Disappointments and unexpected gems

[PaulHollywoodsSexGut]

I know this has been done to death but I’ve just bought some Charlotte Tilbury foundation/concealer and it’s got the same shit finish and feel on my skin as the Essence stuff I bought for £4 from Wilko except that lasted longer I suppose.

Recent M&S T-shirts I’ve bought would be put to better use seiving jam; Primark’s are infinitely superior IMO - shame on you M&S

Finally, have chucked out my recently bought Clinique lippy in a mood. It’s 90p equivalent from Primark has a much nicer feel, staying power and doesn’t have a matte, undead finish to it.

I thought that as I’m finally at a stage now where I can afford too range clothes and make up I’d splash out.

Struggling to see/feel the benefit.

Benefit hola bronzer, it’s been raved about but made me look hideous.
Lancôme nail polish, last two minutes

On the flip side for Lancôme - I’m usually a budget brand person but the Lancôme mascara I was given one Christmas was honestly the best I’ve ever used!

@Lndnmummy that awful stuff made me look like an extra from Geordie Shore 🍊

I like the Essence foundation for coverage and price, but unfortunately the shades aren't the best. Goth white or Oompa Loompa orange seems to be the only choice.

I used to love Lancome Hypnose Drama a few years ago, but the last few tubes I bought all dried out really quickly and it was going up in price everytime I bought it, so I gave up and now use a Collection one from Superdrug that's about £3.50. It does the exact same job.

Speaking of Collection, the undereye concelar is fab and again about £4

I'm sure they're all being manufactured in the same place anyway!

Hilda
Totally agree about the Collection mascara . It's as good as Lancome Hypnose for a fraction of the price.
I'm not impressed with AHA gold or pixi tonic ....no change to my skin at all.
Im loving Aldis version of cleanse and polish for less than a fiver !
Very disappointed in Chanel foundation and double wear light is another bit of a let down. Sleek lipstick in papaya punch is my favourite lipstick of all time and loads nicer than any Mac lipstick I've used.

I just don't get that Mac make every lipstick identical so I have to open every single one I own to find the colour I want to wear. It's a design flaw that gives me a menopausal moment every bloody time.
Im not buying any more

I had no access to a Charlotte Tilbury b&m makeup counter, so I was ordering online...and nothing I ordered looked anything like the shades on the website. I realize that’s a real problem when ordering online, but the colors (lipsticks in particular) were SO off.

Then I visited a counter...SAME PROBLEM. They use the same swatches/photos on their counters as their website...and the colors are still completely different. The photos bear no relation to reality...the lipstick colors are much more orange/yellow based in person. No more CT purchases online for me.

The Primark 90p lipstick is amazing!!!

Yeah, Charlotte Tilburry is pretty shit. However, I found Chantecaille to be amazing. Everything I’ve bought from them I’ve been super happy with.

I’ve been meaning to have a full makeover at a beauty counter for years and stupidly booked into Charlotte Tilbury’s flagship store for my birthday...£250 I spent...could have went on a bloody mini break somewhere. The makeup is crap, especially the foundation and primer. The brow pencil is ok, nothing else is all that special in my opinion. Really regret spending all of that. Also regret spending lots of money on Chanel lipstick.

I actually really like Benefit’s Hoola and have never had a bad Benefit buy. I’m not usually a bronzer person and don’t do the TOWIE look at all.

After trying LOADS of mascaras over the years, the best is Maybelline’s the Falsies. Better than Lancôme and Benefit that I used for years.

Sleek do good dupes and Makeup Revolution’s eye shadow palettes are incredible value for money. So much so that I’ve broken a lifelong love affair with MAC eyeshadows which I used to use exclusively. Still use MAC studio fix powder foundation though!

I love L’oreal Lipsticks, Revlon and GOSH eye pencils and Maybelline gel eye liner.

Garnier Blur BB cream is amazing.

Also like the Urban Decay NAKED palettes.

I didn’t like the Collection concealer that everyone else does but at least it was cheap. Same with the Ordinary foundations. Good colour match but horrible finish.
I don’t think I have found any gems 😭

Literally all of chanel’s makeup. The eyeshadow is so thin and doesn’t blend or apply well. The nail polish needs 5 coats.

Conversely, got foundation from “the ordinary” and it’s great, particularly their coverage stuff.

Hourglass Dim Light powder. Bought thanks to me being a Mumsnet 🐑. All it does is dull my complexion, making face all patchy coloured in the process. Cost me over fifty quid 🤦‍♀️

Gems -

Benefit Rollerlash
Double Wear foundation
Benefit Dandelion
I really like Mac lipsticks, especially Velvet Teddy
Mac eyeliner in Teddy
Urban Decay Naked palettes
NYX eyeshadows are good for trying out colours

I didn’t know what to do with dandelion. Rollerlash ends up under my eyes like every mascara bar the gold boots one.

Also, Sephora pallets are amazing. I got one for 2 euros (seriously!) about 10 years ago and have kept buying them ever since. They last ages and the colours are good, more affordable than urban decay.

Huda Desert Dusk palette I paid a fortune for this palette and it just doesn't go on nicely! ABH modern renaissance on the other hand is well worth the money.
ABH dip brow pomade is also lovely

I'm v pissed off as collection have stopped doing their blusher in a chunky pencil type arrangement. It was fantastic. Grrrr.

Wilko Essence HD pressed powder is brilliant. Love it.

I use Dandelion instead of blusher, as I'm a bit of a corpse face.

Primark mascara in the gold tube is phenomenal stuff. I don't think I'll bother trying another mascara for as long as they keep making it. It's replaced Clinique Chubby as my favourite.

Wilko make-up brushes are great. I prefer them to my MAC brushes.

Back up; Benefit Dandelion isn’t blusher????

Dandelion is a blusher! You can also use it as a finishing powder apparently though. I’d have thought it’d just make you look a bit pink and flushed though so not quite sure how it works as a powder as opposed to a blusher.

It does nothing for me as a blusher

Charlotte tilbury tinted moisturiser stuff. Don’t know what it’s called. Ideal for summer, I thought. Comes out of the tube white, and magically blends to your skin tone. Yeah right. Omg I really was like an oompah loompah except I was a glittery immovable loompah. Awful EXPENSIVE crap. I’m still cross about it

Any expensive mascara. My lashes are shit. There ain’t nothin’ that makes a difference to them.

I like Chanel foundations. And dDouble wear light.

H&M do fairly decent basic tees.

Gems:
Nars tinted moisturiser set with too faced powder foundation and my skin looks amazing.
Nars climax mascara.
Sephora eyeliners
Naked palettes 3 and heat (anxiously awaiting cherry)
Urban decay eyeshadow primer changed my life.
Kat Von D loose powder.
Elizabeth Arden eyebrow powder (used it every day for months now and it’s so pigmented it still looks brand new)
Nyx lipsticks, particularly the soft matte ones (find the lip lingerie range too drying). Love love love soft matte in Rome. All MAC lipsticks I’ve bought so far except for patisserie which is like an overpriced lip balm on me.
Sleek face palette - not a fan of the bronzer but love the blusher (Nars orgasm dupe) and the highlighter.
Love all the benefit blushers.

Trash:
Kiko eyeliner that is just like a crappy felt tip pen.
Sleek eyeshadow palettes.
Benefit they’re real mascara (not really trash but my eyelashes are too short and straight and need a different formula)
I like hoola but it needs to be applied lightly with a MASSIVE brush.

Oooh I got a nars blusher/bronzer for 20 quid - the blusher changed my life, the bronzer is not so great.