All right, it's time for some real talk. I've tried A LOT of beauty products in my lifetime. I wish I could say that I loved them all, but alas, not everything out there is a winner. To some extent I know whether or not a product is a fail can be based on personal taste, skin type, and other factors that vary from one person to the next. So if one of these products is something you love, I promise I don't intend to offend! In fact, I'd love to hear about your experience and why that particular product worked so well for you. In the meantime, here's a collection of duds I've accumulated lately that I personally would not recommend.
NYX Butter Lip Balm in Parfait ($3.99)
I love NYX products, I really do. And their Butter Lipstick and Lipglosses are amazing, so I had really high hopes for this product. However, I just really, really didn't care for it. The texture to me felt way too greasy and that in combination with the bold pink color resulted in a finish that to me looked cheap. As you know, I'm all for affordable makeup, but affordable doesn't have to mean tacky. I also felt that the formula of this dried out my lips with repeated use, which just made me even crankier. Basically, I think there are definitely way better (and equally affordable) tinted lip balm options out there that I'd rather reach for.
Almay Smart Shade CC Cream ($10.99)
I haven't tried a ton of Almay products, so I'm kind of bummed that this didn't make a better first impression for the brand. A sensitive skin formula with SPF 35 and lightweight color correcting coverage sounded good to me, so I figured it'd give it a try. I also even liked the packaging, which felt streamlined and quality. And then I actually used it and was totally disappointed. The texture of this stuff is SO weird. I feel like it just sits on top of the skin and is strangely impossible to blend. It also left my skin feeling very greasy, which quickly drove me nuts. I've tried setting it with powder, and using different methods of application (fingers, sponge, blending brush) but it's all kind of the same thing. The coverage isn't great or very even, and it just doesn't wear well throughout the day. So, if you have a drugstore BB or CC you recommend instead of this, I'd love to hear about it!
Revlon Bold Lacquer Mascara ($7.99)
After seeing this mascara around, I was intrigued to give it a try. The packaging is gorgeous and the name Bold Lacquer sounds like it'd be right up my alley. However, this mascara just did nothing for my lashes. I'm thinking it's probably a combination of the fact that the formula is on the drier side, and the brush is so dense that it's really hard to get the product to coat your lashes. If you're going for a super natural look, or want to spend a ton of time building up layers of product, then maybe you'll be a little bit more forgiving to this mascara, but I personally have too many others I love more to want to waste my time.
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Black Velvet ($20.00)
Okay, so, I should preface this by saying that I LOVE Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencils. They really are friggin amazing. Creamy, bold, totally smudge proof - they're kind of everything you could want in an eyeliner. That being said, this "Black Velvet" shade had a different texture from the normal eye pencils and I was really not into it. I'm not sure if the velvet finish was supposed to be more soft and matte, but all I felt was that the product balled up and did not apply smoothly. The color was also no where as intense as a traditional black eyeliner, which I wasn't a fan of. If you're in the market for an awesome black eyeliner, stick with the shade Perversion instead!
Ulta Amethyst Color Coat Cream Eye Shadow ($8.00)
Ulta brand makeup products have been a bit hit or miss for me thus far. I've found their powder shadows to be little chalky, but their gel pencil and pot eyeliners are great. I'd hoped that the cream shadow formula would be on par with the eyeliners, so I figured I'd pick one up and give it a whirl. As a purple fanatic I thought this particular shade was really pretty, and might be nice for a smokey eye base. Unfortunately I was totally disappointed by how this product swatched and wore on the eyes. I was hoping for a finish similar to the Maybelline Color Tattoos, but instead it's actually very transluscent, almost like a clear balm with fine glittery particles in it. It ends up applying sort of patchy and weird, instead of bold and metallic. It's such a shame because it looks so promising in the pan!
Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup ($14.99)
I've always been curious about mousse formulas for foundation, so when I had some coupons I decided to try out this Whipped Creme Makeup from Revlon. Truly, the finish is actually pretty nice if you're going for a full-coverage look. It makes the skin look very smooth and flawless, and doesn't feel overly cakey on the skin. Unfortunately my oily and blemish prone complexion did not react well with this formula and I would notice even after one day of wear that my face started to look more congested. I have a hard enough time keeping breakouts at bay without a pore clogging foundation in the mix, so I think I'm just going to have to pass this one along.
Jules & Esther Cucumber Eye Gel ($27.00)
I received this eye gel sample in one of my recent Birchboxes, and it sounded really lovely. I have pretty terrible allergies, so I thought a nice soothing eye gel would be perfect for those mornings where I'm looking puffy. Unfortunately this formula had kind of the opposite effect and really irritated my eye area. Immediately after applying it burned and stung and I had to wash it off. Thankfully I only had a sample and I don't feel bad about throwing it away. I still would love to try a product similar to this that maybe is better suited to sensitive eyes, so if you have any recommendations I'd love to hear about them.
MUA Professional BB/CC Cream Brush ($18.00)
This brush was probably the biggest disappointment of them all. Luckily I had a CVS coupon when I picked it up, because if I had spent $18 on it I would have been beyond angry. I've got a pretty sizable brush collection, so I wasn't exactly in need of anything new, but I was curious about the quality of the brushes from this new drugstore brand. With the warm weather approaching I know I'll be transitioning into using BBs, CCs, and Tinted Moisturizers on the regular, so I thought this might be the most helpful brush to try, and also the most unique compared to what I already owned. Now, I know that some brushes shed a little the first time or two you use them. However, this was like a whole new level of annoying. I have never had a brush shed so badly in my life. It basically made it impossible for me to apply makeup to my face because there were just little black hairs EVERYWHERE. Even after a thorough washing it still shed like crazy, which to me basically makes it not even worth using. Beyond that frustration, I think the design of the brush itself is not the best. The handle is kind of bulky and heavy to hold, and the brush head is too sparse for even application of a cream product. Honestly I think the Real Techniques Expert Face brush is infinitely better (and also half the price) for applying this type of makeup.
Have you tried any disappointing products lately? What would you recommend other people steer clear of?
