Beauty FAILS: Disappointing Products or Brands

[Petunia13]

I think we've all had a makeup, hair or skincare product we thought would be great but was an "oh hell no!" Or trend that simply did not work. (This is not to say that something shitty on one person isn't great on another, but it is a place to vent or offer some critique.)

The Brigeo Hair Mask wasn't a mask at all IMHO but ok as a daily conditioner. My hair is straight and quite long so obviously the ends are a bit damaged and dry. I didn't notice the results claimed. 

[Princess Sparkle]

My biggest disappointment has always been Diorshow Mascara. The way people go on and on about how it's the holy grail of mascaras, I thought my lashes would look like falsies after I put it on. Not at all; after 3(!) coats, it still looked like I barely had any mascara on period. 

The other one that jumps immediately to mind is Exfolikate. I got a sample from Sephora before I took the plunge, and thank god I did. You're supposed to rub it in for two minutes when you're in the shower. I barely rubbed it in for 30 seconds before my face started burning and I had to wash it off. My face was bright red and slightly burned for three days.

[luckyroll3]

On 4/5/2017 at 5:44 AM, Petunia13 said:

The Brigeo Hair Mask wasn't a mask at all IMHO but ok as a daily conditioner. My hair is straight and quite long so obviously the ends are a bit damaged and dry. I didn't notice the results claimed. 

I actually love this!  But I use it differently.  Usually at the end of the week (or coming up on 2 weeks from the last time I washed my hair), I'll slather this on and throw my hair in a tight bun.  Then 1-3 days later when I wash my hair, my curls are so silky and moisturized.  I got a travel size in one of my beauty boxes and ended up purchasing the full size.

[theredhead77]

Any "beach hair" texturing spray. They all make my hair look like it hasn't been washed in weeks.

[MargeGunderson]

NARS creamy concealer. I had such hopes for it but no. Same for Tarte's Shape Tape concealer. Still looking for my concealer Holy Grail.

I did find a lotion that is strong enough to soften my feet - Atrac-Tain Moisturizing Cream. I think it's the high concentrate of AHAs. My feet are usually cracked and flaky (to the point of being painful and sometimes bleeding) but this stuff cleared them up in just a few days. It absorbs very quickly so I can put it on in the morning as well as the evening.

[PRgal]

I don't get the love for Sephora Collection's cream lip stain.  It totally bleeds!  I have the same problem with Chanel's Rouge Coco Stylo. 

[theredhead77]

On 4/8/2017 at 2:12 PM, MargeGunderson said:

NARS creamy concealer. I had such hopes for it but no. Same for Tarte's Shape Tape concealer. Still looking for my concealer Holy Grail.

My holy grail is seriously Cover Girl Outlast All-Day 3-In-1 Foundation. I have multi-toned skin, some acne scars and random break-outs. It's amazing.

[callie lee 29]

Clinique Dramatically Different moisturizer. Everyone I know swears by it, Ali it felt to me was greasy and watery.

In also not a huge fan of MAC. I have couple and have tried some other stuff, but I don't get it. And their lipsticks seem sticky to me.

My other two I've mentioned elsewhere: facial sheets (too big and too gloopy) and matte lipsticks (they all feel like my lip is encased in something).

[Minneapple]

I agree about the Clinique Dramatically Different. It's plain greasy on my skin and makes me break out.

The Benefit They're Real mascara just clumped my lashes together, then smudged. I looked like a raccoon after a couple hours.

[caitmcg]

52 minutes ago, callie lee 29 said:

Clinique Dramatically Different moisturizer. Everyone I know swears by it, Ali it felt to me was greasy and watery.

So many moisturizers are oil-free these days, and Dramatically Different isn't, which can be an issue for some people's skin. Me, I need something not oil-free, and I swore by it for about 10 years, starting at 18. But then I decided I wasn't going to use a moisturizer without SPF, and now I also prefer something richer for my tending-toward-dry skin.

[emma675]

There are some brands that just cause me to break out, no matter what product I'm using. Clinique is one of them (also Oil of Olay, Dermalogica and Neutrogena). I've often wondered if there is some filler that my skin just doesn't agree with?

I'm disappointed in two things that a lot of beauty bloggers and magazines praise as "universal"--Nars Orgasm and Benefit Benetint. Neither worked well for me at all.

[PRgal]

5 hours ago, emma675 said:

There are some brands that just cause me to break out, no matter what product I'm using. Clinique is one of them (also Oil of Olay, Dermalogica and Neutrogena). I've often wondered if there is some filler that my skin just doesn't agree with?

I'm disappointed in two things that a lot of beauty bloggers and magazines praise as "universal"--Nars Orgasm and Benefit Benetint. Neither worked well for me at all.

I HATE Benetint, but for a different reason.  Its scent is just too strong for me and gives me headaches.  I like Benebalm though.  Have you tried that and does it work for you?

[Kelly]

On April 8, 2017 at 5:12 PM, MargeGunderson said:

NARS creamy concealer. I had such hopes for it but no. Same for Tarte's Shape Tape concealer. Still looking for my concealer Holy Grail.

Same here...neither worked for me.  Also the IT!Cosmetics concealer was a no go for me, and it seems to have quite a following.

I also cant get on board w Laura Gellar products.  Nothing Ive tried of hers worked for me.

Maybellines "Great Lash" Mascara.  Yeah...no...supposedly a cult classic. I just dont get it.

I dont seem to have good luck w high end mascaras...so Ive stopped trying. LOL My holy grail mascara is L'Oreal "Voluminous" (original), but a close second is Cover Girl "Super Sizer".

[Petunia13]

@Kelly the CoverGirl Supersizer mascara is TotalMakeupJunkie 101's favorite mascara (her makeup collection videos are...something ?she has like 1000s of lipsticks, a dresser full of eyeshadows, few 100 nail polishes,  ect and this is from a decade or so ago when her collection was much smaller.) CoverGirl Queen mascara is the same formula as the supersizer btw. 

[Frozendiva]

On 2017-04-09 at 10:40 PM, Minneapple said:

I agree about the Clinique Dramatically Different. It's plain greasy on my skin and makes me break out.

The Benefit They're Real mascara just clumped my lashes together, then smudged. I looked like a raccoon after a couple hours.

Me too. I was underwhelmed and the new version gave me breakouts. I used it as body lotion - got it as a GWP.

[PRgal]

Speaking of breakouts, Kiehl's Creme de Corps has given me rashes while NONE of their other products do. 

[Petunia13]

I'm starting to think Milk makeup is overrated. I don't like their packaging and I have their highlight stick and am not impressed. It was not a good pigment for me and dried out very quickly. 

[Petunia13]

Why don't they sell Charlotte Tillbury at Sephora? 

[ennui]

IT CC cream. With all the raves, I expected more. Plus, I had an uncomfortable burning sensation on the skin near my nose.

On 4/10/2017 at 4:48 PM, Kelly said:

My holy grail mascara is L'Oreal "Voluminous"

Me, too. I also like the other L'Oreal mascara in the slim gold tube. I know it when I see it.  

[Frozendiva]

On ‎2017‎-‎05‎-‎17 at 2:17 PM, Petunia13 said:

Why don't they sell Charlotte Tillbury at Sephora? 

I think the line is only available at the main Holt Renfrew store in Toronto. I've just ordered a couple of eyeshadow palettes and have not been disappointed. Lasts most of the day, little fallout. Order by looking at swatches online and taking a chance.

[Princess Sparkle]

On 5/17/2017 at 5:30 PM, ennui said:

IT CC cream. With all the raves, I expected more. Plus, I had an uncomfortable burning sensation on the skin near my nose.

 

I HATED the IT CC Cream - it looked so greasy on me.

[emma675]

I tried the IT under eye concealer after getting sucked into an infomercial one day and it was awful. Literally did nothing to cover my dark circles and started caking up within hours. I was so frustrated because the infomercial made it all look so amazing, lol!

[ramble]

IT CC cream works pretty well for me, although in the past few years my skin has gotten drier so maybe that makes a difference in it working for me. It's not my holy grail, but I've yet to find any type of foundation that is. I have likes & dislikes but no deep, abiding loves. 

[MargeGunderson]

IT CC cream works well for me; like @ramble my skin is on the dry side so maybe that's the difference. I have the undereye concealer and it's fine, nothing special (still looking for the holy grail). I do like the IT under eye cream though. 

[PRgal]

On 2017-05-18 at 11:40 PM, Frozendiva said:

I think the line is only available at the main Holt Renfrew store in Toronto. I've just ordered a couple of eyeshadow palettes and have not been disappointed. Lasts most of the day, little fallout. Order by looking at swatches online and taking a chance.

I think I saw them at Nordstrom (Eaton Centre, anyway), so it's no longer exclusively at Holts.  I like their primer.  It's my go-to if I'm not using Smashbox.

[DeLurker]

On 4/8/2017 at 0:18 PM, theredhead77 said:

Any "beach hair" texturing spray. They all make my hair look like it hasn't been washed in weeks.

When I use it, I only spritz on the top layer of almost dried hair, scrunch with my hands and let it air dry the rest of the way.  When My hair was longer, I would spritz it on almost dried hair (a little more liberally), do a french braid or pull it in a sloppy bun for a few hours and then let it down.

My most common use is for taming some mad cowlicks I am blessed with.  I use a straightening iron on the bangs, spritz some beach spray on my round brush and brush from the underside of the bangs.  The beach spray gives a little bit of weight to the hair to fight the cowlicks for a decent amount of time. 

[theredhead77]

1 hour ago, DeLurker said:

When I use it, I only spritz on the top layer of almost dried hair, scrunch with my hands and let it air dry the rest of the way.  When My hair was longer, I would spritz it on almost dried hair (a little more liberally), do a french braid or pull it in a sloppy bun for a few hours and then let it down.

I have some other texture spray now that has a similar effect. I'm going to try this!

[BitterApple]

On 5/19/2017 at 10:48 AM, emma675 said:

I tried the IT under eye concealer after getting sucked into an infomercial one day and it was awful. Literally did nothing to cover my dark circles and started caking up within hours. I was so frustrated because the infomercial made it all look so amazing, lol!

IT is a really weird line. It seems to work great for some people and horribly for others. I love their products, but my mother had the same issues with the concealer and foundation that you did and ended up sending everything back. They recently got bought out by L'Oreal so I'm expecting the entire product line to go shit pretty quickly.

[ennui]

I've been using alcohol-free toners for years (Neutrogena, L'Oreal). I was out shopping recently and decided to "treat myself" to Clinique Clarifying Lotion #2, since the weather's been hot and sticky and my skin needed some sloughing. I really liked it for a couple of weeks, but now I guess my skin's sloughed, because that Lotion burns -- second ingredient is alcohol, and wowza. Not the treat I thought it would be.

[Princess Sparkle]

I usually have good experiences with Dr Jart products, so when I saw the Rubber Moisturizer mask at Sephora, I decided to splurge and give it a shot.  BIG MISTAKE. It caused me to break out, with these really painful under-the-skin zits that I just have to deal with until they surface. One of the worst purchases I've made in awhile.

[Petunia13]

Placed a 1st time online order from Bath & Body Works on Black Friday. Right after I submitted it I called their 800 customer service number at 2pm in the afternoon and got a voice mail ? I've called it twice since during normal business hours and got the message system ("our reps are undergoing a training please call back...") my order finally processed today and has yet to ship. Wow between the slow processing and no one working a service line or phone order line talk about shitty. This is the only time I think I will order from them. These were Christmas gifts but I think when I finally receive them I'm just gonna return them in store and grab some Voluspa candles elsewhere instead. Ugh 

[Frozendiva]

I’d cut a little bit of slack in that it was Black Friday and the phone lines were most likely jammed. The company is probably short-staffed and they were doing the best they can. Add in a bunch of screaming people on the phone too.  Sure, some stuff I order takes a. It more time to ship, but ah well.

[Petunia13]

No in my mind a customer service line/phone order  should always pick up during business hours...after all the people calling maybe wanting to place orders and you are essentially waving bye bye ? I can understand if it's not the call center but a store and there could be an emergency or something. That happened once I was working in my salon alone and badly bit and had to struggle bleeding to get the dog caged and a customer called I didn't answer obviously...she drove to the store and screamed at me the next day. I explained my injury and gave her dog a free nail trim and she didn't tip me. 

[MargeGunderson]

@Petunia13, the time between Thanksgiving and Xmas seems like a really bad time to be training customer service reps! Personally, I love Voluspa candles so that sounds even better to me. 

[Frozendiva]

28 minutes ago, Petunia13 said:

No in my mind a customer service line/phone order  should always pick up during business hours...after all the people calling maybe wanting to place orders and you are essentially waving bye bye ? I can understand if it's not the call center but a store and there could be an emergency or something. That happened once I was working in my salon alone and badly bit and had to struggle bleeding to get the dog caged and a customer called I didn't answer obviously...she drove to the store and screamed at me the next day. I explained my injury and gave her dog a free nail trim and she didn't tip me. 

I try to get back to voice mail messages promptly. I had one dude recently who called and then left a couple of nasty messages that I didn’t call him back  and what was wrong with customer service. I had tried to call him back many times. His cell phone was set to go to voice mail, which he had not set up. Disconnected every single time I called. Took five days for him to answer his phone! 

[Minneapple]

On 12/10/2017 at 3:18 PM, Petunia13 said:

Placed a 1st time online order from Bath & Body Works on Black Friday. Right after I submitted it I called their 800 customer service number at 2pm in the afternoon and got a voice mail ? I've called it twice since during normal business hours and got the message system ("our reps are undergoing a training please call back...") my order finally processed today and has yet to ship. Wow between the slow processing and no one working a service line or phone order line talk about shitty. This is the only time I think I will order from them. These were Christmas gifts but I think when I finally receive them I'm just gonna return them in store and grab some Voluspa candles elsewhere instead. Ugh 

I ordered from Bath & Body Works' website once and it was terrible. They only let you use one promotional coupon code online, which sucks. You can't combine free shipping with their 20 percent off coupons or whatever (well, maybe they've changed it now). And then the processing/shipping is sooooo sloooow. After experiencing Amazon Prime it's tough to deal with that. No wonder people pay for Prime.

[emma675]

I had a failure recently, Farmacy Lip Bloom. It was disappointing because I adore their sheet masks (seriously, best I've ever used), but the lip product wore off so quickly, was thin and didn't hydrate my lips at all.

[RealHousewife]

There are a few products I actually currently use and do like but find overhyped.

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser is great as a morning cleanser. I’ve loved it for years when I only need to gently cleanse my face. It does not do a proper job of removing makeup and sunscreen! I’m shocked people love it as a makeup remover or their only cleanser. If you wear more than moisturizer, please use something else in addition to this! 

Tarte Shape Tape Concealer-This covers well, but so do a ton of other concealers out there, including less expensive ones. It doesn’t go on any more smoothly or have particularly better lasting power. I have a makeup artist friend who raved over this, so I figured it wasn’t just bloggers and YouTubers paid to praise it. I’m almost done with my tube, and I’ll probably just buy something else next time. 

NARS Orgasm blush. Is it a pretty color and flattering on most folks? Yes. Is it some magical blush? No. It’s a blush. If you like to save money on your beauty products, I’m sure you can find a drugstore duplicate of this. 

MAC Lip Pencils-these don’t stay on well. You’re better off buying lip pencil at Walmart. I’ve bought so many of their lip pencils just because I do love MAC, and I’ll see their pencils used by different beauty icons of mine and try replicate the looks. I need to stop wasting my money on them. 

Murad skin care. There are skin care professionals and celebs who praise Murad products. All of our skin is different, but none of the products I tried helped my skin out. I had really bad acne that their products made worse, if anything. My skin cleared up using drugstore products like Cetaphil along with acne treatments prescribed by my dermatologist. 

Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencils don’t go on smoothly enough for my tastes. I went back to L’Oréal. 
 

Edited December 27, 2019 by RealHousewife