I’m totally drawing a blank on something recent (or somewhat recent), so I’ll go with a product that I can think of – Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks; the more liquid lipsticks I’ve tried in other formulas has made me appreciate how flexible the KVD formula is for me.
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I have 2:
1. Colour Pop Ultra Satin Liquid Lipsticks – I prefer a lipstick bullet but after wearing the formula for a while I’ve come to like the texture, super-pigmentation and staying power.
2. MAC Foiled Shadows – I thought to only use them by themselves before and they were too sparkly for me but recently used them as a topper for other shadows and really like them for that.
Me too on the MAC Foiled shadows! When I first got it, I enthusiastically swiped it all over my lids, and had a disco ball going on LOL The glitter is chunkier than what I’m used to. But now I use it strategically on my inner 1/3 lid or as a topper for other shadows
The biggest one is Becca’s matte primer. It’s a holy-grail once you figure out how to use it but it never stops being annoying to apply. Good thing it looks so great!
Most recently it’s Clinique’s Lash Power mascara. It looks jarring right after application, all length and only a touch of volume. A few hours later it settles into a nicely fluffy look that wears well and doesn’t turn into a smudgy mess.
I recently purchased the Becca Matte Primer…what did you figure out as far as application? I have to admit right now I don’t hate it, but I am also not overly impressed and also not reaching for it on the daily because I haven’t found it to be worth the trouble….I’d love to know what you did to change your mind so I can try! Thanks
I would ignore the instructions on the packaging. The tapping method is guaranteed to leave white spots everywhere. As counter-intuitive as it seems, I apply the primer over my morning argan oil. It doesn’t go well over oil-free moisturizers or a freshly clean face. Start with a light oil (argan, jojoba, rose hip) and then smooth on the primer like moisturizer. I don’t wear foundation over it, just powder. Something about the combination of a conditioning oil, the primer, and then a nice powder gives me the prettiest finish. There’s far less breakthrough shine than you’d expect.
It happened by accident! Having had accumulated quite a few HE mascara samples, and then running out of my beloved Maybelline Lash Sensational wp mascara way before getting paid again forced me to use some of what I had always looked askance at. Come to find out that these don’t flake like my Maybelline! Especially love and have a newfound appreciation for Benefit Roller Lash, Smashbox X-Rated and a few others that I never would have bothered with before.
Yes! That’s what I was going to say – Benefit Roller Lash. I got it from one of the subscription boxes (Glossybox I think). I like how it makes my lashes more visible but not clumpy. I don’t care as much for the Smashbox X-rated, which I also got in a box though. I find it hard to find exactly what I want in a mascara, so I don’t have high hopes for any of them. I like a less is more approach to mascara, but it has to make my thin light lashes visible. This Roller Lash does it!
Wet N Wild eye primer – I was applying too much and dried unevenly and looked gross. But once I’d dialed it back a bit and got the hang of applying a thin layer quickly and evenly, it’s actually really brilliant.
Anastasia of Beverly Hills Dipbrow– The first time I tried it, I felt like I had waxy clown eyebrows. It sat in my makeup bag unused for a while. Then I tried again. It took some practice to use very little product and get the hang of application technique. But now I use a tiny bit every day in the morning, and my brows look good all day.
A little for sure goes a long way. It is truly HG for me bc finding a matching brow color has been so difficult to find. ABH is only brand that has my color!
Same here! When I first got it, I dug my brush into the Dipbrow to get pigment, swiped it all over my brow, and ended up with Groucho Marx brows (eeek!!!) Took many cotton balls of waterproof makeup remover and scrubbing to wipe off. Now I just use the tiniest amount, think I’ve had my jar for almost 4 yrs, use it every day, and not quite halfway through. The best bargain ever!
For sure a great product. I really contemplated between the dip brow and the brow wiz pencil. I just think the dip brow is a better investment. I cannot bring myself to spend $20 something on a pencil that I will use up in a few months. The dip brow is few bucks less but will last me a few years and ABH has the best color options too!
I’m going to have to give ABH Dipbrow another shot. Same for me, used it once, looked like a clown, back into the abyss that is my makeup collection it went. Giving it another try tomorrow. Thanks ladies! 🙂
For me it would have to be blush it was a day I didn’t feel good everyone told me I was real white so I found my pink wine blush and added some color to my cheeks and after that no more comments .thats when I appreciated my blush for being a pink wine color.
I would say primers. I’m not completely convinced on facial primers but I have come to really love and consider it a must have, an eyeshadow primer. The more I use it, I realize oh yeah maybe it is better with than without
I think it will be the Benefit Push up eyeliner for me. I hated it initially for its difficult formula and application but now I love it 🙂
Oooooooh lemme think… Ah, I know, I think the Cypress Ink eyeliner from Bobbi Brown! The first time I applied it it wasn’t very intense but then I realized I was just using the wrong brush. Now that I figured out how to apply it I really love it.
1. My retinol eye cream. I use the ZO skin health by Obagi. I hated it at first and thought all it succeeded in doing was severely drying out the already delicate skin in the area. It took quite a bit of effort to stick with it, but eventually I saw the results: skin tightening and more importantly, the lessening of crepey skin especially under my eyes and where I have deeper eye hollows. My corrector and concealer applies so much better on the smoother skin.
2. yellow correctors (specifically the one in MAC corrector pallete for light skin) and powders (Hourglass radiant in Diffused Light). Well duh, I just didn’t get it. Thought yellow would just emphasize sallowness. Took the suggestion of a Temptalia reader to get me onto the powder first for setting the under eye area. Then I got into the cream corrector for brightening under my eyes and shadows around my mouth. Eureka!
Heard retinols are very drying to start but they basically are sloughing off dead skin so you have to wait to see results ?
Erica: Absolutely! Had the same issue with my face actually, but somehow it just felt and looked so much worse around the eyes.
Yes to retinols/retinoids! Mine made me break out/peel like a bugger for the first few weeks, but now my skin looks much better than it ever has.
Tinted mosturizers, when i first got the laura mercier tinted mosturizer as a deluxe sample i didnt like that much at first, i thought it didnt much compared to regular foundation, now that im going for a more natural and fresh look i can see that it makes my skin look more even toned without the heavyness of heavy makeup.
Amazing Concealer. At first I didn’t know what to think, and didn’t much like it. But I kept using it since it was the only concealer I had at the time, and came to know how to work with it, then depend on it. Just bought my second tube. 🙂
At first I really wasn’t into the beauty blender, now I’m on my 4th one and my lonely foundation brushes are probably wondering why they’ve been put to pasture…
That was my experience too! But now I’m back into the foundation brush with the Beauty Blender relegated to concealer. Go figure.
I use the blender for certain products. A brush for others. For ex, MAC nourishing waterproof foundation. The blender soaks up too much foundation and the foundation dries too quickly so a blender is not ideal imo. I always use a stippling brush. But BB creams and my other foundations like Loreal Truematch I prefer a blender:)
I would have to say the RCMA No Color powder. It’s so hyped up on YT, that I had to have it. When I used it for the first time, I was underwhelmed – it made my already pale face MORE pale, and that’s not what I was in the market for. Since then, I’ve used the powder in many different ways, and have found a brush that was more dense to wipe off any bake that I had on my face. The powder is now not only workable, but it is the one I reach for every day.
I am getting mine this Friday. I bought it because Wayne Goss said it would be good to use with his Air Brush. I’ve heard nothing but good things about the powder – I’m excited!
It has to be the skinny version of Marc Jacobs Blacquer liner. I got it as a points perk at Sephora and thought it was the regular Blacquer liner. I was so disappointed at first because not only is it really hard and sharp and pointy, to the point of lethal-ness, but it looked waaaay too harsh and black and hard. But used on my upper waterline….my goodness, what a great result. I’m still scared of taking out an eye if I blink or my hand wobbles but I am actually contemplating purchasing the full size of this (totally insane price) when Sephora has a VIB Rouge savings event.
Believe it or not, the Clinique Cheek Pops- until I got past the top layer I thought there color payoff was bad, but it’s just because the design was pressed in. Also City Color Shimmer Shadows. They have a bit of a learning curve, at least for me, due to the emollient texture. I usually just apply with my finger now and blend the edges with a brush. Sandstorm is my favorite! It’s the perfect bronze goddess color that I can just smudge on ?
I heard many say Clinique Cheek Pops are dry and you cannot pick up much pigment but after you dig at it a bit they work very nice. Never been my experience. I find the blush super soft, blendable and highly pigmented. Think maybe some got a difficult batch?
Same here, Julia (I nearly chose Plum Pop as my “disappointing at first” product but then realized the MJ liner was more recent). I was so heartily disappointed in this Cheek Pop at first but after a few uses, it worked much better and I can only think it’s because of the pressing/sealing process.
Laura mercies secret brightening powder and too faced bulletproof brows!!!!
Love the LM Secret Brightening Powder for setting my under eye concealer. I’m on my second one and is the only thing I use since discovering it.
Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks for me also.
Primers in general. I am still not completely sold on face primers but eyeshadow primers for sure have become a must for me!
I have oily skin and always thought primers did nothing for me. Then I got a sample of the Benefit Porefessional and have been using it religiously since. It doesn’t keep me from getting oily at the end of the day, but it makes my makeup last quite a bit longer than if I didn’t have it on.
I think I remember you saying something similar about Sephora Blonde Ambition, how it became a good brightening eyeliner. But I could be making this up!
I wasn’t overly impressed with Rimmel’s Cheeky Coral lipstick at first. I don’t really care for super bright lipsticks with dull or rounded cuts. But I discovered it works quite nicely patted on the lips like a stain 🙂
I’m gonna go with, weirdly, sunscreens? I didn’t wear sunscreen daily until the past year or so (I just turned 21) and in that year I can totally see a difference in the hyperpigmentation from my acne. It doesn’t feel like it’s doing anything, so at first it felt pointless, but a year later I’m convinced it’s the key to good, clear skin.
Also Smashbox BB Cream, I got it in a half shade too dark in a Sephora Favorites kit and wasn’t impressed, but I recently got Smashbox BB Water in the dropper bottle in a half shade too light, and mixing the two together really improves the formula (and color, obviously) of both, I love it.
Keep going on the sunscreen Elizabeth! When I was younger, I didn’t wear sunscreen very much (the formulas were truly heavy, oily and gross back then), until I started forcing myself to in my mid -20’s, and have been wearing it every day since. Now I’m almost 47, and I thank myself each and every day for doing that. I still have some sun damage (mostly hyper-pigmentation/dark spots), but nothing compared to what it could’ve been. I know some people who didn’t wear it, and at my age, they are getting major leather skin, not to mention putting themselves at risk of skin cancer.
I have major hyperpigmentation on my cheeks and I can tell a huge difference in not getting new spots, existing spots not getting worse, and letting resurfacing/dark spot correcting products actually work! I really recommend Sunday Riley Good Genes– if you can’t afford the crazy price, even a sample from Sephora for a few nights will give you results.
Thanks for the rec! I think I got a sample packet from Sephora in my stash, will dig it out and give it a try on my dark spots. Have heard so many great things about it! Glad it’s working for you 🙂
It’s seriously so good, the only crazy-price skincare I would say is absolutely worth the money if you have it. It’s also INCREDIBLE to mix in with your favorite mask! They suggest mixing it with their Ceramic Slip Cleanser to make a mask, but I like stirring it in to Lush or Pixi mud masks for a boost. And, of course, I only use it at night, in case of photosensitivity.
Elizabeth — I have to second Katharine’s remark: wear sunscreen! I wish I had at your age; skin cancer is no fun, trust me. There are some excellent, easy to wear, effective suncreens out now. I highly recommend La Roche Posay Athelios (I think that’s the spelling) SPF 60, which was highest rated among dozens tested by a leading consumer magazine recently.
AHHH I meant to go by Ulta today to get that exact one while it was on sale for the 4th of July weekend! I think I’ll buck up and buy it full price, though. Today at Target I picked up a body sunscreen, a sunscreen stick and lip balm with SPF because I’m finally going outside more now that recovery from a major surgery is going so much better.
Luckily now there are great BB creams with very good sunscreen protection. But yeah, always wear sunscreen. Then you won’t have to be like my brother who in his 40s has to have skin removed to be tested for cancer. Always wear sunscreen even on cloudy days or in the winter and even if your skintone is deeper. Tell my 14 year old who has darker skin due to her Mexican father. Not only does one have to worry about skin cancer but sun is very aging to the skin. You’re still young so can turn things around and it seems you have:)
I do try to look for BB creams with SPF but I still always use a separate sunscreen, too. I use CeraVe SPF 50 every day as a primer before I use an actual makeup primer, for two reasons– one, it leaves a white cast that begs to be covered up with makeup, two, it’s super matte. I’m grateful that my family hasn’t had any scares with skin cancer, but I’m still the only one in my family this vigilant about sunscreen. And thus the palest, as a cause and result of wearing sunscreen all the time.
Highlighters in general. Have lately been using Hourglass ambient powder in Diffused Light with great brightening effects, and wondering how I got along without it.
Jeffree Star beauty killer pallet. When I ordered it I was ho hum about it but once I started using it I can’t put it down. The most pigmented eyeshadows and they blend amazingly. All the colors complement each other.
The mattes blend well, too? I keep hearing mixed reviews regarding this palette. Some say the entire palette performs like a dream, others say the shimmers are to die for but the mattes could use some improvement. I know people apply eyeshadow differently, some use an all-over base first to make blending easier, some lay down the colors where they want them without a base, so I’m wondering if that could be the reason for the mixed reviews?
I think the mattes blend beautifully.
Do you use a base color first, Rachel? I’m just really curious as to why there seem to be such varied reviews.
I use eyelid primer. I think the shadows are super soft and silky.
Definitely the Laura Geller Baked Gelato blush in Cantaloupe. When I first swatched it on my arm, I went “uh oh” and started looking for the return receipt. It wasn’t very pigmented, and the color was very “meh”, but once I packed it on my cheeks, wow! It’s a soft pastel apricot color, very brightening, now I’m thinking of getting a backup.
Not a product but a category of products, super sheer or sheer foundation. I used to hate it 10 years ago and now I prefer it! I’d rather do a think layer and spot conceal. It means I have to put less definition back in my face saving me time, money, and product.
Honestly? My too faced Peach Palette. I bought it because I love the thrill of the chase. It kept getting sold out everywhere! Never thought I’d use it. Now, I use it all the time. I used it on my kids for their dance recital makeup even! And, I looooove the smell!
maybelline Superstay Foundation. I bought it when it came out & it doesn’t work at all with my winter skin. My skin type changes drastically with the seasons & I found I like it a lot in the spring and summer months.
I bought the Lorac 3 and it´s my first Lorac Pro palette. I feel the shadows are a bit powdery and the shadow Medallion it´s a chalky.
An oriental style khol by l’oreal,in teal. I love the guerlain one but I have it just in blavl.Guerlain’s is very pricey but easy to apply. In comparison the l’oreal is cheap but messy. I almost threw it away but with some added patience I have ended liking it. Not loooving it though…
Believe it or not, my original naked palette!
I got it for xmas and was beyond excited – but I was so disappointed at first. The colours seemed to go muddy, I didn’t find it versatile. Went back to my staple too faced palettes.
Then I watched a few more tutorials, tried it a few more times, then fell head over heels. It’s so beautiful, every time. Took me a hole, but I’ve come to appreciate it and love it so much.
Kat Von D shade and light eye pallet…it was so overwhelming and I just couldn’t come up with looks on its own…I like a little shimmer here and there.Now, it’s my go to matte!
Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue
It’s funny! to me, it was just the opposite!! I fell in love with that scent and bought it immediately! Then I got pregnant and suddenly couldn’t stand it. I had to get rid of it and the bottle was still pretty full. ?
Wow! That must have really sucked! The same thing happened to me and sweets. My second pregnancy made it where any type of sweets made me nauseous (but I still crave them once monthly which is ironic) -_- The funny thing about the fragrance is that I saw another vlogger raving about it on Snapchat and offered mine to her (it’s a Scentbird vial) in exchange for one of hers that she didn’t like. I’m pretty stoked that she didn’t respond frfr. LOL!
It Costmetics ByeBye Redness for me. I bought it hoping it would work, but it is waaaay too dark on its own. It sat, untouched, for months (I thought I had returned it) until I tried mixing it with my white face atelier ultra foundation. Now I love it!
Thanks for sharing. I am going to try that.
MUFE Plexi Gloss – When I bought it, I was looking for a gloss with opaque coverage, so I was a bit disappointed when I put it on, but it was nicely hydrating and looked great with my everyday makeup. I wore it for a couple days, but still didn’t love it so I returned it. After I returned it, I actually missed the natural, everyday look it gave me and chose to repurchase it because I didn’t have anything like it in my collection. It’s become my most used lipgloss!
When autumn/winter came, I was looking for some olive eye shadow to wear and found at the back of stash the Dior 3 Couleurs Khaki – one shade is an olive brown, the other an olive green and the third is a beautiful antique gold colour. Lovely.
WG #13 — I’ve come to love this brush so much. I have semi-hooded lids and this brush is a dream for creating the dome-shape crease. I use it almost every single day.
I meant to say #16. Yikes, I’m sorry.
Oooh has to be the Benefit “They’re Real” mascara. I’ve had two deluxe sizes and when they ran out and I tried a regular drug store brand, i realized how amazing Benefit was and that aside from me thinking its too expensive, that it’s worth it.
This seemed to be a difficult question as I dislike too much of a learning curve. I’ve recently tried to branch out from pencil eyeliner to cremes and liquids and find I like them too. I’m learning to play with newer brow products as well.
Being mostly anti-DS makeup, now that I make decent money, i found it intriguing that other Temptalia commenters who are mostly higher-end fans said that they liked Maybelline age rewind. I also saw a youtuber use it with Nars which was what i was usi g. I bought it and hated it. Later tried with a beauty blender and still hated it. For some reason, i tried again on Sunday and foday is day 3. Didnt even use another concealed. I really cant believe how great it is. Better CC capability than a lot.
I have mostly high-end products, but there are so many awesome products at the drugstore. My staples are Maybelline Fit Me concealer, Maybelline Age Rewind concealer is my very favorite concealer. I have a drawer full of high-end concealers and I always go back to the age rewind. Covergirl Super Sizer mascara is incredible. If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend. Milani blush in Luminoso is absolutely beautiful. I have pale skin, but I would imagine it would look great on many skin types.
I was grossed out by the suggestion from a young adult that said she used Monistat chafing cream for a facial primer. Everyone at the table took a big breath and bit their tongue. She then pulled a tube out of her purse and put some on our hand to feel the smoothness. I’ve never looked back. It’s so smoothing and my makeup goes on very nicely. At a cost of just under $7.00 a tube…it’s a winner winner chicken dinner for me.
Why? It’s a skin protectant not a product to use for yeast infections. It’s funny how we are so motivated or not by labels rather than what the product actually is. Similarly, people will buy sub par or basic products bc of the label ie Kylie Jenner lip kits. If it didn’t have her name, think people would go ape for it? Probably not. I just find it funny. I try my best to stick to ingredient lists rather than labels and marketing. Still I’m suckered in make no mistake but when you read ingredients and you realize pay for the name or the hype…it can steer you from a lot of regret purchases. Js.
Well I very rarely find a product I’m not impressed with. Maybe a few, because I try to read all the reviews on Temptalia and other sites before I buy. But like I said there are a couple I tried where at first I didn’t care for,but grew to love. One is my most recent, Becca skin correctors. These are very pigmented.rich color correctors that neutralize skin discolorations and create an even tone beautiful complexion. Well at first I was like, yucky, this isn’t going to work. But little, by little I worked the colors lightly and mixed them around and now BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love this stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Beautyblender. When it came out amidst all of that hype, I was just kind of like, shrug. But then I tried the Real Techniques version and thought, wow, this does a nice job of blending my foundation/bb cream. Maybe I will give that Beautyblender a try. I still have a slight preference for the Real Techniques sponge (plus it’s cheaper especially since my one cat likes to play with them and chew on them, I have to replace them pretty often. I also have to hide them.), but I use both exclusively for face makeup.
Also, I never had much use for highlighter and bronzer, but I’m getting the hang of how to wear them and I like the warmth and brightness they give my skin.
Well, having TMS, I tend not to revisit, so thanks for reminding me to do that. Naked 1 was always muddy on me, too, and the original hourglass ALP never hit the spot. Maybe tomorrow on RDO. Unless I lie around in the heat in the dog’ pool, softing my face with a BARE WG squirrel. Who needs product, when you have squirrel?
Definitely the Shiseido Bio-Performance Glow Revival Cream. I would use it at night as my primary moisturizer and would wake up with my skin feeling a little dry. I was going to use it for two weeks then return it if I didn’t see some kind of benefit from use. Right at the end of the two week period, I looked in the mirror and thought, “My skin somehow looks a little more youthful now than I remember…” I realized the only change in my routine had been the addition of the Shiseido cream. Now, I use it during the day, especially nice under makeup, and use a more moisturizing night cream.
As for makeup, it was the Diorshow Iconic Overcurl mascara that totally blew me away! It worked so well I thought it was another brand. I was shocked when I actually looked at the tube. 🙂
I would have to say benefit poreless primer. When I first got it I thought it was so so. However when I compare it to other face primers that I have, I realize that it really is a superior product. The poreless does what it says it will do.
For me it’s not a particular product. It’s every other lipstick or colored lipgloss other than pink. I never thought I looked ok, let alone not that bad in beige or corals. So, I said to myself, let’s see what color comes out if I did a quick mix of both on my hand. Love It!
In my Lip Monthly box a month or two ago, I got this stuff called Jello Shot Rosy Cheek and Lip Gel. The color, Hangover, was less pink than I would usually pick, and it was a sheer gel. I have since looked them up and find that they are by So Susan Cosmetics and sell for $24.95 each. Quite the bargain from my $12.95 Lip Monthly bag! It is awesome. The color is perfect for me. It has heat technology and gives you a flush by reacting to your body temperature. It’s a UK brand and cruelty free as well. I thought I wouldn’t be able to see this on my but it’s perfect and everyone tells me how great I look when I wear it, but they can’t tell why! I don’t know if there are any other shades.
Hmmm. I have two or three I think.
NYX Liquid Lip Lingerie in Embellishment and I think Tulle?- I’d disdained trying liquid lipsticks on the grounds of too drying and then I tried these, game changer for my easily chapped lips
Colourpop blushes – less recent but very poignant. With your fingers they don’t really work because of the mostly matte formulas (have yet to try a satin but one is on its’ way!) but if you use either a stippling brush or a short dense face brush they can work super well!
Laura Mercier Cream Eyeshadow in Alloy- hadn’t touched this in ages and tried it last week. I fell in love again and wondered what in my hamster wheel brain ever let me forget about how easy this is.
The Hourglass Arch brow pencil. I used to think I hated it, but after using it so much for the spoolie on the end, I came to love the angled pencil on the other side. I’ve been using it everyday!
Maybelline Color Tattoos. When I first got them, I couldn’t get them to apply very well, much less blend them out. Thank goodness for the Temptalia readers who gave me tips on how to apply them and on what shades were easier to work with. I still don’t really like them on their own, but they make fabulous bases. Unlike most cream products, don’t crease easily on my oily lids.
The Becca x Jaclyn Hill Face Palette. I’m an NW50 and I wasn’t sure how it would translate on my skin, but I’ve worked around it and found ways to use it.