What was the last product you splurged on but regretted buying?
All of Guerlain’s eyeshadow quads. I don’t really regret, since I will review them, but I’ll never use them again. I wish I had stuck to just buying one or two first.
— Christine
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Well this will come as a huge shock! Chanel Rouge Vie Lipstick. Yes, it is gorgeous on me. Yes, it feels nice.
BUT; so does MAC VG I. Exact same color applied. Feels good enough on. Thing is, the lighting in Nordstrom is horrible, so I didn’t notice that it was just a fancy dupe for VG I. Lesson learned. Check lipsticks you’ve tried on under alternate lighting!
“Check lipsticks you’ve tried on under alternate lighting!”
Amen! What I do now when I’m trying on something new (especially if it’s pricely) is put it on in the store, then walk around to different stores, and even go outside. It can sound a little nutz, but it has saved me quite a few wrong purchases.
Not nuts at all. My big Sephora casts everything so yellow, and there’s so much glare, that it’s mandatory to walk out. Even for ody swatches. No product looks the sama as at the little Sephora! Plus, you cancel the impulse buy thing, which is always good.
Hand or body swatches.
It seems like the store lighting is always too dark or too yellow, and I’ve made mistakes before due to bad lighting. One of my local Nordstroms looks like the bat cave, my pupils dilate to maximum size whenever I go in there. So now I always swatch on my hand/wrist, then walk to a window or outside, into sunlight to check the color. And I also put swatches of similar colors next to each other, because something might look good on its own, but if you compare it to other similar colors, you realize the one you were eyeing is too orange, too pink, too light, etc. Hey, might as well make use of that AZ sun, you have PLENTY of it down there 😉
Katherine, yep, we definitely DO! If only I had gone while it was light out, but when I got there it was about 8 p.m. I just didn’t even think to check it in a different store or anything. This was definitely my bad! Because I swear, now I have 2 VG I lipsticks! Only positive is that this is my favorite shade of red on myself, so I guess I’ll live. Perhaps I mixed up Chanel shades in my head. Idk.
Good advice. I always end up going outside with any product swatches. I don’t know why makeup stores don’t invest in good lighting.
This was a while ago, but first thing that comes to mind for me is the Too Faced Sugar Pop palette… the shadows were just so hard to blend out, and the fallout was insane!! Not happy about that.
I agree! I gave mine away to a friend who wanted to try Too Faced shadows!
Good idea!!
I don’t really regret anything since I do a ton of research beforehand and since I can return anything I don’t like. Fortunately I don’t get wrapped up in all the palette/ LE madness so my disappointment with makeup is rather low. I have some UD stuff I don’t really like but I can just give that to my daughter:)
A Shiseido eye cream for dark circles. It was an improptu purchase but wasn’t the right one within their line for my needs. My expensive error…but it keeps the eye area moisturized, so not a total loss.
The Pur Love Your Selfie 2 pallette. I don’t know why I liked it in the store; the colors are muddy when I put them on, and the lipgloss is heavy. I do like the mascara, though. Also, the Tarte Kiss & Blush pallette called my name til I finally had to break down and buy it. I like the look of it, but of course I never, ever use it.
Again, the Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster. It’s only 20 ml and it costs a lot.
I ordered that same PC product. What don’t you like about it?
I bought it to help with my acne and my large pores. But it did the complete opposite and broke me out BAD. As soon as I took it out of my routine again the breakouts subsided. Fingers crossed you have a different experience. Every skin is different, so maybe I just got unlucky.
Oh, ok. Sorry to hear that. I have large pores, too. I’ve been using it about 2-3 months, now. Initially, I thought it was magic, lol, because it literally made my pores seem less obvious after 2-3 days of use! And I am very skeptical about skin care claims. Thankfully, it has not broken me out, however, I don’t really notice the pore lessening effects anymore, so I’m not sure I’ll repurchase. Thanks for the feedback.
I’m thinking of trying curology niacinamide. But since I’m into big time reactive flushing/ inflammation now, and niacinamide is notorious for causing flushing, that might not be a great idea either. Thanks for saving me from Paula’s, though I do wish I could get a foil packet sample.
I’ve just started using the niacinamide zinc solution from The Ordinary in the last week and have already seen noticeable shrinkage in my pores, especially on my nose and cheeks. Too soon to say about helping with breakouts, but if you want to try another brand for a low cost risk, I think I paid something like $7-10 for it off the Deciem site
Thanks for the tip!
Yes! Mara, I’ve just found this company as well. Haven’t received my products yet, but the niacinamide/zinc serum is one that I ordered. After researching the science of these formulations, I think I’m going to like them. And the prices!! PLEASE let me know how everything works for you – I’ll do the same. This company might be on to something….!
Here is some info on pores I hope will be helpful. After chasing the promise of smaller pores with nothing really working, I decided to look into the science of it. (I’m married to an MIT guy so I can’t help it sometimes — it rubs off. 🙂 ) I do like the Estee Edit pore blur-er a lot, and that’s because it does what it claims and that’s that. We really can’t hope for much more than that when it comes to pores, no matter the claims. Links below.
Question to Beauty Brains:
Jess just wants to know… I have had large pores for as long as I remember. What products really work to shrink facial pores?
The Brain’s reply:
Unfortunately, none. At first glance, you may think that pore control products offer to make your pores smaller, but if you read the label carefully you’ll see that in most cases they just claim to reduce the appearance of large pores. That may sound like a subtle distinction but it’s really not. There’s not much you can do to physically make your pores smaller but you can avoid making them look larger. Instead of looking for “shrinking” products, try avoiding these 5 factors that can make pores look plump:
1. Skin debris…
…like dead skin cells can collect in pores making them appear bigger. Good facial cleansing is key to staying debris-free.
2. Excessive oiliness…
…can keep pores filled with a layer of oil that accentuates their appearance. Consider using oil-absorbing makeup or more frequent cleansing or blotting.
3. Bacterial growth…
…contribute to blackheads and make pores appear freakishly huge. Exfolliation can help.
4. Sun exposure…
…can thicken the skin cells around the edge of pores making them appear larger. Using a sunscreen or limiting your sun exposure is a good idea.
5. Genetics…
…determines your skin type and if you`re unlucky enough to be born with oily, thicker skin your pores will probably be more noticeable. Changing your parents could help this but is probably not a very practical solution.
The bottom line to the consumers is that nothing REALLY makes pores physically smaller. You can keep them clean with an acne type product or you can conceal them with a foundation type product but don’t bet tricked into spending a ton of money on lentil or bamboo extract.
http://thebeautybrains.com/2010/11/5-ways-to-reduce-enlarged-pores-2/
http://thebeautybrains.com/2014/01/pore-minimizing-myths-the-beauty-brains-show-episode-012/
Thanks for the mythbusting!! I had cystic acne, blackheads and large pores. After Accutane my acne and blackheads have gone away but I still had the enlarged pores. Nothing worked…but in the last 6 months I decided to clean up my face routine of heavy chemicals. (The accutane left my skin very dry) I started using a natural based soap and moisturizing with only coconut oil morning and night.
In the last 6 months my acne scars have faded significantly. And more impressively, my pores are actually smaller. They shrunk. Not gone, but they’re not the makeup swallowing wells they were before. I realize that some people have reported using coconut oil broke them out, so it’s not for everyone, but it’s helped me.
I now use Too Faced hangover primer and it’s working so far. I normally don’t have issues with my pores unless I overheat and sweat my make up off.
No science here, just personal experience
Hourglass Ambient Lighting palette. They oxidize in no time and my skin gets 10X oilier 10X faster.
I’m not nuts about it either. I can only successfully wear Dim, I think, and only with a summer tan. Never in the rest of the seasons. The others are plain unflattering. Don’t quite see how such a sheer product can be so unforgiving. Like mood, though. May be an undertone issue. At least it isn’t oil provoking on me.
That’s good to know. I have oily skin and things oxidize really quickly. I might just stay away from their powders.
Oh no! I recently noticed that happened to me when I used them over a new concelear. Prior to that I never had that occur.
Interesting. Good to know. I have been hesitant bc anything I’ve swatched from that line seems so dry and scratchy… oxidation is just another reason to pass on it!
Oh no, I just bought that! Hope I have better luck as I have oily skin. Fingers crossed.
The ysl ink foundation… It oxidized like crazy. The finish is beautiful, but the coloring adjusted and settled to be way off for me.
I actually got a sample before buying and wore a few times. Either something is off with the formula or my chemistry has changed.
hourglass’s diffused light. i had begged one of my friends to buy it from US as it’s much more expensive from where i’m from.
i just don’t get the hype. i used it lightly as finishing powder and more heavily as highlighting across high points of the face and i just dont see any improvement or change! i am far more satisfied with the meteorite pearles. am i missing out some key point in the application of it??
I had the same experience – it did absolutely nothing for me. If anything it made me look dustier. LOVE my Meteorites Perles.
I have Diffused Light, but after buying it, I found out it’s very different from most of the Hourglass powders, in that it has almost no shimmer. I use it as a finishing powder in the winter, when my skin is drier, but if I want something more glowy/shimmery, I have to reach for something different.
I love the Hourglass finishing powder in Dim to dust off setting powders but I’ve found it’s best to test them on half your face, then go about your day before buying. I had really wanted Mood Exposure because my skin tone responds well to anything with a hint of pink or mauve in it but after applying it on half my face, I couldn’t tell a difference whatsoever. Saved me $55.
Hourglass ambient lighting powder in ethereal light. It was $55, swatched just a tiny bit shimmery on my hand, and reviewers rave about it.
It does nothing. I have a Cover FX setting powder that if I put on one side of my face with Hourglass on the other there’s no difference at all.
Last fall I purchased all the Kat Von D Metal Crush eye shadows. It’s not that they aren’t good, but I just wish I had bought them a few at a time, and had only gotten the colors I actually wanted (the greens and the one beautiful highlight, Thunderstruck). I have about six or seven colors that are sitting unused in my make up cabinet. On the same day I also splurged on the big Marc Jacobs fall palette, and this also sits mainly untouched☹️
Chanel coups de Minuit highlighter. It’s a nice highlighter, a bit sparkly, but I just don’t use it. Mac soon after released the collection of MSFs and Nuanced ended up being fairly similar. I use Nuanced all the time.
The Too Faced Sugar Pop palette was pretty disappointing, and it doesn’t any good basic shades so I always have to reach for another palette. Also, as beautiful as the KVD Monarch palette is, it never looks good on my eyes. It’s always muddy and powdery. Pretty disappointing.
Funny. That’s the first brown/neutral palette I actually ever liked. I get mud, too, with many, but not with that. If you have any motivation to try to use it, try less blending/minimal blending at the edges only.
Sugar Pop was disappointing to me too…
I think I’m in the same boat as Erica – thanks largely to THIS site, I really manage to make my “splurges” things that are real winners for me.
What a shame to read about the Guerlain Quads. I only have one – Les Fumes – which I believe they have discontinued (stupid move) and even back 5 or so years ago, it was one of their best. I did manage to “purchase” it with Optimum points but even if I’d paid for it with actual money, I would still absolutely love it. Guerlain (and Dior) quads/5 pans are always pricey items but so many of them are really disappointing and, what’s worse, when they do get it right, it’s either LE or they discontinue it.
So this will be heresy, but…TF Honeymoon quad. It is gorgeous and exceptional quality. It’s that so far it’s dark (I’m quite fair) and a tad too shimmery for me. I’m experimenting with techniques to find a way to wear it one way or another given the cost, but lesson learned re my colors and impulse buying (bought while on a trip; there’s nowhere to buy TF locally).
I nearly fell off my chair when I saw this comment, hahaha. That quad is my favourite beauty product in the world. It’s a shame you aren’t loving it, especially considering it’s so pricey. 🙁
So I’m very fair as well and just bought Honeymoon over the weekend. I mixed it with the new Runway duo that just came out (lighter shade all over, darker shade on mobile lid) and added the plum shade lightly on the outer third to deepen. This could help you find ways to make the palette work since you have it and obviously can’t exchange. It doesn’t help with the shimmer factor, but the two darker shades mix well with taupes and the lighter ones could be mixed with other darker shades that you know work for you. Its my long-winded way of suggesting you think of it lest like a standalone palette and more singles to mix with shadows you have and love. Maybe that will help?
Before makeup and beauty blogs became big I splurged on expensive makeup because I was under the assumption that the more expensive something is, the better it is. Unfortunately that’ not always the case. I have purchased eyeshadow palettes and lipsticks from high end brands that performed worse than drugstore products. Thankfully, within recent years, I have not made that mistake because I do my research beforehand.
Not really a splurge but the Urban Decay palettes. I really thought I would use them but I haven’t reached for one in over a year. I didn’t buy the Alice palette or latest matte palette and I don’t think I will. I have a few of their singles and they’re great, I just rarely reach for them as well. I prefer palettes and that is my thing right now, collecting palettes, but I also need a prescription for the eye look – I don’t do well with creating eye looks on my own and while the colors are gorgeous, I won’t use them because I don’t have it laid out for me as to what goes with what. I think it’s easier for me to change up one shade if I know the rest of them will work with it or I have the rest of the eye look prescribed. For some, that is the fun of makeup – creating as you go. For me it is anxiety producing – play usually leads to things going horribly wrong and I look like a five year old playing in mommy’s makeup drawer. I like things to be streamlined and cohesive and to know what it will look like at the end, especially during the work week.
Maybe if they came out with quints or quads or made their palates differently, it would work, but I’m not sure I like how they pair colors anyway. I think Urban Decay is all about the edge, creating really colorful, bold, non – traditional and wicked eye looks, and I’m the exact opposite of that. When I can bear to part with them, somebody is going to be very happy to get a whole collection of UD palettes.
Pearl, go to Pinterest and search for the UD palette you want to use. I know that the Naked 1, 2, and 3 palettes all have tutorials with instructions on where to place each color for a certain look. Hope it helps you use those palettes.
I am going to do that. I don’t know why I didn’t think to do that earlier – thank you for the suggestion!
That’s too bad! I like a lot of UD shadows but only have a couple colorful UD palettes. I have recently found that I am preferring palettes to quads and singles because the colors are usually grouped that work well together, giving me a few group options in one place so it’s not overwhelming. I don’t have time for doing super complex shadow looks even though I’d love to play more. Since you seem attracted to the colors but not the combinations maybe you could try a single color wash on some days, or a scaled back 2 color monochromatic look? I’ve tried doing that recently on a couple of days when I was pressed for time and it was pretty liberating to just go simple.
I’ve never thought of it like that – I will try the monochromatic or the two color looks. It’s worth a shot because some of the colors are quite lovely, especially their shimmers. Thank you for your suggestions!
One? Just one? 🙂
Makeup:
I have to say it turned out to be the Marc Jacobs Kinks & Kisses blush. In the end I just didn’t like it — wrong color? I dunno, just didn’t do much for me after the first week. I was never reaching for it so I gave it to my son’s GF.
Skin care:
All of it by Caudelie. Lots of $ for products that work no better than Kiehl’s for twice the price. Finished up what I had, went back to Kiehl’s, not looking back.
The first thing that comes to mind is the UD Naked Smokey palette. Ugh. I always use eyeshadow primer, and the pigmentation is poor no matter what I do. The fallout is terrible, and they don’t blend well and look extremely patchy. I wish I could return the darn thing, but I’ve owned it for too long. I felt similarly about the Naked 3, but fortunately I took that one back.
Yesterday I swatched the new UD Ultimate Basics and thought, “no, oh no.” Just you described and that was on my hand and arms. I was very unimpressed and I wanted to like it.
As Edith Piaf said, Je ne regrette rien. When I was low on funds, I got heavy into research, and right now, I say no easily. But I would have to say HG original ambient light was my only mistake in the past five years. I used to buy far more indiscriminately. T has helped me greatly.
Christine, I’m curious if you ever go to the stores to swatch stuff before figuring out what to review vs. not review? I’m thinking that if there was a Guerlain counter near you, you could swatch their new eye shadow kits, figured out it wasn’t worth it to buy/review the entire line, or maybe just buy a couple of the kits to review?
I don’t think that reviews should be based on something being good or bad – reviews for bad products are just as much needed as something that is good. I don’t want to get bogged down in worrying about good/bad – it’s really my own stupidity not to have stuck with just buying half the range, as I know better, so that was just my mistake 🙂 A lot of times when I buy things, they aren’t in stores yet as online usually gets things first as well!
Yes, that’s true! Bad reviews are just as important as good ones, and sometimes even more so. Ah well, lesson learned for next time. At least you’ve saved me a trip to the Guerlain counter, although if I happen to pass by one, I’ll swatch them out of curiosity, since I’m one curious Kat 🙂
So true, Christine.
How should we avoid the bad if we only get to read about the good products. I once read in a blogpost from a blogger, one who gets a lot of things from companies to review that she didn’t write about the things she didn’t like. I stopped reading her blog as I think you really need to know what a reviewer finds bad, and why. This is where you absolutely stand out as a super amazing blogger/reviewer/writer, we always get to know why a product doesn’t live up to what the company says, or whatever else might be a problem.
There are a lot of bloggers who have that policy (If I don’t like it, I don’t review it) – it’s always been a policy I disagree with for sure!
That is why you are the best, Christine!
The Lancome x Sonia Rykiel eyeshadow palette in the blue tones. The shadow formula was just bad, and the colors looked gorgeous in the pans but they all turned a muddy gray on my lids. Luckily I was able to return it. The other palette in the collection with the rose hues is much, much better.
I’ll be curious to read your review of the Guerlain palettes, Christine, because I really love the one in Coque d’Or that I bought!
Tom Ford mascara. Goes on clumpy and then an hour or 2 later, nothing seems left. I am running, not walking, back to Lancome as fast as I can!
Which one did you buy out of curiosity? I have the Extreme and while it took time to get used to the wand size (I always got it on my eyelids), I do really like it. I tried the waterproof one and wasn’t a fan – my lashes stuck together too much.
It was the mascara extreme. It was part of a promotion set, so I did not buy it separately.
I also had another negative experience with a promotion set from another line. By promotion set, I am referring to those, “make a purchase for X dollars, and get this ‘gift’ for Y dollars”.
In this other case (not Tom Ford) the eyeshadows were off – way off. When I purchased the same eyeshadow quad separately. the colors were very different, but much truer to the online picture and what I wanted.
Moral of the story, I don’t think I will be “taking advantage” of these so-called “special offers”.
Agreed on the quality issues with gift with purchase items for sure. These days I tend to only do the gifts on skincare items that I know and love to use for travel. I used to do it with color cosmetics, but usually the colors are not right for me or the quality is for crap.
All 3 of the UD Naked Palettes, I didn’t like any of them.
Tom Ford eyeshadow quad in Seductiv Rose. I made the mistake od just doing a quick swatch at the counter, and it looked so good. The two satiny shades are quite lovely, the two shimmery ones, well I just can’t get them to play with the satins, I like to add a bit of shimmer on top of another eyeshadow, then I get fallout with both the shimmery ones, I’ve tried them alone, and yes, I get shimmer and that’s about that.
Having said this, I’ll force myself to use this palette at least three days next week, and use either NYX Milk or a MAC PaintPot.
If we were allowed to return makeup, the palette would not sit beside me right now.
Oh no! That sounds like one $$$ mistake 🙁 Maybe try Too Faced Shadow Insurance Glitter Glue, since regular primer might not be strong enough? Or using your fingers to press the glitter on top? I don’t know if the shadow can be used wet, but at this point, you probably don’t have much to lose. I usually reserve a small corner of the pan for wet application. Maybe using a foam applicator dampened with Mac Fix+Prep, and just pressing the shimmer on top, and not blending, b/c blending might cause the glitter to fall off? Good luck, hope you can make it work
Thank you so much for the suggestions, I will try them all, until I find a way to make it work.
Have I ever said I find the commuinty here absolutely wonderful. Helpful and kind and freely sharing tips and tricks.
The glittery Tom Ford shades are definitely meant to go on pressed – I prefer to use my finger to do it. If you try to sweep it on, you’ll definitely get a big mess. Good luck!
I tried pressing them on with a flat brush, I think, I think I tried with my finger as well, but I might have done a slightly sweeping movement while doing it.
Thank you so much for helping me out!
I regret buying the urban decay all nighter foundation, no oil control, breaks up on my nose and chin, really accentuates dry areas badly, too matte for me too. I wish I could return it but no returns allowed in my country unfortunately ?
The eyeshadow palette from Bareminerals, The Nature of Nudes. I love the ready formula but this palette its just meh
The NARS Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow Palette. I don’t hate it or anything, but I’m was not as blown away with it as everyone else seemed to be. So not a regret in that I don’t like it at all or that it doesn’t work, but more that I spent that much money on something I don’t love. I don’t reach for it often. I’ve been trying to make myself use it more. I do really love the blue in it. It looks fantastic when I use it as eyeliner. Eighty dollars US is just a lot to spend for an eyeliner. lol
I completely agree! I lusted after it for so long and once I got I was just unimpressed. I still have it but I never reach for it.
For me it was Too Faced with Nikkie Tutorials palette. I bought it to have something convenient for traveling since it has blushes, bronzer and highlighter in it. The eyeshadow color choices are not great for every day use at all, not enough neutrals.. Unfortunately I accidentaly threw away the box, otherwise I’d have returned it. I still like it, but it doesn’t serce my purpose.
Chantecaille Faux Cils Longest Lash Mascara.
Boy did I buy into the hype. SMH. I bought it after reading numerous reviews and when some YTers reviewed it positively I thought, “Eureka! Finally! A product that will help my lashes in a variety of ways!!!”
Yeah…no, oh gosh it was so expensive and I feel a complete idiot.
I kept debating whether to return it but kept it thinking I wasn’t “using it long enough” for there to be an effect on my lashes – nada. Now I stare at it when I do my AM routine with so much regret and I don’t even want to use it up since as a mascara it just doesn’t hold up to my drugstore ones.
It literally “uncurls” my lashes after I have curled them tediously w an eye lash curler…smacking myself, argh! I even tried using multiple other mascaras with this, but nope, no dice.
🙁
Kat Von D Shade and Light eyeshadow palette, YouTube totally made me buy it. There’s nothing wrong with it. The quality of the shadows is AMAZING but they are also BORING to a woman who rocked a neutral eye in the 80’s through 2014. Most times when I wear a neutral eye I reach for my Mac x Dusty Rose palette or the UD Gwen Stefani palette.
I don’t really have much. I bought a Smashbox trio eye shadow a couple of years ago and to this day I cannot blend them. I don’t have many regrets for I take an item back to the store if I find it doesn’t work.
I do have a complaint with MAC. The Skinfinish I bought the case fell apart in my hands and I am out of the 30 day return policy.
Charlotte Tilbury’s the Pretty Rebel – a couple of the greens don’t work on me as much as I thought they would.
And yes, lighting in shops is a big factor when you are trying makeup. The best bit is the foundation samples you get to take home and try for a week.
UD Smokey palette. Terrible. Love 1, 2, and 3 and use them all the time, but Smokey… someone else said difficult to blend and not pigmented and I would have to agree.
Also, Lancome Audacity palette. Colors are nice and I love Lancome’s formula. I just don’t love this palette.
The Hourglass Ambient Lighting edit. I am still debating whether I should return it bc the sizes are so small and the colors don’t seem that unique
Sugar Pop here too. Too Faced shadows in general really. They look great at first but they are too powdery and even with the primer they are very smudgy and end up fading or migrating around and under eye. The Bon Bons is the best I have as it seems to have slightly better staying power so I use this one the most. The Naked Smokey also. Don’t have time in the morning for that hot mess. We’ll see about the UD Ultimate Basics. I generally like their mattes and don’t have a lot of them, so I bought without reviews when I woke up and saw it was available at UD site. While waiting for it, I found that sure enough the problem colors are among the ones I wanted most. After swatching, I do think this one will work out ok though for my typical daytime use if I add some depth from the other Basics. And Bittersweet is so nice!
NARS Velvet Matte – just a terrible product at a ridiculous price. I wanted to like it but it just feels super heavy and settles into lines and pores.
My biggest regrets that come to mind: TF better than sex mascara (both regular and waterproof versions), TF sugar pop palette, origons charcol mask (did nothing for me!), IT brushes for ULTA blending concealer brush, juvias place masquerade palette, and the shopvioletvoss holy grail palette.
Let me just say that both of those eyeshadow palettes are BEAUTIFUL! The juvia’s place is great quality, but the shades are not very cohesive, and two of the ones that I thought were matte are actually matte with gold glitter in them… and its the two shades I was most excited for. And the violetvoss holy grail palette was great at first, but no matter what I do, the shimmery shades transfer onto my upper lid (I have hooded eyes) and the mattes crease on me 🙁 I even thought maybe it was my eyeshadow primer (I use UD primer potion), until I tried it with my too faced, morphe, abh, and MUG shadows and they all looked beautiful, but VV was still starting to crease and fade after only about 5 hours! I guess the formula is just not up to snuff with these other shadow formulas, which makes me really sad considering I dropped a pretty penny on that palette and I think the shades are so beautiful and blend so nicely.
Armani Crema Nuda SUPREME GLOW REVIVING TINTED CREAM.
Ready doesn’t do anything for me. A splurge I regret!
The metallics are super nice & all, but I’ve only worn a few shades out of all 28, so if we’re talking splurging…I do regret purchasing the ND Green-Brown palette, but only bc it cost so darn much money & I rarely reach for it. The packaging is awesome tho. Some ppl don’t like it, but I love it. They’re all removable too.
I also bought a 5-pan @ IMATS, I think it’s #2? I love the 1st two shades on the left (the one looks like UD Liar but way more metallic & pigmented), & the other is similar, but it was such a waste! $50 for 5 shadows vs. $239 for 28??? Ok, I take it back about the Green-Brown, the 5-pan is def more of a regret money wise!
Oh, & the packaging on the 5-pan is super cheap! Plus they’re not removable. I tried to depot them, & the metallics are so soft that they started to crack, so I just stopped & left it in it’s cheap case…
I have sooooo many palettes. I regret the lorac unzipped gold and the naked smokey most. The naked smokey, I didn’t even open the box yet I never even swatched. Haven’t opened the electric palette yet either but it’s so pretty can’t regret that one. kat Von d shade and light is a great palette I really never reach for …….guess I can live without that one too.
Probably the UD Moondust Palette. It’s not that I don’t like the shadows – Lord knows I’ve never met a decent to good quality glittery shadow I didn’t like, and these are no exception. The problem is that the formula is a little more difficult to work with than I anticipated (until I purchased the palette, I didn’t own any of the Moondust shadows – I’d only swatched some at Ulta and Sephora, and we all know that’s not necessarily a good indication of how they will work on your eyes). I’ve learned a few ways to make things easier, but I’m still reluctant to reach for the palette and could easily have gotten by without it.
Last year I bought Smashbox Art. Love. Color. Master Class. It was 65 bucks, and came with a ton of eyeshadow and blush shades. But the pigments weren’t great and the wear was even less impressive. I think this is where my dislike of this brand began. But then I saw a lip gloss collection in Ulta, don’t remember what it was called. I think it came with 5 glosses with the wand applicator, and they were so pretty that I bought them. I think it was $29. Again, not much pigment and even less staying power. This cemented my dislike of this brand. Never again.
The Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks look beautiful in the case but lack the pigment to stand alone. Even with a liner, seem to disappear into the lip.
I rarely use any of my tarte pallets, there’s nothing wrong with them, I just prefer my other cheaper eye-shadows for some reason. I also was not happy with my Kryonlin eye-shadow pallet, beautiful colors but when applied they lacked pigment and were basicly sheer.