Makeup I Hate That Other People Love

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Ok, "hate" is kind of a strong word, and in reality I don't hate any of the products I'm about to discuss in this post. They just don't work for me. Actually, they more than don't work for me; they make me look bad. Total fails. But they also happen to be considered "best makeup products" that A LOT of other people seem to love.

IT Cosmetics CC Cream

The IT Cosmetics CC Cream got rave reviews from seemingly everyone on YouTube last year and showed up often in "favorite foundation" videos and blog posts. It's also a bestseller at Sephora. It was (and is) said to be a great formula with great coverage that wears like a dream. My problem with this CC Cream is twofold. First, I can't get it to apply evenly and without streaking. It doesn't matter how I apply it - with my fingers, with a beauty blender, with a kabuki brush, with a flat foundation brush, you name it - it does not apply without streaking. Second, it turns totally greasy on my skin within an hour of applying it. I have spent a considerable amount of time wondering just what it is about this product that everyone likes and what I'm missing here. Maybe there is something about my skin chemistry that doesn't agree with this product.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette

Talk about being loved on YouTube! In 2016, the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette was nearly everyone's favorite palette of the year, and it's also a best seller at Sephora. It is a beautiful collection of warm pinks, browns, and ambers. The shadows are absolutely gorgeous in their pans and when I swatch them (or when anyone swatches them, for that matter). See what I mean below?

The only problem is that the colors look clownish on me. I have cool undertones, and when I wear pinks and warm browns/ambers, it comes off looking unnaturally orange and I just look...well...ill. There is no getting around it. Blending doesn't help. In fact, I think it just makes matters worse.

Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow Pomade

I bought the Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow Pomade because so many people have raved about it. "Try it," I heard, "it takes some getting used to but once you've mastered it you'll never go back to your old brow products." Well, I have tried it, and all it does for me is make my brows look too heavy - even when I use a light touch during application. The bottom line is that a natural brow looks much better on me, and I'm just going to go with my tried and true brow mascara from now on and quit trying to make other things work when they don't.

Bronzer

The final product that I have real difficulty with that other people can't seem to live without is bronzer. I'm very pale and cool-toned, and bronzers are by nature brown/orangey and warm. It just doesn't work. If I apply bronzer in the morning, I inevitably end up looking in the mirror a couple hours later and see orange streaks across my face. It's horrible. I recently received a free sample of the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer and I thought "oh, it will be ok, I'll just use a light touch with it." But no, I looked ridiculous and unnaturally orangey-brown. The only bronzer I've found (so far) that I can use without looking orange is Benefit's Hoola Lite Bronzer. Stay tuned, though, because I'm on the lookout for good bronzers for pale, cool-toned skin.

In conclusion, let me reiterate that I don't think any of these are bad products. They just didn't work for me, and it's a good reminder for us all that what works for some of us - even products that are hailed by others - may not work for all of us, and that's ok.

What popular beauty products have you used that were total fails? Let me know in the comments!

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