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I test a lot of beauty products. And not just because I’m a Commerce Director (although that very much plays into it). Just like you, I want to see if the stuff I’m seeing all over Instagram and in the fashion magazines will *actually* make me look even a *little* bit more like Ana de Armas (aka a total fucking babe). That Maybelline Sky High mascara that was sold out for months? I hunted it down as soon as I could to see if it would compare to my $26 staples. (Alas, it did not—read more on that below.) I’m constantly giving celebrity lines a go, from Ariana Grande’s r.e.m. collection (bleh) and Halsey’s About-Face (meh) to Lady Gaga’s Haus of Gaga (legit), and I’ve tried just about every overpriced cream, serum and mask on the market. Needless to say, I’ve come across a lot of overrated beauty products in the process. For every dud, however, there’s usually a product that I can’t believe hasn’t gone viral and sold out from underneath me…yet.
Contrary to what you may read, though, makeup and beauty are always somewhat subjective—one man’s trash is another woman’s treasure and such, depending on your skin type (mine is dry-to-combination), age (I’m late 30s) and preferences (I’m somewhere between a matte and a dewy lover and I like to experiment). All of that said, here are seven products I wish I’d saved my money on and seven I’ll rave about to anyone who will listen (aka, all of you).
1. Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush vs. Ilia Multi-Stick
I have a confession to make: I don’t really like cream blush. Try as I might, it doesn’t quite give me that just-pinched flush I’m looking for, be it Stila or Chanel or Iconic London, and it fades in a quarter of the time of even a drugstore powder. But of the many versions I’ve smeared across my cheeks, there’s one clear winner and one clear loser.
First up, the loser. Remember when I said that makeup was subjective? Yeah, well, this is one of those times. I immediately bought Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch liquid blush after I read many a rave review about it. I’m not sure if the authors ate an edible before giving it 5 stars or if they’re all just Selenators willing to live and die for the cause, but this is the worst beauty product I’ve come across in years. The application is an absolute nightmare. It doesn’t matter whether you dot it directly onto the cheek or put some on your fingers before transferring it, you’ll wind up looking like a crazed clown. To be fair, my makeup skill level falls somewhere between above average and those crazy contour tutorials, so maybe there’s someone out there with the right touch for it, but I’d have to blend for 20 years and then some to get this to look even halfway decent. I bought Joy, which turned out to be a garish shade of orange, and after two tries, I threw it straight in the garbage. Yes, you read that right. I would rather throw $20 straight in the trash than mess around with this hot mess of a blush any longer.
You’d do far better to shell out a bit more for Ilia’s multi-stick. This thing is absolutely foolproof. It glides on like a dream, and it blends in even easier. Even as a powder blush devotee, I can completely see the appeal of having this little beauty in my makeup arsenal—especially for travel. It works. The At Last shade gives a great flush, it’s convenient as they come and it can even double as a lipstick in a pinch (although this particular color isn’t particularly flattering on the lips). There’s absolutely no question in my mind that it’s a better pick than the Rare Beauty buy.
2. Stila Stay All Day Eyeliner vs. Benefit Roller Eyeliner
Lean in close. Closer. I’m going to debunk the biggest lie in the beauty industry for you. Stila Stay All Day waterproof liquid eyeliner is not the end-all, be-all of liquid eyeliner. In fact, I’d call it—gasp!—mediocre at best. (I said what I said.) Despite the fact that it’s been topping every single “best-of” list known to man for the past god knows how many years, it’s really not all that and a bag of chips. I should know: I wear a cat-eye daily. (It’s kind of my thing.) As such, I’m very, very picky about the tools I use to create it. My eyeliner has to be luxe. Precise. Long-lasting. Pigmented. But most importantly, smooth. If I detect so much as a single snag when I’m dragging it across my lid, I purse my lips faster than Miranda Priestly viewing James Holt’s latest line in The Devil Wears Prada. And I hate to tell you all, but Stila’s eyeliner feels… harsh against my delicate eye skin. It’s also not pigmented enough for my liking, requiring me to push harder and scratch at certain areas where I want more color.
All in all. It doesn’t hold a candle to the best eyeliner in the world—Haus of Gaga’s Eye-Lie-Ner (now discontinued, FML). Nor does it hold a candle to my runner-up: Benefit’s roller liner waterproof eyeliner. This stuff is buttery. There’s absolutely zero catching. It’s also highly pigmented—one swipe, and I’m done for the rest of the day. It stays on in winter, when my eyes are involuntarily watering. It remains during my marathon movie cry sessions. It comes in an adorable mini size for travel. And the big version’s $8 cheaper than its competition. Eat your heart out, Stila.
3. Sunday Riley C.E.O. Glow vs. Uncommon Beauty Pineapple Peptide Nectar
I get why people want to love Sunday Riley C.E.O. Glow serum. It’s a “holy grail” skincare product that’s actually affordable, unlike Skinceutical’s $169 CE Ferulic serum or Augustinus Bader’s The Rich Cream ($175). I, too, was eager to give it a go. Unfortunately, using it proved to be a far from pleasant experience. To put it frankly? This stuff stinks. It’s full of turmeric, which, while reportedly great for bringing out your natural glow, flat out reeks. It was all I could do to apply it without gagging. (Lest you think I’m exaggerating, my boyfriend actually came into the bathroom to ask what horrible perfume I had sprayed and request that I never use it again.) I also didn’t feel particularly glowy after applying it. Granted, I didn’t use it for a prolonged period or consistently enough to know if it really worked (though I’m skeptical it would have, considering the fact that turmeric has low bioavailability (meaning your metabolism burns it quickly and your body doesn’t absorb all that much).
Enter: Uncommon Beauty Pineapple Peptide Nectar. Chock-full of its own brightening enzyme called bromelain and Australian Kakadu plum, which the company claims has 100 times more vitamin C than oranges, this stuff just might be the real deal. Do I look luminescent after I put it on? Maybe? I can’t definitively say. I also can’t definitively say if it’s fading my fine lines like it’s supposed to or protecting my face against environmental stressors, because, well, I’m not a scientist. What I can say is that it’s my absolutely favorite daytime serum on the market. It feels nice and absorbs into my skin without feeling greasy or sticky. It has enough hydrating power to keep my SolaWave from shocking me for the full recommended five minutes of use (something I can’t say for my other serums). And it smells heavenly—like fresh pineapples—which gives me a nice little wake up call.
4. Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation vs. Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Foundation
There are generally two schools of thought when it comes to foundation: less is more and more is more. I’m someone who falls into the latter camp. While I certainly don’t want my makeup to look cakey or overemphasize the fine lines around my eyes, I do want it to fully even out my skin tone, hide my problem areas and my dark circles on the nights I stay up way too late writing (so, all of them).
With nothing but glowing reviews for Giorgio Armani’s Luminous Silk and an inclination to believe you get what you pay for, I was expecting to want to write sonnets about the way this $69 buy transformed my previously dull, dry skin into a work of art. Unfortunately, not only did the shade do nothing for my skin tone, even after being professionally color-matched (I have a lot of pink undertones that can be tricky to mimic), it didn’t do much of…anything. The coverage was so light, I felt like I had to use half the bottle to cover a blemish. I wound up using it twice and then relegating it to the bottom of my makeup organizer for “emergency use” only.
Charlotte Tilbury’s Beautiful Skin foundation, on the other hand, did everything I wanted it to and then some. It gave my plenty of coverage, even in problem areas, but didn’t leave me feeling like I’d need to scrub a pound and a half of makeup off my face before bed, since it was still pretty lightweight. It offered a nice match for my pinkish skin (I’m a 4 Natural), and I’d venture to say it even makes me glow a bit. It’s also $23 cheaper). Sold!
5. Kylie Cosmetics Matte Lip Kit vs. Yves Saint Laurent Tatouage Velvet Cream Matte Lipstick
You’ve got to give it to Kylie: As the OG matte lipstick queen, she had everyone, myself included, clamoring to buy one of her infamous lip kits. And they do have some merit: They’ve got great color payoff, come in a few TDF shades (Kristen is a personal fave) and last for quite a long time. The problem? They dry the shit out of your lips. By hour two, it can feel like you’ve got a cement pucker, and if your lips were peeling at all before application, forget about it. In short? They’re OK, but they’re not the second coming of color.
Yves Saint Laurent’s Tatouage Velvet Cream matte lipstick entered the game a little later (they launched in March 2020), but they’re everything Kylie’s lip kits aren’t. You’ll get all the same color payoff, all the same great shades and a matte look, only they don’t feel matte: In fact, they’re downright creamy! Rub your lips together mid-day, and they’ll still feel moist, like you just swiped an application on. Trust me: It’s more than worth the extra $6 you’ll shell out.
6. Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky-High Mascara vs. Benefit BADgal BANG! Volumizing Mascara
This may come as a shock, but TikTok isn’t always right—especially when it comes to finding great products. I take most of its recommendations with a grain of salt. Case in point? The Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky-High mascara that took over the internet. This stuff was so overhyped, I couldn’t get my hands on it for months, since it was sold out just about everywhere, from Target to Walgreens to Amazon. And when I finally did, I thought it was just…average? Yes, it added volume to my lashes—just like any other volumizing mascara in the world. And sure, it comes at a decent price point. But by no means did it come anywhere near a life-changing experience. That honor would go to my all-time favorite mascara: Benefit BADgal BANG!.
The thing about BADgal is that the applicator is super unique with a design that lends itself to greatness. Essentially, it tapers from a thick end to a skinny one. This is key, because after you’ve applied the first coat, you can use the skinny end to really get in those inner corners and bottom lashes that so often get the mascara shaft. Beyond that, it works for both length, making your lashes look super long, and volume, spreading them out for the illusion of fullness: something that’s difficult for most mascaras to tackle at once. About two coats in, and you’ll be doing a double take at the noticeable difference in your peepers. You’re welcome, TikTok die-hards..
7. BareMinerals Complexion Rescue vs. Smashbox x Becca Under-Eye Brightening Corrector
OK, OK, so technically, neither one of these is underrated—they’re both actually pretty damn good. But at the end of the day, the BareMinerals Complexion Rescue gets the edge.
For starters, there’s the application. Where the Smashbox x Becca collab comes in a pot, forcing you to dig your finger in it (as a fan of stiletto nails, this is never something I’m big on), the BareMinerals comes in a far more convenient tube (though I recommend going light on the squeezing).
Coverage wise, they’re about neck and neck: Swipe a dab under your peepers, and you’’ll find your dark circles look a lot lighter, though the bareMinerals tends to be a shade lighter than your skin. The major difference is the way they settle into your fine lines and creases. Since the Smashbox x Becca product is heavier, I notice that it settles into the area a lot more, and since I’m creeping up on 40, that’s a deal-breaker for me. The bareMinerals, on the other hand? *Chef’s kiss.*
And there you have it folks! Seven overrated beauty products you should swap out, immediately.
What beauty products do you think are overrated? Let me know in the comments below?
Xo, Nicole
