Products I Regret Buying (Beauty Edition)

There are many beauty products that I have purchased for one of 3 reasons: impulse, YouTube, and sales! Each one of the products I REGRET purchasing fall into that category and after downsizing my makeup collection I have become more conscious of what I want/need to buy if anything at all. I have broken down the products in 3 categories: eyes lips face, but I will be doing additional installments to this series beyond beauty so stay tuned.

EYES

When I first got into purchasing makeup I went for what was affordable and could not justify spending over $5 on a product. When it comes to makeup I will say to choose quality over quantity and that it’s better to have one great palette to begin with than a bunch of mediocre eyeshadow just to say you have a collection. ELF is one of the most affordable lines and I have a lot of their products in my collection. Overtime I will say that their shadows have gotten better. I’m still ready to try out the baked shadows, but with ELF it seems that the more you pay the better the quality. These larger palettes are just the worse for me personally. The colors don’t really show up and I’m not just talking swatches. I’m just not a fan at all.

The next quad that I have is from Revlon and it’s called, Coffee Bean. I’m really big on neutral shadows. Similar to that of the ELF palette I purchased I absolutely hate it. Reason I bought it? CVS 75% off sale. I snagged this for no more than $3. The only good color I could work with was the copper color, but for me only to like 1 shadow out of 4 is a waste for me. I’ve been holding on to it hoping that I’d get some use out of it, but I’m not so lucky. I’ve been letting my younger sisters dabble in these two palettes. Personally, they’re of no use to me.

LIPS

I showed product in a beauty haul and this is something I regretted buying after it didn’t apply to my lips. The swatch color was amazing, but ABSOLUTELY nothing showed up on my lips. The product glided on my hand and the applicator was that of a fine tip marker. Unfortunately nothing showed up on my lips at all. No color and it was a waste of $2 for me. This product is not worth saving. In the trash it goes.

FACE

I’m so used to my Mac Studio Fix and it was worth every penny, but the FIT ME products that I purchased were all based from YouTube. YouTube is a good and bad obsession. I’m always inspired and excited to share blog posts here and redesign different rooms in my home, BUT I will say that I’ve purchased a lot over the past 2 years based off YouTube. The Maybelline FitMe Foundation happens to be one of those. I spent about $8 on the foundation which was no problem. It was the first Liquid Foundation I had purchased. In my lifetime I’ve only purchased 3 foundations, this one included. This foundation was just too cakey on my skin. When I swatched it, it matched my skin but upon application it was just bleh. Not a fan. The same thing goes for the blush. That was a mix of an impulse buy and YouTube. I was just wanting a blush to try out, but nothing too crazy. I thought this one would give me a hint of color on my cheeks, but it just looks more like ash than anything, Not a fan and I will be tossing this. As for the foundation, it’s of no use to me so I will unfortunately be tossing it as well.

Although the 5 products above I regret buying it was worth a try and you’ll never know how something is until you try it. No love lost with these I just don’t recommend them.

Spicy Saturday (V.6) — Beauty|Fashion Wish List

Fashion Forward Friday [V.6] — V-Day Outfits (Day & Night)

Although I’m pretty much snowed in thanks to Winter Storm Paxis, I still wanted wanted to post some Valentine’s Day outfit ideas that I had for day and night along with my lippie picks.

First up is my day outfit. I went for red jeans (Forever 21) and a striped shirt (H&M) to keep it simple. If I were going to work I would wear this. The pants are stretchy enough for me to move around in and the shirt tones down the pants. The shoes I would pair this with for work would be a pair of black booties, but If I were going out after work with friends I would toss on my leopard flats (Target) and at work I would wear a pair of booties. My jewelry I paired with the look is from H&M (CLEARANCE!)

Next up is my date-night outfit. There’s many shoes that I could pair with the look I created, but I loved how my wedges looked with them. I took a simple red dress, paired it with a faux leather jacket and my booties with silver accents from Target. I’d also wear a pair of black tights with this look, throw on a pair of hoops, and a bold lip. As for accessories I wouldn’t go further than the earrings because the jacket is a statement in itself.

The handbag that I would pair with both looks is my Aldo bag that I purchased 2 years ago. I can’t afford a Chanel so this quilted purse is a great inspired design. It can be worn cross-body, on the shoulder, or the straps can be tucked in to make it a clutch. This was also a great deal for only $35.

Below are my lippie picks:

E.L.F. Matte Lip Color, Rich Red

Rimmel London-Kate Moss – #60

Wet n Wild – Cherry Bomb (918D) / Sugar Plum Fairy (908C)

I hope you all enjoy the rest of your Valentine’s Day with whoever and wherever. Much love!

First Impression #5 — Clinique Chubby Treats

I purchased this Clinique Chubby Treats duo from Sephora courtesy of a gift card. The two other items from Clinique I want to try out are the Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm ($17/each) and the Taste of Honey Set ($29.50).

So as for the set I purchased I am HIGHLY disappointed in the product. First off these are not full size, which after receiving them makes sense based off the price of one chubby stick. The product is only .04oz. This is all you get:

The average chubby stick is 0.1oz and I see why this is called a ‘chubby treat.’ Now for the good stuff. I love the packaging and the size really doesn’t bother me. It’s the perfect size to throw into any size makeup bag. I love the design, I love the clear top and unlike other products this product is not messy to the point of messing up the top. Here are the swatches:

So this is what I was upset about the most. I was really looking forward to the purple that is called ‘Voluptuous Violet,’ but there is NOTHING voluptuous about this color. It actually remind me a lot of the Revlon Lip Butter, ‘Fig Jam,’ after applying it to my lips. The color is barely visible. ‘Pudgy Peony’ is a nice shade which is why I guess the product can stick around. I would not recommend buying this duo for $20, you’re better off taking a chance with the Tasty Treat Set because you get 4 lip colors. Although they have the same amount of product (.04oz) you get a little more for your buck. Also these are not as moisturizing as the other lip crayons I’ve tried out I’m not really impressed with this duo, BUT I still want to try out the other Clinique lip products.

First Impression #6 — E.L.F. Jumbo Lip Gloss Sticks

E.L.F. is another brand that’s jumped on the lip crayon bandwagon and I can say that I am impressed. E.L.F.  offers 8 shades of their Essential Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick. I snagged two colors, ‘Movie Star’ and ‘Pink Umbrellas’ from my local Target at $2 each. I really love the amount of product that you get with each stick.

The colors are very nice and pretty much match up to that of what the packaging indicates. My favorite of the two is definitely ‘Movie Star,’ but ‘Pink Umbrellas’ does remind me of the Revlon Colorburst Lipstick, ‘Peach.’

I love the consistency and they’re more moisturizing then I thought they would be. I do semi-moisturize my lips prior to application. Other colors I would love to try out are: ‘Flirty & Girly,’ ‘Sangria Starters,’ and ‘Summer Nights,’ at $2 a stick it’s not that bad and for the amount of product you’re getting $2 is a steal. One thing I love about E.L.F. lip products is that they’re inexpensive, nice quality, great color option, and the amount of product that you get is WORTHWHILE! Very impressed and would recommend.

First Impression #4: Jordana Twist & Shine

Out of all the lip crayons I have purchased and tested out these are by far my favorite. I love the pigmentation and I can kick myself for only purchasing two. At the time I was more set on seeing what the rave was about the Wet n Wild Balm Stains. I love the pigmentation. I love the texture. They are not as slippery as the Wet n Wild Ones making them easier to build upon. The swatches really do the pigmentation no justice but here it is:

Out of the two my favorite is ‘Rock n Rouge.’ I can’t get over how great these feel on my lips and that it’s moisturizing but the texture does not seem slippery. There is a shine to these hence the name ‘Twist and Shine.’ Similar to that of the Wet n Wild’s, ‘Lady and the Vamp’ / ‘Red-dy Or Not,’ Jordana’s ‘Cranberry Crush’ is not as pigmented as I thought it would be, but I do think I could build it up more than ‘Lady and the Vamp.’ ‘Rock n Rouge’ is just the perfect red and you can easily build it up or keep it simple with one or two coats.

I definitely need to go back and collect all the colors. I’m in love with the pigmentation, the texture, and the price. I have yet to snag and try out Revlon’s Balm Stains, but once I do I’d be able to do a thorough review of which ones are necessities in a collection. These are winners and out of the ones I’ve tried, my fav balm stains so far.

Have you tried Jordana’s Twist and Shine Balm Stains? If so, what’s your fav?

First Impression #3: Wet n Wild Megaslicks Balm Stain

The Wet n Wild Balm Statins were ones that I have been on the hunt for since their release. I had been to countless Walgreens but could not find them. I came across Jordana’s balm stains and on my way to check out I spotted Wet n Wild’s and snagged 3. On top of that I had a $1 off each balm stain bringing the price from each down from $2.99 to $1.99. Upon doing a swatch I realized that I had to press down more on the product to really get the true color pigmentation.

‘A Stiff Pink’ was the color I thought I’d like least being that some pinks on my skin tone are not the most  complimenting and can look tacky. The packaging makes it look more of a hot pink but upon application it’s more of a deeper pink. ‘Lady And the Vamp’ did not seem as pigmented on my lips as I thought it would be. There’s pigmentation, I was just expecting the color to be deeper. It’s a nice color for the daytime. Lastly, ‘Red-dy Or Not,’ is faint similar to that of ‘Lady And The Vamp.’

Overall I absolutely love the texture of the balm stains upon applying. The application was easy, not messy which is a plus. My personal favorite out of the three I purchased is, ‘A Stiff Pink.’ I’m not accustomed to wearing pink on my lips, but the color was perfect on me. I’m more accustomed to deeper colors which is why I picked the purple and the red, but they did not give me the pigmentation I expected. I would recommend buying if  you want to try them out being that they are moisturizing. I will not be going back to hunt down anymore colors being that they did not interest me.

Have you tried any of the Wet n Wild Balm Stains? What’s your favorite?

First Impression #2: Stila Color Me Glossy

Read more for my first impression & swatches.

First Impression #1: NYC Expert Last & City Proof Twistable

I came across this line as I walked in Rite Aide to pick up something OTHER than makeup. I’ve been wanting to try out the lip crayons from different brands so I decided to pick up two that caught my eye. I also picked up 2 of the lipsticks.

I have recently become a fan of NYC products. I have two palettes in my makeup collection along with 5 of their 99 cent lipsticks and I wanted to try out their other products. I know that there’s better stuff out there, but I think that for the price it’s worth a try.

Let’s start out with the Expert Last Lip Color.

The lipsticks are very creamy and easy to put on. In a way they’re a little too slick for me as in they’re a bit messy to put on. I will say that the colors are very pigmented.

Moving on to the lip crayons:

I was a little disappointed in the pigmentation of these. Based of what the packaging says, ‘Intense Lip Color,’ I do not think they are as INTENSE as they claim to be. I wished ‘Gramercy Park Plum’ has more color. The colors are a bit faded for me, but they glide on very nicely. I love the consistency of them; very moisturizing. When further looking at the swatches ‘South Berry Ferry’ was very similar, if not identical to that of the lipstick, ‘Traffic Jam.’

Worth buying? If you are interested in trying out some cheaper than Revlon lip crayons then I would recommend. Despite the colors not being as intense as suggested the color selection is nice and the texture of the product is amazing. They retail for $2.99. As for the lipsticks, the constancy is very similar to that of the lip crayons and I guess it all depends on what you want. They retail for $1.99. The color selection is not all that great, it’s pretty decent (pink, purple, nude). For a second purchase I would go back for the lip crayons.

Insta Beauty Hall

 

There’s been some new lippies on my list that I’ve been wanting to try out especially the Balm Stains. I will be doing a review on all products shown above over the course of the next few weeks.

What have you been on the hunt for recently?