Not Worth The Hype: Products That I Found Disappointing

I'm usually pretty confident that I'm going to like a product before I buy it. I read blogs, consider the recommendations of friends, and pay attention to what is being talked about, so that I don't waste my hard earned cash on something I'm going to hate. But sometimes I make mistakes (I'm only human after all), and every now and then, a dud product slips into my collection and I find myself thinking, 'ohh, this is such a disappointment.' We all do it, so I thought I'd share my disappointing purchases with you, in the hope that I can help you to make a more informed decision before you buy one of those oh so raved about products, that actually might end up falling short. Or, so that you can agree with me and make me feel better about my pointless spends. On we go.

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips Combo Pack - £10.99

The first on my hit list are the Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips. These do nothing. And not only that, they hurt too! So you peel it off, revelling in the promise of lessened blackheads and a clearer T-zone, and you're left with watery eyes, looking a bit like Rudolph, and you still have clogged pores! It's not on really, is it? And actually, I thought I was the only one that thought this, until I saw it mentioned on Imogen's blog, The Bluebird & The Robin. Subsequently, I mentioned it to a fellow beauty obsessive, and her reaction was, 'ugh, yeah they're s**t'. So what I want to know is why is everyone still raving about them , if no one thinks they work?! What type of mind game is this?! I have since been told that even though these awful things are nothing more than torture weapons, the Boots own brand are much more effective, and a fraction of the price. You're welcome. 

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation - £7.99

Next to take a verbal beating is Maybelline's Fit Me Foundation. I actually didn't go out and buy this. A friend who has a much darker skin tone than me, knowing full well that it would be way to light for her, bought it - no idea why. I always struggle to find pale foundations, particularly those that have a more yellow tone to them, so, after noticing the rather huge flaw in her foundation selecting routine, she gave me this to try out. Now actually, the colour is a pretty good fit, but the foundation itself is just so watery that I struggle to get any kind of coverage at all without looking like I've dipped my face in cake batter. Another aspect that irks me, is the fact that it has no kind of pump or dispenser. You just pour it out of the bottle. It's so messy and you get way too much product - I found it to be quite a traumatic experience actually. Now, I know you can go out and buy pumps for your products, but why should I have to? Why doesn't someone have the sense to put one on it before they try and sell it? I mean, honestly! Also, it has SPF 18 in it. I mean, yay for SPF and everything, but 18? I thought they went up in multiples of 5? Don't confuse me so. I have heard good things about the powder in this range though, and as I know the colour is such a good match, and I sincerely doubt that I'm going to have the same consistency issue with it, I think I might give it a whirl. 

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers - £6.49

Next up is the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer. This is one that really irritates me, because I actually think the product is amazing, apart from one flaw which ruins the whole thing. The colours are super pigmented, as well as leaving a decent stain once the glossiness has faded, and they don't dry and leave your lips looking all cracked and flaky, like a lot of lip lacquers tend to. Sadly, the fact that it doesn't dry means that the instant a light breeze catches you unaware, you end up with your hair stuck all over your lips, and any attempt to rectify the situation, more often that not, results in some Joker-esque style of pout, where your hair has left stripes of highly pigmented product all over your face. Thank goodness it stains, eh? I also seem to get a lot on my teeth as the day goes on, and I'm struggling to think of a situation where I'd want to rock that look. So I'm confined to the house if I ever want to wear these. Such a shame!

Benefit Porefessional Primer - £24.50

Another product that I was expecting to love and was left really disappointed by is Benefit's Porefessional Pro Balm Primer. Now, I'll put my hands up and say that I could have probably avoided this one. I saw it at duty free, and when the woman on the Benefit counter saw me looking and asked if I wanted a sample, I panicked, refused and bought the full sized product. It seemed perfectly logical at the time. If only I could remember why. Now this primer is OK, but it isn't great, and the one thing it claims to do, it doesn't do very well at all. With this on, I don't think my pores look minimised in the slightest. It does make my skin feel smoother and silkier, creating a lasting base for my make up, but I don't think it stays put any longer than other primers I've used in the past. I think that if this product wasn't so hyped, I might have enjoyed it a bit more, but as I was expecting spectacular, and all I got was spectacularly average, unfortunately it's getting the boot.

Benefit They're Real! Mascara - £19.50

The last is probably the most controversial of my disappointments, and it's Benefit's They're Real! mascara. For something marketed as the fastest selling mascara in the UK, I was expecting amazing things from this product, but it's just all wrong for me! For starters, the shape of the mascara wand is sound in theory, but in practice, I just don't think it works. The weird mace looking bit at the tip would be perfect for coating the lashes vertically, and I thought it would be particularly good for bottom lashes and getting right into corners, but it just picks up wayyy too much product for it to be effective. I end up with clumps all over the place and a lot of wasted product. I also find that it's difficult to layer when wet, and absolutely impossible when dry, which is rather irritating. I can't be getting that false lash effect with only one coat, and let me tell you, the only thing 'unreal' about this stuff is the colossal amount of flaking and clumping when you attempt a second. It does lengthen my lashes, but no more so than other mascara's I've used, and it isn't particularly good at holding a curl either. So yeah, I just don't rate this mascara. At. All. I much prefer my trusty MaxFactor False Lash Effect mascara's, which I've been going back to for years now. 

So that is my list of products that, in my opinion, aren't worth the hype. Suffice it to say, Benefit took a fair bashing there. It's odd, because I love Benefit. Their eye shadows are amazing, and their blushes, to die for, but their two most hyped and loved products, I think are so underwhelming it's ridiculous. The Benefit products, and the rest, may very well suit you, and I am by no means trying to say that they are universally rubbish, they're just not for me. So if you love any of these products, and feel like they need a bit of defending, then by all means, leave a comment. I'd love to hear everyone's different opinions - it's so interesting to hear how different everybody is when it comes to cosmetics!

Do you agree with any of the products I've mentioned? Do you disagree? What are your disappointing products? Let me know!

S.

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Singapore Spree: Sephora Haul

Due to some kind of colossal oversight, there are no Sephora's in England. Tragic but true. So, whenever I go on holiday, I make a point of seeking out the mothership and going a little crazy with my credit card. Some might call it unnecessary, but hey, if you can't splurge on holiday, when can you, eh? Naively, I thought that the store was more a western thing, but on my recent trip to Singapore, I saw them dotted around all over the place! Needless to say, I returned to England with a severely depleted bank balance, and beauty products coming out my ears. As excited as a kid at Christmas to have a play around with all my new purchases, I couldn't wait to share them with you either. So, here is a summary of all the cosmetic treats I picked up.

Firstly, I'll tell you about what is arguably my favourite buy: Fishwife by Butter London. I've been lusting after this beauty for rather a while now, so you can imagine my squeal of delight when I saw it perched atop the Butter London display. Unavailable in the UK for reasons I can't quite fathom, this is possibly the most beautiful polish I've ever owned. A stunning holographic sea foam green with flecks of gold and all sorts in it, I have worn this solidly for about 3 weeks now. It also seems to be immune to chipping and is so easy to apply - the Wonder Woman of the nail varnish world! I'll do a full review on this at a later date, but it's definitely replaced my previous favourite, Fiver, at the top of the nail art hierarchy.

The other contender for favourite purchase is a Too Faced palette, aptly named Pretty Rebel. It is packed with some magnificent metallic shades, perfect for either dolled up or grunged down looks, as well as a couple of matte neutral shades, one of which has become a staple part of my everyday make up, and a questionable pink shade. Not sure why they thought that was a good idea, but hey, I'll try anything once. I've never bought anything from Too Faced, so I wasn't really sure what to expect, but the palette is very similar in quality, design and pigmentation to it's Urban Decay counterparts. I actually only got it because of one magnificent shade, Girly, which is an iridescent brown with shots of green in it. I spent a long while umming and ahhing about whether it was a good idea to spend a considerable amount of money for 10 shadows when I only really wanted one of them. I'm so glad I took the plunge though, because I absolutely love it! Again, I will do a more detailed post on this wonderful palette another day. It's just so much fun to play around with!

Sorry about the photo quality! I have yet to find anywhere in my house where the lighting is decent enough to get a good photo!

Next on my list are the Fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment, and the standard Tinted Lip Treatment in the shade, Coral. I love these products, and have been wanting to replenish my dwindling collection for a while now, so of course I had to pick up a couple! I had never tried the Advanced Therapy product before, but I have to say, it has worked wonders on my dry, flaky lips as an overnight treatment. As for the Coral Lip Treatment, the colour pay off is fantastic for a tinted balm, and, as always, I love that it contains SPF 15.

I then got the Bliss FatGirlSlim Skin Firming Cream. A while ago, my friend recommended this to me, along with it's partner product, FatGirlSleep, as one of the best anti-cellulite products she had ever tried. Cellulite is one of my biggest insecurities, so I was really keen to give it a go! Now, I know that it is no substitute for a balanced diet and good old fashioned exercise, but sometimes it's nice to have that extra kick of confidence that a caffeine based product like this one can give, be it on a night out, or a special occasion, when you're desperate to wear that new skirt, but are worried about the dreaded orange peel. I didn't get both products, as it is quite a lot of money to part with for a product that I had never tried before, plus, I had a weight allowance to worry about. So far, I'm really getting on with it though. Although not drastic, I can see a difference when I've put it on, and, weird as it sounds, it's one of those products that you can feel working, which I really like. I think I'll give FatGirlSleep a try at some point soon. Maybe when my bank balance has had a little more time to recuperate.

The next was a bit of an impulse buy. I hate it when they put stuff near the tills. Disaster waiting to happen! It's a Philosophy Lip Shine in the flavour, Melon Daiquiri, and as well as providing a beautiful peachy shimmer for the lips, it's delicious!! I can see myself reapplying this rather too often on the days I miss lunch. Yum!

I also bought a NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in the shade, Cashmere. If I'm being perfectly honest, I only bought this because I have never owned an NYX product, as they aren't readily available in the UK, and I wasn't going to leave having not bought something from the brand. But actually, I'm loving this pencil! It's been getting most of its use as an inner corner highlighter, but I really like it as an eyeshadow base or on its own, scribbled across my lids. It's a really beautiful pale gold colour, and it only cost S$9! (£4.50) Such a steal! I'm really glad I picked this up.

Finally, I got myself a travel brush set. I'm a firm believer that you can never have too many brushes. I really like the Sephora brush collection, but can't get past how long the handles are. Honestly, they're like chopsticks for giants. Can't be working with those. But the travel sets are a much better size, easy to travel with (clearly), as well as being quite a lot cheaper. I got the Face and Eye Travel Tool Kit, and I've gotten quite a lot of use out of them already.

I also got a couple of things in duty free on the way there, the first being Benefit's Porefessional. Now, I'll be honest, I heard rave reviews about this product, and although it does happen on occasion (cough cough, Philosophy Lip Gloss), I rarely buy something unless I'm pretty sure I'm going to like it. But I used this primer for the two weeks that I was away, and it didn't really do it for me. I don't know whether it's aimed at more oily skin, but it didn't really minimise my pores at all, although it did make my skin look a bit smoother. As for staying power, it was OK, but nothing amazing. Granted, it might have has something to do with the humidity and heat of Singapore, so I'm going to give it a second chance now that I'm home, but honestly, I'm not holding out much hope for this one. It's such a shame, because I was really excited about this product. I'll just stick to my trusty bareMinerals Prime Time from now on I think.

Last, but not least, I bought the essential duty free purchase, a new perfume! It's Daisy Sunshine by Marc Jacobs. A deliciously fruity scent, I knew I had to have it the moment my nose caught a whiff. I'm not too enamoured with the somewhat garish bottle, much preferring the more subtle original version, but with a smell this delectable, who really cares. I only wish that I could have found a 100ml size.

So there you have it, my Sephora haul. It's quite a long post, but then again, I bought quite a lot of stuff! And, let's be serious, when do I ever manage to write short blog posts? Condensed is not my thing, and for that, I can only apologise.

Do you have any of the products I have recently purchased? What do you think of them? Like me, do you suffer from a distinct lack of Sephora's near you? Let me know!

S.

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