Totally random blog post topic today, but let’s roll with it!
Whenever I travel with a group of girls, we inevitably end up chatting away about our favorite beauty products when we’re crammed in a tiny hotel room getting ready for the day ahead. Recommendations are exchanged, new makeup is tested and tips and tricks are shared.
Traveling and getting ready with my girlfriends has lead to the discovery of some of my favorite beauty products such as:
- Big Sexy Hair Power Play (Great for adding volume to my roots)
- Smashbox Photo Finish Primer (Makes my makeup last 10x longer)
- Benefit Posie Tint (Adds a subtle, natural-looking pink to my lips and cheeks)
- L’oreal Sublime Bronze (I use this on my face for a pop of sun-kissed color that isn’t orange)
But then there are the beauty product recommendations people give you that you try and end up hating. The ones you hear tons of people swear by that for whatever just don’t work for you.
Here are some of the beauty products I’ve tried that everyone else seems to love that I just don’t:
Beauty Products Everyone Else Loves That You Don’t
- Cetaphil
I tried so hard to love this stuff! My sister’s dermatologist recommended Cetaphil to her and Leslie raved about the gentle way it cleaned her face. I bought the facial cleanser and lotion, but after using it for two months, I noticed my skin breaking out more and more. Oh heeey pimple overload! Needless to say, I’ve passed my Cetaphil along to Leslie and have gone back to the Clean and Clear Morning Burst cleanser and Clean and Clear Dual Action moisturizer that I’ve loved since high school.
- Maybelline Great Lash Mascara
It seems like nearly every magazine out there raves about this mascara whenever they publish articles that mention their favorite beauty products. I fell for the claims and bought this mascara to try it out a few years ago. Never again! It was horrible on my eyelashes and made them look thin and clumpy at the same time, which I didn’t know was possible. (My favorite mascara is currently Almay Get Up and Grow. It’s fabulous.)
- St. Ives Apricot Scrub
I used this exfoliating scrub on occasion for more than a year and thought it was great until I got a facial and the aesthetician told me that she could see little scratches on my skin. She said that St. Ives Apricot Scrub is quite abrasive and actually scratches sensitive skin. Eek! No more! (Ryan still loves it though and I think they may have changed the formula recently?)
Can you tell I’m picky with mascara? I bought this mascara after I saw Emily Maynard talk it up but it made my eyelashes look so piecey. I love Benefit products, but this mascara just didn’t work on my lashes.
Now it’s your turn…
Question of the Day
- What is one beauty product you’ve tried because everyone raved about it that just didn’t work for you?
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It’s kinda funny that I feel the same way about many of these products! I bought the St. Ives Apricot Scrub after seeing it in a ton of magazines and it didn’t leave me feeling that cleansed/refreshed. My sister used Cetaphil for awhile and I tried to swipe some and gave the bottle right back. Weird texture and it smells gross! And that pink and green mascara is said to be so popular but I swear it did nada for me.
Same thing happened to me with the St. Ives scrub! My aesthetician told me that if you look at the little beads under a microscope, they’re actually shaped like jagged starfish.
the st. ives scrub uses crushed walnut shells which is why it’s so abrasive
I agree with all four of your picks.
Especially yhe bronzer…I hate bronzer.
If they made a bronzer for realllllllly white people I would love to hear about it.
I’ve been using Benefit’s Bad Gal lash for about two years and I love it. Got a sample of They’re Real and given the hype thought it was going to be amazing… ugh. Gave me tarantula lashes. Never again!
I couldn’t use the Cetaphil either. It made my skin kind of burn, which is weird because they always recommend this for people with sensitive skin. I never have liked the Great Lash mascara. I actually do like the Benefit They’re real! mascara, but I got it as a free sample. There are some makeup products that I think are worth the extra cost, but mascara isn’t one of them.
The Clarisonic. Everyone just raves about it. I brought one and tried it on three separate occasions. It made me break-out in places where I normally never get blemishes. Also, the blemishes are deep and stay for weeks. Definitely not for me!
*bought
YES! I bought the clarisonic and it did nothing. Not a dang thing. For $200 you would expect at least one zit gone? I don’t know. I returned it and every one looked at me as if I was returning a baby to the hospital.
I couldn’t agree more about the Great Lash mascara! Why do all the magazines think it’s so fantastic?
The other product that didn’t work at all for me are the It Works Body Wraps. I have a few friends who sell them and rave about the products and the results, but I’ve done it multiple times with little to no impact (in fact, I actually thought I looked better in my before pictures!). Maybe they work for some people, but they were an expensive lesson for me that healthy eating and living is always the better option!
YES on the Great Lash mascara! It’s horrible! I’ve probably purchased 5 tubes over the years because I keep reading about how great it is…but every time I regret the decision.
I’m def a Benefit fan- INCLUDING They’re Real (It’s my fav mascara)! But my favorite products of theirs are Boing (cream concealor) and The Porefessional (subtle liquid powder pore minimizer).
I’m addicted to Benefit!
Cetaphil never worked for me either, and then I heard about how bad it really is for you. Every ingredient but water is chemically manufactured, and it uses chemicals that are on the “Dirty Dozen” list.
If you’re interested: http://www.wellandgoodnyc.com/2010/07/20/cetaphil-why-the-popular-cleanser-isn%E2%80%99t-doing-your-skin-any-favors/
I can’t think of a product that everyone loves that didn’t work for me… I tend to shy away from using a lot of products and gravitate towards things that are within my budget. But one product that I LOVE that I heard a lot of people raving about is the LUSH lip scrub. I LOVE this! It makes my lips look and feel really soft, especially right now when it’s sooooo cold. Definitely a keeper!
First, DITTO on the Cetaphil thing! Try CeraVe if you haven’t yet. It’s similar, in the gentle factor, but not creamy and won’t lead to break outs. For me, someone who is particularly prone to troubled skin, I am VERY picky about face wash. I have literally tried every kind. CeraVe is gentle, but still effective. Additionally, I totally agree- Alamay Get Up And Grow mascara is the best!!!
OMG! Totally dying here on the post. It’s awesome. I use the exact some skin care regimen.. have since high school, and at 26 my skin is doing really well 🙂 Well okay, I squeeze in some anti wrinkle cream here and there !!
I was totally looking for the freakin Maybelline mascara that is totally the one thing I hate that every magazine says is the best!
I completely agree with you on the Cetaphil, Apricot Scrub, and Great Lash. Alternatives that I feel are much better are Neutrogena’s Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser (love this!) and St. Ive’s Green Tea Scrub (I use it 1x or 2x a week). I use the same Almay mascara and really like it.
I have a hard time with the Jergens Natural Glow lotion … the smell! Even the newly improved version that isn’t supposed to have the “tanner smell” about makes me gag about 2 hours after applying it. Nivea’s Sun Kissed Radiance is better, IMO.
Finally, and don’t throw the rotten tomatoes … I’m not a big fan of the OPI nail color. I mean I love their color selection but I have terrible luck with the polish on my nails … no matter what I try, it chips quickly. I much prefer Essie nail color and the smaller brush also makes manicures easier, IMO.
I tried the elf lip exfoliator that everyone raves about because its in a lipstick tube and isn’t messy.. Yeah right! That stuff gets everywhere! Not worth it!
This post is AH-MAZING. The cetaphil bit? I tried it too and came out looking like a ‘zit face’. I tried St. Ives a few months ago, made my face way to dry which then overproduced oil and oh look – zit face again. Sometimes you just need to find what works best for you and stick with it. Not everything works for everyone.
I feel the same way about Cetaphil. My Derm had reccomended it and I thought it was awful. I use Clean and Clear morning burst as well.
I actually love the way “They’re real” looks on my eyelashes but I only use it on SPECIAL occasions because it is so darn hard to get off! It ends up ripping out eyelashes. Not good. Clinique high impact is my only go to mascara.
I just can’t use that japanese cherry blossom bath and body works scent. IT IS AWFUL! bleh