5 Beauty Products That Aren't Worth the Hype.

In my humble opinion.

One of my promises to those that follow along on my journey here is that I am always going to be honest. I will always share the best and I will never gate keep. I have a hard time sometimes giving “bad reviews” simply because I think that one person may like something that another person might not find as exciting - it’s personal. And I also hate to bash a brand that works hard on a product, so it’s a slippery slope. But here are the five things that I personally don’t get what all the fuss is about, and I’ll share my thoughts why and throw in alternatives that I prefer.

The first victim on this list is the Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. This is a real divider amongst people - there are the loyal fans and then, like me, the other camp. I don’t get it. It’s not luminous and it’s not silky. You have to moisturize the shit out of your face before you really get any type of glow and the colors are really tough. I think makeup artists like this one because it stays put and photographs well - but the average gal isn’t walking the red carpet and worried about the flashes making her skin look like a disco ball. And while the texture is thinner, it does give more coverage than I prefer. So you may ask - what are my favorites in the foundation category? Chanel. The opposite of Armani lol. This is a beautiful every day option if you are looking for luminous. It gives the glow, it stays put and doesn’t look like a mask. I also love this for a different consistency but an equally beautiful finish with staying power.

My preferred alternative to the Armani Luminous Silk.

Moving onto mascara - people have always told me to try Thrive. I finally broke down and ordered it online. Unimpressed. My lashes looked awful. I am very particular about my wand and I don’t like when lashes look too separated - looks weird to me. Like Twiggy. Not the look I’m going for except maybe on October 31st. And this is one of those mascaras that people rave about non-stop, so riddle me that. But I do finally have an arsenal of great ones that I love - and to be clear, my goal with my lashes is complex: longer, slightly more volume, and curled. It’s lofty I realize this. And requires a double curl almost always. But here are my go-to’s these days. This Westman is fantastic and very buildable. I am super into my Honest one that comes with a primer - and the price is right. This Monika Blunder one is also incredible and in heavy rotation - buildable and smooth is how I would describe it. Also EMESE15 saves you $$.

Use code EMESE15 to save on one of my favorite mascara’s.

Now I recently shared my love for a Rare Beauty blush - but it’s a powder blush. Not the insanely overhyped Soft Pinch liquid one that was all the TikTok rage. I pounced on it when I saw it in stock because it was so hard to get. And here’s the thing - IF you manage to apply it correctly, it is nice. BUT, and it’s a big but, it is so pigmented that you have to be a professional to get it right every time. And if you screw up your blush, you pretty much have to start from scratch on your face. So this wasn’t a win for me. I don’t get it. I honestly believe that so many of these things that become TikTok trends are actually crap but so many people fall for the gimic that it becomes a best seller without any merit. So what blushes do I like? When it comes to liquid I have a few - and they really do have staying power but also blend easily and aren’t as pigmented as the Rare Beauty one. Saie makes a gorgeous one that I have in almost every color (Chilly is my favorite). I also love Monika Blunder’s in Wien (it’s a beautiful beigey pink that looks great with a touch of a tan).

A beautiful non-matte powder blush that adds depth to any color underneath. (I use it as a way to lock in cream blushes)

What the Rare Beauty blush SHOULD be IMO

I consider myself to be a concealer expert. My dark circles have allowed me to have this self-imposed title. Another product that had me running straight to Sephora to try was the Haus Labs concealer. I was so excited to try it - de-puffing! Hydrating! It had all the magic words - turns out it had no magic. I barely saw concealing. I didn’t love the finish. I put about 3 layers on and I could still see my circles. Now I’m not nuts - I’m well aware that my circles aren’t exactly easy to hide. But I have found a few gems that do a great job of it. This It! Cosmetics one is a winner for life. This is a new one that has been doing a great job for me - it is a serum concealer so you can layer it on and it won’t cake - it also works like an eye cream while also majorly camouflaging any late nights. I also recently started using this one and it’s amazing - a sister product to my favorite tinted moisturizer.

I love this concealer so much - brightening and buildable.

And speaking of tinted moisturizers - I’m going to close out this piece with one of those ones that I haven’t understood for years. Maybe years ago (many, many years ago) I was a fan of this one, but now there are SO many better options out there. The Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer. I don’t get it. The oil-free is actually WAY more dewy, the one that’s supposed to be dewy is more matte. The shade range is God awful - you go from a yellow shade that looks like you have jaundice to one that is too pink and dark. It also doesn’t stay put for more than 2 hours. I also have a deep love for tinted moisturizers, so this is one that pains me. Which ones do I like you may be wondering? So many. The one I have been reaching for daily is this one. It’s glowy and dewy, but melts into the skin - the shade range is fantastic and then also adapts to your skin tone to make it perfection. It stays put. When I wear it people instantly ask what I did to my skin. It’s that good. I also love this one - it’s more a true tinted moisturizer - it’s hydrating and has color. It’s much dewier than the Gee Beauty, but it’s a stunning finish that looks better as the day wears on. I alternate between these two all the time.

I have been using this daily lately and love it - I go between shade 4 and 5

A dewy delicious finish that is what every tinted moisturizer should be - I wear shade 5.

And there you have it. I feel a little icky being negative about products, but I also realize it’s part of the job and I think there are so many wonderful products out there that I think deserve “it” status the way some of these other ones do. At least that’s how I’m making myself feel better about this piece. I am heading to Miami on Thursday for a much needed girls weekend - so I will post again before I go away but will maybe have a delay on my weekend post next weekend. Would love to hear your thoughts on this post. I also would love to know if you prefer beauty or fashion posts more? Or equal parts both? Send me a DM or comment below - I so appreciate your input. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Off to a soccer game I go! xx Emese