I wish...

Have you ever felt sad that a big part of your makeup collections would not be used up and your favorite products might be wasted? How often do you use up a single powder, and compare to how many you have? Sigh...I wish, If just no makeup would ever expire...

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Why Did Everyone Rave About It (Them) -- I. Makeups

One of the reasons we like reading beauty blogs and watching Youtube videos is that we want to find ideas about purchasing some products, or using some products so we will not waste our money on useless things. I truly want to follow the hype of all the stuff out there, and I wish they all work like wonders on me as well. Unfortunately, something are swore by everyone else, to me they are waste of money.
I rarely return beauty products unless they just won't work on my skin, no matter how many different ways I have tried to use them. Believe me I tried so hard to love what many others loved, but I could not figure out how. What I have learned so far is that always try before you buy. If you cannot get a sample, get a travel sized one especially for high-end products. 
(A SNEAK PEAK OF Part I & II)
A product doesn't work on me DOES NOT mean it is a bad product. I haven't seen any one beauty item that worked on all people whoever bought it, and all of them loved it to death. If you did, please let me know, it must be a hell amazing thing on planet. You can read thousands of wonderful reviews about something, but none of them is a guarantee to you that you can get the same good results.

Here are some popular products I had high expectations but was disappointed after using:

  • MAKEUPS
MAC Face and Body Foundation


When I bought this foundation, I was really expecting it to be my next favorite foundation all time. (especially Pixiwoo-one of my fa youtubers loves this) Unfortunately, I really could not find one thing about it I enjoyed, well, besides the fact that it is a product from MAC... -_-! Anyway, MAC claims that the Face and Body Foundation is  
A water-based, water-resistant foundation that provides long-lasting, natural coverage for face and/or body. Ideal for all skin types. Face and Body Foundation provides sheer, natural looking coverage in an easy to blend, water-resistant formula. The long-lasting formula is available in a wide range of colours and contains several emollients to help moisturize and condition the skin. It delivers professional looking results that meet the exacting standards of beauty photography and is ideal for perfecting the face and body.
When you read MAC's description of this foundation, don't you think it is such a nice product that is not oil-based, is water-resistant, long-lasting, and gives a natural but perfect finished look? I have combination skin with oily t-zones and chin area. I have been wanting to try a water-based foundation because they will not add extra oil to my face. That being said, after the first time using it, I broke out so badly around my chins and my forehead, worse than all my other foundations with only one use. Very unexpected. Also, the finish is too dewy to look natural. My face just looked like "wet" all over, even after I tried to powder it down.
I didn't expect this to be a full coverage foundation when I bought it. However, there was nearly NONE coverage after the first layer. I tried to build up, the coverage was still so sheer that even a tinted moisturizer might have better coverage. At the same time, the more layers I applied, the more dewy my face looked. Odd enough, this water-based foundation made me feel that my face could not breath through it.
I managed to keep it on for a full day when I first used it. Although I did not feel comfortable with it on my face for that long, I want to see the lasting power and oil control capability. First, it does not control much oil through out the day. The dewiness already gave me a oily feeling at the beginning anyway. Then, the lasting power I would say just like my other foundations, nothing better. Since I could barely see its coverage, It was kind of hard to tell whether it faded or how much it faded.
I gave a second chance to this foundation the next day, the results were the same for both days. I tried to apply with my fingers, a brush, and a beautyblender, did not notice any difference. I did not bother to try the third time because I just simply hate the way it feels and looks on my face.
Sadly, I returned to the store at the end.

I would not say the claim MAC stated about the Face and Body Foundation was false. For those who have perfect skin, and skin type is from dry to normal, this foundation could have worked perfect for them. If the "natural" looking in the claim means that you can only see the real natural skin after apply it, then I guess my face looked natural too because I had a hard time to cover any blemish. How could that not be natural? One thing I can guarantee you is that you will never have to worry about looking cakey or too matte with this foundation.

This foundation retails for $33.00 for 120ml/4oz. The size is pretty good size for the price. You only have 13 different shades to choose from, 7 cool toned and 6 neutral toned. If you have yellow undertones, then go with the cool toned colors (C1-C7). Otherwise, go with the neutral-toned ones (N1-N3, N5, N7 & N9). Because the sheer coverage, the colors don't show up too much. I think that's why there is not a big selection of colors compare to other MAC foundations.

Disappointment Level: 5/5

Revlon Lip Butters ($6-$8 various in drugstores)


Almost everyone I came across was talking about the Revlon Lip Butters since Christmas. How could that make me not curious about them? The first mistake I made was that I bought too many before even tried any. I am not saying the Revlon lip Butters are bad products at all. I actually like them, but I don't see how extraordinary they are in comparison with many other similar products which I think are just as good as the Lip Butters, or even better.
Revlon Lip Butters are supposed to be tinted lip balms, that means they not only moisturize the lips but also give colors to the lips. On the moisturizing side, the Lip Butters are okay, not anything special. The moisture does not last very long, couple hours the most. Talking about the "tint" of Lip Butters, Revlon did a pretty nice job on that. As you can see from the swatches, the color pigmentations can be seen as sheer lipsticks with a glossy finish. The texture is very creamy and soft, easy to glide on lips.
Here is why I was disappointed: if you consider the Lip Butters "lip balms", I did not get long-lasting moisturization when I used them. They actually made my lips a bit drier than earlier after they were worn off (The Lip Butters are no way comparable to my other favorite lip balms, i.e. Burt's Bees Lip Balm, Rosebud Lip Balm, Dior Addict Lip Treatment, Korres Lip Butters, etc.). If you consider the Lip Butters as "moisturizing lipsticks", the color payoffs are not considered the best in the market, some BabyLips from Maybelline even have more intense color payoffs.
I think the packaging is cute, and I also like that I can actually see the color of each Lip Butter from the top of the lid without taking it off. There is one problem about the packaging. Because the texture of the product is very soft and creamy, when I used it I noticedthe top surface of the actual lip stick could be easily press down more than I wanted (some excess product was smashed at the tip a bit). So when I twisted back up, the product would touch the side of the tube, make it a little bit messy. This is minor  problem, just be careful not pressing too hard when you put on your lips directly from the tube. I have to say that we all have those days when we don't want to wear bold colors lipsticks, the Revlon Lip Butters are good choices for that.
I did not return what I bought because I do not think they are bad products at all. I am just not overwhelmed like many others by their qualities.

It's not hard to find a really good tinted lip balm, or moisturizing lip sticks whichever you prefer, from other brands. It really depends on what you are looking for more in a lipstick, better pigmentation, better moisturization, longer lasting, or more creamy texture.
I personally do not mind have the lip balms and lipsticks separately, as long as they do their own job nicely. It is still great to have something like the Revlon Lip Butters combine the two tasks into one. If you want to try them, don't buy too many the first time. Since they will be in the market for a while, no need to rush out and get one.

I think there will be more and more high quality tinted lip balms or moisturizing lipsticks coming out from all different brands. Liquid lipsticks and Lipstick pencils are trends too, such as MAC kissable liquid lipsticks, Chanel liquid lipsticks, YSL liquid lipsticks, Inglot lipstick pencils, Tarte lip surgeon, Lip Fusion Lip Pencils, NYX Jumbo Lip Pencils, and Buxom Big and Healthy Lips pencils, they are all lovely products to try out.

Disappointment Level: 3/5


NARS Blushes


NARS is a high-end brand that has a lot of amazing stuff. Her powder blushes are one of the them almost everyone has been raving about. I included them not because I didn't like them, it's because for the money I would not want to choose them over some other blushes I love.

Starting from the packaging, it is not the type I like since it gets dirty so easily. The material can prevent the product from sliding out of you hands, but at the same time it tends to grab powders and make the case look like a mess. Also, you cannot see the product inside from the packaging, this can be annoying sometimes. ELF blushes have very similar packaging to the NARS ones, except ELF used smoother materials for the case and you can see the actual color from the small clear window at the front. Yes, NARS packaging does look more luxurious and more expensive than the ELF ones, but less convenient though.

The formula is nice, not the best. It is very pigmented no doubt and the products apply easily and last very long. However, I think they are too powdery, which is okay for me if the powder can be more silky and finer. I would not say this if I have not discovered the Illamasqua blushes, and the Make Up For Ever blushes. The other two are just so smooth and almost feel like a cream texture. The pigmentation is amazingly pigmented. In my opinion, they are better than the NARS blushes.

NARS blushes retail for $28.00 and you have more than 20 different colors to choose from. If I have the money I would buy the Illasmasqua blushes ($24) or the Make Up For Ever ($19) blushes, It could be just the personal preference that I am not a fan of the NARS ones. If you want to have the NARS blushes in your collections, I will still say go for it. I will highly recommend you to try the Illamasqua and MUFE too, then you may understand why I love them so much better. :D

Disappointment Level: 2/5

NARS Multiples


First of all, I don't know if you remember I put this in my favorite face product of 2011 post before. I don't want to confuse you that whether I am talking about the same product. Yes, I am talking about the same one that was listed in my favorites. Why? When I first got this product, it was last summer, I very enjoyed using it through the summer and fall. During that time, my combination skin was more oily than dry, so I didn't find it hard to use this. Then in the winter, I did not use highlighters much, if I did, I was trying out some other stuff. Thus, in my mind, I was very pleased with the NARS multiples. That was why I had it in my favorites list.


My skin is much drier in the winter time. my t-zone and my chins can get oily but the rest of my face is dry. Here comes the problem. Not long ago, I tried to use the Multiples (copacabana) again, oh man, it was no longer easy to glide on my cheekbones like it was in the summer. it was very hard to blend on my dry skin area and make the product on my face look chunky. I know the NARS multiples dry very quickly when you apply but I did not see it as a problem back in the summer. It is sure a big problem now since who want their cheekbones look like there are chunky glitters?
I like the color and the highlighted effect, I have the shade Copacabana, it gives in the summer. I hate it in the winter. If you have oily skin or normal skin through out the year, this one can be a great highlighter for you. To me, I will call it a seasonal favorite now. It is the product that you love and hate at the same time, I guess. Sigh...
It might be just the shade I chose had the problem, I am not sure. I doubt the other shades have that big a difference on consistency.

The Multiples from NARS retail for $39.00 and you have about 12 different shades to choose from. The color selections are quite good I think.

Disappointment level: 3/5

Lancome Artliners


I really really want to love the Lancome Artliners. They were recommended by so many people and I finally got it at Sephora.
They retails for $29.50, very expensive for eyeliners. There are six different colors at Sephora: Aubergine (it looks dark mauve purple on the website, but it was very dark almost black-brown in real life...-_-?), Brown (dark brown), Ice Black (washed out black, more like a light brownish grey), Navy (Navy blue), Noir (black), and Smoke (dark grey).

I have Aubergine, Noir, and Smoke. I gave the Noir to my friend and I kept the other two. I have many liquid eyeliners, especially black ones. Among all of them, the Lancome Artliners do not stand out.
I bought the Aubergine and Smoke first, and tried them out. I thought it was just the colors I picked were not as intense on my lid, so I got the Noir later on. I then realized it was not because the colors themselves, it was the application. You are supposed to shake the product before you use. I have shaken my arm off the products, the colors were always only very good the first line, then the colors started to fade. I had to put the brush back to the bottle again and again, and dip more liquid so many times in order to get the same color intensity. If you can finish your liner in one swipe, this is perfect for you. I cannot. It is just so troublesome to go back to the bottle constantly whenever I try to use it. I don't like that at all. Why would I use a product that took me double the amount of time, and the result was not even amazingly good?
This is the swatch by using the color Aubergine. I have shaken the bottle as usual, and then took the brush out to swatch on my arm. The first swatch turned out fine. The second line (the same brush) the color started to fade. You can barely see the color from the third and fourth line. I did not dip the brush back to the bottle. This is only one dip swatch. The color intensity obviously only looks good the first line you draw.

One good thing about the Artliners is they do not budge after they dry (pretty quick) and last the whole day. I have to give this credit to them. The brush is felt tip, not too harsh not too soft, just right. You can draw a very thin line but you have to be super light handed. You cannot draw a very bold thick line unless you dip the brush again in the bottle.
The packaging is very luxurious, because its Lancome, and you paid over $30 (with tax) for it. A lot of people love the Artliners, I guess the products work differently on their eyes. They are very lucky. I wish an eyeliner worth that much could work on my eyes too...-___-#
There are numbers of liquid eyeliners, high-end and drug stores, that I think are better than the Lancome Artliners. YSL Liquid Eyeliners (the felt-tip pen form), Make Up For Ever Aqua liners, Kat Von D Tattoo Liners, Inglot Liquid Eyeliners, Lorac Liquid Eyeliners, Physicians Formula Eye Booster Eyeliners, and most of my Japanese liquid eyeliners (Dolly Wink, Kanebo Allie, Linequeen, One-Day Tattoo, and Kate, etc.)are as good as or even better than the Artliners. YSL is the only one more expensive than the Artliners, the rest are all cheaper.

No offense to those love the Lancome Artliners. My case could be one of the millionth I don't know.

Note: If you want to try out the Lancome Artliners, do not rely on the swatches on Sehpora's website. I suggest you go to the store and swatch on your hand or try it on your eyes (by the sales rep. of course, hygiene is important). The true colors looked very different from the pictures online.

Disappointment level: 4.5/5

Lancome Hypnose Drama Waterproof


I am not trying to make Lancome look bad, they have many other brilliant products I like. These two (Artliners and Hypnose Drama WP Mascara)are two exceptions which do not want to look good on my eyes like they do on the others'.

This Mascara retails for $26, common for high-end mascaras (middle to high price range). Again, this is another raved prodcut on Youtube and Blogs. I bought mine at Nordstrom last year when there was a "buy two get one free" event for all brands of mascaras. I got the Dior Diorshow Iconic, Lancome Definicils, and Lancome Hypnose Drama WP. I like the other two but this Hypnose Drama. I tried to think this as a "free gift"  so I could feel better.
I talked about my eyelashes before, I have typical Asian straight down lashes that are so hard to hold the curl. They are neither very thick nor very long, so I am always looking for good mascaras that can lengthening, thickening, and curling. I know it is probably too much to ask all of them in one mascara. Normally, I use one mascara for separating and lengthening, one for thickening, then use my heated eyelash curler for curling.
The Hypnose Drama WP has a wave-shaped brush for pushing up the eyelashes to make them curl. It works alright on my lashes, not as good as the Covergirl Lashexact and Lashblast for the curling purpose. The tip of the brush may have excess product when you take the brush out of the bottle, so you need to wipe of the excess before using it. However, the brush body does not have too much excess that will give just the right amount when you apply. The lengthening and thickening of this mascara are just okay. I did not see any dramatic result (although it is named Hypnose "Drama"...) on my lashes. Oh, another nice thing about this mascara is although it is a WP mascara, it is not that hard to remove like the Covergirl LashBlast WP. It is still a long lasting mascara regardless.
One problem I don't like this mascara is that after about five times of using, the product becomes very dry, and that makes it harder to brush through my eyelashes. The more I use it, the drier it will get. I am not in favor of dry mascaras. For those who like dry formulas you might enjoy using this. I know Lancome mascaras tend to get dry quickly, so I have never wanted to try them unless they are highly recommended. The Definicils is better than the Hypnose Drama on separating, lengthening, and curling, and it did not dry up as quick as the Hypnose Drama WP.
Overall, this mascara is just an average mascara. Many drugstore mascaras work much better than this.

Note: I got the WP version only because WP formula in general could help the curl better than the nonWP. When your lashes do not have any problem with curling, try the regular one instead of the WP.

Disappointment Level: 3/5

EOS Lip Balms


What a cute little thing! I adore the packaging so much even though I don't consider the formula is as "cute".
The EOS Lip Balms are so popular that my 12-year-old cousin was asking me if I had one. She is not a makeup junkie, just a normal middle school girl. Lip Balms and hand lotions are probably the only beauty items she uses. For someone like her to pay attention to a product, you can imagine the popularity of the EOS Lip Balms, even in younger groups.
I like when I put this on, it glides on smoothly, and it does not make my lips feel heavy and greasy. There is no color in the product, the same as a normal chap stick. The flavors are pleasant and you have quite a few (about 6) different flavors to choose from. You can easily find them at most drugstores or online for less than $4.00. The only thing I expected from the EOS Lip Balms but they did not have was long-lasting. My lips feel well moisturized only for the first couple hours, then I have to apply constantly throughout the day.
I really don't like take out my lip balms all the time, and I don't touch up my makeup at all. If this lip balms can just last longer, they would become one of my favorites. Because of the price and packaging, the EOS Lip Balms are my least disappointed product. I feel the actual quality is over-hyped a little. Some of you who do not mind put on your lip balms constantly, and attracted to cute things like me, I will recommend the EOS Lip Balms.
(If you are not self-concious about using an egg-shaped lip balm in public...)

Disappointment level: 1.5/5

Hourglass Veil Oil-Free Mineral Primer SPF 15


Okay, the Hourglass Veil Oil-Free Mineral Primer is the most expensive primer I have ever owned. Don't blame me if I give high expectations to it. The retail price is $52.00 at Sephora for 1oz. There is a smaller version of 0.33oz and sells for $17.00. 

When I was at Sephora, I thought about getting the smaller size first. I did not do it because I believed it would be an amazing primer and I would use it everyday, the smaller version might not be enough. So I got the full size and could not wait to try it the next day.

I have combination skin with oily t-zone, drier in the winter but more oily in the summer on the other areas of my face.
This is what it claims:

A clean, satin-finish mineral primer formulated with SPF 15, Veil Mineral Primer restores moisture to dehydrated skin while providing protection from the sun and minimizing shine.
  • Minimizes the appearance of large pores and fine lines
  • Preps skin for makeup application while extending its durability
  • Naturally-derived titanium dioxide and zinc oxide protects skin from UVA/UVB rays
  • Oil-, fragrance-, paraben-, gluten-, sulfate-, phthalate-free and vegan
  • Water Resistant
Pro:

  1. it does apply smoothly because of the silicone, and gives a satin finish. 
  2. It mattifies the skin and prevent the skin from producing excess oil.
  3. It is nice to have SPF 15 in the primer for an extra protection.
  4. The ingredients are very natural, and oil-free.
  5. It doesn't have any smell. If you are allergic to fragrance, you will not have any problem with this.
Con:
  1. I really can't see how it "restores moisture to dehydrated skin" on my face. I had dry patches in some small areas, this primer did not help to hydrate those areas but made them even more obvious.
  2. The oil control does not make my foundation last very long, about 4-6 hours approx., around my t-zone area, The rest of my face is fine since it is much drier. The primer does the job, but is not nearly as good as many other primers in the market (CoverFX, NARS, Laura Mercier, etc.)
  3. I have large pores around my nose area. When I first put the primer on, the pores  appeared to be smaller; however, when the shininess broke through, the pores returned to their original appearance (before I had the primer on).
I don't have many fine lines to cover and I have not worn the primer in or under water, so I cannot say much about the results of "minimizes the appearance of fine lines" and "water resistant".
It looks like there are more PROs than CONs, but the problems stated in the CONs are way more important than the PROs. Whatever I expected from this primer, I could not find in it. 
If you have normal skin, or normal combination skin, this Hourglass primer has higher chance of working great on you. For oily to very oily skin, I don't think the primer will last more than 6 hours, but within the time frame should be fine. For dry and very dry skin, I personally will not recommended this.
Seriously? $52.00? To me, the Hourglass Veil Oil-Free Mineral Primer does not worth the price. It might just be me, a special case, I cannot be sure. 
I will say if you still really wanna try this out, definitely get the smaller size first. I made a big mistake for getting the full size one, and I am sure will not do that again. -_-!!!

Disappointment level: 5/5


These are the products I bought due to the hype but was not as lucky as many others to find those work amazingly on me. I am not saying all of them are bad products at all, they were just not for me.  I wish the reviews could give you an idea if you ever planned on purchasing any of the products above.

Have a fresh start of the week!

(Part II is makeup tools, nail polishes. skin, cares, and hair cares. Check back later!!)

^0^

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