I think we can all agree that we've all fallen for the hype that surrounds certain beauty products, I know I have and I'm not saying that I wont do it again either. In my many years of watching youtube/reading blogs I've come to realise that just because a certain product may work for the girl on the internet doesn't mean it will work for me, if I'm honest I completely ignore this as theres always that one product that you obviously need because it sparkles like the sun or something amazing like that. When it comes to spending money on makeup, I look for the cheaper alternatives and the dupes of the high end products that I can't afford. I rarely splurge on high end products as it seems that every time I do I always end up disappointed, this is why I think it's important to share with you my honest opinions on some of the products I've shamefully purchased just because everybody raved about them.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation
I was so happy and excited when I received this foundation as a christmas present this year as it's my first ever Charlotte Tilbury product and the packaging is too pretty to not get excited over right? Again, it was one of those products that was raved about on youtube and silly little me just had to have it... The foundation itself is very watery in it's consistency which is something I'm not used to. This foundation just didn't work for me, I thought it would be great for my oily skin like many people had suggested but without a primer and a tonne of powder this foundation just sat in my pores and fine lines. I'm not going to stop using this foundation as it's nice to wear on a girls night out when you want that dewy finish but I'm a drugstore girl through and through and I would compare this to the L'Oreal True Match foundation (9.99) which I'm obsessed with!
This product simply just wasn't worth the money as I knew deep down that I could get a fairly similar foundation from the drugstore. I must admit though that this foundation makes a beautiful decor piece for my room so I won't be getting rid of it any time soon. If you are thinking of purchasing this product I would recommend trying it out before you hand your money over as it's fairly expensive at £29.50 and for that kind of money you need to make sure that this product is everything you want it to be.
MAC Strobe Cream
I bought this at MAC in Carnaby street for £24.50 after the whole strobing trend was introduced and my teachers at uni told me I just had to have it in my kit. What it's supposed to do is give you a healthy glow and you are able to apply it under or on top of the makeup, I personally just applied it after I primed my face on the areas that I would normally apply highlighter. This didn't really make any difference in how my skin looked, I wanted to have that glow everyone was banging on about It but it just didn't work for me. I must admit that it works better as a moisturiser and would most likely work wonders for dryer skin but if you're an oily skin gal like me then I would only apply it in your dry areas or maybe not bother picking it up at all. They're many products on the market now that you can add to your foundation or apply as a base that will make your skin glow and possibly blind people unless they're wearing sunglasses. I would recommend the Revlon PhotoReady Skin Lights Face Illuminators as they're beautiful on the skin and can be layered up to have that intense highlight that is so popular right now.
Kat Von D Shade & Light Contour Palette
It's recently been announced that Kat Von D products will finally be available in Debenhams in September so I thought I would shed some light on a product of hers that I didn't love so much in hope that you might be able to save some money. I bought this palette from the Sephora website last year for my birthday as I had heard every youtuber/blogger rave about it, on Sephora it retails for $46.00 (£34.59) which is what you would expect to pay for a high end contour product. There is essentially nothing wrong with the palette, it's extremely pigmented and the highlighting shades are beautiful and they really brighten up the under-eye area however, due to how pigmented and buttery the shades are I literally hit pan within the first couple of weeks of owning it. I'm extremely pale and once I hit pan on the palest shade I was unable to use a whole row of colours as they were too dark for me. The contour shades were just a tad too dark for me as well and I only ever used the darker shades when I went on holiday and got myself a tan. For the price that you're paying you're very limited to what shades will actually suit you and for me I'd rather buy a palette that has refillable pans and a shade range that suited all skin types.
This isn't a crappy product but if you're someone like me who is only a student, doesn't work full time and has a car to run then I would maybe think about looking into cheaper alternatives. I love the NYX contour kit as the product comes with 8 pigmented shades suitable for all skin types, it's only £18.00 from Boots and you're able to switch out the empty pans when you're done with them.
Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot Primer
I'm not sure when I bought this or what actually possessed me to buy it but I do know that many bloggers received their new One Heck of a Blot foundation and primer many months ago and I just bought it on a whim without actually doing any research (silly me) It claims to keep your skin looking matte for up to 12 hours and it supposedly has pore shrinking technology in it. Obviously this is just my opinion and it may work for you but for me this just didn't tick any of the right boxes. It didn't shrink my pores or mattify my face, it did nothing whatsoever. I must admit my skin is very oily and I have huge pores so I understand that this product probably wasn't the right thing to get for my skin. Maybe if you have dryer skin this may work for you? I always like to test primers on the back of my hand before I buy them as you can see how well it covers up the little fine lines and how smooth and soft it makes your hand feel.
This retails for £10.00 from Boots so it didn't really break the bank but Soap & Glory do some amazing products like their entire brow range and their plumping lip glosses but I think when it comes to face products like primers, moisturisers and just general skin care it's probably wise that we do a tad bit more research into whats actually in the product and reading reviews by people who may have the same skin type as you. If you are looking for a primer that is perfect for oily skin and minimising pores then I highly recommend the NYX Angel Veil primer!
The Kylie Jenner Lip Kits
Ok, whatever I say about this product is my genuine opinion and I'm not just bashing it because I'm trying to be controversial. This product for me was such a waste of money and I wan't to tell you exactly what I think about it in hopes that you won't fall for the hype like I did. I wanted these liquid lipsticks with all my heart as, everybody and their grandma was raving about them. After many attempts, a lot of money spent and a ridiculous shipping fee I finally had them in my hands and I was the proud owner of Candy K, Kourt K and Dolce K (proud mum moment right?) I have to say that they smell amazing, it's like white chocolate cookies and if I could eat it then I would, the consistency of the product is very thin but also very pigmented so they applied like a dream onto my lips. It wasn't till I looked in the mirror a couple of minutes later to find that the colour had changed drastically on my lips and the light pink shade of Candy K turned into a horrible fuchsia pink, it's the same with all the lip kit's I purchased. I was beyond upset and I've emailed the Kylie Cosmetics team and tweeted them many times but they're not exactly known for their amazing customer service.
I'm no expert or scientist but this has happened on many occasions when I use cheaper brands and for the price I paid for the lipsticks I was gutted and felt slightly robbed of my money.
The colour is not what is being advertised on Kylie's instagram/twitter/website and the products formula and pigmentation isn't consistent with every batch she produces. The kits are ridiculously expensive combined with shipping and being cheaply made and I've actually seen many people only use the lipstick once or twice and the bottle is practically empty. I would save your time and money as this product isn't all its cracked up to be.
(I had spent $42 for one lip kit, this is with the standard shipping rates and the £15.00 I had to pay in custom charges)
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When it comes to purchasing products from the recommendations from bloggers and youtubers you have to keep in mind that just because one product works for them does not mean that it will work for you. I hope you have enjoyed this post just as much as I loved writing it and I hope you don't fall for the hype just like I did!
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Great post! It's hard to know what to spend your money on, hate t when a product doesn't live up to the hype. This has helped we know what to streer clear of!
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