the blush. Interesting idea, though. It could work, as long as the primer didn’t mess up the foundation.
Oh, I have the same problem! My cheeks are normal, but they eat powder blushes alive! I put on a primer, foundation, then some kind of creamy base ( MAC cream base, a cream highlighter, or a cream blush) then powder blush on top, and that works. I prefer cream bases that are the color of my skin, so it doesn’t change the color of the blush. By far, the longest lasting blush for me is the IT Cosmetics Vitality Cheek Stain – it’s the only powder blush I use where i don’t need a cream base, lasts +12 hours on me. Also Colour Pop has a nice cream-to-powder blush formula that holds up well
The only blush that doesn’t get eaten up by my face throughout the day is Kat Von d’s! It is one out of literally dozens that actually stays past an hour and I love those !
Check your skincare/foundation for mineral oil. It’s the main ingredient in most cleansing oils & cold cream, which are used to remove makeup. Unfortunately, many products contain some form of it, regardless of pricepoint, even some powders. The blush itself may contain it…
I agree on good purple shadows. I’d add more complex and unexpected lip colours in great formulas- so many of the best formulas have shades that are too easy to duplicate. More cool-toned neutrals. A wider range of subtler hair dye- hints of purple, blue, green, silver- that aren’t full-on crazy, especially cruelty-free versions.
Definitely more matte eyeshadow palettes that are easy to blend, long wearing and non-powdery…with gorgeous colors….not just neutrals . Also, under eye concealers are needed that truly cover those blue/purple hollows without a lot of layering, blending, powdering…well, you know what I mean. Concealers that work with one swipe and of course, no creasing. Is there such a product? I haven’t found it yet, myself. And yes, I do have the Eve Pearl product and the Cle de Beaute and all the others like it but nothing really covers well and is effortless. Sorry for the little rant….
Definitely more foundations and other face products suitable for a larger variety of complexions!
I’d love a better selection of sunscreens that don’t dry my face out / actually double as moisturizer, with at least SPF30. A few brands actually carry sufficiently moisturizing sunscreens, but they’re few and far between (and tend to be extremely expensive).
Pastel eyeshadows with good pigmentation and blendability also elude me.
Definitely more global shades of beauty for the extreme ends. And I love your comment about purple eyeshadows! I can’t get enough purples 🙂
Larger foundation ranges especially for darker skin tones and a larger selection of undertones beyond pink/yellow. Add in red, blue, and green undertones for foundations across the board too. Setting powders that aren’t white or pale yellow. Definitely better formulated purple and green eyeshadows, plus less frosty blues. Better face sunscreen that isn’t $50 and that can be reapplied over makeup, like a spray/mist. More interesting and complex lip colors. also, this one isn’t makeup but more exfoliating products that don’t rely on physical things like crushed walnut shells and beads – more drugstore chemical exfoliators, and better moisturizers/sprays/primers/things that go on the face without alcohol, fragrance, aluminum powder, and mineral oil. I’m picky :p wish I could just start my own cosmetics line.
I agree about everything you said for sure! I’m also looking for more “treatment” options in colored cosmetics, like the No No range from Perricone. I’d like to see a few liquid shadows that work and have anti-aging properties.
In general, more products containing high-quality skin care ingredients + SPF.
Cream eyeshadows (like paint pots) only cruelty free versions.
I’ll say more neutral options for cool toned people.
Long wearing foundations that are also hydrating. The ones I’ve tried really emphasize my fine lines on my forehead and make me look cakey.
Auburn mascara!! Max Factor used to have a great one but you can’t get them in the US anymore (I’m still using tubes I stocked up on when they pulled out like 12 years ago). Ultima II did too but they’re defunct. There’s that Just For Redheads line but I haven’t seen amazing reviews of their products.
Aurburn mascara really looks a lot more natural on redheads. Even just brown looks too ashy and stark on me and I save black for night time looks.
Yes to the auburn mascara! I have sensitive eyes, and I used to wear Almay’s Raisin Quartz. They kept it in eyeliner but dc’d the mascara a few years back. It looked great with red hair, and made green eyes just pop, while still being a natural-looking color.
I haven’t tried JFR mascaras because they don’t have much for sensitive eyes. Clinique’s new Black Honey looks promising, but it’s LE.
I’d love to see more travel-friendly/portable options among all the beauty brands: Wider ranges of products in smaller sizes, less bulky/wasteful/flimsy packaging, more secure closures, less cheapening of the products that go into palettes (I’m looking at you, M.A.C), that sort of thing.
On a related note, I would also wish that it was possible to buy for example 10ml / ~0,4 oz small sizes of foundations and creams / lotions in order to try them for a longer time. In many countries (like mine) they do not make samples from products at the beauty store anymore, and there are often only samples (minis or small sachets) for newly released foundations, and usually only in one (!) shade which mostly is at the darker end of the spectrum.
Plus in general department stores over here are quite stingy with samples and I don’t want to just try something on in store and then already shell out more than 30 Euros / Dollars for a foundation or a similar product; especially as returns are not so simple, either.
So I would like it if there were small sizes of all foundation shades available for purchase.
Similarly with perfumes, whether some brand offers a travel size or roller ball is just purely random.
I would love to see more base products (foundations, BB/CC creams, bronzers, etc.) that are marketed to the extremes of the skin color spectrum. There’s really not that much out there for very fair people or for very dark people. It seems like every time I find a foundation or bronzer that is getting rave reviews, it’s not available in an appropriate shade for me, or if it is available in a shade that would be pale enough in theory, the undertone is wrong. I hate it when a product is only offered in light, medium, and dark, because I almost always completely write it off without even trying it.
I would like to see more primers for acne oily skin. Most of them will aggravate acne. More bb creams for this skin type too.
i agree! also i would like to see concealers made specifically for blemishes. not one i have tried stays on,(dermablend came close)
RIGHT ON with the sunscreens!! I would go even further and ask that companies work on creating good, cosmetically comfortable, makeup compatible ALL PHYSICAL sunscreens that also contain other good for skin ingredients, like antioxidants, period. My skin reacts badly to the “late” ingredients and my eyes go crazy – stinging, watering – from avobenzone and the other “zones”, so I am always on the hunt for sunscreens that only contain zinc oxide, but are for more than days at the beach. As in, fast absorbing, non pilling, not impossible to blend, looks good under makeup, can be reapplied during the day – I know you guys get my drift. I’m using Replenix sheer sunscreen spray at the moment – I like it, but I’m never sure about the protection, since it’s a spray. They make a cream formula but it’s like chalk on my skin – so far the spray is the closest thing I’ve found to sunscreen happiness. If any of you ladies have any other ideas – can you let me know? Thanks so much!!
It’s hard to get in the USA (available on Amazon, but it ships from Aus) but Invisible Zinc ESP is awesome. You want the one labelled “ESP,” it’s for sensitive skin. I have the same problem as you with any chemical blockers (stingy, watery eyes), and I’ve been wearing this for years, happily. I’m wearing it now and can’t make it pill. Not sure if it meets your criteria for fast-absorbing… I’m happy enough with it, but I don’t wear primer/foundation very often. Paula’s Choice reviews said it wasn’t great because it leaves a white cast. I don’t find that much of a problem (it’s not the most invisible I’ve ever used, but not a big deal either). Magically, something in it seems to actually be somewhat soothing. My skin feels more comfortable after I’ve applied it.
Becca also make a sunblock with only physical blockers. I found it was okay, but something in it sometimes slightly irritated my eyes, so I won’t repurchase it unless I get stuck without IZ ESP.
And Paula’s Choice has a daily moisturizer than has titanium dioxide and zinc oxide in it. I’ve been testing that out, because it would be nice not to have to do moisturizer and foundation in a separate step. Hasn’t irritated my eyes at all so far. Might be responsible for a very, very, very mild breakout (or might not be), but that’s pretty normal for me whenever I use a new product. I’m pretty pleased with it and will probably use it when traveling.
I agree with all of yours Christine. I love wearing purple eyeshadow and would like a taupe blush that suits me in the UK. For myself, I’d also like to see some good neutral foundations for pale skin. Maybe some more nuanced eyeliner colours in drugstores. Not just black, brown and pop of colour teal. I’d love Sephora to come back to the UK just for their eyeliner! I’d also kind of love a lipstick range where you could buy the same colour but in different finishes. So if you loved one colour in shine, you could also pick up the matte, satin and shimmer versions. And an opaque pale pink nail varnish that only needs two coats and doesn’t streak.
I think there also needs to be a better range of base products for darker skin especially in budget ranges. Skintone should not have to cost you extra. Out of 11 make up stands at my local drugstore, I think only 2 or 3 have a decent colour range (more than 5 options of ivory and sand, more like 10 colours). But even then, those colours are often only in available in one of the foundation types, not all.
I’m very fair skinned. Relatively speaking, much progress has been made in terms of products that flatter the very fair, but it’s striking how often this colouring is not addressed. Highlighters are especially an area where there’s a big gap. And while there are now several foundation ranges that include fairer shades (as newly the Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Foundation in Y205 – Alabaster) most ranges don’t address my colouring, so before even thinking through if I might like a formulation, the first question has to be to see if they have any colours in the fairest range–never mind tonal cast. Ditto concealer. This applies to major brands, such as MAC, where one might assume a wide-enough range.
Ditto!
I would like to see more natural looking false eyelashes, and false eyelashes for those of us with small eyes and deep-set eyes. I would also like to see cool-toned nude lip liner. Most nude lip liners pull really peachy on me – the only one that actually works with my skin tone is Clinique Violet Sky. More cool-toned nude lip products in general would be good.
I’d also love a really successful spray-on sunscreen I could use over my make up but I don’t know that we can ever really expect such a product, given the money that’s in the “anti-ageing” industry… It’s like waiting for a truly permanent hair tint to be invented. There’s just too much $$$$$ at stake. In the meantime I’ll settle for a nice blue not waterproof mascara. One that doesn’t look like I’m Katy Perry circa 2009.
Probably more cool toned eye shadow palettes and not so many warm toned neutrals.
Better quality blues, purples and greens
And could Maybelline and L’Oreal please send their whole range over to Australia and not just half of it.
A wider range of foundation shades from the “drugstore” brands from very fair to dark tones.
A wider variety of undertones for foundations – not everyone has yellow undertones
Coloured mascaras from the drugstore brands
SPF in all foundations
I have been reading all the comments above about purple eye shadows. Lancôme did put out a variety of purple quints a few years ago and they were pretty good. You could probably still get them – I think they are better quality than what has been put out recently.
High-quality, smooth and blendable matte eyeshadow palettes! Like the UD Naked palettes, except all matte shadows. For some reason, the Too Faced and theBalm matte palettes aren’t enough to satisfy me, and they are nice quality.
Have you tried the Tarte Tartelette palette? I’m not even a matte lover, but those are so incredible it became one of my favorite palettes.
Some of what I wish for has been mentioned already but maybe some brands will do their research well and also check out what consumers are looking for, so I would like to support the choir with what I would wish for:
-Pale neutral (not rosy, not yellow) foundation, preferably also with high coverage and longlasting – I know some brands have started to do that (like Cover FX, or partially Kat von D and MUFE) but they are not available everywhere and quite expensive, so it would be great if some drugstore brands could follow.
– dito for concealer, I can not find any (affordable) concealer or undereye highlighter that is actually light enough. Any time I read tips like “choose your concealer a shade lighter than your foundation” I want to reply that it´s impossible because I always already choose the lightest foundation shade.
-More greyish contour shades
– purely cool toned eyeshadow palettes, should not be so impossible seeing as there are many purely warm toned palettes; the cool-leaning palettes all have too many warm-ish tones in them aswell, like amber, warm purples, warm browns (why?).
– the contour palettes are lovely but I would prefer to choose the colours separately, so perhaps like there are eyeshadow palettes and single e/s, they could do the same for contour powders – some brands luckily do this already.
– finding a way to avoid the oxidation that happens to foundations, powders and blushes with certain skin types.
Matte undereye brightening powders that aren’t in palettes, like MAC pro emphasize / anastasia banana powder but sold separately and are available in common store location ( mac emphasize if a pro product only sold at pro store/ online) etc…
-well pigmented, affordable liquid concealers for the drugstore
-non-drying long lasting matte lip color formulas
-waterline-appropriate, pigmented eyeliners in huge shade ranges
-cream to powder formula blushes (those are all I wanna wear in the summer, because I cannot wear foundation)
-totally sweat-proof, light wear foundations in the drugstore
-easy to remove textured nail polishes and fast-drying formulas overall
Oh, and definitely more travel size / friendly sizes, especially of face products, like foundations, powders, blushes and bronzers!
I was just thinking mini sizes! I saw a mini UD Primer Potion the other day and got really excited. I just find them cute really and good to try products out but they are also useful for travel.
A range of foundation matches for the palest skin tones, especially those with a warm undertone. Sure, there’s NARS Siberia, and a few brands make white foundations to lighten darker ones, but it’s a hassle. As an extremely pale person, I dream of the day I’m able to walk into Sephora and find a foundation that works for me.
Wow, now that I and many others have wished for more purple eye shadows and more mattes, IT Cosmetics (I’m not affiliated in any way) has just come out with a new Naturally Pretty palette. It’s called Romantics and has purples and peachy-pinks plus other colors, looks springtime-ish but I’ll probably pounce anyway. It was on QVC yesterday and here’s an advance review of the shadows: http://weheartthis.com/2015/07/16/it-cosmetics-naturally-pretty-vol-2-matte-eyeshadow-palette-swatches/
i would like to see more make-up formulated for the skin of the “elderly” like me! I would enjoy a blog with make up tips for skin that has seen more than 25 years. There are many looks that would look foolish on aroma of a certain age-but I am not yet dead, and I still like to have fun with makeup-and now I have the money to get what I wish. Thanks-I enjoy reading this blog…
ditto!
The ability to customize cosmetics would be great. Most often I am between two shades of foundation and don’t really want to buy two. I want to create a bespoke lipstick. Or make the eye shadow color I have in my head but can’t describe and will know it when I see it. There used to be a few companies where you could do that at the store counter but they seem to have disappeared. I would like to see them come back.
I want more green eye shadows! Though on a side note, not a niche, but there needs to be a lot more foundation/concealer/etc for darker skin tones. The beauty industry pushes whiteness SO MUCH it’s really sad (and hella racist). A lot of my friends who have darker skin tones, especially a few of my friends who are very, very dark skinned (parents were from Zimbabwe) either just give up on wearing makeup, or have to hunt down alternative or dark skin-focused brands, some of which can be very pricey.
Guyz, MAC’s Fig.1 is a great purple!
I feel the need of solutions for less wasteful packaging systems for many brands, something like Inglot’s Freedom system, which could be even better and less wasteful.
I would like to see more lighter green eyeshadow, or dark even.
Denim colored eve shadows definitely!! Also crazy colors like green lipstick would be cool once in a while.
Peach & orange lip liners. The light colors I see all have brown in them or brownish pink. It’s hard to find a true peach liner and light to medium orangy tones are also hard to come by (I can find dark ones, but nothing that would suit fair skin).
I would say a better range of eyebrow products for redheads. Anastasia seems to be the brand with the most diversity but Auburn is to dark and Caramel isn’t red enough. Most other brands have ranges of 2-4 colors, marketed to “Blonde/Light Brown/Dark Brown” and they all look too ashy for my copper colored hair.