Beauty Wednesday: Overrated Beauty Products
In the wake of all the makeup sales lately, I've been perusing the “best seller” lists, and am continually surprised to see some of the listed products because I've tried them and been underwhelmed. I thought today it might be fun to discuss classic beauty products — what's worth the hype, and which beauty products are overrated?
For your review, Sephora has a list of best sellers as well as a list from Allure's Best Beauty Products of 2014, Beauty.com has another list of Award Winning Beauty; and Ulta has a list of their fan favorites.
My list of the overrated beauty products includes:
- Diorshow — Meh. I briefly liked Benefit's They're Real!, but am still on the hunt for a good mascara. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a mascara gift set for the season so I can try a bunch.
- NARS Lip Pencil — I have this in a dark mauve and I hate the way it wears. I'm ok with Clinique's Chubby Sticks, but I'm always baffled when I see this one on best-of lists. (Note that Sephora has a limited edition Chubby Colour lip set for $25 with four shades.)
- Naked Palette. I WANT TO LIKE THIS SO BADLY! It just seems like a lot of blah to me. Even for daily, low-key makeup, I reach for a million other things first.
- Benefit's High Beam – meh. I do really like the eyebrow highlighter pencil in a very similar shade, though. In general, I prefer Nars the Multiple to add a bit of shimmer to my cheeks before I head out for the evening. I had a gold highlighter from Josie Maran (which they don't seem to make anymore) that I loved, and was excited to see Benefit come out with a similar gold highlighter, but after watching the video it looks like it isn't intended for my pale skin at all. I'll still try it the next time I'm in a store, though…
- Benefit's Benetint — I feel like I've been trying to like this one for 20+ years. Meh.
- Tarte cheek stains — in fairness, I've never owned one of these, but I've tried them on in the store a zillion times. They just don't look like anything on me.
My list of classic beauty products worth the hype:
- Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey — I rounded up a ton of tinted lip balms recently and found that I basically really love Black Honey…
- Nars Blush in Orgasm — I actually used this blush all the way up, which I never do. Super easy to wear. Note that it's part of Sephora's new Superstars gift set for $75.
- Nars The Multiple in Orgasm — an old favorite, particularly for desk to dinner makeup
- YSL's Touche Eclat — another old favorite of mine
- Yves Saint Laurent ROUGE PUR COUTURE Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain – I have #101 from the Rebel Nudes collection, and love the formulation so much I want to pick out another few with more color…
- bareMinerals Original Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15 — I don't wear foundation often, but when I want to even my skin tone out a bit more I like this one a lot.
- Moroccan Oil Hair Treatment — I just started using this last winter and I love it.
- M·A·C Spice lipliner — I've had this for years but it's recently been in the news a ton because of Kylie Jenner…
- Finally, this may be because I'm of a certain age, but I still really like Chanel's Vamp nail polish. It was huge the first time when I was in college, when spending that much on nail polish was insane to me… I bought it again when dark polish started to be more popular, and I still love it, particularly for holiday nails.
That's my list of overrated beauty products (and the ones that are worth it), ladies — what's yours?
Photo: Shutterstock / severija.
Sales of note for 12.5
- Nordstrom – Cyber Monday Deals Extended, up to 60% off thousands of new markdowns — great deals on Natori, Vince, Theory, Boss, Cole Haan, Tory Burch, Rothy's, and Weitzman, as well as gift ideas like Barefoot Dreams and Parachute — Dyson is new to sale, 16-23% off, and 3x points on beauty purchases.
- Ann Taylor – up to 50% off everything
- Banana Republic Factory – up to 50% off everything + extra 25% off
- Design Within Reach – 25% off sitewide (including reader-favorite office chairs Herman Miller Aeron and Sayl!) (sale extended)
- Eloquii – up to 60% off select styles
- J.Crew – 1200 styles from $20
- J.Crew Factory – 50-70% off everything + extra 20% off $100+
- Macy's – Extra 30% off the best brands and 15% off beauty
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off, plus free shipping on everything (and 20% off your first order)
- Steelcase – 25% off sitewide, including reader-favorite office chairs Leap and Gesture (sale extended)
- Talbots – 40% off your entire purchase and free shipping $125+
And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!
Some of our latest threadjacks include:
- What to say to friends and family who threaten to not vote?
- What boots do you expect to wear this fall and winter?
- What beauty treatments do you do on a regular basis to look polished?
- Can I skip the annual family event my workplace holds, even if I'm a manager?
- What small steps can I take today to get myself a little more “together” and not feel so frazzled all of the time?
- The oldest daughter is America's social safety net — change my mind…
- What have you lost your taste for as you've aged?
- Tell me about your favorite adventure travels…
Tarte Lipsurgence lip crayons are the only lipstick-esque products I like enough to use on the regular. So many colors and so easy to use! I just bought the Sephora holiday giftset and I love it!
Kat, sephora has a mascara sampler at http://www.sephora.com/lashstash-P388552?skuId=1647189 for $45. I ordered it during the VIB sale this weekend so I can’t say as to how good any of them are yet. I currently am using They’re real! but am hoping to find something better or just as good that comes in a waterproof version. I’m tired of getting raccoon eyes if I accidentally get water on my face during my post workout showers.
I love love love Chanel’s Inimitable Intense mascara–worth every penny to me! And I’ve tried a ton of mascara–just never found one that works quite so well.
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer is fantastic as well.
Another big one I can’t believe no one’s mentioned–Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner in jet black and chocolate shimmer! Love how well it wears, and it’s easy to apply.
Overrated:
Agree on the Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer. I tried to love it because it seemed like a good summertime substitute for foundation, but it just turned me shiny and then, within an hour, seemed to disappear.
I live in a dry climate, and when I bought a Clinique Chubby Stick it dried out and became unusable in less than a month. I had the same problem with a Stila waterproof eyeliner pencil.
Worth it:
Black Honey Almost Lipstick is better than any tinted lip balm I’ve ever tried. The color is subtle and it lasts a fairly long time.
Smashbox Be Legendary lipstick in Mandarin is the only color that looks like a clear red on me, even though it’s coral in the tube. All other “red” lipsticks turn pink on me.
Urban Decay Primer Potion is what’s made it possible for me to wear eyeliner. If they ever stop making it, I will cry.
Dior Vernis nail lacquer goes on so beautifully and lasts forever.
I have hard time with blush because I need it but loathe shimmer. I wanted to like Benetint, but agree that it is overrated. My current favorite is the sheer cheek gel by Pixi (at Target). I wear it to work but also with my minimal weekend face (blush, concealer, mascara).
ok so I’ve spent a fortune on this stuff and now here’s what works for me:
Serious Skin Care Vitamin A line- cleanser, serum, moisturizer with spf 30 and eye moisturizer – sold on hsn.com
If you can find StriVectin 30 best anti wrinkle project for the money.
Make-up for over 40 Avon ANEW age-transforming Foundation $ 16.00 a bottle p- has spf p- and you will need a new bottle every 2 months but you will look great.
Mascara – this looks like a toy- but its great fun – called Mega Effects mascara – looks like little paint brush- needs practice – but it is so worth it
I love love love Trish McEvoy’s mascara. It does not smudge or flake, even on me and I rub my eyes a lot. And, it comes off easily with warm water without leaving raccoon eyes. The woman at the counter in Nordstrom told me it was unique and it absolutely is. I’ve tried Dior, Channel, Benefit, Bobbi Brown, etc. and nothing compares to this one! Total win in my book!
Love all these comments suggestions… I work in consulting and try to get the most bang for my buck since I sometimes have weeks/months of heavy travel and couldn’t stand the feeling of “did I remember to bring X eyeshadow?” because I left it in the “other” bag…
I generally lean towards Laura Mercier, MAC and YSL.. Surprised to hear of the disappointment with the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer.
Moisturizer: MAC Comfort Creme
Primer: Laura Mercier
Fave foundation: MAC BB Cream or Studio Fix, Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer
Eyelid primer – Varies. I travel with NYX, but also like Laura Mercier Rosegold as a standby, and MAC’s Prep and Prime.
Eyecolor – YSL 5 Color Palette. LOVE this thing…
Love the YSL Kiss and Blush to kill two birds with one stone.
I also found the NYX Palette Love in Paris to have a perfect set of neutrals for business trips… and it’s CHEAP!! I picked it up from Target (and the NYX translucent powder) and leave them in my travel makeup bag.
I have not yet found a mascara that I love, though – YSL comes close (and oddly enough, the Sephora brand is pretty good) but I’ve been disappointed in the vast majority of MAC and underwhelmed by Laura, and usually stash Maybelline in my work bag/workout bag/purse because I won’t be crabby if I lose a $5 mascara… I will check out the Trish McEvoy.
Agree with the love for Black Honey. I also enjoy LM’s Black Orchid for a more plummy color. MAC “O” works for me, sometimes blended with another shade…
They’re Real! Mascara is my go to thing. I could skip everything else if necessary, but that’s going on. However, a bunch of the other Benefit products have been meh or worse (Benefit Fakeup, which is an undereye concealer, seemed to catch all my eye makeup and cause terrible raccoon eyes.)
I Don’t See What Everyone Else Sees: Lancome mascara, MAC spice lip pencil and MAC Ruby Woo (perhaps due to my very fair skin?), Living Proof hair products (very, very heavy – I’m just shaving my legs with the conditioner).
You’ll Take It Out of my Cold, Dead Hands: Phytovolume Actif is well-behaved hair in a can. Cetaphil – the dermatologist said my skin looks a good 12 years younger than my biological age. Benefit Erase Paste is fabulous for those of us with dark under-eye circles (and if there’s anyone else with lupus, it does an amazing job of hiding the “butterfly” markings we get). I don’t think it’s on anyone’s Best Of list, but the Ulta store brand lipsticks are surprisingly nice, though I do like my Clinique Black Honey.
Eyes- Trish McEvoy shadows and primer are great, Lancôme Definincils or Bobbi Brown for Mascara, Lancome Kohl pencil or liquid liner, Trish under eye pen for the triangle of light, Trish blush pen- so easy and stays on all day, Armani, Lancôme, and Chanel all have great foundations for my pale skin, Kate Sommerfield CC cream for Summer, lips Bobbi Brown or Armani with a touch of Buxom plumping gloss. Lancer skin care.
Not worth the hype:
– Lorac Pro eyeshadow palette. Yes, it has an even mix of mattes and neutrals, but I just don’t love the colors. Meh. I really like the Lorac Unzipped palette. For warm golden neutrals, my favorite is the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette.
– Stila liquid lipstick. Too uncomfortable on the lips.
– Revlon Colorstay foundation. It feels like paint. It’s too heavy. Plus I don’t have a color match.
– Nars Orgasm. Sorry, it doesn’t show up on my medium skin. Same with Nars Laguna bronzer. I can’t see it when I wear it.
– YSL Tint in Oil. I like it. It leaves a nice stain, but I was expecting it to be more hydrating.
Worth the hype:
– Ofra Liquid Lipsticks. Far more comfortable than Stila and Kat Von D.
– Sephora Liquid Lipsticks (Cream Lip Stains). See above.
– Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Balms. These are the BEST for winter. They sooth my lips and the colors are beautiful. My favorite is Petal.
– Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette. I have the original and the new Chocolate Bon Bon palette. Colors are great, they last all day, and they have more variety than the Naked palettes. If I’m going away for a longer trip, this is often my choice.
– Urban Decay Naked Smoky palette. This one is very versatile and I consider this a good travel option because you can get warm and cool looks, day and night looks all in one palette.
– Mac eyeshadows. I picked up the Nordstrom Naturals palette this year and it is a favorite. I can use this every day and not be bored. It has a good variety of mattes and shimmers and cool and warm tones.
– Nars Pro Prime eyeshadow primer. That stuff works.
– Becca highlighter. I picked up the Jaclyn Hill highlighter palette recently and I love it. I have been wearing either Pearl, Champagne Pop, or a mix of both every day with a Satin blush. I also like the copper shade by itself as a shimmery blush.
L’oreal double extend tubes mascara is hype worthy.
The Kevyn Aucoin contour book has become my absolute favorite beauty product. It is the best contour product I’ve ever used and the eyeshadows are all I need when traveling out of town for work.
Worth the hype –
Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon – goes on super smooth and doesn’t smudge
MAC Pro Longwear Lipcolour – the ONLY all day lip color (by all day, I mean an hour day). Nothing else even comes close. Some find it drying, but I’ve never had that problem.