[All purchased by me, one Essie polish from a friend who thought it made her hands look weird]
I've never really done a post that was solely dedicated to things I don't feel strongly about. I think these kinds of posts/videos/conversations are sometimes the most helpful since it saves you from spending money on something you may end up feeling "meh" about. There's plenty of products that I don't feel are strong recommendations, but these stand out in terms of how highly they were raved/hyped about somewhere else.
Here's a rundown:
- Wet n Wild Spring 2013 palettes (I know... GASP)
- Lush (in general?)
- Essie polishes (turquoise was given by friend)
- L'oreal Color Caresse Wet Shine Stain
- Nivea Lip Butter
- Benefit Some Kind-a Gorgeous
I found both of these palettes after they were re-released after MONTHS of going in and out of every drugstore that I could stop into. The neutral palette looked so interesting that I thought it was going to be a new HG neutral palette for me. After I snagged all the palettes in the display and dispersed the extras amongst my friends, I carefully considered how I felt about them. Going in the Wild is on the left and Nude Awakening is on the right. In the GITW palette, I was most excited for that plummy shade two down on the left. It looked gorgeous and shimmery but applies kind of patchy. The lilac below it is kind of sheer. Other than that, this palette is great. I only feel on the fence about it because those two shades excited me the most and disappointed me the most. However, that mint color alone makes up for it since it's the perfect minty inner corner highlight I was looking for all Summer!
Nude Awakening was a bit more surprising in terms of why I don't feel strongly about it. The colors in the pan look interesting and the pigmentation on all of them is good. Why am I on the fence? Do you see the two eyelid shades, the browbone shade on the right and the definer shade on the left? Those look like the most exciting shades in the palette but they are so close in tone that it's hard to get a good contrast using them. They all lean on the darker, warmer side of the spectrum and therefore the look doesn't "pop" when you use them. I would recommend these palettes strongly if they were easy to get a hold of. But for how much effort I made and how much hype surrounded them, I actually think the original Comfort Zone palette is a better all-around palette.
Lush. Oh Lush. You entice me with you no-cruelty policy, amazingly scented stores and quirky tongue-in-cheek product names but you keep me away with your prices and lack of visible results. Sure everything you do smells awesome, but never has it lingered long enough to warrant the cost. I've tried your jellies, soaps, scrubs and more but none of it wows me. I think I need to tune out the hype on this one and smell you from afar.
Essie polishes are exceedingly popular. I never understood why because the formula is inconsistent from bottle to bottle, the brush is tiny and the price is close to OPI. For me, OPI is the most consistently good polish formula across the board. Essie, on the other hand, can be easy to use (Turquoise and Caicos) or be tricky to get right (Fiji). I had another one from the range that I believe is discontinued but applied and cracked like fault lines along my nail. Where is the quality control? I think the range is popular because the shade selection is wide and very on-trend. They seem to have the lighter and brighter shades covered well. I just think it's too much of a gamble to get these unless I love the color. It takes a lot for me to even consider getting one and I think that's a shame because they have some great shades.
On my nails now is Fiji.... I've been on the hunt for the perfect neutral nail and just got an OPI one I'm very excited to try out. Sadly, Fiji is not my fave (too middle school for me?) so on to the next!
These L'oreal stains are supposed to be a dupe for the YSL ones since they are under the same company. L'oreal owns tons of brands. Wikipedia it for more info, it's pretty interesting. I have the shade Lilac Ever After which isn't very lilac at all but a rosy mauve instead. It's a pretty shade but weird texture. I don't seem to get along with gel textures in glosses even though they sound like they would be an amazing new thing that everyone loves. This feels like gel on the lips and leaves a stain. The consensus across the board seems to be that these are not as pigmented as the YSL stains. I don't have one to compare but this does take a few coats to reach mid-opaqueness. I think I'd try a YSL stain if I found the right color, but this stain gloss thing kind of leaves a strange finish on the lips and I don't really like how it feels. However, I appreciate the color of this and the innovation behind it.
Lip butters are all the rage. I fell into the hype with this one and I think the main reason I don't love it more is because the smell isn't my favorite. Other people love it, and if you enjoy vanilla or food-y scents at all, I think this is great for you. Out of the range I think I like raspberry the most. Anyway, the texture is interesting, kind of a waxy balm but it doesn't sink into the lips for a ton of real moisture. It's a good prep lip balm while you're doing you're makeup but not an amazing overnight one. Cute concept, though.
The last product (Benefit Some Kind-a Gorgeous) is the one I have the most to say but I feel like it's going to go more into a rant. I think bullet points make my point clearer:
Pros:
-good match for me in the warmer months (I have it in Medium)
-great "no makeup" look
-applies well with damp sponge (not the one included)
-tinted primer feel leaves a nice finish
Cons:
-expensive because if applied with included sponge, you can hit pan within weeks
-sheer (but still pricey)
-included sponge never fully cleans but instead traps color
-limited shade range
I feel like this is the one product of this group I don't hear the most raves about. People seem either on the fence or full-on dislike this. I don't blame them because it's so over-priced for what it is. I've gone back and forth on liking/disliking this but at the end of the day, I don't think I would repurchase this for $30.
