There are definitely products that I still enjoy, even if they aren’t as pigmented or as long-wearing as they’re billed. I think, in general, blushes that are more medium to semi-opaque I wear frequently.
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UD Naked Smoky! I do love it when I get in a deep, dark mindset, and even though it does take a bit more work and a few tweaks, I have gotten some seriously kick-butt looks from it. So I guess I could say I do sort of love it!
Nancy, do you not really think it’s good quality? I have that palette and love it and I find the quality to be very good.
The first time that I used it, I wound up with a nice smokey eye…that within just a few hours went muddy and dull on me. And that was over WnW Fergie Take On The Day eyeshadow primer! So the next time I used it, I also put down a base of Nyx JEP in Knight first, and it didn’t go all muddy and indistinct that time! Also, I use spongetips to apply them, as that packs on the two gray-blue shades beautifully with no sheer spots.
I know what you mean – I’ve had wear issues as well and I have to do a few extra steps to help with longevity. When I’m in the mood for it, I like using it and will put in the extra effort.
Yes I also agree. I use a primer Cover FX with them. Like Nancy said, in a few hours they look muddy and dull. I let the primer dry, they put a light coat of Dior cover up on . Then I layer lightly and put a coat of finishing powder and then layer again. I love their colors !!!!!
I don’t really know how to answer this. I wouldn’t really consider a product with not long staying power or low pigmentation poor quality per se. Tinted lip balms for example. Sheer in coverage. Not long lasting. I see a purpose in wearing them from time to time. I don’t consider them “poor quality”. Everthing I have I use because I like it. I would only consider it “poor quality” if it didn’t live up to my expectations or it was marketed as being long lasting and it wasn’t. If I didn’t like the texture or it made me break out, I might consider it poor quality but if that were the case, I’d toss it.
I love wearing purple shadows and purple lipsticks, even though it’s hard to find high quality ones. Same with blue shadows. But if the shadow is beautiful enough, I will put in extra work to make it work (primer, cream base, foam applicators, using it wet). Ditto with lipsticks (using lip liner, gloss, re-applying often, etc).
Yep, Katherine, the purple EVERYTHING is dang hard for brands to get “right”! So I’m getting either UD Pandemonium or possibly Jawbreaker anyways, because after seeing them used with lip liner, I’m sold!
Yep, us purple lovers often get our hearts broken, but we love the color anyway. What lip liner are you using with Pandemonium? I’m eyeing either one of the following – UD Pandemonium, UD Jawbreaker, Maybelline Violet Vixen, or Smashbox Violet Riot. All of them are close in color. Of these, the Smashbox swatch looks the best (the most even and pigmented), but it’s the only one that hasn’t been reviewed yet, and it’s also the priciest (of course!), so my final choice will depend on how it scores.
I personally have not liked any Smashbox shadows or lip colors. Not enough color, don’t last very long. NYX has tons of great purples, as does the new UD Vice lipstick line. And Revolution has a couple of good ones too.
There are some eyeshadows that I keep, just because they’re so pretty, even though they have bad fall-out and aren’t all that pigmented.
The NYX dreamcather palette in Stormy Skies. It is not very pigmented but that makes it very easy to do a quick natural look. The shadows blend easily. That’s what I want on an early morning.
I really like my elf brushes and my nyx autobrow pencil in charcoal. The brushes can be a bit scratchier than ideal but my makeup looks great using these tools–I hope to never live without the concealer brush. The brow pencil wears off easily but the charcoal color is the best match to my black brows I have found in the under $10 price range. Also a fan of the DC’ed UD eye pencil in ransom–the shade was just the right blurple even though it lacked in pigmentation. I also have several nail polishes that needs at least 4 coats to achieve a certain color and also dry VERY slowly. I suppose I will put up with “average” quality if it does the job well or the results are hard to duplicate with better quality.
I love Rimmel London’s wake me up instant radiance simmer touch. While it’s been discontinued (I’ve yet to find it in Boots here in the lovely UK yet) and doesn’t last nearly as long as my Kinko cosmetics or my boots no7 foundation with primer it has a lovely feel to it (shame I didn’t get a few of them from where i originally got the one i have!)
I found Rimmel Wake Me Up Instant Radiance Shimmer Touch using froogle.com (now google.com/shopping but I continue to use the old name.) I don’t know if any of the sellers can ship to the UK, but you could try it. Perhaps if you search, you’ll only pull up UK sellers. Good luck.
Thank you Lee I found some sellers on amazon too but I cant afford it at the moment but I will look on there too to see if i can find some UK sellers as the ones i looked at the other day have it as discontinued which is a damn shame as its the only shimmer (not simmer as i wrote on the previous post lol) that has a colour that actually matches my skin tone,
This is why im so kicking myself that i didn’t get a few more when i found it the first time.
Usually only if I adore the color — NARS Pool Shark is a good example — a absolutely love the color, so it’s worth the hassle of applying with a damp brush to me. Of course, if even that didn’t make it pigmented enough, and I had to apply it over a cream base in a similar color, then I might still put up with it but not love it.
I agree. Blushes and eyeshadows tend to fade pretty fast on my skin, but I still enjoy wearing them 🙂
I’m not sure what this question is asking: 1) What products do I like even though they’re not high end? Or, 2) What products do I like even though they’re of inferior quality? If 1), then I’ll mention Cover Girl Waterproof Supersizer Mascara — perfection (for my needs). If 2), then I return these items as I don’t want to pay for an item that doesn’t perform well.
As a woman who has worked her way through the ranks in life, I am now at a point where I can enjoy higher end lines of makeup. Not tippy top pricing, but mid-range. That said, as we all know from buying makeup (and learning the hard, expensive way) price does not necessarily mean quality.
I recently discovered Wet-n-Wild. I bought a blush and highlighting product at the drugstore for less than $12 total. They may not be “high quality,” but what a payoff for both! The blush is crazy pigmented, a lovely color, with a good eight hour staying power. The highlighter is just what I want — a subtle glow without making me a metal face. I enjoy using both, and when I need a fix of something new I will continue to check out this line for fun.
They are not high end per the price but that has nothing to do with quality. An inexpensive product can be high quality and I would say a Wet n Wild blush surely fits in that category bc it holds up much better than my $30 NARS blushes!
I agree with Erica’s assessment – high quality/low quality can occur at all price-points. I think this question was meant to be more about products you continue to use even though they frustrate the heck out of you or aren’t the best quality, no matter what the price was.
My Maybelline Dream Matte powder! It’s discontinued, but I bought like 20 pans when it was being cleared out. It’s hard and stiff in the pan and doesn’t last that long, but the color match is really good and it gives me the finish that I want. The thought of having to find a new base product when I finally run out makes me groan ☹️
Maybelline is notorious for coming up with *amazing* base products, only to pull them after only a year, or so… I can literally count on one hand the foundations I have tried over the past 25+ years that I would consider HG, with Maybelline taking 2 of those spots, all being DC’d…
Any color where the product is unique enough that I can’t dupe it, I’ll forgive quality a bit. I’m also more forgiving on low priced items. It’s not specific to a particular item.
MAC Tempting eyeshadow. I am disappointed in all their Luster Finish shadows, to be perfectly honest. I’ve put aside the few I have – Greensmoke and Caviar Dreams are the 2 that come to mind most- but I do keep using Tempting because it is such a lovely colour for me. I find that using UDPP in Sin as a base makes for a really good result…the tinted Primer Potion really helps the colour of Tempting show up.
I like my $4 Rimmel Color Rush balm (lip crayon) in Keep Mauving ~ it’s not as luxurious as my Nars crayons but leaves a pretty decent stain, so if I’m going out for a while and don’t anticipate touching up my color after eating (et cetera) it gives a nice color that I can just swirl over with lip balm or leave plain and my lips are flushed all day. Unfortunately Keep Mauving is the only color of the line that I like, otherwise I’d have a few to rotate. And it smells like Vanilla!
The term “quality” is so subjective.
I have fair, dry skin, which means I tend to wear a heavy sunscreen and/or moisturizer as part of my daily skincare routine. I also prefer a sheer/light coverage foundation with a dewy finish, and omit setting powders. This often results in my blush/contour/highlight products to fade/break down; however, I can wear the same products over a different base, and they’ll last until I wash my face (I will wear full coverage, matte/powdered looks on occasion, if I’m going for a “look”). Also, I’ve had some illuminizer drops play better with some bases, and not others that were otherwise long-wearing.
I’ve also had products work well with certain brushes, and vice-versa. If I’m having issues with a product, I’ll try a different brush, even if it’s one I don’t particularly care for. Also, if a product doesn’t work for one purpose, it may work for another. For example, MAC Carbon is awful in its own, on the mobile lid, in a smokey eye; however, it is brilliant for adding definition to the crease, when other blacks are too soft & pigmented, and take over the rest of the shadows. Many also attack NARS eyeshadows for being “stiff” or “dry”, but never give them time to “break in” before returning them. They will soften, and just because they aren’t the same formula as others on the market doesn’t mean they’re inferior, it just means they’re unique.
As for products that need a base/primer, taking a few extra seconds to swipe on a product that ensures optimal results isn’t a deal-breaker. Also, no product can be designed to suit the needs of every consumer. While one may need a primer to prevent creasing, another may need one to aid in adhesion, but both can ultimately use the same product.
Ultimately, “quality” comes down to ingredients. I find the use of mineral oil to be unnecessary in pricier brands, such as Becca, but until I can find a white powdered highlighter in the mainstream market, I have to tolerate Pearl… Even Manic Panic reformulated their white foundation with jojoba oil, and e.l.f. has removed mineral oil from several products, all while maintaining low prices.
I’ve also learned over the course of many, many years, never trust any brands “claims”. I’m not saying they’re dishonest, or they didn’t test the claims with real people, but lifestyle/environments factor greatly. The same products I wear to an office are going to break down at a different rate than if I wore them behind a bar. Even doing a different job in the same space will have an effect (ie, waitress vs. hostess/manager). Also, as I stated above, skincare plays a huge part.
Sheer lipsticks. My lips are pretty big, in comparison to the rest of my features, and unless I’m going out for an event, pigment lipstick makes me look too “made up.” So I prefer sheer, and since I apply with a lip brush in super thin layers, staying power usually isn’t an issue for me.
First I don’t necessarily equate “high-quality” with “highly pigmented”. There are some high-quality product that are made to be sheer or semi-opaque, and some very poor quality ones that are fully opaque and intense but have other downfalls, so that’s not the only factor. Think a good tinted lipbalm vs. a horrible liquid matte lipstick…
Otherwise, I’m not sure how to answer this question. If I love a product it means I think it’s good quality – or at least good enough for me. Sometimes I use products that I think are mediocre and make them work, but I wouldn’t say that I love them. I guess I could say brushes: I have a bunch of Elf and Coastal Scents brushes that I use daily and love, even though they’re not the softest ever.
I still love my Great Lash mascara. I have strayed many a time but I always come back to my trusty pink and green tube.
The first thing that comes to mind is Maybelline Bb Cream. It’s not a great BB cream, the color selection isn’t good – but I use it as a primer all the time.
NYC lipstick in Sheer Red, it’s a decent formula, not drying, very flattering red for all skin tones. I also love ELF blush and bronzer in St. Lucia
The “magic marker” type lip stains. I almost cried when Revlon d/c’d their Just Bitten stain and balm. ELF and NYC have versions, which are nice, but a bit inconsistent, sometimes kinda dried out when you open them.
I think this is a product that people don’t like because they don’t know how to use them properly. Your lips have to be BONE dry and well exfoliated. Not a molecule of remaining balm or else the stain won’t “attach” to the lip.
When it works it’s a lovely way to back up lipstick. I put it on right out of the shower, after quickly exfoliating my lips with a rough towel. After it dries (a few seconds, really) I put on lipstick/gloss. Over the course of the day I never have to worry about having bare lip peeking out if my lipstick wears off a bit. I’m not a huge liquid lipstick fan, so this is a perfect substitute for me.
I hate these lipstains because as they wear off, they collect in the lines, just like other longwearing lip products do. So I have bare lips with colored lines. I think that’s why people don’t like them. But a lot of people do like them, so one girl’s trash is another one’s treasure 🙂
The number one thing that comes to mind is nail polish. I love cheap, clear nail polish that isn’t the best quality for when I’m doing nail art. If I “ruin” the polish by getting holographic flakes in it, discolor it because I’ve mixed it with another color, or make it cloudy because I needed to use it over an unset color to smooth it out, I can simply throw it away or just use it later for foils.
Coastal Scents “Hot Pot” eyeshadows. I guess they are high quality but very low price, sometimes on sale for 99 cents each! Huge shade range. But, it’s only the single-pot shadows, not the CS palettes! Get one of their empty palettes & fill your own!
When I first set out to comment, I had “high end” in mind instead of high quality. I’m including high end here because the two are not mutually exclusive.
* NYX Thalia and Euro Trash lipsticks – love the colors and overlook texture and longevity issues and will continue to repurchase.
* Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize Cream Eyeshadows – love the colors and texture (the mousse-like quality) and love the finish it gives. To me these are identical to Tom Ford except in wear and longevity – they look the same as Tom Ford for the first few hours, but the CT starts to crease and fade after a while. I have found a way to fix the creasing and fading but it requires quite a few extra steps (primer, light dusting of powder, lay down/sheer out and layer CT about 1-3 times depending on what look you are going for, then set with very light dusting of translucent powder). I may or may not repurchase these when I run out. I’m sure I can recreate the look and finish with some things in my collection, and probably when the time comes to re-purchase the issues might be fixed or there will be a comparable dupe. I’ve kept them because I really like the texture of the cream. Giorgio Armani’s Eye Tints have the same texture (the ones I have) but they are tubed.
* Revlon Photoready Eye Art – these are tubed cream shadows and have excellent pigmentation, that same texture that I love in a cream shadow and some great colors. These tend to sit heavier on my lids but I love the colors and can work around the “thick” feeling. I am not sure if I will repurchase these when I run out.
* MAC Fix + – I include this hear to actually point out a mistake I was making with this. I always thought this was useless as a setting spray but continue to repurchase because I LOVE the scent and I also use it for other things (wetting the brush for placing pigment, primer spray before applying my foundation, overall hydrating spray throughout the day) but on my last visit to MAC, one of the MUAs used it on me and I said, “I love the scent of this but it doesn’t work for me as far as a setting spray” and she asked how I used it and I told her that I gave a it 3 or 4 pumps willy nilly, spraying my face. She said 2 pumps, hold it all the way out/at arms length. You can see the mist but barely feel it (and of course after I spray I’m moving my head around trying to get all the falling mist on my face :D). I tried it the way it was supposed to be used (heh) and so far so good, BUT, it might be also the foundation I’ve been using lately so I can’t really tell if it is because of the new way I’m using it. Time will tell, but I have noticed a nice set to my makeup as well as better longevity these last few weeks. Either way, I’m repurchasing because of that lovely scent and for its other uses.
Anything duochrome. I’ll work with creasy shadows until they behave and experiment with bases under duochrome highlighters until they don’t emphasize pores, use messy lip topcoats/glosses and need a straw and frequent touch-up. The color shifting thing has always just been really magical to me in makeup and art supplies and I can’t get enough even if the cosmetic product itself is pretty much crap! In art, I can’t do that, archival quality is needed but for a face of makeup it’s just play-time fun.
Lipsticks – I don’t usually get a lot of wear time from them, not like hours, but I still love the colours.
Elf brushes
I wouldn’t usually love something that isn’t high quality. However, there are a whole slew of lipsticks that might fit in this category for me.
what’s your definition of high quality.
Well, all I can think of are two eyeliners each with issues — NYX copper that needs mid-day touch up, and MJ Jazzberry that doesn’t apply perfectly even so it takes extra work — but neither has good dupes and the colors are great on me. So the color quality of each is good but ease of use less so.
I’ve been waiting 12 years to answer this question. My go to lid eye shadow is Cover Girl’s discontinued Squease Shadow in Puff which I now buy on EBay. It’s a wonderful icy lavender color that gleams on my lids and really opens up my small eyes. It streaks if not applied carefully so I actually use one of those small silicone cosmetic spatulas to apply it. It helps it go on more smoothly.
I have endless product’s that aren’t “High End”, but to Me some of the drugstore brands are giving the high end cosmetics a good run for their quality! I have been all over the place in both high end and drugstore cosmetics. If it’s a great product with the awesome pricetag, who makes it, shouldn’t be a n issue. It sure isn’t for me. I am not going to buy a high end compact, just to say and show that I have one. That’s very superficial to me. If I get a Sephora Gift card for my birthday, great. But I won’t get something that lacks in quality or quantity.
After raising my children and putting them through college, including myself. Working my way to the top. Remembering back in the day I was lucky enough to own a Loreal lipstick, I am able to purchase higher end cosmetics, least to say I still love my Maybelline mascara, Rimmel eyeliner and Physician formula green cover stick. But yes, I also know that just because it is high end doesn’t mean its better!!!!! I am also smarter, reading labels and yes ( although I hate doing this) returning make up I feel doesn’t agree with my skin. But thats what its all about, trial and error.
I like a lot of sheerer products.
Maybelline Master Precise Skinny Eyeliner. I love how skinny it is and for perfecting a wing, but the pencil has to be twisted up everytime I used it and therefore runs out quickly. Because it is so skinny there is hardly much product to begin with, but it also begins to break off when it gets shorter so I go through it way too quickly. I still like it though and plan to repurchase.
I agree with Christine. I feel like i’ve been kicking around an old Ben Nye blush palette for the past 2 years and I still reach for it more often than my Chanel Sunkiss Ribbon! (but, that may just be to protect the embossing!)
By high-quality, I assume you mean expensive? Because I think NYX and Milani are high quality without the high price tag – never met a product I didn’t like from either line. But for truly cheap brands, I love Wet n Wild Color Icon cream shadow pencils. I also think much of Maybelline’s line is high quality, especially the Color Sensational Lipsticks and the Master Drama gel eyeliner pencils, and both Better Skin and Fit Me foundatins. NYC has waterproof eyeline pencils, same formula, that are great for about 4 bucks. L’Oreal Voluminous mascara, Voluminous Smoldering eye pencil, and silkissime liners are good. Their Colour Riche lipstick has many great colors, which I own, but the smell is an acquired taste.
Loreal lipstick. I will reapply my fav nude every hour if I have to and sometimes I have to but I love it. The smell, the feel, the color, it’s everything.