Being a beauty addict since my preteens I can distinctly remember specific products touted in my Seventeen and YM magazines (wow, remember YM? Hello Jaime, the 1993 is calling...) As I got older, certain products took cult status from the likes of Allure, Youtube and various beauty blogs. Over time, I've tried several of these so called amazing cult status beauty products, and have some pretty opinionated thoughts on many. Let's dive in, shall we...
[1] Possibly the most over hyped and overrated beauty product of all time, in my humble opinion is Maybelline's Great Lash Mascara. Any magazine I read as a teen stated this was the #1 selling mascara of all time, and I honestly wonder if that is purely for the fact that women just trust the hype on this one, because in my opinion it doesn't do a damn decent thing for my lashes. I've tried this on several occasions over the last 17 years or so and it will always be one of the great let downs of the makeup world for me. Verdict? LEAVE IT.
[2] MAC's Ruby Woo is always the first thing shouted at me when I say I wanna try my hand at red lipstick. It's got a cult following with the brand and red lip lovers everywhere, but I just can't get on with it. The formula is drying as all hell - rubbing paste on my lips would feel better, and while the colour is amazing, the cakey wrinkly texture my lips go with this on makes it completely unwearable. Verdict? LEAVE IT.
[3] The prize for most expensive let down when it comes to cult beauty products has to be YSL Touche Eclat. I get that when this first came out there really wasn't anything else on the market like it, and that truly counts for something. Does it count for its crazy price tag? Heck no. Especially when every brand and their dog does something similar now. From the drugstore Maybelline and L'Oreal both do nice ones, and in higher end Estee Lauder and MAC also do highlighting/concealer hybrid style pens at a more affordable price. Verdict? LEAVE IT.
[4] I never really got the hype around the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler, until I tried it - and now I wont use anything else. This is by far hands down the best eyelash curler I've used, and these lashes have seen their share of curlers. If you've read any of my Mascara Monday posts you can see for yourself my lashes are thin and point straight down. While any curler would get them to point up, this is the only one I've ever tried that actually fans them out at the outer corners giving that fluttery cat eyed effect instead of crimping them. Verdict? LOVE IT.
[5] Ah yes, the blush they say everyone loves - NARS Orgasm. "They" say this looks good on everyone, but I just don't reach for mine. Is it a bad blush? No. Is it amazing? No. I just find this looks ho hum on my complexion. I much prefer Tarte's Glisten, which is very similar but somehow looks amazing and radiant on my skin and lasts all day. Verdict? LEAVE IT
[6] L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara is another magazine favourite that I read over and over about as a teen, yet never managed to like. Its clumpy, and not in a good way, it flakes like a mofo, and smudges in the corners of my eyes. I've tried the waterproof version, the carbon black version, the natural version and so on, and I swear they are all the same damn gloopy mess of a formula. Verdict? LEAVE IT.
[7] Benefit Benetint was one of the first stain type products I ever remember reading about. Magazines love to praise this stuff as the natural "girl next door" product to use on cheeks and lips, and I've tried it several times and never managed to get it to work for me. It stains hella fast, and looks patchy on my skin. Don't even get me started on the way it looks on my lips.... bleh. Perhaps on oilier skin that may give it a bit more fluidity? Verdict? LEAVE IT.
[8] Another expensive entry comes in the form of Chanel Soleil tan de Chanel - but this one I love. Its a gorgeous cream bronzing product that you can use to deepen your base or use as a bronzer. While I find the packaging a bit cumbersome I always love the way this looks, and you really do get your moneys worth in this case when it comes to the amount of product. I love this in the Spring and Summer when I might already have a bit of colour and am trying to avoid one more powder product on my skin. Be forewarned for those who are really pale though - this may be too warm toned for you. Bourjois has a similar product that I reviewed ages ago here, but I prefer the Chanel! Verdict? LOVE IT.
What cult beauty products have you tried that you loved or hated?
