What was the last product you bought that you expected to love but didn't?
The new Giorgio Armani Eye Tints — I didn’t realize (or expect) such a massive change in formulation from pigmentation to texture to application!
— Christine
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Marc jacobs air blush! I bought one shade with the winter sales, I was sooo excited since it was my first luxury blush (i tend to not spend so much in blushes, since, unlike other kind of products, I’ve found a lot of good formulas in the low-middle end brands) and since a lot of people talked about it as one of the best blushes in the market. But I’ve finished to not love it at all. It was not a complete miss, but it’s plenty of better formulas at lower prkce point. On me it is barely, visible I have to layer it on my check many many times to obtain a very natural effect. Yes I love that final natural effect! No patchy at all, it seems to came from my skin… But how much I have to struggle to achieve it! Considering the price, I am not totaly satisfied and I have no ideas about how this product could work on someone slightly darker than me (or when I tan in summer) and I am light
Funny, this was going to be the same product for me! It was barely visible, tons of fallout, didn’t wear long at all. 🙁 I’m sticking with my Clinique Cheek Pops, though I did just buy some of the Fenty cream blush at the Sephora sale.
Good to hear that there is someone with the same issue! I was starting to think that was fault of my tecnique/brushes even if I’ve never had any kind of problem with other blush. By the way, with that price point, a blush should be able to apply almost effortless, no matter about the brush!
I have one of the Armani liquids (in Magnetic) which I do use. But I think that brings me to the fact that I’m generally less enthusiastic about all liquid eyeshadows once I use them.
I have ones from ELF, TARTE, Cover FX, Armani, Stila, Kaja and really LOVE none.
The are some new TF versions out now, they look promising, but I’m in no hurry.
Pat McGrath – the under eye setting powder. My cake exploded a week after I received it. I don’t believe it was the shipping as it arrived intact looking perfect. I didn’t drop it or treat it cruelly. It literally exploded one day when I opened the compact. I think it’s cheap rubbish.
OMG, I ordered this as well and donot have time to unpack. must be really shock.
Ok. I won’t be buying that. Thank you for mentioning it. PMG will probably refund you without the return process if you haven’t already emailed them about what happened.
PML Blitz Astral Quad
PML mascara
Colourpop Strawberry Shake collection
Colour pop Lip crayon
Colourpop Glass Bull e/s
Laneige Water Mask
Glass Bull, totally agree. Another one that is raved, and I wrinkle my nose and ask, why?
It swatches pretty but it has zero staying power with primer or layered over a shadow. Just really? But we care more today about first impressions and swatching vs performance over the long haul lol
Laneige water mask ?
I agree on Strawberry Shake. I bought the eye palette and it’s ok, but not as usable as I thought it would be. But it set off a serious craving for an actual strawberry shake, which I took care of at our local ice cream parlor. ?
I had read such glowing reviews for rms beauty’s Buriti Bronzer and saw a youtube video (my Achilles heel) that also praised how natural and subtle and gorgeous it is for pale complexions. So I ordered it from Sephora and was so anxious for it to be delivered. I don’t know if I got a bad one (the texture is so different from the Champagne Rose luminizer that I have – it’s kind of hard and almost dried out feeling) and while I understand that it is “subtle”, I can barely get any to transfer onto a brush and have to use my fingers to apply and blend. I was expecting to love it; as it is now, I’m making myself use it and hoping I get to the point of at least liking it.
Natasha Denona Coral Palette, which I bought last summer. I did already own similar colors but I had read so many wonderfully things about the formula that I thought the ND would be an upgrade. Nope. In general I was disappointed in all the ColorPop products I have tried other than the SS blushes as well as the Sidney Grace cream shadows and given the reviews and comments here, I thought I would love them.
Pat concealer. Just got it in the sale. It’s real thick, so who would expect it to dry down instantly? Could not even reach an arm’s length for a brush, before it was barely spreadable. With tugging. Color match was fair, too yellow, too deep, but that’s often true for me. When it oxidized almost immediately into Oompa Loompa, just shook my head and wondered how it could be a five star reviewed product. And I can’t even give it away, due to Covid. S ought not to be taking returns at present, anyway. The Hourglass concealer is not a good color match, but that’s really my fault. It can work as a corrector. I’m thinking of doing a last minute order with a lighter, pinker color of the HG and maybe Amber Fenty (sounds like Ri’s younger sister) and the cool berry.
Can PMG’s concealer be cut or is it THAT dry? I cannot find a real coverage concealer or full coverage foundation other than the original IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye in a black tube. Not the pink tube. I’ve given that one a chance for years and I kinda hate it. Dying to find something creamy, anti-aging, talc free, wears well / sets. I basically want it all.
Yup. I hate full coverage concealers .full stop.
I’ll save you some money.. don’t try the Hourglass.. ?
Thanks! You continue to save me time and money. I appreciate it immensely. Now what to do about not loving liquidy concealers but wanting creamy coverage? These Bye Bye Under Eye balm things I tried are not awesome! Expected to love but didn’t. ?
Would absolutely have to be UD Naked 1 palette. I thought for sure that it was going to be perfect for me since it was so wonderful for my daughter and many others. Many of the shades just don’t look right on me for some reason. Especially those two transition shades! But I do still pull it out and use it once in awhile for those few subtley plummy/mauvy brown shades in it.
I know I’m going to be in the minority on this one—possibly a minority of one—but I was disappointed by Hourglass Mood Exposure Blush. It’s pretty, but I don’t think it’s that much better than any other blushes I own and wasn’t worth the price for me.
I love that blush but from what I have heard from others about those disappointed that it depends on the marbling. Some of the HG blushes have a more even balance in the marbling and those who do have enjoyed the blush. Those that didn’t don’t have a well balance of the marbling. It has to do with bc it’s a baked product. Could be what happened with yours?
Interesting that you say that because the first one I bought was very poorly marbled, so I exchanged it for a better one. So I don’t think it’s the marbling. I guess Mood Exposure and I are just not a good match!
Same for me! So disappointing and left me wondering what is so different about my skin tone/undertone that led me to not be amazed by it as everyone else is.
I like Mood Exposure the ‘finishing’ powder original better.
Glossier Brow Flick. I wanted to try the brow pen but this just doesn’t work well for me. It’s not easy to use and basically just leaves a sort of stained effect on my skin. I can not get “brow strokes” with this at all.
Charlotte Tilbury’s blue eye shadow quad for brown eyes! My first CT eye shadow purchase and man was I let down with the patchy dark matte blue shadow and the poor longevity! I tried every primer to no avail, returned it weeks ago but still haven’t received my money back!
Oh no! That quad seemed so nice initially. I was looking into Sydney Grace dupes for that same quad and I think there are some lovely comparisons.
Pat McGrath Mascara – it’s too dry for me and doesn’t hold a curl.
Pat McGrath Foundation – it’s fine and I’ll use it up but won’t re-purchase. I think I was expecting everything to be next level like I revere her palettes to be and nope, just a decent foundation but not HG.
Pat McGrath face powder – mattifies nicely, does a decent job but not HG. I think it suffers more from my expectation than it does as a product.
I was so so tempted to pick up the PMG foundation during the sale. I gad it in my cart at least three times and I kept removing it be because the price.. even on sale. I never like any foundation that much so I’m glad my skepticism held me back. No worries, I’ll blow it on something else at some point ?
Charlotte Tilbury’s face setting powder (and probably anything from the brand) is a memorable one for me… but the latest is Maybelline SuperStay powder foundation. It was simply awful, but I really believed I would like it since I really liked the pressed powder and the liquid foundation from the line.
Over hyped product that never worked for me is anything Briogeo and Olaplex. That Briogeo conditioning masks does nothing for my fine frizzy hair which is not even that dry, I tried many other drugstore conditioners that work way better.
I disliked that Maybelline powder foundation too. Just cakey. Breaks down quickly. I didn’t have super high expectations though since I bought it on a whim!
Yup. Olaplex products have been disappointing for my hair as well. I wanted to believe the hype since stylists & colorists raved about them, probably in part to upsale color services, for years & years! Interesting to read about but they made my hair dry as hell w so much breakage. If I ever get my hair lightened again (well basically bleached) idk how I’ll get around convincing the very nice stylist that Olaplex products aren’t going near my hair and I’m not buying any. I’m scared of other bond building products too.
The main issue with Olaplex is that bonding can be beneficial for some hair types, but actually damaging for others. A hair stylist explained me that there’s a thing called `over-keratinization`; if your hair doesn’t need bonding, using Olaplex can make your hair feel/look dry and brittle; for my hair problems an nourishing dry oil works way better.
Olaplex is so conflicting, even the no. 3; some say to actually leave for more time (even overnight), some say to not exceed 10-30 minutes (to not over-bond). I tried all approaches to finish he bottle and nothing made any difference; but the longer I left it the more I felt my hair `brittle` afterwards.
Holika Holika Foil Shock shadow. Similar to NYX Foil Play in terms of texture, but not what I expected. I am playing around with it, because it is pretty so I want it to work! Otherwise, I am so much better at only buying things I know I will enjoy and use compared to how I was in the past.
Hourglass Veil setting powder. Good thing I only bought the mini. I don’t like the product itself much but I still try to use it up—too bad the packaging is awful and won’t let any product escape the little holes.
That’s a really good question Christine – because every now and then you do buy a beauty product, expecting to love it and for all kinds of reasons, you don’t.
I think it this question really applies to something expensive you’ve saved up for and it just hasn’t lived up to its reputation on you.
For me, it was The Rebel palette by CT (the original one). The green shade that I like the best has the least wear time and tends to fade quite quickly on me. At the time I purchased it, Sydney Grace wasn’t around with all those stunning green shades that they have put out. The Rebel was one of the very few green quads around at the time and as it is a colour that I love to wear, I quickly jumped on it.
But I have found that I don’t really use it as much as perhaps I could.
Pat McGrath lip balm. It’s not a good lip balm for the price or even for a substantially lower price. It’s just.. there. I have lip products that cost less than a milkshake that are more hydrating, moisturizing, emollient, flattering, long-lasting, you name it.
I’m glad I received it in a bundle that only cost $30 because paying full price for that is insanity.
Makeup-wise, the Hourglass Ghost Ambient Quad. The products looked amazingly beautiful swatched on the back of my hand, but they are nothing like that on my face. They look like average drug store products on me — I don’t get that glow. I want to try it with some different brushes and foundations, and my tinted moisturizers, before I completely give up on it.
Moreso, though, would be the Simple Human mirror. It’s useful, to be sure, but not as miraculous as it’s hyped up to be. The sensor for keeping the light on is VERY particular about you being in just the right spot to activate it. It didn’t work out of the box, and I had to contact their tech support (which was great!).
It was a real PITA to set up and get working, and to connect it to my phone. I still don’t think the different lightings feature is working right on it yet. I have to make time to email with their tech support again. If I had paid full price for it, it would have gone straight back to the store. Really, I probably should have returned it anyway.
This is my fault, but I also thought it was a regular large mirror with a super-magnified smaller mirror. That would have been much more useful to me than what it is, which is a magnified large mirror with a super-magnified smaller mirror.
Hourglass’ Mood Exposure blush. My skin tone is light-medium and all the reviews I read about it lse to think it would be life changing. Instead, it gave me an ashy vibe! My undertone is peachy but I also have an olive tinge so I’m guessing it all cancelled out in my skin to look white/grey? Thinking Incandescent Electra would be the better choice next time.
Fenty Full Frontal Mascara, leaves a flaky hot mess under my eyes and not just a little bit, it looks like an explosion went off! I’m hoping I can return it when the stores open again.
I’m with you on the Armani Eye Tints. Ever since you first reviewed them I’ve wanted some but I just couldn’t see paying that much for a single eyeshadow. A few months ago I saw that they had been repackaged, and had a smaller amount, with a lower price so I jumped on one. I was so surprised and disappointed at how lackluster it seemed. I didn’t realize the formula had changed with the repackaging until you recently reviewed them. So, yeah, I still like it, but it didn’t live up to my expectations. I’ve found it shows up better if I put it over another eyeshadow.