There are some products I try and hate instantly. Usually, I’m good at returning them immediately or passing them down to friends in hopes of better luck. And then there are some products that I try so desperately to get to work but, in the end they disappoint. These are those products.
Tarte Shape Tape Concealer: $27
About two or three years ago, Tarte Shape Tape changed the concealer game forever. There’s no denying that. I, of course, bought into this craze and thought I found true love. Then after a lot of the hype had settled down, I realized, I don’t actually like this product. My biggest problem is that it looks heavy under my eyes. One of the last things I want my concealer to do is cake up on my face, especially right after initial application. Tarte Shape Tape also boasts about the fact that it’s full coverage. Wrong again. If a product says full coverage it better cancel out every dark circle under my eyes without the help of color corrector. Unfortunately, this one does not. I feel like I get the same amount of coverage from my Maybelline Fit Me concealer which appropriately markets itself as having medium coverage. The price was the last thing to turn me away from this product because $27 for an average concealer is really pushing it.
Bliss In the Honey and Mighty Marshmallow Face Masks: $15
Bliss packaging makes me want to try every single product they’ve ever put out. However, I may be rethinking that strategy after testing out these face masks. In the Honey claims to be a hydrating mask while Mighty Marshmallow says it helps even out skin texture. My heart desperately wanted these to work, especially In The Honey. However, both of these masks did absolutely nothing for me. If anything, In the Honey leaves a strange residue on the face that might feel like it’s moisturizing but, really isn’t. Mighty Marshmallow just made me feel like I wasted all of my time. Both go for $15 which isn’t ridiculously expensive but, also isn’t cheap by any means. These masks get so much hype on social media and I really don’t understand why.
This product always seemed hokey to me but, I figured I’ll never know if I don’t try. My instincts proved right. While the physical exfoliant in this “lipstick tube” is nice, there’s no lubricant in the product. This means using this feels like rubbing literal sandpaper on your lips. The lip scrubs that I’ve tried in the past are usually a mixture of physical exfoliant and some sort of hydrating oil which both removes dead skin and nourishes lips at the same time. The only thing this product does successfully is hurt. I mean it’s only $3 so I shouldn’t be dragging it into oblivion but, this is immediately getting tossed.
Dose of Colors Glossy Wonderland Lip Set: $25
Ok, here’s the deal. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with these lip glosses, they’re just not up my alley. I’m not really sold on the colors inside and the formula is much different than I expected. First, they are SO pigmented. I don’t mind opaque glosses but, they are not my first choice. Personally, I prefer glosses that only have a slight pigment to them. Think NYX Butter Glosses or Fenty Beauty Gloss Bombs. And when I think gloss, I think “easy.” Something you just swipe on and go. These Dose of Color glosses are the farthest thing from that. The formula is just a strange consistency and they bleed like crazy. If I need to apply a lip liner for a gloss to stay on my lips, it is already way too much effort. That being said, Anastasia High Shine Lip Glosses are just as opaque and don’t bleed at all! I also didn’t buy this set at full price but, $25 for such small sizes is kind of ridiculous.
Garnier Skin Active Deep Pore Exfoliating Scrub: $8.99
This product is a joke. That sounds harsh but, I just don’t understand how Garnier could even market this as an exfoliator. When you squeeze some into your hands you’ll notice that it looks like a standard exfoliant but, when you apply to the face it barely feels like the product does anything. My pores still felt clogged and my face felt like I had just rubbed bar soap all over it rather than an actual exfoliator or even cleanser. Not a good feeling.
Stila MATTE’ificent Lipstick in Bordeaux: $18.00
I bought this when I was working at Ulta and honestly it was one of those random splurges. I had another shade which I already tossed because it looked so odd. Bordeaux however is a beautiful wine color and if I could get this lipstick to work for me, I’d probably wear it more often. My problem with this is that it is way too matte. It makes my lips look crusty and we cannot be having that. I also have issues applying this lipstick because the shape of the product is not my fave. When I did wear Bordeaux, I would actually end up using an angled brush to apply the lipstick near the edges of my mouth. Too many cons mean I never reach for it though.
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