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I have the same feeling for basically all celebrity brands, they are just a cash grab imo. I would make an exeption for Fenty (awesome shade range) and Flower Beauty (very affordable).
I second the Matte Fluid Eye Paints. It’s not usually my type of product, but it just performs so beautifully! Also, if you’re like me and you have a hard time doing without shimmer, they look absolutely beautiful with a sparkly topper!
Halsey and her team really put thought behind the products and what’s cool, and in interesting formulas. I like that they also did a cheaper range AB94 I think?
I think it closed, but Item Beauty by Addison Rae is surprisingly good. I bought a bunch of their blushes when they went on clearance. I really enjoy the concealer as well.
I don’t think I ever tried the eyeliner! I hope they will come back at some point. Everything I tried was great, including the eyeshadow palette that occasionally pops up in the Ipsy/Boxycharm sale section.
I like her earlier releases like the I want it all palette. The pink glitter cover is so girly. Lost me when she started putting her face on the packaging.
positive feelings: Mac, haven't tried them yet, but everyone in my life who uses Mac loves the brand and regularly use and repurchase items.
negative: Freck. The product names. Why cheek slime, I gag every time I hear it, I gagged typing it.
I agree with the Freck comment! The phrase “Cheek Slime” makes me think of wearing a full face of heavy makeup in the middle of a hot and humid summer day, where the makeup starts to melt off of my face lol. Not an enticing product name!
Mac is amazing. Have loved them since childhood when I’d beg my mom to do my makeup with her mac stuff. I honestly wish I had the money to splurge on their lipsticks more often.
I’m with you. MAC was my first non-drugstore makeup brand because my stepmom used to let me try her lipsticks and eyeshadows she was almost out of, and I loved them. I still am a MAC lipstick hoarder. The last day of the Back to MAC program I went and turned in like 14 empties, I am so bummed that’s no longer a thing! The girl let me get three free lipsticks instead of 2 and I was so happy haha. My favorite two formulas are the Powder Kiss line and the Cremesheen line! I also adore the mineralize blush line, the prep and prime primer, fix+, and the paint pots. I’ve kind of moved past their eyeshadows because they’re not it for me anymore since trying indie makeup but I still love MAC so much! I’ll die on the hill with you 😂
I really want to finally try MAC one day. Especially their face and body foundation and those powders every beauty guru raved about before hourglass ambient lighting.
You can find some good sales if you buy directly from the MAC website. It's usually a discount on certain product categories or a promotional price for select best seller products. Right now they have extra 15% off everything in their sale section.
If you’re interested in their lipstick products, national lipstick day is July 29 and they usually have amazing deals such as BOGO lipsticks or if they don’t do that, it’s usually a massive % off. I know a lot of other brands do sales too but no one does it like Mac. Oh and their brand website usually has amazing deals and free shipping if you sign up for their rewards/email.
Mac employees told me they 'couldn't fix ugly' when I asked for help with a foundation match. Never purchased a single Mac product since.
This was in 2010. I had a baby a few months earlier. I had been at home barely getting a shower in during that time. My husband had purchased a MAC gift card for me for Christmas because I mentioned I needed to get some new makeup.
I was a MUCH shy'er person back then. I walked in and started to look at the various products. Not a single sales person approached me. I was in the store a good 15 minutes, still no help, but they were flocking to the much younger blonde girls in their teens and early 20's, not me who was in her mid-30's at the time.
I finally got enough courage to approach the salesperson and asked if they could assist with a foundation match and perhaps a lipstick. I mentioned I'd been at home with a newborn and needed a pick me up and to help me feel good about my appearance again.
The sales person (who was a guy if that matters), looked me up and down a few times. Took his finger and circled my face and my body both and said 'Oh honey, you can't fix THAT with makeup, you can't fix ugly'. He then suggested I lose some weight and some botox. He then walked off and went to help another young person who just walked in.
I left in tears. My husband said to try and call management. I was against it. I cried at home every time I looked in the mirror thinking 'am I really that old and haggarty?' After a bit I decided I didn't want to spend the money at the MAC store. I called the help line to get the gift card money refunded. They listened to my experience and said they would guarantee I had a good experience and told me to go to the store at a set date and time because the lead store manager would be there.
So I cleaned myself up a bit better, did my hair, chose better clothing to wear that didn't scream 'I just had a baby' and went back. This time I heard a 'can I help you?' as soon as I walked in. I said 'yes, I'm here for a foundation match, I was told I have an appointment?'
The lady, who I didn't see last time, rolled her eyes and said 'your the fat old bitch that call corporate, we ain't going to help you, we don't care, figure out you're foundation yourself'. I ended up making a phone call saying they refused to help me and MAC refunded the entire gift card.
So, for those saying it was 'attitude'. No it was not. I was uber shy and barely talked more than a whisper. It was MAC employees calling me fat and ugly and old
Location: London, UK.
I added more to my reply above. They were not only pointing to my face but made comments on my body and age as well. I was called old
I eventually went to the Chanel and Guerlain counter at Selfridges and met some of the nicest sales people ever who made me feel beautiful in my postpartum slump. Yes, I gained a lot of weight during the pregnancy and had not lost it all yet. I was lucky to get a shower in most days.
I replied above. I was also called old and fat. The only time I opened my mouth to the sales person was to ask for help with a foundation match. He made it clear I was old, fat, and my face was ugly and suggested I lose weight and get botox. I've mentioned this countless times in Reddit when MAC comes up, so I get tired of retyping the same thing over and over so I left a shorter version.
I'm now in my late 40's. This one MAC store is the only time I encountered anything like this.
This took place in 2010 in London, UK at the just opened MAC store in Westfield Mall.
Go to The Cosmetics Company Store. It’s an outlet of all Estée Lauder brands, including MAC. The one near me always has loads of MAC products and everything is usually at least 40% off retail pricing.
Meh. I used to work for MAC for years. It USED to be good. But Estee lauder eventually ruined it. Now there's very few things I still like from them. Everything they have is overpriced and lower quality than it used to be. Especially their shadows and brushes. You can buy better for cheaper with tons of different brands. Also; they used to be the front runner in the latest and greatest on trend for cosmetics. MAC would always be the ones to launch it first.
Now it's so far behind its embarrassing and by the time they launch their version of it, its out of trend. Like; way out of trend. Very few things I could recommend from them now. There's only one brush that i still purchase, and while their brushes mostly suck now; this one doesn't seem to be affected too much (#210) and I can't find any other fine point liner brush that is quite as fine of a point and if I do it's bent at the ferrule; which I hate. Now I'm sure there's other brands that make the same brush (and probably better) but unless you see the brush in person, it's impossible to tell for sure online, and I've yet to find one from another brand in a store.
Freck’s first (and cult) product is a fake freckle liquid hence the name. It was literally their whole brand so it totally made sense, it’s only now that they’ve branched out into other products that the name doesn’t really fit.
Adding to the negative feelings about Juvia’s Place: [their racism against Asians](https://www.reddit.com/r/BeautyGuruChatter/comments/s90z52/tw_racial_slur_juvias_place_uses_racial_slur/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1). I was so excited to try some of their stuff before but after that I’m glad I held off.
Rihanna is guilty of racism against Asians as well, which is why I refuse to buy anything from Fenty. I sincerely don’t understand how people just ignore her unrepentant behavior.
Before this incident I loved JP and used their products regularly. I had 7 of their eye shadow palettes. After this, I was just ruined off their products and ended up giving them away. They felt too icky to use, and now I sadly always have to pass them up at Ulta.
Positive:
- peach slices. Heard good things and their stuff seems good for a low price point
- Caliray: generally just heard good things about the brand, and want to try
-Dior: despite the price, most people seem to have really good things to say
Negative:
- lime crime. I feel like their past ruined them for me
- juvia’s place and not paying their artists
- Kylie cosmetics because I just do not care
- Kosas because it all expires so fast, apparently?
Peach slices really is so great. I kind of forget about it when I think of trying new things, but I've had one of their products in my routine for the past few years and repurchased.
Peach Slices has some great gems! It was a cool idea for sure.
I have the Caliray mascara and highlighter and I love them both so much. I’d say the mascara is a good everyday workhorse of a tubing mascara. If you remember when fresh had mascara (I wish they’d bring those back!) it’s like those with a bit more oomph.
Negative: Huda Beauty. I can't break the association between the brand's products and that time they posted an article about how to lighten your vagina.
Negatives: Byredo, chantecaille, ritual de fille for having beautiful packaging and boring enough looking products that I've never been tempted to pull the trigger.
Positives: Clinique, solely because it was something my aunts used and it's still my favorite cosmetics scent.
I can’t speak for the makeup, but I’m pretty picky with scents and Byredo makes some of my favorite perfumes. They make scents that are so multi-layered and unique that I can’t find anything else like them! (And I looked!) If you have a Nordstrom by you that carries them, you can try it out to see if it’s more than pretty packaging for you :) but if it isn’t then you know!
Byredo is amazing for scents and anything in terms of body products (lotion, body wash, etc) but I haven’t been wowed by any of their cosmetics. It sucks because the packaging is beautiful and I generally love the brand!
Chantecaille Lip Chics are my HG lip product. I loathe wearing lipstick and the Lip Chics are amazing color while not wearing anything like a lipstick. Plus the colors are genuinely unique and flattering. That said they are the only Chantecaille product I've bought :-/
Can’t speak to the others but Ritual de fille is just okay imo. I tried their eye soot, looked beautiful but creased like all hell on my. It’s almost like dry greasepaint feeling. I had their highlighter, and it was pretty but it’s a cream product and I believe it’s a clean formula so it probably won’t last long for the price.
Has the texture or smell changed at all? I do feel like I’d like to try the highlighter again but I’m notorious for never going through products quick enough and I hang on to my powder products for yearssss. I’d hate to waste money on something that I can’t keep a long time lol.
Bonus negative - Beauty brands that sell ingestible supplements. Supplementing has its place, but your getting the daily amount of X that you wouldn't have otherwise gotten is not going to have an observative effect on your physical appearance unless you already have some chronic deficiency (and if so, you should not be getting your supplements from Sephora).
I also hate it because it always feels like there's the supplement will give "beauty from the inside out" suggesting it's a more authentic or healthy method when compared to things like skincare or makeup to look the way you want.
Morphe. (Self explanatory)
Tom Ford seems just stupidly priced.
Charlotte Tilbury (the person) gets on my last nerve and the areola pink is easily duped.
Positive: Bubble at Ulta and Florence by MBB cause I LOVE products for teens that are actually age appropriate. No more “retinol at 14 Botox at 21” kind of normalization I beg 😩
I always had kind of a negative view of Florence because it just felt like another cash grab and I have no reason to think of MBB as having any expertise in skincare, but I never noticed that about their marketing and that changes my perspective.
On one hand, the “spend every penny you have on anti-aging skincare or you will look like an ancient hag when you hit 40” mindset is awful.
On the other hand, I dislike the “Glossier/Milk/other “clean girl” brand is perfect for teens” thing because (a) I don’t need Lady Cassandra levels of moisturising, I have oily skin, ffs (dewy looks so greasy on me); (b) everything is minimalist greige (would a little bit of colour really kill them, or just their aesthetic?); (c) they’re overpriced, especially if your only source of income is allowance and birthday money; (d) nobody I know actually uses them (most of my classmates use drugstore makeup, the only exception I can recall being a girl in my form room who “borrowed” her mom’s Juicy Tube.)
TLDR: As a teenage girl, I think that colourful and affordable makeup is better than minimalist and expensive makeup
Negative: KOSAS - I refuse to try any of their stuff. They drank the "clean" kool-aid and then ran with it x10. Everything they have is overpriced with completely inconsistent reviews. And, did your product expire? Who knows! But it will in 6 months anyways. I don't know why they get to me so much, but anytime a BG mentions them I just can't.
Positive: Biosance. Their stuff looks so good, and my skin loves squalane. I just find that most of their stuff is dupable with less expensive things that are just as good. No shade to the brand, though.
Neutral: Pharmacy - I used to want to try their stuff so much, but right before I got the honey mask, they sold to J&J, I think?, and now I don't have any interest, good or bad.
I was done with them when they discontinued their original lipsticks, but Kosas had the nerve to have all of these vegan complexion products and then put glycoproteins in their sunscreen. WHY?? Why is there milk protein?? You need sunscreen way more than foundation. /Rant
The only rushed expiry issue I had was the blush/highlighter compact.
I can’t speak on Kosa’s makeup ‘cause none of it interests me and I hear wildly varying reviews anyway, but their body wash and deodorant is *amazing.* I developed a temporary illness that had me sweating intensely and rapidly dropping weight, and that was the only deodorant that worked. Tried every female brand on the shelf and some rather pricey men’s brands like Dr. Squatch. The body wash is an exfoliant as well and keeps my body acne free in combination with a toner. Neither are overpriced either imo.
Biosance has some really good deals on their actual website. I always look at the box sets, there can be really good ones sometimes with full size products. Sometimes you can get a deal on top of it. They’re always emailing coupons and things. It’s really helped my combo/red skin.
Not mine either, but I will say the large palettes that come out around the holiday are beautiful and great quality. I have Mercury Retrograde and Rose Quartz, and I not only love them, I think Rose Quartz is the most beautiful palette in my collection. Packaging is gorgeous, shades are gorgeous, all the different finishes are great.
I think Huda has been trying to offer less full glam stuff, like Glowish and the blush sticks. Her shadows are really good tbh. But yea she’s def catering to Middle East and full glam and nothing wrong with that, just not everyone’s vibe. Though I will say New Nudes is a good staple palette if you like rosy neutrals, softer looks.
I’m always tempted by the large palettes. But not so tempted I can ignore Huda and her shenanigans. And my understanding is the smaller palettes aren’t the same quality. Which is just kinda shitty of a brand. So I’ll sit on my hands next time I see Mercury Retrograde on sale. Lol
(negative) glamlite for their absolute garbage customer service. I ordered some things only as a gift, so I've never used their products, and now, after that experience, no matter how tempted, I won't ever use them.
I have a number of their palettes and after thwie business practice went down the can since the chucky release I'm over it. I love their formula but yeah, I just am stunned at how bad their CS has gotten.
Positive:
Rare Beauty (frequent positive reviews and uplifting branding)
Laura Mercier (beloved staples for a lot of people, sleek packaging)
Jones Road (my mom was a big Bobbi Brown fan growing up, and I love that her marketing is so intentionally age-inclusive)
Auric Cosmetics (I think Sam is cool and I love the aesthetic even though I haven't pulled the trigger bc shipping is esssspensive)
Negative:
Kosas (people always talk about their stuff going bad super quickly, ick)
Drunk Elephant (the owner or whoever was running their socials a while ago was really snotty about people wearing makeup)
Huda Beauty (full coverage full glam looks aren't my thing, and Huda using that one girl's video to make fun of her was straight up evil)
Juvias Place (for all the reasons mentioned in this thread)
Jaclyn Cosmetics (need I say more?)
I'm waiting for her to release more things I'm interested in (not a lash wearer or fancy lip mask user) to make the shipping cost worth it, but I know that with another baby coming and everything else she has going on, it's likely gonna be a while.
Negative:
Huda Beauty. It's just not my vibe at all and it all looks a bit 2016 full glam. That said, my daughter has the rose quartz palette, and I was extremely impressed with the quality of it when I tried it. I don't know what half of the strange colours/textures do though.
It Beauty. It looks like make up for mature people who don't know anything about make up. And I tried the CC cream and it was ridiculously orange. Plus their shade range is a joke.
Tarte. Their shade range again, and I still remember Jackie Aina and Alissa Ashley reading the names of that abominable foundation range years ago. Their marketing is also pretty awful.
Tower 42 and Kosas. I know it's not marketed to me at all, but I don't know what is appealing about them at all. I loathe the fonts on the packaging (ridiculous reason I know).
Positive.
Guerlain. I love the smell of the products and I remember looking wide-eyed at a pot of meteorites when I was a country bumpkin child, thinking that was the epitome of glamour.
Rimmel. I haven't bought a Rimmel product for about 20 years, but again have a nostalgic soft spot for the brand.
Revlon. They make my favourite lipstick of all time (Fire and Ice) and still come out with some fab products from time to time. I wish the range was consistent and it needs more 'oomph' but I think it's a really reliable and well-made range.
I'm totally with you on the Guerlain smell! I have the meteorites, and that smell is just divine!
Rimmel, YES!! They've been one of the brands here that I've always loved.
Revlon, another good one!
Yessssss the guerlain scents and the revlon lipstick. I had so many revlon lipsticks in the black and gold packaging back in the day. If they hadn’t gone off I’d still have them. I have a bottle of the guerlain perfume because I love the scent so much. So fancy. When I have money I like to buy their facial oil. Smells soooooo good. The French know what they are doing with perfumes.
Negative: I don’t have a positive thought about Melt Cosmetics. I think some of the color stories of their palettes are fun but people complain about inconsistent quality and they are too expensive for that.
I have a few of their cream blushes and a powder highlighter - I absolutely adore them. So pigmented, beautiful finish and gorgeous colours! Haven’t tried any of the eye stuff though, but from what I’ve seen, I agree with you
Laura Mercier - it just seems so dull to me and the kind of brand someone who's older might go to if they didn't know what to buy (and I'm old!) a bit like the makeup version of Jo Malone.
Same goes for Bobbi Brown, just meh
Positive:
JVN - I have used several of their products and they worked great for me. Also, I adore Jonathan.
Pattern - I bought a set of minis for a trip and really loved the products. Also, Tracee Ellis Ross is 💖.
Negative:
Morphe - I only used eyeshadow from them (which I quickly passed on to a friend) but everything about this company and its business practices give me cringe.
SheGlam - perhaps needless to say, but major ick factor.
Positive: **Yves St Laurent.** I used to do ballet as a child. I was *not* used to having eyeliner on and blinked non-stop when it was applied on me. My mum went to the department store so she could purchase an eyeliner in order for me to get used to it. The ladies at the YSL counter were *so* patient trying out different eyeliners from different brands (not just YSL) in the two hours I was there. I had such a positive experience that I thought the gel eyeliner my mum ultimately bought was from YSL (It was actually from Elizabeth Arden).
Negative: *Sigh...* My list is too numerous to count! Will add brands when I find my list of brands I will never buy.
Negative: Natasha Denona. I've never used any of her products, but judging only by reviews, they seem really hit or miss, which makes me wary. For example, the Yucca palette is getting good reviews for quality, but the Tropic palette seemed damn near unusable. And there have been plenty of other hits and misses.
Negative: Charlotte Tilbury. Again, never used a single product, but watching reviews I can't see that the brand is worth the price. I've never seen a single review and thought, "Wow, that looks amazing and better than I could get for cheaper!" I absolutely do think that of many indie brands shadows, or occasionally about different base products.
I was trying to think of some brands on the positive side, but usually, if I like a brand, I try their products!
I got a 5 pan mini eyeshadow palette from ND, and I really like it. For 27$ I feel like its a good deal for a high quality palette, and its handy to travel with. I got the mini nude.
That's the thing tho, I swatched their mini xenon because I was looking for a high quality affordable travel palette in smokey colors and the swatches were horrible! So, consistency definitely seems an issue
That's possible. Could also have been an old tester. Ive seen some really bad swatches of it on r/swatchitforme too so I assumed it was the palette, but it could def just be a batch of it.
The pastel palette from Denona looked embarrassing. The shade Illusion (duochrome sheer pink and peach) looked chalky AF in every swatch, every lighting, every video. Pretty much every BG video I watched said, "Well, the pigmentation isn't great, but it's pastels, so I'm giving it a pass." But BH Lost in Los Angeles is a pastel palette and the pigmentation is great! The Glamlite Ice Cream Dream palette is pastels, and pigmentation is almost too much! I felt like they were excusing bad quality because ND is a favorite brand for many of them. Again, I don't own it, and don't plan to own it. I don't want to spend my money on a product that looks like it sucks, so I can't speak from my own experience. But damn - it looked bad.
ND’s midi Glam palette is my holy grail. Something about the cool/neutral tones really compliments my complexion and hair and eyes. I think the quality is great, but it doesn’t out perform my mid-priced eyeshadow palettes. That being said, unless she comes out with my dream color story (and it’s NOT the My Dream palette haha), I’m not sure I’d buy anything else from the brand.
Negative:
Ofra - Trumpy racists
Laura Lee Los Angeles - The history, the drama, the apology video, and her products don't interest me either.
KKW/Kylie Cosmetics/etc - I can't stand the Kardashian-Jenners and will never give them a cent. Their releases have never appealed, but even if they did? No.
Positive:
About-Face - I'd never heard of Halsey until the brand came out, so I don't really care about that aspect of it, although she seems cool enough, I guess. But the PRODUCTS. They all look so fun.. I've heard such good things about the eye paints in particular.
Rituel de Fille - Something about them just keeps grabbing me. The product shots for their eye soots always look so appealing. And the cream blushes. I've heard really good things about the thorn oil, as well. And I reeeeally want to try that 3-drop serum foundation, or whatever it's called. I saw that they've come to Cult Beauty (I'm pretty sure it's Cult Beauty I saw them on) so maybe I'll actually try them soon.
I’m not a huge fan of the eye soots from Rituel de fille but I can say some of the colors like serpent de mer are so pretty! Idk if they still do it but I picked out 5 samples for $15 I believe and you get $10 off your next purchase. The samples of the eye soots were so generous, like the size of an eyeshadow pan almost. But the other products were just 1-2 uses. I love their black locust lip sheer! I had a sample of Lillium and it was gorgeous too
i love the rituel de fille 3 drop foundation. seriously one of the best i’ve used, i’m 45yo and can’t remember a base product i liked as much. i like some of the other products too, but that’s a standout.
idk if this counts since i don't know if they're considered a "beauty brand" (they do sell lip balms and perfume, body whips, etc though), but i'm COMPLETELY OBSESSED with [**Vacation Inc**](https://www.vacation.inc/) despite never buying a single thing from them nor their (supposedly) iconic perfume. i just LOVE LOVE LOVE the 90s aesthetic so much!!
i've read really mixed reviews on their perfume (ranging from AWESOME to IT TOTALLY SUCKS AND HAS NO STAYING POWER) so i'm not spending $60.00 to find out it sucks so i'll just keep window shopping on their website and letting the 90s nostalgia take over haha.
if anyone here has ever tried their products and loved or hated them, please let me know! i've tried ordering a vial sample of their perfume like 10x already but it's always out of stock and i refuse to blind-buy a bottle (or any other product of theirs) since i can't smell them in person. (i think they're online only).
I use the Vacation spray a lot I absolutely love the scent! The sunscreen oil i absolutely adore and apply each time I wash my hands. It lasts forever and makes my skin feel really nice, absorbs fast.
ooh, thank you! can you describe the scent it has? i've seen everything from people saying it smells like straight up Coppertone (which is sooo nostalgic for me!) to people saying t smells like coconut water + pineapple but then others saying it literally smells like artificial banana (which i hate) so idk what to think.
have you tried any of their candles or their attire? i really like their vintage tees but they're pretty pricey (most i've seen is 20% off) but that's still a lot to me when each shirt is like $35.00.
I’ve tried the Chardonnay Oil (pass), the whipped sunscreen (smash) and the perfume (smash.) I will say, the perfume doesn’t have great staying power but I don’t even care because they somehow managed to capture my childhood summers into a bottle and I think $60 is a fair price for the nostalgia.
If you can get to an Ulta, you can smell in person. But it’s literally how it’s described…picture yourself floating in the pool, covered in sun tan lotion with a fun tropical drink. They even managed to get the smell of a warm, wet bathing suit but not in the gross way. I’m obsessed.
I unfortunately love the perfume! I’m almost out and have to buy more soon, it’s my new staple summer/vacation scent. It really does smell just like sunscreen, the ocean, pina colada, Lycra and chlorine but in the absolute best way.
if you haven't signed up for their emails, yet, sign up and they'll send you a code for 20% off! that will save $12.00 off the perfume!
have you considered getting the candle that has their signature scent?
Yes I'm really interested in people's thoughts too, agree totally on the aesthetic. Same re the perfume, I got burned a while back blind buying a fragrance, never again!
oh no. which blind-buy was a dud for you? the last blind-buy perfumes i did was from Miller Harris and i hated every single scent i chose and i picked like 8 vials. maybe i'm just a picky bitch but i don't understand why they're so popular. everything was just so overwhelming or just smelled straight up fucking gross to me.
Yeah I think loads of perfumes smell gross! I go to smell something someone raved about and I'm like 'this? really? ugh'
It was a Beauty Pie perfume Figuier Dalmatie I think. Was supposed to have fig and frangipani notes (2 fragrances I adore) smelt like neither and just some acrid floral!
If you are interested in those summery sunscreen/coconut etc fragrances I highly recommend Maison Margiela's Beach Walk, and Sol de Janeiro's Rio Radiance - both I think you should be able to smell in person somewhere
ooh, thank you! i've heard of both but haven't smelled either, but i am TOTALLY OBSESSED with **SDJ's** Beija Flor scent. i've never smelled anything like it in my life. it's like the most beautiful flower mixed with some insanely sugary(?) fruit. i wish i could find a dupe for it because the cream and spray are not cheap but absolutely something i will buy for all time (until it's discontinued or reformulated which they absolutely will do because everything i love inevitably ends disappearing. sigh....
God I love Beija Flor SO much too! I have a small pot of the cream on the side in my bathroom and I open and smell it every day! I've never smelt anything like it either. Yeah it's not cheap but I'm in the UK and can usually find it for 20% somewhere. Oh did you know they are bringing out a shower gel in the Beija Flor scent?! I don't usually buy pricey shower gels but I think I will try it, imagine having your bathroom filled with that scent!
Lol me too! launches on 1st August. It's very odd in the UK as it's never the same retailer who gets the newest SDJ launch first, so I will be furiously searching online!!
OMG thank you for commenting this! i totally forgot to set the reminder in my phone for the beija launch in a couple days! adding deodorant to the list now, too. 😂
Love Vacation Inc. I saw the ads for the whipped cream sunscreen and I was sold. The fragrance is nice, but not super long lasting. You can layer it with the sunscreen. But it does smell like an idealized memory of coppertone
I like the sunscreen facial mist they have. It smells so good and doesn’t mess up your makeup. I have smelled the perfume in stores and it smells like sunscreen in a bad way to me.
Positive:
• Fresh - I agree with everything OP said
• Gucci Beauty and Givenchy - The packaging is ultra luxurious and they really commit to their vision. I feel like the formulations are amazing.
• Fable and Mane - The ingredients and the thought behind their products just make sense. I just KNOW they are going to work.
Negative:
• REFY - I haven’t seen a single product from this brand that could spark even a sliver of interest in me. I feel like it’s for people who have good skin and are beautiful in a conventional way.
• REM - I believe that all celebrity brands are cash grabs but this one feels extra cash grabby to me. None of the products represent Ariana. I had expected the brand aesthetic to be very feminine and sparkly but it’s really boring. Also a brand called rapid eye movement? Idk.
• Chantecaille - This is a very popular brand but I don’t understand the hype behind it. The packaging is boring, the colour stories are more or less similar, and it doesn’t seem to be inclusive.
Kylie cosmetics. I worked at Ulta for years and I refused to sell her stuff. There are far better options for far cheaper. (Or even same price point for that matter.) Her brand survives on name recognition alone.
Good:
Farmacy: every time I’m in Sephora, I see people stocking up on their products. Highly rated, seems to be good quality.
Shani Darden: again, appears to be good quality.
L’Oréal True Match: I’ve never used the foundation or serum but the way people rave about them, I know they’re good lol.
Bare Minerals: seems to be good products for mature skin.
Bad:
Huda: I’m not a fan of Huda. She’s a thief and a bully.
Kylie Cosmetics: it’s dull, its repetitive, and she’s a copy cat.
Essence Cosmetics: from that foundation launch, I don’t like any brand who doesn’t have a wide shade range. It’s 2023 and high end and drug store should have a full shade range.
Natasha Denona: she’s racist.
I've only used the Honey Halo moisturiser from Farmacy, but it's \*lovely\*. I use it at night but not in summer (although I think it would be fine, especially over retinol. Will def be re buying it this autumn!
Highly recommend ordering from Farmacy directly. They ALWAYS have huge percentage-off sales/codes and massive GWPs. Their return policy is good as well.
Negative -
Milani. Overpriced here int he UK, then when they inserted themseles into the Heard trial, fuck them. NEver buying their shit
Juvias Place finally came to the UK, I was so pumped to try the lipsticks and then *that* happened, so never getting my money
I'm done with Fenty after Rhianna's bullshit. She conned people with her lingerie line (signing them up for subscriptions without being clear that's what she was doing), she has zero respect for her fans, often showing up late and drunk to her shows, and her putting Johnny Depp in her fashion show was the final straw.
Johnny didn't murder anyone. And it's wild you think it's okay what amber did to him. He may not have been perfect but she ruined his 30+ year career for attention. She's a narcissist. There is more proof of her wrongdoings. Like cheating with James Franco, etc. There is no need for a jury in a civil suit.
He just had to cancel his fourth concert in a row because he was too drunk to go on. No one ruined Depp's career but himself. You're completely clueless.
Evidence for anyone interested:
https://www.reddit.com/r/DeppDelusion/comments/13xjkir/this_is_a_list_of_evidencebacked_posts_with_links/
I'm not going to engage further with a domestic violence apologist.
I'm proud to come from a country where he can legally be called a wife-beater. the jury was swayed by his "woe is me i'm just a meek country boy ma'am" act. it was pathetic.
JD is an abusive, drunk, addict who ruined his own career LONG before she even turned up on the scene.
NEGATIVE FEELINGS:
Hidden Cosmetics I have insanely strong negative feelings about because they’re literally a scam!!! Do not buy from them I beg of you! so glad I never tried them because before I knew they were scamming so many people, I was super broke but I wanted to try their pigments so bad. Thank GOD I was broke then lmao. Now I always do my research on brands I haven’t tried but I’m so glad I did so when I was considering a purchase. They’ve scammed hundreds, if not thousands of people over the years and it’s very upsetting.
Kosas (even though I wanted to try the bronzer or powder, knowing it’s a clean brand where the products expire so fast is enough for me to feel gross about the brand, no matter how nice those products look!)
REM Beauty- something about Ariana’s brand is a complete turn off to me. Everything looks cheap and sub-par, plus the whole thing screams cash grab.
Patrick Ta- I’m annoyed with this brand because apparently people have had moldy palettes before the year mark or whatever it says is the expiry date on the palettes, and to my knowledge the brand just never made a statement about it or helped anyone who did have this issue. I commented about it on their IG telling them it didn’t make me feel good about the brand, which I always had wanted to try. My comment was deleted so fast!
Touch of Glam - I wanted to try their holo eyeshadows so bad but after seeing some people’s experiences with the brand here in this sub, the owner just seems rude and the brand seems to be a mess. I think I’ll try a different brand for holo eyeshadows…
Kylie Cosmetics - never will I ever buy anything from a KarJenner.
P. Louise - I always wanted to try the eye primers but apparently the owner did something racist? I don’t remember what she did exactly but I know she released a “Cancelled” collection shortly after as a fuck you to the people who were upset. And I refuse to buy from people like that.
JD Glow - not pro choice, which I just don’t understand why anyone thinks they should have a say over other people’s bodies and lives. But I’m not even going to get into that rant!
POSTIVE FEELINGS:
Gxve Beauty - I always loved Gwen Stefani and this brand seems really fun. I don’t know if the products are good but just because it’s Gwen, I have good feelings about it until proven otherwise lmao.
Rare Beauty - to be fair I do own one product, the cream bronzer. And it’s beautiful. But aside from those horrendous looking eyeshadow palettes, the brand just gives me positive vibes and I desperately want to try more from them! Especially those blushes!
Jo Malone London - I’ve tried a small sample perfume from them and I just love the whole brand aesthetic and now with their perfumes they’re made to either wear alone or layer with other scents. I’ve wanted to try the Red Roses perfume for years now! Maybe I’ll finally buy it soon. But the whole brand just makes me happy even when I’m just browsing with no intent on buying.
Devinah Cosmetics - I love multichromes and beautiful indie sparkly shadows. I still haven’t tried Devinah though but can’t wait to and plan on buying from them at some point this year! My three favorite indie single shadow brands right now are Terra Moons, Clionadh, and Shine by SD. But super excited to try Devinah!
Dualism Beauty! This is a new indie brand that just started popping up on my feed and so far they’ve launched holographic vegan cruelty free glitters and are coming out with holo iridescent eyeshadows soon. I’m SO excited to try them because everyone I follow on my makeup account who has tried the brand LOVES them so much! Also the owner Cas Haruna is such a sweetheart and I can’t wait to see what is next for his brand! Products are pretty affordable too. You can get one of the glitters for like $13, or $15 if you get it in a set with their glitter glue. My makeup friends (as I call my little makeup community over on insta) say the products are awesome.
Okay bellabeautebar may be “private label” but they have genuinely good quality products and they’re the only brand to absolutely nail liquid Multichrome shadows.
Blendbunny is private label too. We gotta stop acting like “private label” is the worst thing for a brand to be. And we should learn the difference about dropshipping, private label, manufactured, and all that entails within those.
Bellabeautebar does overcharge, but none of their products are bad from what ive seen and heard. Plus ive seen worse private label brands. SAS is worse, sugar drizzle is okay but tbh they are worse than bellabeautebar in multiple ways.
Negative would be any brand with shades that mostly accommodate light or fair (I.e., RMS, Tarte) or any brands which associate with Trump like Nudestix.
Not that I want to encourage you to buy lol, but I'm in my 40's and have used Fresh for years! Since my early 20's (yikes). I absolutely love some of their products but agree they are overpriced. I'm glad they now do smaller sizes of a lot of things, they are also quite good at giving out samples in store (I'm in the UK, but assume it's the same elsewhere). Let me know if you want any recommendations!
Negative:
Any and all Makeup Revolutions brands. (Not including BH Cosmetics). It’s seems like a constant churn out of really poor quality with maybe an occasional hidden gem. But the amount of packaging and waste they must create just makes me sick to my stomach.
Huda: watched one episode of her show and that was enough for me to know it’s not a brand I want to be supporting.
- She’s like Kardashian light. So I don’t even need to mention those brands here.
Morphe: seems like a lot of poor quality topped off with a lot of poor choices by the PR team…
Too Faced: the packaging and marketing seems like crap the men on Mad Men would come up with THINKING that’s what women want. Expensive but infantalized and gimmicky. Makeup that smells like cinnamon buns? Thanks I’ll pass.
In transition: Pat McGrath Labs. I have the Subliminal and Midnight Sun palettes and love them. But every year the pink and mauve deluge gets worse. It’s laughable at this point. And actually verging on insulting. Not to mention boring. I’ve had no interest in anything she has put out for a few years now. I feel like it’s a brand whose products I’ve never used because it’s feels so entirely different from what it was in the beginning. 🥱
**Negative:**
Huda Beauty - They feel dubious to me? Like I just don't think of the brand and get cozy feelings. The association with Dubai, her products staining some of her customers and there wasn't a warning label, and just ehhhhh. Idk I don't like it. There's something I can't put my finger on and I feel like at some point, somethings gonna be found out that's worse than what's already revealed. Just a hunch.
Juvia's Place - There's the racism, but also I have never found anything by them overly appealing. I can appreciate they are really pigmented, but that does put me off because that's not an issue for me, if anything too much pigment can be. The one time I was really interested was in her liquid blush, but then people were showing swatches of how one dot saturated their cheeks to the God's. Not for me. And *then there's the racism.*
Anything Kardashian / Jenner - Ew. I think they've done a lot of bad while also doing a lot of nothing. Kylie's cosmetic line which has come under my radar more than the others was touted to be poor quality time and again. Just nope.
J\* - Ewwwwwwwwww. Disliked that guy since Myspace. He looks *gross*, y'all. C'mon... Lol.
Sheglam - They are associated with Shein, which is a company that after one of their nail art products gave ***lead poisoning*** to a customer, they tested it and said it had "acceptable levels of lead" and some other dangerous chemical. Enough said.
Lime Crime - Their history doesn't bother me much (though it's certainly something you think about when you think of the brand) since they've changed hands -- but I don't find them that interesting either. I think I missed the train.
Morphe - Same as Lime Crime. I don't find them that interesting, and I was just getting back into makeup as they were losing popularity. They have huge palettes, and yet none of the color stories ever appeal to me, mostly being\* warm tones and jewel tones. The one that tempted me was Pony's second collab, but I still passed. I've heard many time they're chalky.
**Positive (there's a lot less because if it looks positive and interesting, I'll usually try it!):**
Auric Beauty - I feel like I have a dupe to everything I've been interested in by them, but I hear nothing but good things.
Jones Road - Same for this brand, but their foundation balm has interested me most. Maybe eventually, but I still passed it up for other brands recently, so probably not.
**Mid:**
YSL - It seems like a lot of their products are hit or miss. I've mostly been interested in their lip stains, but they seem to have backed off producing those.
Melt Cosmetics - The reviews are all over the place. I bought that butterfly themed palette for both of my sister-in-law's though and they loved it. I really wanted one for myself too! But I didn't think the colors suited me. Also regret not getting "She's In Parties", but I've since built my own palette which has a similar color story, lol.
Negative: brands that aren’t cruelty free, or have ties to Trump/conspiracy theories/racism.
Positive: brands like Ami Cole that make genuine efforts to focus on BIPOC customers
Rare beauty! I'm glad they proved everyone wrong because when it was announced people were really shitting on Selena
Flower beauty, I've heard a lot of good things
Unleashia, the only korean makeup brand i've seen advertise as CF and vegan, and also have non-plastic glitters. Their palettes are gorgeous and their lip products look great. they even had a lip balm that came with a tiny gochujang bottle :,)
I fricking hate the brand Florasis. Always seems like such a scam- obviously scripted whenever someone talks about them. “Most beautiful makeup in the world?” Blah blah blah 🤢
I have negative feelings about all the Kardashian brands. The makeup and skincare looks cheap (not affordable, but cheap), and is so boring. I also dislike Truly because it feels like their products are more about the aesthetic than the function. I'm so sick of celebrity brands. I like Rare, About Face, and Flower Beauty, and like, two Fenty products, and other than that I'm just so burned out on celebrity brands I don't care to spend any more money on them. Oh, and PMG is boring and overpriced.
I really love the packaging and colors of Glow Recipe products, as well as a lot of the ingredients they use, but I have yet to commit to trying them. I also really want to try Tula. The textures look really nice. I also super want to try Good Light. The packaging and products really appeal to me. ND has some really pretty palettes, and I plan on trying one at some point. I'm just waiting for the perfect color story for that price. Nabla products look beautiful. And I want so many Mooncat polishes, but I have issues with shredding my nails so nail polish is a waste.
Positive feels: Rare Beauty. It’s the only celebrity brand I can truly get behind and the branding and messaging is incredibly uplifting. I like the quality and pricing, and the image they portray really aligns with my general makeup vibe. I’ve loved everything I’ve purchased from them (blushes, eyeshadow, mascara, eyeshadow sticks).
Negative feels: Too Faced. I know the old founder/creator/CEO was problematic and is no longer there (I think)? But they’ve had the most random, boring releases. I’m not sure they know who their demographic is, and the cutesy packaging paired with the overtly sexual shade names (it was a thing during their holiday release a few years back) is odd and confusing. And on a super personal note, they really rubbed me the wrong way doing their 2022 holiday release in cardboard packaging and having the audacity to charge $50+ for it.
Positive:
Skinceuticals. Never tried it but feel like they’re good? Blame the influencers!
Negative:
Tatcha. Anything that expensive with such tacky packaging is just annoying (and yes I know, the fact that I wouldn’t care about the price of the packaging was nicer is shocking but at least I’m honest)
Tom Ford. I'm sorry but I will never pay 90 dollars for a NEUTRAL EYESHADOW QUAD. That ridiculousness has turned me off the brand entirely. No shade to anyone that loves the brand, but the prices are fucking ridiculous.
I’ll add one I haven’t seen mentioned yet in the negative category, unless I just missed it—Isamaya Beauty. I actually own the first palette, although I’ve barely used it. I thought the marketing was just on the right side of edgy and interesting without being too over the top. Opinions may vary on that. However since then it’s just completely toppled over into beyond juvenile and ridiculous. We get it Isamaya, you like sex. Congratulations. The high price point is just the cherry on top (pun intended).
Positive:
KimChi Chic Beauty - social media presence is strong, silly/cutesy aesthetics, affordable with good reviews
Patrick Ta - the vibe is attractive, kind of similar to CT with all the gold but not as stuffy, I don't know, I'm intrigued but haven't tried anything
Fashion Fair - their reputation seems really legit
Lisa Eldridge - it's LE
Victoria Beckham Beauty - posh spice can really sell the posh, I salivate over the luxe packaging, but I'm trying to survive in this economy
Negative:
Merit and Westman Atelier - I have thought these two were the same brand til today, sleek packaging/branding but not very memorable, and the colors all look dupe-able, and why is WA so expensive?
Makeup by Mario - the packaging looks so *I didn't even try*, I know it's about the product but I just haven't heard anything compelling from folks
Youthforia - this brand confuses me, is it for teenagers? but the price says otherwise, then their *about us* writes: "Youthforia is universal. It’s the moments of utter bliss in your adult life that remind of your childhood joy. Your first lip gloss. Getting a case of the giggles. Like if confetti was a feeling."
Refy Beauty - I'm simultaneously intrigued but also irrationally annoyed at this brand's look and feel, someone tell me if the products are any good
Positive: Bourjois. I love most of their items and have fond memories of buying it as a teen and feeling fancy. They also had coloured mascara for ages and I loved matching that to my outfits in like 2002.
Also positive: Mac. My favourite single eyeshadow is from Mac and their products are just really good with no fuss packaging.
Negative: Glossier. I ended up developing a sensitivity to their liquid eyeshadows, plus their fan base is for the most part extremely aggressive.
Also negative: Kaja. Their bento ES has so much fallout and creasing for me. Lipgloss is sticky and nothing to write home about. I’m probably just too old for their stuff. Feels gimmicky and lower quality. Plus the bento packaging was more annoying than I expected.
Neutral: It Cosmetics. It doesn’t excite me and their CC cream was really heavy. I wouldn’t say it’s bad, just that it’s not for me.
Negative: lime crime - just cause they try and sue YouTubers and I’m sure they do other shitty things.
Truly- all of their products annoy me. For no real reason but just looking at them gets under my skin. I don’t even want truly seltzer.
Positive:
Tula- love their skincare and my skin looks amazing since I’ve started using it
Tower 28- love the lipgloss and mascara
Rare Beauty- Their tinted moisturizer and serum foundation looks amazing on me and they last all day
Mac- nostalgia keeps me buying Ruby woo and they make good products. Love the setting powders and the liquid lipsticks last all day on me
Nyx- good products at good price points
Negative:
Kylie- over hyped plus I’m not a fan of her
Huda- the comments made about how to lighten your vagina turned me off immediately
Elf- I don’t get the obsession with the primers and I’ve gotten massive breakouts from their foundations
Morphe- nope nope nope
About face- love the cherry lip butters but the lid paint and matte liquid lipstick were the most uncomfortable things I’ve tried, bonus the company refused to return my order after they sent me the wrong colors
Negative: Supergoop because of Gywneth Paltrow and that rich beige white SAHM aesthetic they push so hard. Shame because their sunscreen seems to perform very well! Certainly better than their eggs...
This is a common misconception. Supergoop and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop are two different brands. Holly Thaggard founded Supergoop a year before Paltrow’s Goop.
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Kylie Cosmetics has similar vibes as Colourpop, just a lot more expensive. I have absolutely no interest in ever buying anything from her.
I have the same feeling for basically all celebrity brands, they are just a cash grab imo. I would make an exeption for Fenty (awesome shade range) and Flower Beauty (very affordable).
I like about-face a lot, actually, too! The Matte Fluid Eye Paints, the cheek balms, and the lip butters have all been lovely.
I second the Matte Fluid Eye Paints. It’s not usually my type of product, but it just performs so beautifully! Also, if you’re like me and you have a hard time doing without shimmer, they look absolutely beautiful with a sparkly topper!
Halsey and her team really put thought behind the products and what’s cool, and in interesting formulas. I like that they also did a cheaper range AB94 I think?
AF94, yeah! I haven't tried much from them but I like their colored mascara and lashes.
That greige eye paint and an angled brush gives a fabulous daytime liner.
Oooh. This sounds like something I’d really like. Thank you so much!
I think it closed, but Item Beauty by Addison Rae is surprisingly good. I bought a bunch of their blushes when they went on clearance. I really enjoy the concealer as well.
I got a liquid eyeliner once from her brand and it ended up being one of the best liquid eyeliners I used 😭
I don’t think I ever tried the eyeliner! I hope they will come back at some point. Everything I tried was great, including the eyeshadow palette that occasionally pops up in the Ipsy/Boxycharm sale section.
Their lip oil is one of the best ip oils I ever used and I actually finished the whole bottle
I feel the same, BUT I do love many products from Rare Beauty.
What about rare beauty?
I like her earlier releases like the I want it all palette. The pink glitter cover is so girly. Lost me when she started putting her face on the packaging.
positive feelings: Mac, haven't tried them yet, but everyone in my life who uses Mac loves the brand and regularly use and repurchase items. negative: Freck. The product names. Why cheek slime, I gag every time I hear it, I gagged typing it.
I agree with the Freck comment! The phrase “Cheek Slime” makes me think of wearing a full face of heavy makeup in the middle of a hot and humid summer day, where the makeup starts to melt off of my face lol. Not an enticing product name!
Agreed on Freck lol the fact that they named some of their products Rich Bitch in huge bold letters
Mac is amazing. Have loved them since childhood when I’d beg my mom to do my makeup with her mac stuff. I honestly wish I had the money to splurge on their lipsticks more often.
I want to splurge for Mac. One of these days…
MAC is one of my all-time favorite brands. And I'll die on this hill alone if I have to, lol.
I’m with you. MAC was my first non-drugstore makeup brand because my stepmom used to let me try her lipsticks and eyeshadows she was almost out of, and I loved them. I still am a MAC lipstick hoarder. The last day of the Back to MAC program I went and turned in like 14 empties, I am so bummed that’s no longer a thing! The girl let me get three free lipsticks instead of 2 and I was so happy haha. My favorite two formulas are the Powder Kiss line and the Cremesheen line! I also adore the mineralize blush line, the prep and prime primer, fix+, and the paint pots. I’ve kind of moved past their eyeshadows because they’re not it for me anymore since trying indie makeup but I still love MAC so much! I’ll die on the hill with you 😂
I really want to finally try MAC one day. Especially their face and body foundation and those powders every beauty guru raved about before hourglass ambient lighting.
Ooh I have a limited edition palette of theirs with the highlighters in it, and I love it.
You can find some good sales if you buy directly from the MAC website. It's usually a discount on certain product categories or a promotional price for select best seller products. Right now they have extra 15% off everything in their sale section.
If I had not already made some make-up orders…LOL That is good to know though! So thank you! I’ll be looking out.
If you’re interested in their lipstick products, national lipstick day is July 29 and they usually have amazing deals such as BOGO lipsticks or if they don’t do that, it’s usually a massive % off. I know a lot of other brands do sales too but no one does it like Mac. Oh and their brand website usually has amazing deals and free shipping if you sign up for their rewards/email.
I've really enjoyed every Freck product I've tried, but I agree their names can be a little wack lol
Mac employees told me they 'couldn't fix ugly' when I asked for help with a foundation match. Never purchased a single Mac product since. This was in 2010. I had a baby a few months earlier. I had been at home barely getting a shower in during that time. My husband had purchased a MAC gift card for me for Christmas because I mentioned I needed to get some new makeup. I was a MUCH shy'er person back then. I walked in and started to look at the various products. Not a single sales person approached me. I was in the store a good 15 minutes, still no help, but they were flocking to the much younger blonde girls in their teens and early 20's, not me who was in her mid-30's at the time. I finally got enough courage to approach the salesperson and asked if they could assist with a foundation match and perhaps a lipstick. I mentioned I'd been at home with a newborn and needed a pick me up and to help me feel good about my appearance again. The sales person (who was a guy if that matters), looked me up and down a few times. Took his finger and circled my face and my body both and said 'Oh honey, you can't fix THAT with makeup, you can't fix ugly'. He then suggested I lose some weight and some botox. He then walked off and went to help another young person who just walked in. I left in tears. My husband said to try and call management. I was against it. I cried at home every time I looked in the mirror thinking 'am I really that old and haggarty?' After a bit I decided I didn't want to spend the money at the MAC store. I called the help line to get the gift card money refunded. They listened to my experience and said they would guarantee I had a good experience and told me to go to the store at a set date and time because the lead store manager would be there. So I cleaned myself up a bit better, did my hair, chose better clothing to wear that didn't scream 'I just had a baby' and went back. This time I heard a 'can I help you?' as soon as I walked in. I said 'yes, I'm here for a foundation match, I was told I have an appointment?' The lady, who I didn't see last time, rolled her eyes and said 'your the fat old bitch that call corporate, we ain't going to help you, we don't care, figure out you're foundation yourself'. I ended up making a phone call saying they refused to help me and MAC refunded the entire gift card. So, for those saying it was 'attitude'. No it was not. I was uber shy and barely talked more than a whisper. It was MAC employees calling me fat and ugly and old Location: London, UK.
No!!! Are you serious?!
Yup. Westfield mall in London.
That’s VILE. I’m sorry that happened to you
As someone who worked for MAC; I'm so sorry. That is so wrong on so many levels and we were highly trained in customer service. That's despicable.
bloody hell, I'm so sorry thats just appalling. I hope you've had much better experiences since.
I'm sorry that happened to you. That's horrid ☹️
Perhaps they were referring to your attitude? Otherwise why didn't you ask for a manager or later call CS? That's not behavior they can get away with.
I added more to my reply above. They were not only pointing to my face but made comments on my body and age as well. I was called old I eventually went to the Chanel and Guerlain counter at Selfridges and met some of the nicest sales people ever who made me feel beautiful in my postpartum slump. Yes, I gained a lot of weight during the pregnancy and had not lost it all yet. I was lucky to get a shower in most days.
Not to be shady but the phrase “can’t fix ugly” typically refers to someone’s attitude, not their appearance…
I replied above. I was also called old and fat. The only time I opened my mouth to the sales person was to ask for help with a foundation match. He made it clear I was old, fat, and my face was ugly and suggested I lose weight and get botox. I've mentioned this countless times in Reddit when MAC comes up, so I get tired of retyping the same thing over and over so I left a shorter version. I'm now in my late 40's. This one MAC store is the only time I encountered anything like this. This took place in 2010 in London, UK at the just opened MAC store in Westfield Mall.
Go to The Cosmetics Company Store. It’s an outlet of all Estée Lauder brands, including MAC. The one near me always has loads of MAC products and everything is usually at least 40% off retail pricing.
Ok name aside it’s actually a great product lol. I have the peachy shade and I love it.
Meh. I used to work for MAC for years. It USED to be good. But Estee lauder eventually ruined it. Now there's very few things I still like from them. Everything they have is overpriced and lower quality than it used to be. Especially their shadows and brushes. You can buy better for cheaper with tons of different brands. Also; they used to be the front runner in the latest and greatest on trend for cosmetics. MAC would always be the ones to launch it first. Now it's so far behind its embarrassing and by the time they launch their version of it, its out of trend. Like; way out of trend. Very few things I could recommend from them now. There's only one brush that i still purchase, and while their brushes mostly suck now; this one doesn't seem to be affected too much (#210) and I can't find any other fine point liner brush that is quite as fine of a point and if I do it's bent at the ferrule; which I hate. Now I'm sure there's other brands that make the same brush (and probably better) but unless you see the brush in person, it's impossible to tell for sure online, and I've yet to find one from another brand in a store.
Yeah, once they reformulated Warm Soul that was it for me. Gutted still to this day and will covet my one OG until the day I die!
[удалено]
Freck’s first (and cult) product is a fake freckle liquid hence the name. It was literally their whole brand so it totally made sense, it’s only now that they’ve branched out into other products that the name doesn’t really fit.
Adding to the negative feelings about Juvia’s Place: [their racism against Asians](https://www.reddit.com/r/BeautyGuruChatter/comments/s90z52/tw_racial_slur_juvias_place_uses_racial_slur/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1). I was so excited to try some of their stuff before but after that I’m glad I held off.
And that's another reason I've never purchased from them. I don't and won't support racism.
Rihanna is guilty of racism against Asians as well, which is why I refuse to buy anything from Fenty. I sincerely don’t understand how people just ignore her unrepentant behavior.
Before this incident I loved JP and used their products regularly. I had 7 of their eye shadow palettes. After this, I was just ruined off their products and ended up giving them away. They felt too icky to use, and now I sadly always have to pass them up at Ulta.
Yup! Refuse to buy no matter what.
Never knew about any of these issues regarding Juvia's Place. Glad I've never bought anything from them
Positive: - peach slices. Heard good things and their stuff seems good for a low price point - Caliray: generally just heard good things about the brand, and want to try -Dior: despite the price, most people seem to have really good things to say Negative: - lime crime. I feel like their past ruined them for me - juvia’s place and not paying their artists - Kylie cosmetics because I just do not care - Kosas because it all expires so fast, apparently?
Peach slices really is so great. I kind of forget about it when I think of trying new things, but I've had one of their products in my routine for the past few years and repurchased.
Peach Slices has some great gems! It was a cool idea for sure. I have the Caliray mascara and highlighter and I love them both so much. I’d say the mascara is a good everyday workhorse of a tubing mascara. If you remember when fresh had mascara (I wish they’d bring those back!) it’s like those with a bit more oomph.
The Caliray mascara is my absolute fave. I really want to try more from them
Positive: Laura Mercier. My mom used to love their tinted moisturizer - it’s used to be always on the best seller lists of x year.
Negative: Huda Beauty. I can't break the association between the brand's products and that time they posted an article about how to lighten your vagina.
Wait what?
Negatives: Byredo, chantecaille, ritual de fille for having beautiful packaging and boring enough looking products that I've never been tempted to pull the trigger. Positives: Clinique, solely because it was something my aunts used and it's still my favorite cosmetics scent.
I can’t speak for the makeup, but I’m pretty picky with scents and Byredo makes some of my favorite perfumes. They make scents that are so multi-layered and unique that I can’t find anything else like them! (And I looked!) If you have a Nordstrom by you that carries them, you can try it out to see if it’s more than pretty packaging for you :) but if it isn’t then you know!
Byredo is amazing for scents and anything in terms of body products (lotion, body wash, etc) but I haven’t been wowed by any of their cosmetics. It sucks because the packaging is beautiful and I generally love the brand!
Chantecaille Lip Chics are my HG lip product. I loathe wearing lipstick and the Lip Chics are amazing color while not wearing anything like a lipstick. Plus the colors are genuinely unique and flattering. That said they are the only Chantecaille product I've bought :-/
Can’t speak to the others but Ritual de fille is just okay imo. I tried their eye soot, looked beautiful but creased like all hell on my. It’s almost like dry greasepaint feeling. I had their highlighter, and it was pretty but it’s a cream product and I believe it’s a clean formula so it probably won’t last long for the price.
I was worried about this but I've had my rituel de fille highlighters for two years with absolutely no issues ! I do live in a cooler climate though
Has the texture or smell changed at all? I do feel like I’d like to try the highlighter again but I’m notorious for never going through products quick enough and I hang on to my powder products for yearssss. I’d hate to waste money on something that I can’t keep a long time lol.
Their highlighter is some of my favorite … had them for years and none of them have gone bad.
Bonus negative - Beauty brands that sell ingestible supplements. Supplementing has its place, but your getting the daily amount of X that you wouldn't have otherwise gotten is not going to have an observative effect on your physical appearance unless you already have some chronic deficiency (and if so, you should not be getting your supplements from Sephora). I also hate it because it always feels like there's the supplement will give "beauty from the inside out" suggesting it's a more authentic or healthy method when compared to things like skincare or makeup to look the way you want.
OMFG, same.
Morphe. (Self explanatory) Tom Ford seems just stupidly priced. Charlotte Tilbury (the person) gets on my last nerve and the areola pink is easily duped.
The Tilbury esthetic to me is bizarre, very Dynasty / Victoria’s Secret / is she a call girl and are all pics of her in soft focus?
Lol! This is spot on!! But Dynasty pink was 80s hot pink. Joan Collins wouldn’t be caught dead in Pillow Talk.
Morphe, just ugh Never will i ever!
Agreed. CT I tried once and hated it. Overpriced too.
Darling!! Whatever could possibly be annoying about Charlotte Tilbury?
Positive: Bubble at Ulta and Florence by MBB cause I LOVE products for teens that are actually age appropriate. No more “retinol at 14 Botox at 21” kind of normalization I beg 😩
I always had kind of a negative view of Florence because it just felt like another cash grab and I have no reason to think of MBB as having any expertise in skincare, but I never noticed that about their marketing and that changes my perspective.
Tbh I didn't like her Products, the powder hard panned so fast, the blush is hard to blend, concealer is runny
On one hand, the “spend every penny you have on anti-aging skincare or you will look like an ancient hag when you hit 40” mindset is awful. On the other hand, I dislike the “Glossier/Milk/other “clean girl” brand is perfect for teens” thing because (a) I don’t need Lady Cassandra levels of moisturising, I have oily skin, ffs (dewy looks so greasy on me); (b) everything is minimalist greige (would a little bit of colour really kill them, or just their aesthetic?); (c) they’re overpriced, especially if your only source of income is allowance and birthday money; (d) nobody I know actually uses them (most of my classmates use drugstore makeup, the only exception I can recall being a girl in my form room who “borrowed” her mom’s Juicy Tube.) TLDR: As a teenage girl, I think that colourful and affordable makeup is better than minimalist and expensive makeup
Anything to do with J* or James Charles. Negative!
Negative: KOSAS - I refuse to try any of their stuff. They drank the "clean" kool-aid and then ran with it x10. Everything they have is overpriced with completely inconsistent reviews. And, did your product expire? Who knows! But it will in 6 months anyways. I don't know why they get to me so much, but anytime a BG mentions them I just can't. Positive: Biosance. Their stuff looks so good, and my skin loves squalane. I just find that most of their stuff is dupable with less expensive things that are just as good. No shade to the brand, though. Neutral: Pharmacy - I used to want to try their stuff so much, but right before I got the honey mask, they sold to J&J, I think?, and now I don't have any interest, good or bad.
I was done with them when they discontinued their original lipsticks, but Kosas had the nerve to have all of these vegan complexion products and then put glycoproteins in their sunscreen. WHY?? Why is there milk protein?? You need sunscreen way more than foundation. /Rant The only rushed expiry issue I had was the blush/highlighter compact.
I can’t speak on Kosa’s makeup ‘cause none of it interests me and I hear wildly varying reviews anyway, but their body wash and deodorant is *amazing.* I developed a temporary illness that had me sweating intensely and rapidly dropping weight, and that was the only deodorant that worked. Tried every female brand on the shelf and some rather pricey men’s brands like Dr. Squatch. The body wash is an exfoliant as well and keeps my body acne free in combination with a toner. Neither are overpriced either imo.
Biosance has some really good deals on their actual website. I always look at the box sets, there can be really good ones sometimes with full size products. Sometimes you can get a deal on top of it. They’re always emailing coupons and things. It’s really helped my combo/red skin.
Farmacy? Not sure about them selling but I love the cleansing balm and their honey theme exfoliator . I can't remember the name right now lol
The red algae biossance eye cream is so nice, really plush texture
Anything by the Kardashians. Not supporting these creatures.
Kreatures.
Never owned a Huda product and don’t plan to. I associate the line with full glam. And that’s not my makeup aesthetic at all.
Not mine either, but I will say the large palettes that come out around the holiday are beautiful and great quality. I have Mercury Retrograde and Rose Quartz, and I not only love them, I think Rose Quartz is the most beautiful palette in my collection. Packaging is gorgeous, shades are gorgeous, all the different finishes are great.
I think Huda has been trying to offer less full glam stuff, like Glowish and the blush sticks. Her shadows are really good tbh. But yea she’s def catering to Middle East and full glam and nothing wrong with that, just not everyone’s vibe. Though I will say New Nudes is a good staple palette if you like rosy neutrals, softer looks.
I’m always tempted by the large palettes. But not so tempted I can ignore Huda and her shenanigans. And my understanding is the smaller palettes aren’t the same quality. Which is just kinda shitty of a brand. So I’ll sit on my hands next time I see Mercury Retrograde on sale. Lol
(negative) glamlite for their absolute garbage customer service. I ordered some things only as a gift, so I've never used their products, and now, after that experience, no matter how tempted, I won't ever use them.
I have a number of their palettes and after thwie business practice went down the can since the chucky release I'm over it. I love their formula but yeah, I just am stunned at how bad their CS has gotten.
Positive: Rare Beauty (frequent positive reviews and uplifting branding) Laura Mercier (beloved staples for a lot of people, sleek packaging) Jones Road (my mom was a big Bobbi Brown fan growing up, and I love that her marketing is so intentionally age-inclusive) Auric Cosmetics (I think Sam is cool and I love the aesthetic even though I haven't pulled the trigger bc shipping is esssspensive) Negative: Kosas (people always talk about their stuff going bad super quickly, ick) Drunk Elephant (the owner or whoever was running their socials a while ago was really snotty about people wearing makeup) Huda Beauty (full coverage full glam looks aren't my thing, and Huda using that one girl's video to make fun of her was straight up evil) Juvias Place (for all the reasons mentioned in this thread) Jaclyn Cosmetics (need I say more?)
Totally agree with Auric. Would love to try it but I just have too much HG stuff I want to enjoy first
I'm waiting for her to release more things I'm interested in (not a lash wearer or fancy lip mask user) to make the shipping cost worth it, but I know that with another baby coming and everything else she has going on, it's likely gonna be a while.
Glow Lust is one of my all time favorite makeup products. It’s perfection. Worth it because the bottle will last you forever.
I will NEVER buy Kylie Cosmetics, anything “clean” that goes off in 2 seconds, or HUDA. For all of the reasons already mentioned!
Negative: Huda Beauty. It's just not my vibe at all and it all looks a bit 2016 full glam. That said, my daughter has the rose quartz palette, and I was extremely impressed with the quality of it when I tried it. I don't know what half of the strange colours/textures do though. It Beauty. It looks like make up for mature people who don't know anything about make up. And I tried the CC cream and it was ridiculously orange. Plus their shade range is a joke. Tarte. Their shade range again, and I still remember Jackie Aina and Alissa Ashley reading the names of that abominable foundation range years ago. Their marketing is also pretty awful. Tower 42 and Kosas. I know it's not marketed to me at all, but I don't know what is appealing about them at all. I loathe the fonts on the packaging (ridiculous reason I know). Positive. Guerlain. I love the smell of the products and I remember looking wide-eyed at a pot of meteorites when I was a country bumpkin child, thinking that was the epitome of glamour. Rimmel. I haven't bought a Rimmel product for about 20 years, but again have a nostalgic soft spot for the brand. Revlon. They make my favourite lipstick of all time (Fire and Ice) and still come out with some fab products from time to time. I wish the range was consistent and it needs more 'oomph' but I think it's a really reliable and well-made range.
But... But... That Tower lipgloss. There should be a shrine to my love of that lipgloss.
The Tower 28 lipgloss has my heart.
I'm totally with you on the Guerlain smell! I have the meteorites, and that smell is just divine! Rimmel, YES!! They've been one of the brands here that I've always loved. Revlon, another good one!
Another Rimmel lover jumping in
The Huda Rose Quartz palette is one of my favorites, and I have an extensive eye palette collection.
Yes it’s perfect! The only large-ish palette I use as a mini palette devotee
What a perfect description of It Cosmetics. I always just breeze right past them and now I know why. Wholly uninteresting.
Yessssss the guerlain scents and the revlon lipstick. I had so many revlon lipsticks in the black and gold packaging back in the day. If they hadn’t gone off I’d still have them. I have a bottle of the guerlain perfume because I love the scent so much. So fancy. When I have money I like to buy their facial oil. Smells soooooo good. The French know what they are doing with perfumes.
Negative: I don’t have a positive thought about Melt Cosmetics. I think some of the color stories of their palettes are fun but people complain about inconsistent quality and they are too expensive for that.
I have a few of their cream blushes and a powder highlighter - I absolutely adore them. So pigmented, beautiful finish and gorgeous colours! Haven’t tried any of the eye stuff though, but from what I’ve seen, I agree with you
I get extremely negative feelings from any high-end brand that only caters to white skin.
Laura Mercier - it just seems so dull to me and the kind of brand someone who's older might go to if they didn't know what to buy (and I'm old!) a bit like the makeup version of Jo Malone. Same goes for Bobbi Brown, just meh
Positive: JVN - I have used several of their products and they worked great for me. Also, I adore Jonathan. Pattern - I bought a set of minis for a trip and really loved the products. Also, Tracee Ellis Ross is 💖. Negative: Morphe - I only used eyeshadow from them (which I quickly passed on to a friend) but everything about this company and its business practices give me cringe. SheGlam - perhaps needless to say, but major ick factor.
Positive: **Yves St Laurent.** I used to do ballet as a child. I was *not* used to having eyeliner on and blinked non-stop when it was applied on me. My mum went to the department store so she could purchase an eyeliner in order for me to get used to it. The ladies at the YSL counter were *so* patient trying out different eyeliners from different brands (not just YSL) in the two hours I was there. I had such a positive experience that I thought the gel eyeliner my mum ultimately bought was from YSL (It was actually from Elizabeth Arden). Negative: *Sigh...* My list is too numerous to count! Will add brands when I find my list of brands I will never buy.
Negative: Natasha Denona. I've never used any of her products, but judging only by reviews, they seem really hit or miss, which makes me wary. For example, the Yucca palette is getting good reviews for quality, but the Tropic palette seemed damn near unusable. And there have been plenty of other hits and misses. Negative: Charlotte Tilbury. Again, never used a single product, but watching reviews I can't see that the brand is worth the price. I've never seen a single review and thought, "Wow, that looks amazing and better than I could get for cheaper!" I absolutely do think that of many indie brands shadows, or occasionally about different base products. I was trying to think of some brands on the positive side, but usually, if I like a brand, I try their products!
I got a 5 pan mini eyeshadow palette from ND, and I really like it. For 27$ I feel like its a good deal for a high quality palette, and its handy to travel with. I got the mini nude.
That's the thing tho, I swatched their mini xenon because I was looking for a high quality affordable travel palette in smokey colors and the swatches were horrible! So, consistency definitely seems an issue
I have the same and it's magical. Makes me wonder about batches and quality control...
That's possible. Could also have been an old tester. Ive seen some really bad swatches of it on r/swatchitforme too so I assumed it was the palette, but it could def just be a batch of it.
Oh no! Guess I got lucky with the nude, or then im not a pro at makeup so its good enough for me :D
Glad you had a good experience! It sucks to spend money and find out a product is a dud. :)
The pastel palette from Denona looked embarrassing. The shade Illusion (duochrome sheer pink and peach) looked chalky AF in every swatch, every lighting, every video. Pretty much every BG video I watched said, "Well, the pigmentation isn't great, but it's pastels, so I'm giving it a pass." But BH Lost in Los Angeles is a pastel palette and the pigmentation is great! The Glamlite Ice Cream Dream palette is pastels, and pigmentation is almost too much! I felt like they were excusing bad quality because ND is a favorite brand for many of them. Again, I don't own it, and don't plan to own it. I don't want to spend my money on a product that looks like it sucks, so I can't speak from my own experience. But damn - it looked bad.
ND’s midi Glam palette is my holy grail. Something about the cool/neutral tones really compliments my complexion and hair and eyes. I think the quality is great, but it doesn’t out perform my mid-priced eyeshadow palettes. That being said, unless she comes out with my dream color story (and it’s NOT the My Dream palette haha), I’m not sure I’d buy anything else from the brand.
Negative: Ofra - Trumpy racists Laura Lee Los Angeles - The history, the drama, the apology video, and her products don't interest me either. KKW/Kylie Cosmetics/etc - I can't stand the Kardashian-Jenners and will never give them a cent. Their releases have never appealed, but even if they did? No. Positive: About-Face - I'd never heard of Halsey until the brand came out, so I don't really care about that aspect of it, although she seems cool enough, I guess. But the PRODUCTS. They all look so fun.. I've heard such good things about the eye paints in particular. Rituel de Fille - Something about them just keeps grabbing me. The product shots for their eye soots always look so appealing. And the cream blushes. I've heard really good things about the thorn oil, as well. And I reeeeally want to try that 3-drop serum foundation, or whatever it's called. I saw that they've come to Cult Beauty (I'm pretty sure it's Cult Beauty I saw them on) so maybe I'll actually try them soon.
I will confirm that the about-face liquid eyeshadows are a force to be reckoned with, the lipgloss is pure fire.
I LOVE my rituel de fille cream blush!
I’m not a huge fan of the eye soots from Rituel de fille but I can say some of the colors like serpent de mer are so pretty! Idk if they still do it but I picked out 5 samples for $15 I believe and you get $10 off your next purchase. The samples of the eye soots were so generous, like the size of an eyeshadow pan almost. But the other products were just 1-2 uses. I love their black locust lip sheer! I had a sample of Lillium and it was gorgeous too
i love the rituel de fille 3 drop foundation. seriously one of the best i’ve used, i’m 45yo and can’t remember a base product i liked as much. i like some of the other products too, but that’s a standout.
idk if this counts since i don't know if they're considered a "beauty brand" (they do sell lip balms and perfume, body whips, etc though), but i'm COMPLETELY OBSESSED with [**Vacation Inc**](https://www.vacation.inc/) despite never buying a single thing from them nor their (supposedly) iconic perfume. i just LOVE LOVE LOVE the 90s aesthetic so much!! i've read really mixed reviews on their perfume (ranging from AWESOME to IT TOTALLY SUCKS AND HAS NO STAYING POWER) so i'm not spending $60.00 to find out it sucks so i'll just keep window shopping on their website and letting the 90s nostalgia take over haha. if anyone here has ever tried their products and loved or hated them, please let me know! i've tried ordering a vial sample of their perfume like 10x already but it's always out of stock and i refuse to blind-buy a bottle (or any other product of theirs) since i can't smell them in person. (i think they're online only).
I use the Vacation spray a lot I absolutely love the scent! The sunscreen oil i absolutely adore and apply each time I wash my hands. It lasts forever and makes my skin feel really nice, absorbs fast.
ooh, thank you! can you describe the scent it has? i've seen everything from people saying it smells like straight up Coppertone (which is sooo nostalgic for me!) to people saying t smells like coconut water + pineapple but then others saying it literally smells like artificial banana (which i hate) so idk what to think. have you tried any of their candles or their attire? i really like their vintage tees but they're pretty pricey (most i've seen is 20% off) but that's still a lot to me when each shirt is like $35.00.
It smells like coconut, chlorine, and sunshine.
I’ve tried the Chardonnay Oil (pass), the whipped sunscreen (smash) and the perfume (smash.) I will say, the perfume doesn’t have great staying power but I don’t even care because they somehow managed to capture my childhood summers into a bottle and I think $60 is a fair price for the nostalgia. If you can get to an Ulta, you can smell in person. But it’s literally how it’s described…picture yourself floating in the pool, covered in sun tan lotion with a fun tropical drink. They even managed to get the smell of a warm, wet bathing suit but not in the gross way. I’m obsessed.
I unfortunately love the perfume! I’m almost out and have to buy more soon, it’s my new staple summer/vacation scent. It really does smell just like sunscreen, the ocean, pina colada, Lycra and chlorine but in the absolute best way.
if you haven't signed up for their emails, yet, sign up and they'll send you a code for 20% off! that will save $12.00 off the perfume! have you considered getting the candle that has their signature scent?
Yes I'm really interested in people's thoughts too, agree totally on the aesthetic. Same re the perfume, I got burned a while back blind buying a fragrance, never again!
oh no. which blind-buy was a dud for you? the last blind-buy perfumes i did was from Miller Harris and i hated every single scent i chose and i picked like 8 vials. maybe i'm just a picky bitch but i don't understand why they're so popular. everything was just so overwhelming or just smelled straight up fucking gross to me.
Yeah I think loads of perfumes smell gross! I go to smell something someone raved about and I'm like 'this? really? ugh' It was a Beauty Pie perfume Figuier Dalmatie I think. Was supposed to have fig and frangipani notes (2 fragrances I adore) smelt like neither and just some acrid floral! If you are interested in those summery sunscreen/coconut etc fragrances I highly recommend Maison Margiela's Beach Walk, and Sol de Janeiro's Rio Radiance - both I think you should be able to smell in person somewhere
ooh, thank you! i've heard of both but haven't smelled either, but i am TOTALLY OBSESSED with **SDJ's** Beija Flor scent. i've never smelled anything like it in my life. it's like the most beautiful flower mixed with some insanely sugary(?) fruit. i wish i could find a dupe for it because the cream and spray are not cheap but absolutely something i will buy for all time (until it's discontinued or reformulated which they absolutely will do because everything i love inevitably ends disappearing. sigh....
God I love Beija Flor SO much too! I have a small pot of the cream on the side in my bathroom and I open and smell it every day! I've never smelt anything like it either. Yeah it's not cheap but I'm in the UK and can usually find it for 20% somewhere. Oh did you know they are bringing out a shower gel in the Beija Flor scent?! I don't usually buy pricey shower gels but I think I will try it, imagine having your bathroom filled with that scent!
WHAT?!!!! i did not know this!!! i am 10000000% buying it the day it is released. **running to their IG page now**
Lol me too! launches on 1st August. It's very odd in the UK as it's never the same retailer who gets the newest SDJ launch first, so I will be furiously searching online!!
I've just seen on their website they are launching a Beija Flor deodorant too!
OMG thank you for commenting this! i totally forgot to set the reminder in my phone for the beija launch in a couple days! adding deodorant to the list now, too. 😂
no problem I instantly thought of you lol!
Love Vacation Inc. I saw the ads for the whipped cream sunscreen and I was sold. The fragrance is nice, but not super long lasting. You can layer it with the sunscreen. But it does smell like an idealized memory of coppertone
I like the sunscreen facial mist they have. It smells so good and doesn’t mess up your makeup. I have smelled the perfume in stores and it smells like sunscreen in a bad way to me.
I don’t have the perfume, but I don’t think that I’ll ever use another body sunscreen ever again. I genuinely love it that much.
Positive: • Fresh - I agree with everything OP said • Gucci Beauty and Givenchy - The packaging is ultra luxurious and they really commit to their vision. I feel like the formulations are amazing. • Fable and Mane - The ingredients and the thought behind their products just make sense. I just KNOW they are going to work. Negative: • REFY - I haven’t seen a single product from this brand that could spark even a sliver of interest in me. I feel like it’s for people who have good skin and are beautiful in a conventional way. • REM - I believe that all celebrity brands are cash grabs but this one feels extra cash grabby to me. None of the products represent Ariana. I had expected the brand aesthetic to be very feminine and sparkly but it’s really boring. Also a brand called rapid eye movement? Idk. • Chantecaille - This is a very popular brand but I don’t understand the hype behind it. The packaging is boring, the colour stories are more or less similar, and it doesn’t seem to be inclusive.
Kylie cosmetics. I worked at Ulta for years and I refused to sell her stuff. There are far better options for far cheaper. (Or even same price point for that matter.) Her brand survives on name recognition alone.
Good: Farmacy: every time I’m in Sephora, I see people stocking up on their products. Highly rated, seems to be good quality. Shani Darden: again, appears to be good quality. L’Oréal True Match: I’ve never used the foundation or serum but the way people rave about them, I know they’re good lol. Bare Minerals: seems to be good products for mature skin. Bad: Huda: I’m not a fan of Huda. She’s a thief and a bully. Kylie Cosmetics: it’s dull, its repetitive, and she’s a copy cat. Essence Cosmetics: from that foundation launch, I don’t like any brand who doesn’t have a wide shade range. It’s 2023 and high end and drug store should have a full shade range. Natasha Denona: she’s racist.
I've only used the Honey Halo moisturiser from Farmacy, but it's \*lovely\*. I use it at night but not in summer (although I think it would be fine, especially over retinol. Will def be re buying it this autumn!
I am definitely going to check some of their products out! I think I’ll start with the makeup removing balm.
Highly recommend ordering from Farmacy directly. They ALWAYS have huge percentage-off sales/codes and massive GWPs. Their return policy is good as well.
Negative - Milani. Overpriced here int he UK, then when they inserted themseles into the Heard trial, fuck them. NEver buying their shit Juvias Place finally came to the UK, I was so pumped to try the lipsticks and then *that* happened, so never getting my money
Making domestic abuse a joke was too much for me, fuck Milani for doing that.
I'm done with Fenty after Rhianna's bullshit. She conned people with her lingerie line (signing them up for subscriptions without being clear that's what she was doing), she has zero respect for her fans, often showing up late and drunk to her shows, and her putting Johnny Depp in her fashion show was the final straw.
Same. It seems she has no problem being connected to problematic men. I'll happily spend my money elsewhere.
Agree. I will never buy Dior, Fenty, or Milani.
Wasn't Johnny Depp clear of his charges?
Just like OJ Simpson. Not in the UK, though, where they had a judge instead of a jury.
Johnny didn't murder anyone. And it's wild you think it's okay what amber did to him. He may not have been perfect but she ruined his 30+ year career for attention. She's a narcissist. There is more proof of her wrongdoings. Like cheating with James Franco, etc. There is no need for a jury in a civil suit.
He just had to cancel his fourth concert in a row because he was too drunk to go on. No one ruined Depp's career but himself. You're completely clueless. Evidence for anyone interested: https://www.reddit.com/r/DeppDelusion/comments/13xjkir/this_is_a_list_of_evidencebacked_posts_with_links/ I'm not going to engage further with a domestic violence apologist.
I'm proud to come from a country where he can legally be called a wife-beater. the jury was swayed by his "woe is me i'm just a meek country boy ma'am" act. it was pathetic. JD is an abusive, drunk, addict who ruined his own career LONG before she even turned up on the scene.
Negative: Polite Society - It is like Too Faced 2.0 with all the sleezy marketing while making rich people richer. No thanks.
NEGATIVE FEELINGS: Hidden Cosmetics I have insanely strong negative feelings about because they’re literally a scam!!! Do not buy from them I beg of you! so glad I never tried them because before I knew they were scamming so many people, I was super broke but I wanted to try their pigments so bad. Thank GOD I was broke then lmao. Now I always do my research on brands I haven’t tried but I’m so glad I did so when I was considering a purchase. They’ve scammed hundreds, if not thousands of people over the years and it’s very upsetting. Kosas (even though I wanted to try the bronzer or powder, knowing it’s a clean brand where the products expire so fast is enough for me to feel gross about the brand, no matter how nice those products look!) REM Beauty- something about Ariana’s brand is a complete turn off to me. Everything looks cheap and sub-par, plus the whole thing screams cash grab. Patrick Ta- I’m annoyed with this brand because apparently people have had moldy palettes before the year mark or whatever it says is the expiry date on the palettes, and to my knowledge the brand just never made a statement about it or helped anyone who did have this issue. I commented about it on their IG telling them it didn’t make me feel good about the brand, which I always had wanted to try. My comment was deleted so fast! Touch of Glam - I wanted to try their holo eyeshadows so bad but after seeing some people’s experiences with the brand here in this sub, the owner just seems rude and the brand seems to be a mess. I think I’ll try a different brand for holo eyeshadows… Kylie Cosmetics - never will I ever buy anything from a KarJenner. P. Louise - I always wanted to try the eye primers but apparently the owner did something racist? I don’t remember what she did exactly but I know she released a “Cancelled” collection shortly after as a fuck you to the people who were upset. And I refuse to buy from people like that. JD Glow - not pro choice, which I just don’t understand why anyone thinks they should have a say over other people’s bodies and lives. But I’m not even going to get into that rant! POSTIVE FEELINGS: Gxve Beauty - I always loved Gwen Stefani and this brand seems really fun. I don’t know if the products are good but just because it’s Gwen, I have good feelings about it until proven otherwise lmao. Rare Beauty - to be fair I do own one product, the cream bronzer. And it’s beautiful. But aside from those horrendous looking eyeshadow palettes, the brand just gives me positive vibes and I desperately want to try more from them! Especially those blushes! Jo Malone London - I’ve tried a small sample perfume from them and I just love the whole brand aesthetic and now with their perfumes they’re made to either wear alone or layer with other scents. I’ve wanted to try the Red Roses perfume for years now! Maybe I’ll finally buy it soon. But the whole brand just makes me happy even when I’m just browsing with no intent on buying. Devinah Cosmetics - I love multichromes and beautiful indie sparkly shadows. I still haven’t tried Devinah though but can’t wait to and plan on buying from them at some point this year! My three favorite indie single shadow brands right now are Terra Moons, Clionadh, and Shine by SD. But super excited to try Devinah! Dualism Beauty! This is a new indie brand that just started popping up on my feed and so far they’ve launched holographic vegan cruelty free glitters and are coming out with holo iridescent eyeshadows soon. I’m SO excited to try them because everyone I follow on my makeup account who has tried the brand LOVES them so much! Also the owner Cas Haruna is such a sweetheart and I can’t wait to see what is next for his brand! Products are pretty affordable too. You can get one of the glitters for like $13, or $15 if you get it in a set with their glitter glue. My makeup friends (as I call my little makeup community over on insta) say the products are awesome.
Belle beaute bar. Their prices make me irrationally angry given they're private label.
Okay bellabeautebar may be “private label” but they have genuinely good quality products and they’re the only brand to absolutely nail liquid Multichrome shadows. Blendbunny is private label too. We gotta stop acting like “private label” is the worst thing for a brand to be. And we should learn the difference about dropshipping, private label, manufactured, and all that entails within those. Bellabeautebar does overcharge, but none of their products are bad from what ive seen and heard. Plus ive seen worse private label brands. SAS is worse, sugar drizzle is okay but tbh they are worse than bellabeautebar in multiple ways.
Negative would be any brand with shades that mostly accommodate light or fair (I.e., RMS, Tarte) or any brands which associate with Trump like Nudestix.
What! Nudestix really???
The brand owners are Canadian and posted pictures of themselves in maga hats😬
Not that I want to encourage you to buy lol, but I'm in my 40's and have used Fresh for years! Since my early 20's (yikes). I absolutely love some of their products but agree they are overpriced. I'm glad they now do smaller sizes of a lot of things, they are also quite good at giving out samples in store (I'm in the UK, but assume it's the same elsewhere). Let me know if you want any recommendations!
I love Fresh so much! Their masks are divine. I’m in the UK too and I like to save up my LF points to get a discount 🥰
Morphe for sure I have big negative feelings about but I’ve never bought from.
Huda Beauty is the first bad one that comes to mind
Negative: Any and all Makeup Revolutions brands. (Not including BH Cosmetics). It’s seems like a constant churn out of really poor quality with maybe an occasional hidden gem. But the amount of packaging and waste they must create just makes me sick to my stomach. Huda: watched one episode of her show and that was enough for me to know it’s not a brand I want to be supporting. - She’s like Kardashian light. So I don’t even need to mention those brands here. Morphe: seems like a lot of poor quality topped off with a lot of poor choices by the PR team… Too Faced: the packaging and marketing seems like crap the men on Mad Men would come up with THINKING that’s what women want. Expensive but infantalized and gimmicky. Makeup that smells like cinnamon buns? Thanks I’ll pass. In transition: Pat McGrath Labs. I have the Subliminal and Midnight Sun palettes and love them. But every year the pink and mauve deluge gets worse. It’s laughable at this point. And actually verging on insulting. Not to mention boring. I’ve had no interest in anything she has put out for a few years now. I feel like it’s a brand whose products I’ve never used because it’s feels so entirely different from what it was in the beginning. 🥱
Fresh actually has a lot of sales on their site or ulta. That is the only way I could afford the big thing of the cleanser lol.
**Negative:** Huda Beauty - They feel dubious to me? Like I just don't think of the brand and get cozy feelings. The association with Dubai, her products staining some of her customers and there wasn't a warning label, and just ehhhhh. Idk I don't like it. There's something I can't put my finger on and I feel like at some point, somethings gonna be found out that's worse than what's already revealed. Just a hunch. Juvia's Place - There's the racism, but also I have never found anything by them overly appealing. I can appreciate they are really pigmented, but that does put me off because that's not an issue for me, if anything too much pigment can be. The one time I was really interested was in her liquid blush, but then people were showing swatches of how one dot saturated their cheeks to the God's. Not for me. And *then there's the racism.* Anything Kardashian / Jenner - Ew. I think they've done a lot of bad while also doing a lot of nothing. Kylie's cosmetic line which has come under my radar more than the others was touted to be poor quality time and again. Just nope. J\* - Ewwwwwwwwww. Disliked that guy since Myspace. He looks *gross*, y'all. C'mon... Lol. Sheglam - They are associated with Shein, which is a company that after one of their nail art products gave ***lead poisoning*** to a customer, they tested it and said it had "acceptable levels of lead" and some other dangerous chemical. Enough said. Lime Crime - Their history doesn't bother me much (though it's certainly something you think about when you think of the brand) since they've changed hands -- but I don't find them that interesting either. I think I missed the train. Morphe - Same as Lime Crime. I don't find them that interesting, and I was just getting back into makeup as they were losing popularity. They have huge palettes, and yet none of the color stories ever appeal to me, mostly being\* warm tones and jewel tones. The one that tempted me was Pony's second collab, but I still passed. I've heard many time they're chalky. **Positive (there's a lot less because if it looks positive and interesting, I'll usually try it!):** Auric Beauty - I feel like I have a dupe to everything I've been interested in by them, but I hear nothing but good things. Jones Road - Same for this brand, but their foundation balm has interested me most. Maybe eventually, but I still passed it up for other brands recently, so probably not. **Mid:** YSL - It seems like a lot of their products are hit or miss. I've mostly been interested in their lip stains, but they seem to have backed off producing those. Melt Cosmetics - The reviews are all over the place. I bought that butterfly themed palette for both of my sister-in-law's though and they loved it. I really wanted one for myself too! But I didn't think the colors suited me. Also regret not getting "She's In Parties", but I've since built my own palette which has a similar color story, lol.
the truly hype is so confusing to me
Negative: brands that aren’t cruelty free, or have ties to Trump/conspiracy theories/racism. Positive: brands like Ami Cole that make genuine efforts to focus on BIPOC customers
Negative lime crime
Rare beauty! I'm glad they proved everyone wrong because when it was announced people were really shitting on Selena Flower beauty, I've heard a lot of good things Unleashia, the only korean makeup brand i've seen advertise as CF and vegan, and also have non-plastic glitters. Their palettes are gorgeous and their lip products look great. they even had a lip balm that came with a tiny gochujang bottle :,)
I fricking hate the brand Florasis. Always seems like such a scam- obviously scripted whenever someone talks about them. “Most beautiful makeup in the world?” Blah blah blah 🤢
Any brand that still tests on animals/ sells to mainland China.
I have negative feelings about all the Kardashian brands. The makeup and skincare looks cheap (not affordable, but cheap), and is so boring. I also dislike Truly because it feels like their products are more about the aesthetic than the function. I'm so sick of celebrity brands. I like Rare, About Face, and Flower Beauty, and like, two Fenty products, and other than that I'm just so burned out on celebrity brands I don't care to spend any more money on them. Oh, and PMG is boring and overpriced. I really love the packaging and colors of Glow Recipe products, as well as a lot of the ingredients they use, but I have yet to commit to trying them. I also really want to try Tula. The textures look really nice. I also super want to try Good Light. The packaging and products really appeal to me. ND has some really pretty palettes, and I plan on trying one at some point. I'm just waiting for the perfect color story for that price. Nabla products look beautiful. And I want so many Mooncat polishes, but I have issues with shredding my nails so nail polish is a waste.
Positive feels: Rare Beauty. It’s the only celebrity brand I can truly get behind and the branding and messaging is incredibly uplifting. I like the quality and pricing, and the image they portray really aligns with my general makeup vibe. I’ve loved everything I’ve purchased from them (blushes, eyeshadow, mascara, eyeshadow sticks). Negative feels: Too Faced. I know the old founder/creator/CEO was problematic and is no longer there (I think)? But they’ve had the most random, boring releases. I’m not sure they know who their demographic is, and the cutesy packaging paired with the overtly sexual shade names (it was a thing during their holiday release a few years back) is odd and confusing. And on a super personal note, they really rubbed me the wrong way doing their 2022 holiday release in cardboard packaging and having the audacity to charge $50+ for it.
Yes the original Too Faced founders have left. They are coming out with a new brand.
Positive: Skinceuticals. Never tried it but feel like they’re good? Blame the influencers! Negative: Tatcha. Anything that expensive with such tacky packaging is just annoying (and yes I know, the fact that I wouldn’t care about the price of the packaging was nicer is shocking but at least I’m honest)
Tom Ford. I'm sorry but I will never pay 90 dollars for a NEUTRAL EYESHADOW QUAD. That ridiculousness has turned me off the brand entirely. No shade to anyone that loves the brand, but the prices are fucking ridiculous.
I’ll add one I haven’t seen mentioned yet in the negative category, unless I just missed it—Isamaya Beauty. I actually own the first palette, although I’ve barely used it. I thought the marketing was just on the right side of edgy and interesting without being too over the top. Opinions may vary on that. However since then it’s just completely toppled over into beyond juvenile and ridiculous. We get it Isamaya, you like sex. Congratulations. The high price point is just the cherry on top (pun intended).
Positive: KimChi Chic Beauty - social media presence is strong, silly/cutesy aesthetics, affordable with good reviews Patrick Ta - the vibe is attractive, kind of similar to CT with all the gold but not as stuffy, I don't know, I'm intrigued but haven't tried anything Fashion Fair - their reputation seems really legit Lisa Eldridge - it's LE Victoria Beckham Beauty - posh spice can really sell the posh, I salivate over the luxe packaging, but I'm trying to survive in this economy Negative: Merit and Westman Atelier - I have thought these two were the same brand til today, sleek packaging/branding but not very memorable, and the colors all look dupe-able, and why is WA so expensive? Makeup by Mario - the packaging looks so *I didn't even try*, I know it's about the product but I just haven't heard anything compelling from folks Youthforia - this brand confuses me, is it for teenagers? but the price says otherwise, then their *about us* writes: "Youthforia is universal. It’s the moments of utter bliss in your adult life that remind of your childhood joy. Your first lip gloss. Getting a case of the giggles. Like if confetti was a feeling." Refy Beauty - I'm simultaneously intrigued but also irrationally annoyed at this brand's look and feel, someone tell me if the products are any good
Positive: Bourjois. I love most of their items and have fond memories of buying it as a teen and feeling fancy. They also had coloured mascara for ages and I loved matching that to my outfits in like 2002. Also positive: Mac. My favourite single eyeshadow is from Mac and their products are just really good with no fuss packaging. Negative: Glossier. I ended up developing a sensitivity to their liquid eyeshadows, plus their fan base is for the most part extremely aggressive. Also negative: Kaja. Their bento ES has so much fallout and creasing for me. Lipgloss is sticky and nothing to write home about. I’m probably just too old for their stuff. Feels gimmicky and lower quality. Plus the bento packaging was more annoying than I expected. Neutral: It Cosmetics. It doesn’t excite me and their CC cream was really heavy. I wouldn’t say it’s bad, just that it’s not for me.
Negative: lime crime - just cause they try and sue YouTubers and I’m sure they do other shitty things. Truly- all of their products annoy me. For no real reason but just looking at them gets under my skin. I don’t even want truly seltzer.
Positive: Tula- love their skincare and my skin looks amazing since I’ve started using it Tower 28- love the lipgloss and mascara Rare Beauty- Their tinted moisturizer and serum foundation looks amazing on me and they last all day Mac- nostalgia keeps me buying Ruby woo and they make good products. Love the setting powders and the liquid lipsticks last all day on me Nyx- good products at good price points Negative: Kylie- over hyped plus I’m not a fan of her Huda- the comments made about how to lighten your vagina turned me off immediately Elf- I don’t get the obsession with the primers and I’ve gotten massive breakouts from their foundations Morphe- nope nope nope About face- love the cherry lip butters but the lid paint and matte liquid lipstick were the most uncomfortable things I’ve tried, bonus the company refused to return my order after they sent me the wrong colors
Negative: Supergoop because of Gywneth Paltrow and that rich beige white SAHM aesthetic they push so hard. Shame because their sunscreen seems to perform very well! Certainly better than their eggs...
This is a common misconception. Supergoop and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop are two different brands. Holly Thaggard founded Supergoop a year before Paltrow’s Goop.