Once I met a very nice Now Smell This reader who asked me, “Do you ever not like a fragrance?” I do write more positive than negative reviews for Now Smell This, mainly because I only write one review per week and I’d rather spread the word about something I like than waste my time bashing something that wasn’t so great (unless it’s really bad, or doesn’t live up to its promises).
The same could be said of my product reviews here, but I’ve recently compiled a mental list of beauty items that I wouldn’t try or buy again, and here are five of them!
Revlon Bold Lacquer Length & Volume Mascara: I purchased this mascara in a shade called Blackened Brown. It’s horrible. Clumpy, sticky, obvious in a bad way. When I wear it, I’m conscious all day that fibers and dyes are attached to my eyelashes.
Jason Gluten-Free Facial Scrub: I needed a new facial exfoliator, so I picked this one up at Whole Foods. (I don’t need gluten-free skincare, but I liked the price and the tube packaging.) Beware: this product is far too abrasive to be used on facial skin. It makes a decent scrub for elbows and feet, though.
Guerlain The Eye Pencil in Deep Purple: Usually I love all things Guerlain, but this eyeliner just wasn’t worth the price for me. The purple is a little too plain purple (rather than a more subtle plum or sophisticated purplish taupe), and the staying power isn’t what it should be for a luxury product.
Wen Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner: Two months ago I switched to a “co-washing” routine (more on that later!) and I bought a trial-size tube of this conditioning cleanser. It’s supposedly very popular, but it left my hair feeling heavy and flat. I’ve found other cleansing conditioners that work much better for me.
NYX Butter Gloss in Eclair: These lip glosses have a cult following on makeup discussion boards. They’re inexpensive, but I bet I can find something I like better for $4-5. I didn’t care for this gloss’s tacky texture or strong vanilla-cupcake scent, and this pale, milky pink shade is really only suited to a Barbie doll.
So, there are a few grumbles. What about you? Have you recently tried anything that you wouldn’t recommend?
TINSEL CREATION 
Laughing because that’s my favorite mascara right now. The only waterproof one I’ve found that doesn’t make my lashes look like spider legs. And now I want to know what you DO use!
hah! “YMMV,” I guess! It’s dreadful on me. Maybe I just prefer a more natural look?! I like Essence All Eyes On Me, which is cheap but hard to find in NYC. I also had one called It’s So Big! (dumb name) by Elizabeth Mott that I loved, but it’s not available in stores and it’s kind of $ to order online with shipping.
I hated that Wen cleansing conditioner! It took me a week to get it out of my hair which felt like I had put bacon grease on it!!
It really was horrible on my hair — and I don’t have fine or thin hair. Ugh. Stay tuned for my thoughts on products that *did* work for me!
Love these kind of posts. Aware that YMMV, but they are simple and direct and help give me a better sense of what appeals to the writer. Looking forward to the hair products that did work.
hah! Thanks, LL. I’ve been feeling a bit cranky, so it’s better to vent about disappointing beauty products than to take things out on actual people in real life, right? ;)
Hair reviews to follow, definitely!