2014 Beauty Regrets

While I gushed about my 2014 Favorites in beauty, it was only fair that I let you all know what didn't work out for me. Going into a purchase, I usually keep myself level-headed. Not to expect too much out of something. It is only then that they disappoint you. Otherwise, you simply think you were right about this product and move on with your merry life without grudges. It seems like a preamble to a bad Desperate Housewives episode. Let's unleash the drama and dish out on what I REGRET buying in 2014:

This is based on my personal experience with the product. You will find raving & positive reviews of these products online, but my opinion shall remain until something changes ;-) Don't let it deter you from buying a certain product, if you wish so. Just have it as a word of caution.

Urban Decay NAKED 3 - I can almost hear the muffled screaming of the bloggers, vloggers, and MUAs signing my virtual death warrant on including the revered NAKED 3 in this list. First, let me just say that it is a matter of personal preference. I was not too keen on rose golds and pinks to begin with, but boarded this bandwagon for the sheer HYPE of this since its release. The pale-skinned beauties rocked this like nobody's business and I appreciated that too. It is a modern twist on the neutrals - again, which I appreciate. Desi skintones can also carry it off well for more neutral/muted looks. My praise for it ends here. My first beef with it was - when I received the palette and swatched it, there was no WOW factor. It all looked the same in the pan and awfully similar on the eyelid too. I had to put in the same amount of effort for the color payoff to be bold. It was not below the average, but I didn't pay for that price tag to work that much on the shadows. I expected them to standout and not be sub-par - something which would be expected of cheaper palettes like Sleek or Wet n' Wild. Believe me, those had better pigmentation to this. Coming onto the looks... No matter what combo I did, it would inevitably look all the same. I used it a few times, but can't muster the courage to use it more - especially when I have Coastal Scents Revealed 2 (which is a dupe of NAKED 3 and MORE). You can check its swatches and be wowed by how a product half its price can work that well. Will some day take out this one to do a comparison post and MAY BE give it a second chance. I'm not done with it yet, but SO over it! I'll take my business elsewhere :-P

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer - LIGHT - While we're onto the subject of besmirching big names, let me call out on Smashbox for producing a DUD in the name of "light" primer which cannot even keep itself in place on my face. Holding onto the makeup is secondary. It is supposed to be the "light" version of their regular Photo Finish Primer. This one is white in color, as compared to the transparent silicone gel like formulation of the original version. I have tried applying this in different quantities over moisturized or even dry skin, using different methods. It would inevitably ball up like when you rub on your skin and the dirt balls up. It is supposed to keep the skin matte and refined. Sadly, it did not live up to its claims and hype. Smashbox should pull it off the shelves and see if the formulation can be improved.

Origins Clear Improvements Activated Charcoal Mask - I went for this mask in the bridezilla mode where I would obsess over my skin as a bride-to-be. At that time, I was using a tonne of other products and using this mask didn't make much of a difference. I thought perhaps it will be noticeable when my skin would be in a worse condition and I would be able to see the "clear improvements". Sadly, that day never came. I applied it once or twice after that with gaping pores and obvious blackheads. It probably did an average job, but for its price - I expected wonders. Not all online hypes are worth it.

Luscious Ather Shahzad Master Makeup Palette - I was stunned by the collaboration of Luscious with a renowned makeup artist and thought finally, the east is catching up in terms of beauty collabs. The packaging and whole feel was promising as well. The lipstick palette was the best product out of this collection. The master palette is hardly touched by me - I like the look of it, but the pigmentation of those eyeshadows and blushes swatched is not good at all. Some of these might work, but the biggest disappointment about it would be the price I had to pay for receiving a product that does not perform even to half of its listed price tag. Perhaps you win some, lose some. Looking forward to more from you, Luscious.

Toni & Guy Cleanse Dry Shampoo - While I am a die-hard Batiste fan, I borrowed this one from a friend who didn't know how to deal with it. For the first few times, I didn't notice much of a difference until one day I used this on half hair (3-days-old wash) and a Batiste dry shampoo on the other half. It didn't give as much of a white cast, so I thought it may be better - but boy, did it disappoint. It literally did NOTHING to the oily/limp hair, while Batiste atleast made my straightened hair good enough to last another day without too much oiliness peeking through. Also, this one was a tiny bottle which finished after 3-4 uses. It is easy to go overboard with the dry shampoo, especially when you don't know what you're doing. I'd stick to my Batiste for now, thankyouverymuchtoni :)

MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer - The day I read these were Lime Crime velvetines dupe and they're in stock at Just4Girls.PK, I grabbed two of the shades that arrived the morning of my Mehndi. After it all settled, I got to use them as a new bride. At about 1PM, I put one of these on and go to pick my niece from school. It was crazy hot and I was sipping a drink on my way. Just after 15 minutes, I noticed some weird particles in my water bottle that grossed me out. My lip color was PEELING OFF in small pieces. Buzzkill. I blamed the weather, the skin, the lips, the water. Gave it another shot few days later, still similar situation. These were a big dull dud. I took the whole year to overcome the fiasco and stayed away from liquid/matte lipsticks. Now I am ready to dive in to try some new releases :-) Moral of the Story - Not everything that is called a dupe online is actually one :-/

These were my picks for the beauty product regrets for 2014. Here's to a wiser me in 2015. 

I'd love to know what products did not live up to the hype as you expected?

Share in the comment below! :-)

Cheers,

Bia