Totally random blog post topic today, but let’s roll with it!
Whenever I travel with a group of girls, we inevitably end up chatting away about our favorite beauty products when we’re crammed in a tiny hotel room getting ready for the day ahead. Recommendations are exchanged, new makeup is tested and tips and tricks are shared.
Traveling and getting ready with my girlfriends has lead to the discovery of some of my favorite beauty products such as:
- Big Sexy Hair Power Play (Great for adding volume to my roots)
- Smashbox Photo Finish Primer (Makes my makeup last 10x longer)
- Benefit Posie Tint (Adds a subtle, natural-looking pink to my lips and cheeks)
- L’oreal Sublime Bronze (I use this on my face for a pop of sun-kissed color that isn’t orange)
But then there are the beauty product recommendations people give you that you try and end up hating. The ones you hear tons of people swear by that for whatever just don’t work for you.
Here are some of the beauty products I’ve tried that everyone else seems to love that I just don’t:
Beauty Products Everyone Else Loves That You Don’t
- Cetaphil
I tried so hard to love this stuff! My sister’s dermatologist recommended Cetaphil to her and Leslie raved about the gentle way it cleaned her face. I bought the facial cleanser and lotion, but after using it for two months, I noticed my skin breaking out more and more. Oh heeey pimple overload! Needless to say, I’ve passed my Cetaphil along to Leslie and have gone back to the Clean and Clear Morning Burst cleanser and Clean and Clear Dual Action moisturizer that I’ve loved since high school.
- Maybelline Great Lash Mascara
It seems like nearly every magazine out there raves about this mascara whenever they publish articles that mention their favorite beauty products. I fell for the claims and bought this mascara to try it out a few years ago. Never again! It was horrible on my eyelashes and made them look thin and clumpy at the same time, which I didn’t know was possible. (My favorite mascara is currently Almay Get Up and Grow. It’s fabulous.)
- St. Ives Apricot Scrub
I used this exfoliating scrub on occasion for more than a year and thought it was great until I got a facial and the aesthetician told me that she could see little scratches on my skin. She said that St. Ives Apricot Scrub is quite abrasive and actually scratches sensitive skin. Eek! No more! (Ryan still loves it though and I think they may have changed the formula recently?)
Can you tell I’m picky with mascara? I bought this mascara after I saw Emily Maynard talk it up but it made my eyelashes look so piecey. I love Benefit products, but this mascara just didn’t work on my lashes.
Now it’s your turn…
Question of the Day
- What is one beauty product you’ve tried because everyone raved about it that just didn’t work for you?
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I agree about the Cetaphil and Maybelline Great Lash Mascara – breakouts and super clumps galore. I actually do love the Benefit They’re Real Mascara though.
About a year ago I got one of those face cleaning spinny brushes, which so many people have raved about. I gave it a good try for 6 weeks or so but it did squat for me and I was too lazy to switch the brush head, and found that I was getting water everywhere if I used it at my sink rather than in the shower. Too complicated for me, I like my routine super simple!
I tried the smashbox photo finish primer on your recommendation. It didn’t do anything for me. Total bummer!
Big bummer! I’m so sorry you weren’t a fan! 🙁
I am so glad to know I am not the only one who thinks the Maybelline Mascara sucks!!!
LOL! Definitely not alone. 🙂
I totally agree too! Makes my eyelashes clumpy and look really short. This is my current fav, it’s incredible for volume and (what I consider more important) LENGTH: http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod4920009 It’s a keeper, and this is compared to Lancome mascara I used previously!
OMG, three of the four things I agree on you with. The only one that I like is the St. Ives scrub, the rest have never worked out the way I wanted them to. Stick with Dior mascara, its seriously the best…and Biore face wash. Also my favorite!
Ugh! Samsies on the Cetaphil!!! Everytime I used it I never felt like my face was clean. Maybe it’s a mental thing and I just think that my face wash has to lather for it to be clean…
Ugh I feel the same about the great lash mascara. Made my eyelashes look awful! If you are still looking for a cleanser try Soy fresh cleanser, you can find it at Sephora. It’s amazing and highly recommended by skin care specialists. It also has make up remover in it so that’s always a plus!
I love posts like this 🙂 That’s so funny, though, I’ve actually been using Cetaphil cleanser since high school (or maybe even middle school) and sometimes I try new ones, but that’s probably the one and only product I’ve used consistently for that long. One time when I was getting a facial the aesthetician also told me that St. Ives is really abrasive and actually scratches your skin. That scared me, too, so I switched to Clinique 7 Day Scrub which I love. Ah I’m constantly hunting for the perfect mascara – I’m curious about the Almay one you recommended! Might have to check that out.
I love the Almay mascara and L’Oreal Voluminous mascara – both are definite winners!! 🙂
I HATE that maybelline mascara!! I remember in middle school ALL the girls had it so I bought it… it was HORRIBLE! Almost as bad as the glitter eyeliner trend.
I hate maybelline great lash too!
I am really picky about mascaras as well and don’t like any mascaras that are wet- I need a nice dry formula otherwise my eyelashes get wayyyy too clumpy! I’m glad someone else doesn’t like it.
I actually broke out like crazy from clean and clear- I tend to stay with neutrogena products since they are the only ones that don’t break me out. Isn’t it so weird how it can vary person to person?
totally agree on the Cetaphil…it just doesn’t get my face clean!!!
I love love love Benefit’s They’re Real. Funny how what works for some lashes just doesn’t give the same oomph to others. My hated product: Philosophy’s “hope in a jar” moisturizer. It reeked havoc on my face:( I read rave reviews everywhere before I bought it, but my sensitive skin rebelled big time… Blotchiness and breakouts.
Luckily Sephora has a great return policy.
I love the Benefit mascara as well, but I am actually obsessed with the Hope in a Jar by purity! I have used it for years and it is the only moisturizer that really works for me. Just goes to show that everyone ph balanced and moisture levels are different! 🙂
I have super sensitive skin so whenever I go somewhere and forget my facewash, I have to use friends. All my friends swear by Neutrogena face washes but they dry my face out so bad! I can’t use them at all. I also have tried that pink tube of mascara and was disappointed. Not sure which I use now but I love it.
I COMPLETELY agree with the Cetaphil! I have tried it several times over the years, each time hoping they either updated the formula or it would magically work for me, lol!
I agree with the basic St. Ives scrub, but I found one of their scrubs that I think is WONDERFUL- it’s a green tea acne scrub. It smells great and is no where near as abrasive as any other scrub by them!
I totally agree about the Maybelline mascara and Cetaphil! I actually bought the Cetaphil upon the recommendation of my dermatologist back in high school and hated everything about it from the gooey texture to the smell – I also felt like it didn’t get my face clean. And…I won’t buy Maybelline mascara again.
I can’t seem to get into the GlamGlow mud mask everyone’s talking about. I got a free sample from Sephora and honestly felt like my $6 mud mask did a better job!
Also, I’m not really a fan of the eos chapsticks. I feel like everyone is obsessed with them and I hate the awkward shape and texture (I know they came out with a new size, but I much prefer my Burt’s Bees).
Definitely the Benefit mascara. I loved it at first, even talked about it on my blog. BUT then, I started noticing it was causing me to have black marks at the top of my lids by the end of the day. Total let down!
Is that pic the exact Cetaphil you used? It’s the ‘Gentle Skin Cleanser’ in your pic… but they also make one that specifically says ‘Facial Cleanser’ and there is a HUGE difference.
I love, love, love the Facial Cleanser… but the ‘Skin Cleanser’ is no bueno for my facial skin. I have accidentally bought it on more than one occasion. Both times I didn’t realize it until it was on my skin, and I can feel the difference.
TOTALLY agree. There are two types of Cetaphil’s and they look so similar that I sometimes end up buying the wrong one! I LOVE the facial cleanser variety but not the “gentle skin cleanser” one. The facial one is a more clear liquid and the gentle skin one is a more white/milky texture. To each their own I guess but I have to wash my face with Cetaphil’s facial cleanser after a workout – nothing else makes my face feel as fresh and clean 🙂
Toms deodorant! It made me smell worse than if I wasn’t wearing deodorant. Just did not work for me.
Also, mousse or hairspray. If I used either one, my hair would be so limp and oily within a couple hours, but all my friends just have to use it.
I am so with you on the Tom’s!!!! I was trying to avoid using deodorant with heavy metals so I bought Tom’s and I smelled HORRIBLE. It was the biggest waste of five dollars I have ever experienced.
I really wanted to love my Clarisonic (Especially because of the price tag oomf) but sadly I do not. I used it for 4 months (with the sensitive skin brush) and my skin did not stop breaking out once. After I stopped using it my skin immediately cleared up. Oh wellll.
I COMPLETELY agree about the Cetaphil (greasy + breakouts, and I always felt like I had buildup on my face) and Maybelline Great Lash Mascara – clumps, clumps, clumps, and that stubby little brush drove me crazy! My personal replacements were Philosophy’s “purity made simple” face wash and Dior Extase Mascara.
I always get a little sad when a beauty product a friend or blogger swears is “OMG life changing” doesn’t work for me. Just a reminder of how very different all our bodies are, I suppose!
Oh my gosh, I thought I was the only one who hated Cetaphil! It makes my face breakout, and I realized that it’s because it wasn’t taking all of my make-up off. I used toner after I washed my face with it and noticed that my make-up was basically still on! I’m so glad I’m not the only one, haha.
Agree 100% on Cetaphil and the Mabelline mascara! I often wonder how much they pay for that product to be #1 on so many lists.
And I know I am super in the minority here, but OPI nail polish. It is just not a match for me, it literally peels right off my nails in one full swoop after about a day. No matter what base layer or top layer I put on. It just will not stay put. Sally Hanson is about the only formula that will stay on my nails.
I am with you on the Cetaphil! I also love the Benefit stains, they are perfect for travelling because it’s a two-in-one. I pretty much dislike most face washes that people recommend. I actually swear by Witch Hazel astringent which is something my mom uses all the time. Pair that with coconut oil as a moisturizer, and I am good to go. A little old school, but it doesn’t mess with my skin at all and it saves money 🙂 I think my husband finds it a little weird that I use coconut oil for cooking, deep conditioning my hair, chap stick, lotion, you name it!
I’ve been using the Clean & Clear Morning Burst and Dual Action Moisturizer combo since middle school too, and even though I sometimes try to switch it up, I always come back to those two favorites. The only other face wash that has ever come close for me is the Neutrogena foaming pink grapefruit cleanser. While that one is good, Morning Burst is still my go-to!
I totally disagree on the Maybelline mascara! It is the ONLY kind that I can trust to work for sure for me. I have tried the other mascara though, and agree that it was horrible. I think the conclusion is that different things work for different people. :]
Me too, I <3 Great Lash! I've wasted so much $$ on trying to find one that works better for me. I didn't like the Benefit one either. Got a sample in my Birchbox & looked like Tammy Fay Baker. Ha!
I totally agree about the cetaphil. It did nothing for me when I tried it.
One thing I discovered about the benefit mascara is that it gets better as it dries out! When I first used it – it clumped like crazy, but as it started to dry out… I loved it!
If that’s what it was doing for you – maybe try it after it has dried out a bit? 🙂
I’ve always wondered about cetaphil- good to know that it might not be worth it!! 🙂 I had a clarisonic given to me (I know, lucky right?) but I didn’t love it. It didn’t really do anything spectacular for my skin and I especially didn’t love the fact that I’d need to shell out boatloads of money for replacement brush heads! I ended up giving it to a friend who would appreciate it 🙂
You’re totally right about the Great Lash mascara and the Apricot Scrub. The mascara is clumpy and cheap. And the scrub is like sandpaper. It’s inexpensive, but that’s the only thing I liked about that. I actually love one of Suave’s lines of shampoo and conditioner. It makes my hair so smooth, and you can’t beat the $2/bottle price tag!
My face wash is Neutrogena Acne Scrub Grapefruit Wash. yea 33 still get breakouts but this stuff keeps them at bay and the soft scrub makes my face actually feel clean and smells yummy!
Lotion and make-up all by Neutrogena too!! I have lots of allergies so this brand seems to work the best for me and hey since I can get it at the drug store even better!
I did not like Cetaphil either my face broke out more too!
I actually love that Maybelline mascara! BUT, it’s only great if it’s a fresh tube, and once it starts drying out a tiny bit then it’s not that great anymore! I mainly buy it because it’s cheap and its what my mom always used 🙂 My FAVE mascara is made by Clinique and it works wonders on my lashes!!! But it’s a tad bit pricey to buy all the time, so I save it for special occasions 🙂 I don’t know what all the hype is about Essie nail polish…I have several just because I like the colors, but nail polish is nail polish to me??
I tried that Maybelline Great Lash Mascara too and hated it!
I was not a fan of Benefit They’re Real until I started using it as a top coat. For my first coat I use Benefit BADgal mascara, curl my lashes then use They’re Real and my eyes look fabulous!
That is such a good idea! Definitely trying tomorrow 🙂
Totally agree on Cetaphil and Maybeline mascara! It’s actually because of a previous post where you said that you hated that Maybeline and had recently discovered Almay’s Get Up and Grow that made me try the Almay, which has been my go to since!
I tried Cetaphyl lotion and cleanser and had the same issue. I finally figured out that it was just the lotion that was the problem. I still use the cleanser (normal not the sensitive one that just feels like lotion bc it broke me out too), and it is a great everyday cleanser for me. I use the AVEENO® POSITIVELY RADIANT® Skin Brightening Daily Scrub once a week and love that too!
(http://www.aveeno.com/product/aveeno-+positively+radiant-+skin+brightening+daily+scrub+.do?sortby=ourPicks&from=fn)
I still do not have a great moisturizer, which is a problem as I would like to hold off wrinkles as long as possible. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. The losers include (all things Olay, Simple, Neutrogena, Aveeno).
I have super sensitive skin and have not worn any base make up for most of my life bc of it. I have tried every foundation, tinted moisturizer, powder, etc. from $5 – $100, and they all broke me out…..until of all things CoverGirl saved the day. Smoothers AquaSmooth Compact Foundation doesn’t bother my skin at all as long as I do not use that little bacteria/oil collecting sponge.
http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=fs679569&_requestid=290037#
I also have mascara mania…they all make my lashes clump or do nothing. I live by the blue/white tube of L’Oreal Double Extend. I use just the blue end for everyday work and use both ends when going out.
http://www.lorealparisusa.com/en/Products/Makeup/Eyes/Mascara-Primer/Double-Extend-Waterproof-Mascara.aspx?shade=Black
I love Big Sexy Hair Root Pump. I have fine hair, but tons of it. It is easily weighed down, but this stuff works wonders to lift my roots without making me an oily mess. I also tried the Mark Anthony shampoo and conditioner you suggested on another post and am in love! The only “volume” options I have ever found that work smell horrible! That stuff is great!! Thanks for the tip!!
http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod4270017
Hmm..I can’t think of anything off the top of my head that I tried off of a recommendation and didn’t like, but I actually started using the Almay Get Up and Grow mascara after I saw you post about it and I love it too! 🙂
Totes agree on the mascara and the Cetaphil. Cetaphil isn’t even soap. My face never felt clean after I used it. And ya girl likes her full eyelashes….thank pink tube of nothing stinks!
My favorite mascara is CoverGirl’s last blast mascara. I love it! And have used it since middle school! One thing I really don’t like but a lot of people do is Dove deoderant. I just don’t like the smell of it. It doesn’t work for me. I also do not like the Dream Mousse blush by Maybelline that I have seen many people using. It doesn’t work for me.
Moroccan oil hair products!!! A couple years ago people would RAVE about their products, but each one left my hair super oily and greasy looking!
I’m with you on the cetaphil – everybody always loves it! I never was a fan. Love the post!
Kim
http://trendkeeper.me
I agree about Cetaphil – hate it! I have mixed feelings on Benefit’s They’re Real mascara — sometimes it goes on perfectly and other times, it’s clumpy! My go to brand is Sephora – love their products!
Cetaphil got me through my bad acne high school years, but once my skin cleared up, I found that I couldn’t put up with the smell anymore! It has sort of a chemically sweet smell. I switched to plain ole Dove moisture bar soap; it’s what my grandma uses, and she has the prettiest skin I’ve ever seen.
I’m with you guys on Maybelline mascara-it makes my eyelashes so stiff and flaky. Not pleasant at all.
I think it’s hysterical how many Cetaphil haters there are on here! I bought some in high school due to my very sensitive skin, and my face burned and stung like crazy when I used it. I used the rest of the bottle cleaning my makeup brushes. (I now use and LOVE Cerave’s cleansing wash and lotion.)
I also can’t use Suave shampoos or body washes. The price is so tempting but I break out in a rash.
Completely agree on the Maybelline Mascara (my mom & I both hate it) and the Cetaphil – doesn’t get my face clean! My favorite facial cleanser is Purpose – gentle like the Cetaphil, but actually cleans my oily skin. However, I do like the St. Ive’s Apricot Scrub. I used to hate it because it was so gritty & seemed harsh, but I tried it again recently on a whim & I think it’s gentler now. I’m also careful to rub very gently with it.
Such a fun post topic! I’m totally with you on the Maybelline mascara & Cetaphil — neither work for me! I am a fan of the They’re Real mascara, although I hate to spend that much money on mascara, so I don’t buy it all the time!
Oh man — the list could go on and on, but the top two are Neutrogena Oil Free Moisturizer (made me break out like cray) and Benefit’s They’re Real! I’m with you there. I’m a huge fan of Urban Decay’s Big Fatty Mascara — I highly recommend it 🙂
Definitely not a fan of Great Lash. My most recent fail was an Aveno night cream. The next thing I’m going to try is a conical curling iron – a friend and I have an Ulta lunch date tomorrow. Wish us luck!
I recently purchased Hard Candy Glamoflage concealer after seeing it talked about on several beauty blogs as a great drugstore brand concealer. Maybe I just got the wrong color, but I have such a hard time blending it in; the texture is so paste-y.
I also totally agree about Cetaphil and my sister totally swears by it too. Just doesn’t work for me!
Eyeshadow base! I must not do it right because it make the eyeshadow clumpy!
Stila has an awesome one! http://www.skin1.com/stila-prime-pot-waterproof-eye-shadow-primer.html?utm_source=google+shopping&utm_medium=shopping+engines&gclid=CL_-_Zayn7wCFY07MgodwhkAIw
Make sure you use eye cream or moisturizor first, though, and let it absorb, then apply. I think that would go for all eyeshadow primers. When I bought the Stila one, the sales person made a point of telling me to moisturize first!
Anything Philosophy. It just doesn’t do it for me and my skin. I love the packaging, the font, the smells, but I just don’t love the products.
I didn’t realize the fact about the apricot scrub! Thanks for sharing.
I have heard people raving about plain ole coconut oil as a moisturizer and how amazing it is. I jumped on the bandwagon but then realized the stuff makes me break out like none other. Pimples all over my face! I stopped using the coconut oil on my face and it’s clear as day now. I guess my skin needs oil-free moisturizers.
I totally agree about the Maybelline Great Lash Mascara, I always though it was cute (plus, my sorority’s colors are pink and green so that totally made me want to buy it) and I always saw it in the magazines but I really don’t like it. I keep it as a back-up but rarely use it.
I actually use the Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturizer because I saw it in your beauty routine. I was looking for an affordable moisturizer that would also help with acne!