What type of products are you most willing to try several times to make work?

I’ll keep using skincare products for weeks, even if they aren’t doing anything special (so long as they aren’t causing problems, of course!). I also tend to try base products like primers, concealers, foundations, powders, and the like at least a dozen times before writing them off.

— Christine

20 Comments

Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!

Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).

We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!

Comments on this post are closed.
Z. Avatar

Foundation, within reason. If it looks too dry or has trouble blending out I’ll put something like mac strobe cream underneath, or if it’s not *quite* as long lasting as I want then I’ll try setting sprays and the like. However I have very pale, very oily skin, so if I a product is too dark then it’s an immediate write-off because I hate foundation mixers. Or, if it has no lasting ability (lasts a few hours but not through a workday) then I write it off as well. I find I can extend wear by and hour or two with setting sprays and the like, but if something breaks down after a few hours then I know I won’t be able to get a full days wear out of it no matter what I do.

I also tend to try blushes and eyeshadows a few times before writing them off, but with bronzers I tend to write them off pretty quickly if they don’t work for me. Bronzer is so tricky when you’re fair with a cool undertone, so if it doesn’t work off the bat (using a light hand and over base products that I know don’t affect the wear of products on top), then I tend to be done with it.

Tammy Avatar

OMG, I am going through this right now with Viseart’s Petite Pro II! You were right about this one Christine. I committed to a week of using this palette. I’m only on day three and it feels like I’m not going to make it. I like the colors, but the quality just isn’t there.

I’d say overall eyeshadow palettes are where I invest the most time.

Kate Avatar

mostly any product! especially base products (foundation, concealer, powder, skincare, etc.) there’s so many ways to apply base products that it’s only fair.
I also do this with eyeshadows. Sometimes I think it’s just the brushes I used or the way I’m applying it, and some days, I just don’t have the finesse for eyeshadow!
I think I’ll give a product a shot about a dozen times to see if it’ll work, unless I know right off the bat that it’s not changing in performance (ex: eyeliner that just isn’t black enough, blush that is WAY too pigmented etc.)

MacKenzie G. Avatar

I’ll typically try anything at least 3 times unless I get a reaction from it, which hasn’t happened so far. I’m more impatient with base products like concealer and face powder because I have ones that work for so if I try something that doesn’t work for me I’m not willing to keep dealing with it. For cheek and eye products, I’ll give things more shots with different techniques, primers, and brushes. Lip products will depend on the formula. I won’t try a liquid lipstick (which personally is a pain in the butt to apply) as many times as I’ll try a bullet lipstick or a gloss.

AB Avatar

Definitely skin care; I’ll toss something right away if it’s doing harm — breakouts, chemical reactions, etc. — but will otherwise give it time. I’ll also give time to primers. Also blushes because I seem to be too finicky about blushes.

Ana Maria Avatar

I’m trying to give everything a chance, make-up chemistry on the face and brushes used sometimes make all the difference in the world. Some formulas simply don’t mix together well (even from the same brand).
Usually foundation is the one I give most chances, I try it with primer/no primer, water based or silicon based primer, applied with brush, sponge or fingers. Concealer is another product I like to try in multiple ways before saying it’s awful.
Even eyeshadows and blushes I’m willing to try several time… trying them with various brushes, picking them lighter or applying them with a different motion (patting, pressing, swirling, dabbing). That’s if I like the color; some colors make me look sick no matter the combination. 😆

Deborah S. Avatar

I think that if I purchase something and the color is not going to work for my coloring, (doesn’t happen often as I am pretty good at determining when something is the right shade for me), then I usually don’t give it another chance. Maybe try layering but when the shade is off it is so noticeable. Everything else I am pretty much willing to work with it and try different options to make it work. Like Christine I give skin care a good 3 months to work before determining if I want to continue or not. It just takes so long to know if it is helping or not but if it is going to cause problems they generally show up relatively quickly. Luckily I don’t have particularly reactive skin.

Agona Avatar

I’m not very patient when it comes to color cosmetics. I very rarely come to love something if I don’t love it within the first couple to a few tries.

Rachel R. Avatar

*Expensive items that I can’t return, including fragrances (I’ll try layering them with other fragrances, especially if they were gifts).
*Really unique colors or finishes that I’m in love with.
*Foundations. I will try different a few different primers and application methods before writing them off.
*I usually try skincare for 3 months before deciding whether it’s working for me or not.

Glenda Avatar

Skincare for sure. I think it can take weeks to begin to see a difference with skincare…it’s the long game for sure. Also foundation I rend to try for a couple of weeks with variety of primers, moisturizer, SPF, etc before throwing in the towel or claiming victory.
Everything else I know pretty quickly whether it’s a keeper for me or not. At keystone for me.

Genevieve Avatar

Unless a skincare product is causing irritation, I persevere with that. But if I open a skincare product and it has too much fragrance or botanical scent I don’t use it at all (except as a skin moisturizer on my arms).
As far as makeup is concerned – I will only give a foundation, these days, a couple of goes. Having spent a good portion of my life already wearing the wrong undertone of foundation, I am not willing to keep going with it.
I am very selective with my makeup products, especially eyeshadows and tend not to have that problem.
Eye brow gel I gave several goes before abandoning it.

Silvia Avatar

Most things I guess if a foundation turns out too white I’ll lightly use a bronzer to try to even out color. Too thick wear lot less and mix with more moisturizer I been using Cera Vé under all and find is working great but I always use very light foundation. About to throw away a Revlon one is so heavy and the color is so off I’m beginning to just hate it! I think it’ll be perfect for corpses in funerals. Lol! Yuck! I have never liked Revlon much but gave it a chance. With eyeshadow, if patchy as with a Pixie one I have I’ll try applying with brush or finger or blend with a Qtip that helps lots many times. I’m very cool toned so I’m a pro at blending everything not to over do a color. With skin care sometimes I can notice a nice difference the very first time I wear it there’s some magic. As long as it doesn’t brake me out I’ll finish a product and use it on and off with other products in between but any bad reaction is farewell my love! With blush and lipsticks I tend to have much better luck.

rachel Avatar

Foundations, Powders, Bronzers and Highlighters. For some reason I feel more wasteful seeing these products go neglected. Worse comes to worse, I’ll use them as body(chest/shoulders even legs!) products. I actually love using Tinted Moisturizers with SPF on my legs in the summer.

We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!