Monday, March 14, 2016

High End Let Downs

Higher prices tend to command higher expectations, so it's more of a downer than usual when expensive products turn out to be disappointments. I don't like to keep any products I actively dislike, but when they cost a pretty penny, it's harder to bring myself to get rid of them. These six items mostly just take up space and spark the occasional moment of regret and annoyance when I see them.



Kevyn Aucoin The Sculpting Powder in Medium
I thought this would be the be all and end all of contouring powders. The price put me off, but after encountering many a rave and seeing The Sculpting Powder work its magic on people's faces, I bit the bullet. This doesn't look right on me. I think it suits pink-toned, pale complexions only. If you're more yellow and light-to-medium, it pulls very cool brownish grey (read: muddy). I've tried every brush under the sun, I've tried a light application, heavier application, different placement. It's not flattering or believable. It either is too subtle and therefore useless, or makes me look like I have a dirty stripe where I wish my cheekbone was. Swatches here.

MAC Eye Kohl in Powersurge

MAC Eye Kohl in Powersurge
There's nothing hugely offensive about this pencil eyeliner, except it's so unremarkable and overpriced for the quality. I was willing to pay a premium for the colour, but once I actually tried it on my lower lash line, I realised it wasn't anything special. A medium khaki-ish (greeny) gold. I have plenty of similar coloured eyeshadows which I could apply with a pencil brush to my lower lash line if I wanted identical effect. Pigmentation is not woeful, but could be better. The metallic quality is relatively subdued and not particularly intense or lustrous. The main problem is the texture. It's fairly hard, doesn't glide on and isn't that creamy. Lasting power is also extremely ordinary. There are SO many cheaper eyeliners that are superior in every respect (e.g. Savvy by DB Soft Glide Eyeliner, Kiko Glamorous Eye Pencil, Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal) that nothing can justify the $32 price tag for the MAC. I wish I'd bought another 217 Blending Brush instead.


Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light
I weep a little thinking about the $62 I bid farewell to when I bought this powder. I was expecting this to be a skin-perfecting finishing powder, but it's so BROWN and PINK and DARK that it's virtually unusable. It's not even something I can use to "warm up" or darken my skin if my foundation's too light, since it doesn't match my natural skin colour anyway. It's far too pink-toned. It also doesn't impart any brightening luminosity to my face except the subtlest whitish pearl. I more or less never reach for Dim Light since I have other powders that do the job I wanted it to (Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder, Guerlain Météorites Compact Light-Revealing Powder). I should've bought Diffused Light instead. Original review here.

Estée Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara
Granted, this was a magazine freebie, but I was super excited to try out a high end mascara since I don't tend to buy them. Sadly, this was a complete flop. This mascara did absolutely nothing for my lashes. No curl, no lift, no volume, no separation, no lengthening. All the times I've applied it, I've either hated it, or abandoned it mid-way to grab something that actually works.


l-r (top to bottom row): Caught in the Act Courtney, Feisty Felicia, Insane Jane, Bossy Bobbi, Makeout Mary, Just This Once Jamie, Mischievous Marissa, Tempting Tara, Devilish Danielle

theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 2
I truly dislike this palette. The first two darker shades with glitter (Caught in the Act Courtney and Feisty Felicia) are dry, patchy, poorly pigmented and have huge amounts of fall out. Some of the other shades (Mischievous Marissa, Tempting Tara, Devilish Danielle) are really powdery even if they have strong colour payoff. But the main problem with Shady Lady Vol. 2 is none of the colours are flattering on me. None. This isn't a palette I want to reach for. It's not a palette that houses colours I'm excited to use. Since it came into my possession, I don't think I've ever used it, except maybe the darker shades to deepen an eye look. Also, the shade names are gross (Makeout Mary? Just This Once Jamie??).


l-r (top to bottom row): In the Buff, Birthday Suit, Pink Cheeks, Pillow Talk, Like a Virgin, Satin Sheets, Unmentionables, Lap Dance, Stiletto

Too Faced Naked Eye Palette
I possibly dislike this palette more than Shady Lady Vol. 2, which is saying a lot. At least the eyeshadows in Shady Lady Vol. 2 are visible on my lids. Almost half of the shadows in Naked Eye are invisible, including all 3 of the larger pans. In the Buff, Birthday Suit, Pink Cheeks and Pillow Talk are rubbish. Maybe if you're very fair, they'll have some kind of effect, but on my light-to-medium (NC 20 to 25) skin, they're useless. (Looks like I'm not the only one that feels that way.) I bought Naked Eye early on in my "makeup journey", back when I didn't realise cool-toned eyeshadows and I don't mix. Lap Dance and Unmentionables swatch nicely, but are so dirty/ashy/muddy on my lids and drain my complexion. Satin Sheets is admittedly very pretty and super pigmented, but I wish it were more of a gold-pink rather than a bright white gold on me. Like a Virgin is the only shade I use in this whole palette, and even then, it's a cool-toned grey that isn't as flattering as a warmer brown shade with yellow or orange tones. Given I love both my other Too Faced (Chocolate Bar) palettes, Naked Eye seems especially a waste.

26 comments:

  1. I can totally feel your "pain". I have a whole drawer full of high end products which I dislike but have only used a couple of times, but since I paid so much for them, don't want to throw them in the trash.

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    1. It's a classic beauty lover's dilemma! I guess you can never truly predict from the outset whether something will work for you until you've taken it home and played around with it. Thankfully there are a lot more hits than misses.

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  2. Same here, it's hard for me to pull off a cool toned eye look. It really has to have something warm or I just look, I dunno, dead? Tired? Avant-Garde? All of the above?

    Too bad about the Hourglass though...from all the reviews I've read and watched I thought I could use it as an all-over setting powder. Should've known.

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    1. Cool-toned eyeshadows are just trickier ... they can work sometimes, but always require a bit more effort, coordination and thought than warm neutrals which you can just slap on.

      I think the Hourglass one depends a lot on your skin tone. Someone darker than me may find it to be a terrific setting powder. Who knows! Used sparingly on a nice, fluffy brush, it's okay ... not transformative, but usable.

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  3. I can see KA Medium might look muddy on you! I have been debating over getting it for years but honestly I hardly ever contour so whats the point? On the other hand, I love Dim Light on my skin and its one of the best powders I've tried!

    TheConscienceFund

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    1. I think KA's cult status comes from its colour - but if the colour isn't flattering and doesn't result in a believable contour, then there's basically no use for it. There are so many other products I prefer (Charlotte Tilbury's Filmstar Bronze & Glow, Benefit Hoola, even the Maybelline Master Sculpt Contour Palette) for contouring.

      I'm glad Dim Light is working for you. I think more than anything, I just picked the wrong shade for me. One day Diffused Light might be mine...

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  4. I can't believe you didn't like the hourglass product, so many people love that but it's interesting to know that there are cheaper ones out there which you think are better!
    Charlotte // www.charlottespicks.com

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    1. When they came out, Dim Light was the one that was getting the most attention/raves, but I think I just made a mistake of blindly following the hype rather than actually experimenting/doing my research firsthand and trying out all the powders and seeing how they work. The other 2 I mentioned (Chanel, Guerlain) are probably even more expensive than the Hourglass though :p

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  5. I've noticed that theBalm has the weird habit of putting VERY warm and VERY cool shadows together in palettes, so that almost no one will be flattered by every shade. I actually have a custom theBalm palette with some of the cooler-toned shades from Shady Lady Vol. 2, but I swapped out the others for colors that flattered me more.

    Are you able to return any of these products, or are return policies less generous in Australia than they are in the US?

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    1. You're right, I didn't notice that until now that it has this odd mix of super warm and super cool. I just didn't like it at all. The shades that initially drew me in (like the taupe and the purple) look so unflattering (bruised eyelid, or just dull and muddy) and the lighter warm shades are too frosty as a highlight shade or not dark enough to use all over the lid. Bleurgh.

      You can't return anything in Australia once you've used it. The only exception I can think of would probably be faulty makeup - like if you opened it up and found it was half used or shattered or something. (Who knows though - totally guessing. I'm sure they'd still make your life hard and only give you store credit after a few suspicious glances.) The return policies for cosmetics in the US are truly unfathomable in Australia. We're such a tiny market and everything is so expensive that I guess they wouldn't dream of giving consumers US-kind of rights with respect to returning goods.

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  6. I really don't like the Ambient Lighting Powders! I bought the palette with my birthday money last year and after trying to make it work for a month I finally returned it and got my $75 back. It just did nothing for me - Dim Light was definitely the most unworkable for me. Such a shame because I'm a huge fan of their blushes and highlighters. Now when I hear people talking about the magic of the ALPs I'm very confused.

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    1. I'm glad I'm not the only one that wasn't wowed by the ALPs! At least you managed to get your birthday money back. Did you buy anything else with it after you returned the palette? :)

      Are you referring to their new strobing powders for their highlighters? I've seen them in stores but am not tempted. I have so many highlighters, plus eyeshadows that could function as highlighters that I can't permit myself to buy more. Unless it's the ABH Illuminator in So Hollywood which is out of stock everywhere!

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  7. I have yet to understand the fuzz around the Ambient Lighting Powders...I usually just get powders to set ( a.k.a powder foundations or regular powders) and highlighters to highlight...

    I down this particular Too Faced palette - but their updated version. Which I actually like because they changed a few shades and to me it's workable - because it's less cool toned when compared to yours. I tend to gravitate towards more warm shades ( that's why I didn't order the Zoeva Taupe palette for example). Which kinda reminds me - have you seen their peanut butter palette and their peaches palette? I believe you'll like specially the Peanut Butter Palette - it's full of warm shades.

    I'm probably one of the few people that is yet to get a contour powder. I usually tend to just use either my The Body Shop Bronzer in the Lightest Shade or Laguna from Nars. But I'm quite curious with Kat Von D's Shade in Light palette! I might check it later.

    And I totally agree with you on the eyeliner issue. I think the most expensive eyeliner I have is a baby version of Zero from Urban Decay ( which came with my Theodora Palette ) and I probably would never purchase a full-size of that. The Sephora brand eyeliners are as good or even better and I'm quite curious to try out Zoeva's in the future.

    Take care*

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    1. I think there is some merit to them but if you buy the wrong product then obviously it won't work! :p I do like the concept of skin-perfecting finishing powders but a lot can go wrong or be missing in the execution. Like any product that goes all over your face, it's a very subjective thing and a lot is dependent on your skin condition/type/colour.

      The Zoeva Taupe palette is pretty to look at but would be so awful on me. I have yet to try any of their e/s palettes but the quality definitely seems there. If I were to get one, it'd probably be the Cocoa Blend one which I saw appear in a couple of 'Best of 2015' lists. I have seen the Too Faced Peanut Butter & Jelly Palette and it looks gorgeous! Definitely will need to check that out in person when it arrives in the stores here.

      Laguna is a nice bronzing shade - one of my favourites, though Benefit Hoola is more sculpting. I've heard lots of good things about the Kat Von D palette though I haven't been tempted myself to get it.

      Eyeliners are something that you can get for so much cheaper than the higher end brands, but the quality is awesome. There's definitely no need to go for more expensive eyeliners unless there's something really special and irreplaceable about the shade.

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  8. Oh my, this post is on time! I was really going to buy the Kevyn Aucoin sculpting powder in medium, but after reading your post, I guess I will skip that one.

    I am with you too on the Estee Lauder mascara. I received it as a gift from a friend, and for a high end mascara, it does nothing, literally nothing :-/ which is such a bummer considering the price.
    On the Hourglass Dim Light, I also didn't like it. I had such a high expectation on it due to the rave reviews online, but it just didn't work for me-for the same reasons you mentioned above. And I found it emphasising my pores like crazy xDD. I really like the blushes though :-D

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    1. Glad we're on the same page with the Estee Lauder and Hourglass! It's always validating when people have the same experiences as you :p

      The Kevyn Aucoin might work on you - don't let my experiences deter you. You're paler than me so who knows, you might love it! Sometimes I find even if the chances of a product being amazing aren't that high, if it's a cult favourite, I want to buy it anyway just so I can say I've experienced it and have it in my collection.

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  9. I remember when the Too Faced Naked Eye palette was everywhere. Every beauty blogger, and YouTuber would do tutorials with it, and I thought it was a good investment... but fortunately stayed away. I had the same concerns as you about the Hourglass Ambient powder! I have Diffused Light and have yet to crack it open. Hopefully this will be a better one to use!

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    1. Oh wow, when I buy a makeup product, I almost always just crack it open and start using it immediately :p Especially if it's something exciting and hyped like the Ambient Lighting Powders. I hope Diffused Light works well on you.

      I don't recall that much buzz about Naked Eye, though their original palettes in that format (like Romantic Eye) were fairly popular. I'm now tempted to search for Naked Eye tutorials on YouTube! I don't know how anyone except the super pale could make it work, lol.

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  10. I saw in a recent video from Karima that she popped a little bit of contouring powder only in the very hollows of the cheeks for a more believable looking shadow. You could try that after brontouring? And speaking of bronzer, maybe that Hourglass powder would work better as a soft, glowy, brightening bronzer? Just some last ditch ideas before you bin them!

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    1. Haha, brontouring! I love that term. Never heard of it until you wrote it just then. Brilliant :D

      I could try that ... though my 'hollows' are basically nonexistent given my face is quite flat and large. But a bit of experimentation can't hurt.

      I haven't tried Dim Light as a bronzer but it might be a good idea! Perhaps I will give it a go tomorrow morning :) Thanks for the suggestions!

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  11. Maybe there's a Facebook group in your country where you can sell/exchange gently used makeup? There is in my country. They're mostly rude and batshit crazy, but if you can tolerate it there are makeup enthusiasts there looking for high-end makeup at a lower price. The mascara is a loss, but I'm SURE there'll be plenty of interest in the Hourglass and Kevyn Aucoin powders and the eyeshadow palettes!

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  12. Love this kind of post! I've just bought Dim Light, and whilst I don't hate it, I'm not utterly convinced I love it either. I have a budget dupe that gives a nicer glow to the skin.

    Kirstie | Behind The Scent

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  13. I actually love posts like this. I'm trying to think if there are any high end products that really disappointed me but not many comes to mind. $32 for an eyeliner that you don't even like is pretty painful though. After discovering Korean pencil liners, I absolutely love them now. Dim Light comes out too dark and muddy for my skin too, I rarely reach for it now if ever. Sometimes I use it as a really subtle bronzer.

    chloé⎪ status.chlo

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  14. The only product that I've tried from this bunch is the Estee Lauder mascara, which I actually really liked. I can see what you mean about the palettes, I love the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette, but the Naked Eye one never really appealed to me. It's so annoying when high end products don't work out!

    Emma x

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  15. I'm with you, it definitely sucks when high end products just aren't right for you! I've been tempted by the Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder for ages, although it does sound like it would be perfect for my skintone by how you've described it!

    Catherine | Hey, Mama

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  16. You can have a blog sale to get rid of all extra unwanted make up, I have seen that some bloggers did it on their blog.

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