These are a just a few products that I'm not all that fond of, that's not to say that I think they're completely terrible or that you won't like them and absolutely shouldn't try them ever, they just don't work that well for me and these are just my opinions.
I had just run out of my John Frieda Go Blonder Lightening Spray and I was going to repurchase that one but since I usually love Lee Stafford hair products I thought I would try this out instead. I actually don't think this is a bad product at all, in fact I think it smells much nicer, it's just very subtle and it definitely doesn't lighten as much as the John Frieda version that I love so much. This could be one to try if you're looking to achieve a slightly lighter hair colour or perhaps a subtle ombre for the summertime, but if you're wanting something I little more dramatic I would definitely go for the John Frieda instead. For comparison I would say the John Frieda has lightened my natural dark blonde hair colour by about 3 or 4 shades and the Lee Stafford would probably only manage to lighten by 1 or 2 shades.
Retail Price: £7.99
I was really excited about this because I love the concept with the addition of tweezers, a brush, stencils and a highlighter pencil. It has the potential to be a really handy little eyebrow kit, there's everything you need in there but unfortunately it just didn't really live up to my expectations. I assumed that the two brown shades were to fill in the brows but since they're packed full of glitter I'm thinking they're maybe supposed to be eyeshadows? I'm not really sure but I definitely don't think glittery eyebrows are a good look. The wax doesn't do much to hold my brows in place and the mini brush isn't as precise as I would like. The tweezers are actually super handy, the stencils are a really nice addition and I think the highlighter pencil is a lovely colour that blends nicely, so it's certainly not all bad but I do think there are better affordable brow kits out there, like this one from Eyes Lips Face for example.
Retail Price: £7.99
This is something I'm not entirely sure if I like or not, which sounds completely bizarre but I shall explain. Firstly, I love that this is in stick form because it makes application super easy and I think the formula itself is lovely - it's easy to blend and lasts really well on the skin. It's the colour itself I'm not sure I love because think it's a little dark for me (keep in mind I am super fair). If by some miracle summer ever arrives in the UK and I get a bit of colour on my face I'll try it again because I think this is one of those products that looks incredible on skintones darker than my own and at the moment it's just a little too golden on me.
Retail Price: £24.50 (Mine is just a little sample size)
Benefit They're Real Mascara
This is a product I'm actually sort of sad I don't like because it makes my lashes look amazing. It lengthens, adds volume and holds a curl really well throughout the day BUT it smudges on me like crazy and it really really really stings my eyes. It's also on the pricey side and I definitely don't think it's so much better than some of the more affordable mascaras. I'm currently using Maybelline The Falsies and although it doesn't lengthen or volumise quite as much, it's pretty close! And at least by opting for more affordable mascaras I'm saving quite a lot of pennies in the long run, which is always a good thing!
Retail Price: £19.50
I've tried a couple of Jelly Pong Pong products via GlossyBox in recent months and although I don't think they're completely awful, I do think they're much too expensive for what they are. I thought I would really like this mascara, the small wand is perfect for really coating even the smallest of lashes but unfortunately this doesn't give a great deal of volume or length. It's super natural, which can be nice, perhaps if you don't like to wear a lot of make up or if you're still at school and aren't allowed to, I just think this is a few pounds too expensive for what it is.
Retail Price: £15
The Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation is easily in my top 5 foundations of all time so I automatically assumed I would love the concealer too, but unfortunately I really don't. The colour match is perfect, it blends nicely just like the foundation but this just clings so badly to any areas of my face that are even remotely dry and makes them look terrible! It's okay under the eyes, perhaps a little heavy but I'm going to hold on to this for days where my skin is a little less dry because it does a really lovely job of concealing absolutely every imperfection I'd like to hide.
Retail Price: £7.49
Sienna X Cream to Powder Bronzer & Illuminator♦
Cream products are my absolute favourite so I was really excited to try this bronzer & highlighter duo out from Sienna X, especially because I love their powder bronzer a lot. The cream bronzer in this duo is really nice, it's creamy, blends seamlessly into the skin and gives a really pretty colour that can be built up or applied slightly more sheerly. Unfortunately the cream highlight isn't as smooth or creamy and isn't as easy to blend. If you take time to really warm the product up it's a little easier to apply but it's not my favourite highlighter by any means, which is a shame because this could have been a really amazing little duo.
Retail Price: £25
Finally, another highlight product - it seems I'm really picky about these! I honestly can't say anything bad about this, the packaging is lovely, it's a beautiful colour, it blends perfectly - the colour just doesn't suit me. It's a little too much of a warm golden colour for my fair skin, which I'm really sad about but I know it would look amazing on other people. I've literally only used this once and it seems such a shame to keep this in my collection sitting unused and unloved so if you think you would like this (& you perhaps have your own blog where you would like to review it once you've used it a little), pop me over a quick email (sailorjennie@googlemail.com) and I'll post it out to the first person at some point this week!
Retail Price: £21ish
Have you tried any of these products and loved them?
I'd love to know!
xoxo
Aah that's such a shame you don't like the Benefit mascara! I wanted to buy it for my sister but now that I know it smudges I won't :( thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteValérie ♥ scribblesofvalerie.com
I think there are much better ones for a lot less money! xo
DeleteThat brow kit made me laugh - I can't believe there's glitter in it, haha! And I totally agree with you on the Benefit mascara, it doesn't do much for me and it hurts my eyes:S x
ReplyDeleteIt really makes no sense! xo
DeleteI'm with you I love to read about what products people don't like. I find it just as helpful as the rave reviews. I think it's fairly obviously that with any beauty of skincare product it's going to come down to the individual but having both the good and bad points to investigate for yourself is really helpful.
ReplyDeleteVictoria
Florence and Mary
Absolutely, I completely agree! xo
DeleteI think its great that you do reviews of products you don't like. -Hanna Marie
ReplyDelete<3
DeleteI love it when people post about products they DON'T like!
ReplyDeleteI really wanna try benefit mascara to see how it'd suit my lashes! But i never have.
maybe the chemicals irritate your eyes more than others?
Kelly || DayDreamsDaisyChains.com
I think that's probably the case, it's not the only one that irritates me eyes but I usually don't have a problem! xo
DeleteI'm totally with you on the Benefit They're Real. I love the way it makes my eyelashes look and although it doesn't sting my eyes, I find it quite difficult to get off so it makes my eyelashes sore.
ReplyDeletex
Ahh that's such a shame! ox
DeleteI hate the they're real mascara, I've started to notice that it smudges, or at least transfers itself to my brow bone quite a lot. Massive nightmare! x
ReplyDeleteAmy / srslylou.com
Such a shame it doesn't work for you either! xo
DeleteGreat post! It's interesting how everyone is different with the same products. I'm fair skinned and I love watts up :-)
ReplyDeleteJodie x
www.retrococktail.com
It is! So glad it works well for you <3
DeleteI tried out Benefit's They're Real recently and although I liked how it looked it was an absolute nightmare to remove and I started getting dry & itchy eyes. Had to stop wearing mascara for a month to get them back to normal :(
ReplyDeleteOh no, such a shame it doesn't work at all for you either! xo
DeleteI have the same problem with highlighters, I find lots to be too dark on me. Did you also find the Benefit mascara a pain to remove? I've heard that quite a lot and it's put me off buying it x
ReplyDeleteYes! The bulk of it seemed to come off okay but there always seemed to be some left over! xo
DeleteI love this post, it's always nice to hear honest opinions and not just gushing about products, because it's a lot of money to spend and it's nice to remember not everything can suit everybody :)
ReplyDeletehttp://agentsmythblog.blogspot.co.uk/
Absolutely! xo
DeleteSuch a bummer that these products didn't work out for you! I've heard a lot of mixed reviews on benefit's they're real! mascara. I don't know why, but the comment about glitter eyebrows cracked me up :P I've seen more glitter eyebrows in more creative scenarios, but definitely not something for an everyday look!
ReplyDeleteHaha I don't think I could pull that look off at all, I'd get some funny looks in the supermarket ;)
DeleteI like reading posts like this too! It's such a shame that They're Real didn't work on you because it's an amazing mascara. I love it, but can't justify the price to buy it all the time so I'm using Maybelline Volum' Express Rocket mascara instead at the moment and it (almost!) it gives my lashes the same volume and curl as They're Real but for a fraction of the price.
ReplyDeletexx
Ahh I know, I love what it does for my lashes! xo
DeleteGreat post! I have heard such great things about the Benefit They're Real mascara and I have wanted to try it. After reading this review I think I will wait since I have oily lids and smudging is definitely not my thing! :) x
ReplyDeletewww.zdevania.blogspot.com
Me too, it's so annoying! xo
DeleteIt's a shame about They're Real - I have the most sensitive eyes and thankfully it's fine for me! Watts Up! is something I'm on the fence about due to the colour x
ReplyDeleteAhh so glad it works for you! xo
DeleteI never tried any of these products Jennie, but this was a great post! I think I may write one too because I have a few products laying around that didn't worked for me at all and some of them that were pricey too xxx
ReplyDeleteI'd love to read your version! xo
DeleteI love the Bourjois concealer under my eyes but I just find I ALWAYS apply way too much! :( Great post, I like these kind of mini reviews, quick and straight to the point :)
ReplyDeleteThe Little Antlers - blog
Little Lemon Designs - portfolio
My Etsy Shop!
That's so easy to do, I do that too! xo
DeleteI use maybelline the falsies too! :)
ReplyDeletehttp://laurenslittleblogs.blogspot.co.uk/
xx
It's so great! xo
DeleteI love Benefit mini products, i hardly get through full sized products let a lone mini ones so it's great to try them out to find out whether you really love something before buying it full sized. Really want to get my hands on that mini Watts Up!
ReplyDeleteLorna | Studs and Dreams xx
They are such a great idea! xo
DeleteI'm really surprised you didn't like the little Bourjois concealer because I've heard tons about it! I might skip it too, I really like the sonia kashuk concealer palette right now so I don't need any other ones :)
ReplyDeletexo aly
It's okay, but not the best for dry skin! xo
DeleteAs a fair skinned person myself, have you tried The Balms Manizer ? It is a lovely colour and has many uses, I just apply with my fingers above cheek bone & under my eyebrow and away you go. I think I paid about £13 and it will last ages too.
ReplyDeleteI haven't but I'll definitely look into it <3
DeleteWow I actually almost picked up that Benefit mascara today, definitely might give that a second thought!
ReplyDeleteMaddy @ www.BeautyBanterBlog.com
i was also a bit sad about not liking the they're real mascara... it didn't sting my eyes or smudge on me, but somehow it just couldn't hold any curl on my lashes. i returned mine and the benefit sales associate literally said - "you're like the one person ever to return this." i was like.. sorryyy!! i really wanted to like this! :(
ReplyDeleterachel x
www.blushandbrunch.com
Ahh such a shame it doesn't work for you either! xo
DeleteI feel the same about Healthy Mix concealer ;/
ReplyDeleteIt really clings to dry areas, such a shame! xo
DeleteAgreed on the Benefit highlighter... I just don't understand how to use it, and for some reason I keep receiving free samples of it!! This is a helpful post :) I love the new blog design too!
ReplyDeleteEllie | Ellalogy
Aww thank you! xo
Deletei really like the benefit mascara, most people seem to on the blog-o-sphere so was interesting to see a different opinion :)
ReplyDeletedontcrycowboy
I think it's a real love hate kind of thing! xo
DeleteOooh interesting. I find lightening sprays always make my hair go ginger!
ReplyDeletewww.raspberphobia.com
Oh no! xo
DeleteI was considering buying the healthy mix concealer but after your review i think i shall be giving it a miss, so thanks for saving me a tenner haha! Im not a fan of Benefit They're Real either to be honest, it was a little blah on my lashes, but i love the Falsies!! xxx
ReplyDeleteAww yay! xo
DeleteDeff agree about the Bourjois healthy mix concealer!
ReplyDeleteDaniella x
http://daniella-r.blogspot.co.uk
Ahh I thought I was the only one hehe xo
DeleteIt's a shame the Bourjois concealer doesn't work for you. The Shining Moment highlighter was on my list for ages. The packaging is so pretty x
ReplyDeleteThe packaging is super nice! xo
DeleteThank you for this - I find posts about products that haven't quite hit the mark or aren't as good as an alternative as interesting, if not more so, than products that come out well, mainly because these posts save me money!
ReplyDeleteI agree! xo
DeleteWhat a shame about the cosmopolitan brow kit, the photo of it looks fab and is probably something I would have been drawn (no pun intended!) too but as soon as you said 'glitter' it made me think WHAT??? Thanks for pointing that out I will steer clear and I've heard mixed reviews about Benefits They're Real mascara so I know I will be steering clear of that one! I used to do a loves and loathes review every month on my blog but haven't done it for a while, I think you have just inspired me to resurrect it! x
ReplyDeleteAhh I know, I really don't understand the glitter at all! I'd love to read those posts from you again! xo
DeleteI love posts like this, they always go to show that no product works for everyone!
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame about the Cosmo brow kit - why make brow powder glittery!? Bizarre. I was also pretty underwhelmed by They're Real, it just didn't live up to the hype for me, mascaras half the price work just as well with my lashes!
Jess xo
I agree, it's good that we're saving some pennies in the process hehe xo
Delete