I went back and looked through recent reviews, but most of the products that really stuck out to me as failures were products that were new when I reviewed them, so there wasn’t much to listen to at the time… I want to say Fenty’s Vivid Liquid Eyeliner trios, even though they didn’t have lots of reviews when I bought them/reviewed them!
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The Urban Decay Distortion palette. Although, the first row of copper oranges is amazing. And partially bought it for the packaging, which I put on display. And I bought it on clearance. So, I probably would by it again….I just wish the rest of the palette performed better.
It’s been so long since I’ve had a purchase “fail” that I can’t really remember. I was disappointed by and returned Marc Jacobs’s Edgitorial palette but it got a good review here so that doesn’t count for this question (now, if there was a “What is the last product you wish you HADN’T listened to the reviews on?” question, that palette would be the answer!
Nars natural radiant foundation. At first I thought it looked good but now every time I try to wear it, it looks horrible.
can my reply be less practical and more reflective?
Since I started regularly reading your blog, I stopped idolizing particular make-up brands or holy grail products. You have an objective way of describing things that helped readjust my perspective. All lipsticks are just lipstick at the end of the day: whether it’s a NARS velvet lip pencil (my weakness) or a Lisa Eldridge limited edition (the time I broke my no-buy) doesn’t mean much. I started to consume more responsibly and think “is this the lipstick I want? why do I want it? is it right for me? why am I buying it? How is it being sold to me? does it fit into my aesthetic? ”
Since then, my purchases became much more reflected.
I am happier with the makeup I buy. I don’t get bored with my products! I save money and it just works.
That is so great to hear, Bridget! That’s exactly what I always want for readers – not me talking you into or out of anything but being a helpful part of the process to you figuring out what you want/will love so that you love everything you have!
Can I ‘like’ this comment? 🙂
Viseart Amethyst Theory Palette. Many of my purple-loving friends raved about it, so I ignored reviews and got it. Big mistake. I loved the shimmers, but the mattes were just awful and wouldn’t blend. I gave mine away to a friend on whom they work better (she’s a different skin-type, so maybe that made the difference). I should have listened to Christine! Her review was spot-on.
I cannot really think of any. The products I generally dislike, there are plenty of people who like them i.e. IT Cosmetics CC Cream, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural and Juvia’s Place Eyeshadow. I’m not sure I would have listened to anyone anyway lol
I’m like that, too, where things that get great reviews (Maybelline Age Rewind, Nars Danger Control palette, Clinique Black Honey lipstick, all Colourpop lippie stix, those Natasha Denona blush/highlighter duos…) just don’t look good on me. And a few of my favorite products have middling to even crummy reviews.
But, yeah, sometimes you just “need” to buy something, right? And then return it? I’m like that with LimeCrime. I know they mostly make me unhappy, but I also know that if I don’t try them out, I’ll never stop thinking of them.
Ooh I love what I’ve tried from Lime Crime. Their Venus 1 and 2 palettes. Velvetine Liquid Lips. Plushies liquid lip. Plushies Fresh Squeezed pigment quad. Too bad things don’t work for you. Makeup is so subjective ?
I can’t think of anything recently, since I pay pretty good attention to reviews. But last year I blindly bought Too Faced White Chocolate Chip eyeshadow palette and it is the worst performing palette I’ve ever tried to use. I’m glad I only paid $8 at Nordstrom Rack. Adorable packaging, terrible product.
Pink To Envy treatment by OPI. I thought the reviews were maybe because of a bad batch. Nope. It ruined my nails and I had to start over by cutting them short.
I’d have to go pretty far back… the only time this ever really happened to me was Too Faced Melted Metallic Chocolate Diamonds. I *knew* all the reviews were bad, but it was half-price, and I thought “How bad can it be?” WELL, my friends…
Wow, straight into the bin. Utterly terrible product. I guess I could have saved it for a mixed-media art project.
????
The new Anastasia Beverly Hills eye primer…
Don’t get me wrong, it’s an amazing eye primer, opaque, makes all colors vibrant, eye shadow stays put all day on my oily hooded lids, blending is a charm.
But the packaging simply oozes product out once the cap if off and it’s wasteful. I tried open it with the dispenser up, but no matter what a lot of product comes out without me even squeezing the tube. And most reviews mentioned that.
Have you ever used metal tubes of product, like polysporin, or ozonol, where you squeeze some out and then product just keeps coming and coming? Sometimes you can squeeze the tube in such a way that it will suck the product back in, have you ever tried that? I haven’t used this, but thought i would suggest it. It takes a bit of trial and error and wasted product, but it usually can be done by squeezing the tube sideways (squeezing at the skinniest parts, hard to describe, does that make sense?)
I get your point, great idea! The primer tube is actually of a softer thinner plastic than the classic Neoporin, but I think it can work.
At this point I’m not even concerned about wasting product (the product is said to expire 6 months after opening, and even with everyday use I barely use up eye primers since so tiny amount is needed). It’s just that the cap became so messy.
I can’t imagine how the product was released like this. It’s impossible for me to understand how nobody handling the product development didn’t noticed this packaging design flaw or that the formula is too thin for a squeeze tube.
What a great question! Your review helped me resist those Fenty eyeliners long enough to swatch them in store and ultimately pass.
I picked up a mustard orange-yellow Melt eyeliner from Sephora that had only a few reviews out. The harsher reviews mentioning overly hard texture were accurate to my experience and I did have to return it. 🙁 I keep trying to give Melt benefit of the doubt because I love their owners’ and aesthetic and I really think they’re trendsetters for other brands. I want so much for them to succeed! But the truth is I’ve been disappointed in the texture of every single product I’ve had from them except Rubbish and Fixated eyeshadows. I gave a coworker my crumbly Gunmetal stack and tbh I could see she was not impressed by it, and the lipsticks I’ve gotten (DoGAF, Spacecake) are gorgeous colors but texturally problematic and funky smelling. I can’t confidently buy from them again without trying in person and being won over.
For me, it’s more a problem of my impatiently and impetuously buying something *before* having seen reviews. Thankfully, this is a rare enough occurrence that it hasn’t broken the bank, but still very disappointing when it does happen. Case in point; Ulta’s tribute to Frida Kahlo. I only bought 2 pieces, but both SUCK. Previous to this, one poorly reviewed item that I bought anyway and deeply regretted getting was UD Naked Smoky Palette. It does have about half the palette being great, but the other half is so much trouble to use that I don’t bother with trying anymore. Wish I’d have listened…. almost got myself killed by lightning the night I bought it, too!
For me Naked Smoky is the best Urban Decay Naked palette (I actually don’t like any of the others, especially the color selections), but I know my opinion is not mainstream. 😆
Except the fact that Armor is quite difficult to apply without major fall-out (it’s a chunky glitter, but workable with the right technique), everything performed wonderfully and I enjoyed using the palette. I also have tons of memories attached to that palette, since I purchased it from a Sephora from Paris, so any time I hear about Naked Smoky I make the connection with that vacation.
I am sooo sorry that Frida is dreadful. The packaging is TDF, a s I was hoping it would be great. It’s fairly upsetting when a tribute collection tanks.
I truly debated picking up the Frida Kahlo collection just for the packaging. I knew the product would be garbage bc most of the Ulta brand sucks imo. But I don’t need more pretty cardboard sitting around lol. It’s pretty though:)
That sucks so much about the Frida collection.
Naked Smoky was one I was “meh” about from reviews and pictures, and was totally going to skip, till a couple ladies from the Phyrra FB group talked me into getting it the first time it went on sale for $27. I ended up loving it, much to my surprise. I never would have called that one.
Yeah, the Frida stuff has left me feeling sour about the Ulta brand, Rachel, Erica and KJH. Sooo disappointed.
The thing that bugs me about the Naked Smoky is that I have to use a black base or black primer for the 2 bluish grayish shades, and Armor needs a bit of Fix+, not a problem since I do love that one and the other 3 shimmers. I already knew the mattes wouldn’t be the best in the world, but they’re not the worst either.
I probably get along with the bluish-gray shades better because of my fair skin. I do need a primer for them though, but I don’t have to use black. Armor does need to be used wet, I agree.
MAC Wonder Collection shade Into Eternity. Although it got a B+ here on the blog, several other YTer’s that I watch talked about how hard it was to work with. I find that the shade just isn’t right for me and it has so much kick up of dust in the pan that it is crazy. The only good thing about it is the packaging. I do love the pink, marbled looking packaging.
Fenty Holiday release. I purchased it before the reviews hit and every word was true. Truly a terrible release.
I can’t think of anything because I take all reviews with a grain of salt. What works for me may not work for someone else and vice-a-versa. Skin condition, coloring, shape of features, personal esthetic, life-style, application skills and tools, etc. can all have a major impact on how someone perceives a product’s performance. I’ve read too many positive reviews on products i thought were complete duds and, once again, vice-a-versa.
Seconded.
I think the Huda neon green palette had decent reviews, but I did not like it at all. I wish I would’ve just been more critical of why I wanted it (the packaging, probably.) Lesson learned anyway, and I returned the palette rather than just letting it sit in my vanity drawer forever.
Usually it was the other way for me, meaning I wish I hadn’t relied so much on the reviews and try the products myself. But this was some time ago. The last two products that come to my mind are EL Naked Truth lipstick (it is super pale on my lips, all I see are the golden reflects/frosting and no coral base color) and Marc Jacobs Sugar High Nude Lip Trio (all three pull orangey-brown on me and not at all pink as shown in the swatches).
The lip pigmentation and the lights can completely change a color. What it shows as pink on a person, may be mauve or brownish on another. The intensity of the color might change as well (too dark, too intense in reality vs swatches). And sometimes it is challenging to find someone with similar lip pigmentation swatching the lip product I want, therefore I read the reviews, look at the swatches and then go to Sephora and swatch for myself.
I try to do the same for the other makeup products (concealers, foundations, eyeshadows). And prior to any VIB sale, I go to Sephora in a weekday when I know they are not not busy and try the products on my list. I don’t like returning products, therefore I try at all costs to avoid it.
This does not mean that I don’t take risks, especially when the products are only available online. But this happens after reading/watching several reviews and look for persons with similar skin tone/lip pigmentation as mine.
That is so true about lip pigmentation, lighting, and also general coloring. So many of the NARS shown today are real old timers, and i’ve had them since issue. And they have very little in common with how the new ones look on Christine, or how the color is described on the shade depicted page. Many are under 70% dupes. Often reds described by Christine as cool are definitely warm on me. Gets perplexing after a while.
Ha, the opposite is true for me! Reds always look both cooler and darker on me than on Christine, 100% of the time. Pinks, too. Some colors described as “warm pinks” here look nearly blue-toned fuchsia on my face. Hoo, boy.
Colors and lights (and brains!) are crazy.
Sigh, no Sephora here. Or for miles and miles. ?? *cries
So true. I recently bought Revlon Cherries in the Snow, thinking, “How is it I’ve never gotten this classic when I’m such a sucker for for fuchsia?”
But is it bright, red-leaning fuchsia like it is on everyone else I’ve ever seen? No…it’s a purple-leaning raspberry. Pretty, but nothing even resembling fuchsia.
I used to turn many lipsticks, especially pinks, bright orange. This happened clear into the 1990s, forcing me to use concealer on my lips before putting on lip color. Either my chemistry or lipstick ingredients changed at some point, and that rarely happens any more.
Then there’s the issue that my lips have very, very little pigmentation to them, so lipsticks often look more pigmented on me than on most other people.
The Subculture palette…I thought I somehow knew better, and that my love of grungy colours would somehow make it better.
Nope!
It has been a while and this product got some great reviews on YouTube but some not so great on the Sephora site. It was the Farsali Skintune Blur Perfecting Primer. Some reviews on Sephora said that the product separated, got gloppy and could not be used with the dropper. That was exactly my experience as soon as I opened it so back it went.
I’m pretty careful about listening to reviews, so it’s my fault that I didn’t consider the main problem with Anastasia’s SubCulture pallete. The fallout is real and it’s the only pallete that I wish I had not bought. I hate to just throw it out, but who could use it!
I do daily and bought it when it launched from the ABH website. It’s a pigment palette and if you pat the eyeshadows rather than swirl, you get no fallout. Also need the tiniest amount on a flat shader brush. It’s my top 10 of all time time. Just need to know how to use it and it seems that 99% of those who complain about it don’t and have never tried?
I don’t have any problems with it, either, though I did get one of the later palettes. I treated them like my loose eyeshadows/pigments. There are videos on YouTube on how to use pigments, if one doesn’t have experience with them.