Makeup gimmicks?

[tacom]

I'm somewhat new to the sephora/non-drugstore MU world. It seems like there are a ton of products that don't make much of a difference in my look, but maybe I haven't tried the right brands.

What products seem like a gimmick/money waste to you? What have made a difference in your look?

So far, things I haven't found value in:

• primer (face and eyeshadow)
• beauty blenders or foundation brushes -- wastes product and introduces bacteria onto my face. I wash my hands and use my fingers.
• setting spray
• setting powder
• Expensive lip gloss or mascara. I've found drug store brands I prefer.

Things that have made a difference in my MU:

• MAC eyebrow powder + a good angled brush. Less harsh than a pencil.
• a small brush for concealer - better coverage. I used to use my fingers.
• $$$ foundation, bronzer, eyeshadow, and blush. I'm on the fence re: illuminator, eyeliner, and concealer. 

[Deleted]

I disagree with nearly all of your "gimmick" items.

Without primer, my foundation doesn't go on as smoothly. The foundation I use requires a brush. It does not spread nearly as well with my fingers. If I am wearing my glasses, I need setting spray bc my foundation gets on the nose part of my frames and my glasses can slide down my nose. I skip it when I am wearing contacts but I wear glasses ~3 work days/week.

[sporky]

Setting sprays and powders do nothing for me either. But I can't go without primers and $$ mascara. My skin is so oily, the only way to get my makeup to go on evenly and stay on is with primers. I recently started using Shiseido face primer and it seems to work better for me than both the Smashbox and Hourglass ones. Also I need eyeshadow primer in order for it to stay on all day- here I like both UD and Bareminerals. And I have found that Dior and Lancome mascaras work so much better for my lashes than drugstore mascaras.

[tacom]

Feb 9, 2014 15:00:31 GMT -5 sporky said:

Setting sprays and powders do nothing for me either. But I can't go without primers and $$ mascara. My skin is so oily, the only way to get my makeup to go on evenly and stay on is with primers. I recently started using Shiseido face primer and it seems to work better for me than both the Smashbox and Hourglass ones. Also I need eyeshadow primer in order for it to stay on all day- here I like both UD and Bareminerals. And I have found that Dior and Lancome mascaras work so much better for my lashes than drugstore mascaras.

See, I have super dry skin, which might be why I haven't found primers to be at all useful. I think my foundation looks best (at least in the dead of Chicago winters) when I do 2 coats of moisturizer then foundation. 

[IIOY]

I must say that one of the benefits of getting older is that my skin is no longer a giant oil slick that causes my makeup to slide halfway down my face by 5pm. Dry has its problems, but it's preferable because I can tame it with exfoliation and good moisturizer.

That said, primer and setting powder can be miracle workers, and I have to blend concealer with my finger. I tried using a brush for ages and it just never smoothed out properly.

[stephm0188]

I think American BB creams are a gimmick. Most of them are just repackaged tinted moisturizers.


Primers make a huge difference for me. I have oily skin, so my makeup slides right off without it. Same with setting powder or spray. It helps stuff stay put.

I love the flawless finish my Beauty Blender gives. I clean it after every use and haven't had issues with breakouts. It works beautifully with my foundation, but there are others that would be better applied using other methods.

[Deleted]

My beauty blender is my all-time favorite makeup applicator. Are you wetting it first before you use it? And do you have the original beauty blender? I don't think I could ever get the same look using my fingers.

I agree with pp that I think BB creams are a little gimmicky.

[niemand88f]

I'm pretty new to makeup in general, but I'm learning pretty quickly that some things are absolutely worth paying more for.

I agree with you on primer, some of them actually make the foundation look really bad on me (maybe I just haven't found the right one?). But eyeshadow primer makes a HUGE difference, especially if I'm using a cheap eyeshadow.

I can apply foundation pretty well with my fingers, but it looks much better if I use a brush like this to dot it on. It's kind of amazing how little foundation I need with the stippling technique (which makes it MM because good foundation is $$$!). I use an antibacterial brush cleaner spray on it every day to keep my liquid foundation from building up.

Setting powder makes a big difference under my eyes and keeps my concealer from creasing there, but not so much anywhere else so I barely use any. I also have pretty dry skin.

[nsl]

Eyeshadow primer was a complete game-changer for me. Before discovering it, I couldn't wear eyeshadow at all. Exactly zero brands would stay uncreased for longer than 5 hours. Now I can have a 14 hour day and my eye makeup doesn't budge. Not all primers are created equal (Urban Decay doesn't work well for me at all, but Lorac is miraculous) but they're all better than bare oily lids.

[Deleted]

Eye primer is my favorite and Benefit Bad Gal Lash is my favorite mascara brush (I'm not sure the mascara itself is anything special.)

The only eye liner I really love is Loreal HIP creme liner. It's the only thing that stays all day (even with primer) on my hooded, oily eyelids.

[Deleted]

Feb 12, 2014 17:48:49 GMT -5 @champagna said:

I got something called the Lash Card in a Birchbox last year and I thought that was pretty gimmicky/ridiculous. It's a curved card that you place behind your lashes while applying mascara. It seemed like a weird extra step/tool.

My eyes are really hooded and deep-set, so I can actually imagine that being useful. I can get a ton of mascara on my eyelids.

[Deleted]

Gimmicks - BB Creams, foundation applicators,toners, but maybe I just haven't found the right one?
Worth it - primers, good brushes, tweezerman tweezers, UD eyeliners.

[dexteroni]

I don't know that I would say any of the items mentioned here are necessarily gimmicks. Some things just work for some people and not for others. For me, I love regular primer but dislike shadow primer. I don't personally like a foundation brush but I know a lot of people do. To each their own!

[dexteroni]

Feb 9, 2014 20:51:41 GMT -5 stephm0188 said:

I think American BB creams are a gimmick. Most of them are just repackaged tinted moisturizers.

How do the Asian BB creams differ? I've only used American brands.

[Deleted]

Feb 17, 2014 18:35:38 GMT -5 @rennido said:

I love primers, both face and eyes. I'm trying the tarte clay one right now and it's awesome!

I also got a new foundation brush that puts them all to shame. And I love my blenders too!

I do like setting spray. I use the Urban Decay one and I feel like it does make my make up last longer...
I just use regular powder to set too.

Lip glosses though-I don't buy expensive ones, I LOVE NYX lip butter.

Which foundation brush do you have? I love my beauty blender but it's kind of tedious to use.

[mfluder]

Feb 18, 2014 10:13:27 GMT -5 carrotsmakemefat said:

You'd love e Paula's choice beauty beautypedia website. It is a scientific look at the ingredients. If it doesn't match claims based on testing hey will give it an appropriate review. I won't buy now without looking at Beautypedia

see personally I don't like that site. It's biased for her stuff and edited to reflect that. There's items she says are fine for instance - mineral oil - which lots of others dispute. I like makeupalley because it's independent reviews even if it's not "scientific".

[Deleted]

Feb 18, 2014 20:59:06 GMT -5 mfluder said:

Feb 18, 2014 10:13:27 GMT -5 carrotsmakemefat said:

You'd love e Paula's choice beauty beautypedia website. It is a scientific look at the ingredients. If it doesn't match claims based on testing hey will give it an appropriate review. I won't buy now without looking at Beautypedia

see personally I don't like that site. It's biased for her stuff and edited to reflect that. There's items she says are fine for instance - mineral oil - which lots of others dispute. I like makeupalley because it's independent reviews even if it's not "scientific".

Thank you!  She's been around forever (I remember seeing her on daytime TV/in magazines in the Don't Go to the Makeup Counter Without Me days) and I have always found her obnoxious.  Ingredient lists aren't everything

Also, now that she has her own line, it is even worse -- pretty much every product that isn't Paula's Choice is poorly reviewed, and every product that is gets a glowing review.  Yeah, that sounds like a smart, unbiased way to choose which products to buy.  

Makeupalley is my bible.

For me, anti aging skin care, foundation, powder, and concealer are my most worthwhile splurges, while mascara and lip stuff are places where I skimp (for lips, I only use lip balm -- not gloss or lip stick).  I don't use primer, beauty blender, setting spray, etc.