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Post in Beauty Confidential
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BRANDS: LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT

What brands are you obsessed with and what sparked your love for them? What is it about that specific brand that makes you come back to buy more or try their new products? Any brands you've been disappointed with? Brands that consistently have products that don't seem to live up to the hype... or that just doesn't work for you. Maybe there's a brand you don't want to buy products from due to poor reviews/image. Any brands you've been wanting to try or any that caught your eye due to packaging or a specific product.

 

Share your stories of brand love and dislike.

 

 

One brand that will always hold a special in my heart is MAC. It was the first higher end brand that I purchased from and what started my love and obsession to makeup! I still remember looking at all the beautiful and endless products they offered. What brought me to them was a lip balm I loved. It was a tinted lip balm and I wanted to match that very specific nude beige to a lipstick and couldn’t find it anywhere else. After seeing the range of color they offered I just fell in love. I must admit that I am a bit disappointed in the brand the last few years… it doesn’t feel like it used to and I can’t really put my finger on what makes me feels this way about them.

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KVD is another brand that keeps getting my money. I'm loving pretty much everything she is coming out with! Her packaging and all the work she puts into it make it even more special.  I so wish I would have gotten the face chart reward when it was up. Definitely one of my top brands!

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I also want to mention The Body Deli.  I keep repurchasing from them. I love their products and have been using their body line for a while now.  Here's more info about them from their site.

Spoiler
THE BODY DELI is the pioneer in fresh, organic, raw superfood enhanced personal care products. Two Cosmetic Chefs, Margaret Skarin Clark and David Anton Parker, created the brand in the resort towns of Palm Desert and Palm Springs, California in 2001. Two "foodies" with an extensive background in nutrition, raw food, wellness and beauty, envisioned a personal care brand so different, fresh and unique that they started making their own healthy skin care products. Their special method is a process similar to crafting fresh juices and smoothies in a high-end Organic Juice Bar. “Fresh Food for the Skin” was their concept, and since then they have evolved a global brand committed and dedicated to providing the absolute purest alternative for nourishing the face, body and hair. Celebrities, fashion designers, Fortune 500 leaders and health conscious people have fallen in love with The Body Deli’s unique, effective and wonderful creations.

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I've mentioned these in the thread today but also a big fan of:

Natasha Denona

Viseart

Pat McGrath

Odacite

Omorovicza 

 

Love the eye products from the first 3 brands, the serums from Odacite and a few products from Omorovicza. Probably more but just have a huge memory blank right now 😄

Re: BRANDS: LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT

 

Almost every "holy grail" I find discontinues itself! I am 36 years old and I have been let down, left for dead, perplexed, vexed, and now just PISSED....But I carry a torch for Chanel Calming Emulsion, Stila Eyeshadow in Golightly, Clinique QuickEyes in Sable...the casualty list is pretty grim. So I am wary. I have beauty product trust issues...I know I am not alone in this. There are no "holy  grails" anywhere. We have a different relationship to "beauty products" we buy than to, say, paper towel brands. As consumers we are at the mercy of market demand and other forces beyond our sphere of influence. I take heart in knowing there are worse problems to have in the world, truly, but having said that, does anybody else miss the Chanel Calming Emulsion? 

Re: BRANDS: LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT

@Namenicked I feel your pain!  Everything I love gets discontinued as well!  This year has been especially hard.  I'm getting to the point where I want to buy in bulk and hoard, but then I worry that I will lose interest in the "holy grail" item or it will spoil.  There needs to be a better system out there so that companies can let us know when they are discontinuing something; sometimes I find out far later than I'd like to.  

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ahh i love threads like these! but choosing favorites can be so hard! 

 

right now i'm loving:

 

Herbivore: i love everything from the line that i've tried, especially the blue tansy mask, rose hibiscus face mist, lapis face oil, coco rose body polish and pineapple mask! i can't freaking wait until i move and have a bathtub again, so i can finally buy the coconut milk bath soak! 

I'm finding myself gravitating more and more to natural beauty products these days, and love when i find brands that perform well too.

 

Make up for ever:  I never really got into MUFE until about a year ago, when i was desperately trying to find a foundation match in the summer time. After trying about 30 different foundations, the SA at sephora finally found me a good match in MUFE. I loved the ultra HD foundation, and since then I have really learned to love the brand! I love the smoky lash mascara, ultra HD concealer, and i think their plexi gloss is one of the best gloss formulas! Their eye shadows are amazing, and very underrated in my opinion!

 

Kat Von 😧  ever since i got my first KVD lipstick a few years ago, i've been hooked! I'm so impressed with her dedication to quality, and love that she really tests her products before releasing them to make sure they are perfect! I love most everything the line makes, and i have amassed quite the collection lol. And her color range is always so broad, so no matter what your style is, there's something for you! It's so nice to find a CF brand that offers so many products, which isn't easy. I can't wait to see what she does next! 

 

Colourpop:  aside from the cheeziness sometimes, i really love colourpop! I think they are very fashion forward, and always creating products that fall in line with the current beauty trends. Sometimes they even start new ones! Their highlighters, super shock shadows, and blotted lip are my faves, but i really like everything from the brand. The ultra matte lips definitely need a lip primer, but the other lip products are awesome, and the shade range is amazing. They have super sweet customer service too!

 

MAC: MAC was my first high end brand that  i really experienced, and i will always have a soft spot for them. Their lip liners, lipsticks, blushes and eyeshadows are still some of my favorite products! I really love the new lipglass formula too.

 

I can do without...

 

J*

Kylie Cosmetics

Benefit

Morphe

Smashbox

 

J* and Kylie mainly because of their behavior/terrible customer service/etc, the other brands I just have never been impressed with, and are totally off my radar.

Re: BRANDS: LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT

@unfungirl  yeah I love mostly everything KVD makes too. It's really become one of my top fav brands 🙂

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Likes:
Makeup:
Kat Von D - Good eyeshadow, amazing liquid liner, good lip products and concealer. Every one of those things is long-lasting with great pigmentation and applies evenly.

Tarte - My favorite brand for blushes. I love their LipSurgence lip products (even though they're discontinued now), also a fan of their Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara and their brightening face primer. I don't like their eyeshadow, though, and none of their complexion products work for me.

Skincare:
Shu Uemura - I adore all their cleansing oils, and also like their moisturizing emulsion.

Clinique - I like their moisturizer gels, like Thirst Relief and Dramatically Different.

Perfume:
Juliette Has a Gun - I bought their discovery kit and like all but one of their scents.

Dislikes:
Makeup:
Benefit - The whole line seems created for someone with pale, oily skin. Most products seem sheer and drying.

Stila - Maybe it's unfair to say I dislike them, but I'm never enthused by anything they release.

Skincare:
Glamglow - I remember trying one of their masks and it stinging horribly. Tried them again but never had a pleasant experience come of it.

Philosophy - Just been underwhelmed by that brand.

Re: BRANDS: LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT

@IciclePop  I've never been a fan of Philosophy too... I guess that would be it... it's underwhelming.

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Awesome thread! Has anyone mentioned Deciem yet?? Because they are absolutely a breath of fresh air in the beauty market. They own brands like The Original and Hylamide that someone here has definitely seen. They're totally based on skincare science and sell very basic items like Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid serums, among others. Everything is free of sulfates and harsh chemicals, and everything is so so AFFORDABLE!

***I got a Niacinamide serum for oil/pore control for $7, and a Hyluronic Acid moisturizer, very basic, for under $10. *** I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THIS WAS POSSIBLE!

 

They sell a ton of other things but their whole company is based on the same mission to deliver Canadian-made products that are truly good for the skin. I'm in love with the brand and I'm probably going to switch everything I use to them! Look them up and you'll fall in love just like I did.

 

Image result for deciem
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Re: BRANDS: LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT

@IZ95I like that they are Canadian and make a good affordable product but they have horrible cs.  The kind that makes me want to buy elsewhere.  I find that they have this "I don't care attitude" and it's turning me off. Too bad... I love their HIF brand.

Re: BRANDS: LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT

My loves:

Buxom, their lip products are awesome and their foundation/BB matches my skin perfectly!  Can't forget that their mascara gives my lashes everything they need to amaze me.

 

Cover FX- love their Perfect Setting Powder and they are constantly innovative.

 

First Aid Beauty- there Serum is a regular in my routine.  They aren't the most exciting brand but they are consistent at least.

 

Drunk Elephant- love their stuff. Not so in love with the prices though.  😍

 

My dislikes:

La Mer- just cheap ingredients marketed well and highly priced.

 

Origins- I just find that many of there products are almost great but always has too much fragrance.

 

Dr. Brandt, I've just never had great results with any of their products.  I've tried many but now I know this brand just isn't for me.

 

Philosophy, again, just a brand I've never had great results with.  That's okay because this brand just doesn't excite me anyway...

Re: BRANDS: LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT

@sarahshter i love buxom! their lip glosses are one of my favorite formulas!

 

and i also agree with you on la mer. i got a foil sample of the cream, and was shocked when i read the ingredient list. i didn't even try it.

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I agree with your list @sarahshter and really like my Buxom glosses - gotta try that mascara though! Heart  Thanks for the tip...

Re: BRANDS: LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT

Brands that I consistently love products from:

-Urban Decay

-Kat Von D

-Cover FX

-Anastasia Beverly Hills

 

I'm not a big fan of Benefit (other than mascara). I'm not touching anything JS. I used to love TF but some of the stuff coming to light is kinda putting me off the brand. Tarte is very hit or miss for me.. Some things I adore, some things are just bad.

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I hear you about Too Faced (you did mean Too Faced and not Tom Ford, right? :D). I left them out of my love it/leave it list because I'm not sure how I feel about them. It's one of those cases where I love the products, but dislike the company. That being said, I haven't purchased any of Too Faced's new releases due to all their recent quality issues. So while I love the products I own, I really have no desire to purchase anything else at the moment. 

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Yes, not Tom Ford, lol! Yeah, I'm in the same boat. I love the products I have (bon bon palette is my go to for work travel) but I've not bought any of their recent stuff. The quality doesn't seem to be there anymore, in addition to the sketchy stuff.

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I think most of my faves and disappointments have been mentioned, except for Marc Jacobs. Ever since his response to being called out for using white models with dreadlocks, I have a complete blind spot for anything MJ. All FOMO has vanished, and I wouldn't wear it if it was free.

 

It's not so much the hairstyle choice (though that doesn't sit well with me either), it's that instead of responding along the lines of "that wasn't my intention, I see now how it could come across that way, and I'll try not to make the same mistake in the future" he doubled down on his disrespect for black people. He had the audacity to claim it's just like black women who straighten their hair, and he doesn't see color anyway (which is obvious in retrospect if you look at his foundation offerings). The whole thing just demolished any respect I ever had for him or his brand.

 

I'd expect this from JS, since his entire image is built on petty drama and tearing others down, but not an established designer. I know designers aren't necessarily noble or classy or even mature, but come on. If "it's not as bad as some things that JS has done" is the best I can say about your tantrum, that's a problem.

Re: BRANDS: LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT

Oh I had heard about this @creasedshadow. Interesting.

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I've been hearing a lot of confusing things about MJ Most recently I've heard that he has a bad problem with drinking.  Who knows though, once you become successful everyone wants to tear you down so take it with a grain of salt.

Re: BRANDS: LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT

So I just stumbled upon this whole part of the Sephora site yesterday after wishing foreverrrrr that there was a place that I could gush about beauty with others who are as interested as I am haha.

 

Okay so in terms of brands that I love, there are two that really stand out:

 

1) Lancôme: I ADORE this brand- not every product, but honestly there are so many items that are staples to me that I just keep repurchasing and even when I try to venture off due to boredom, I come back to Lancôme. I know up until recently a lot of people see Lancôme as a line for their grandmothers but they've really amped up their marketing by launching the Juicy Shakers last year and adding Lily Collins and Lupita as spokesmodels. Now they are trying to represent women of all ages/ethnicities so they're a little (lot) behind the times as far as their marketing campaign goes but the products are still fantastic!

-Hypnose Volume a Porter Mascara is my HG mascara and has been since it launched about a year and a half ago- not goopy, hypoallergenic, non-waterproof but water resistant, and does not clump. It's fantastic and I always with  their Cils Booster lash primer underneath.

-Blush Subtil in 'Rouge in Love" SERIOUSLY the most beautiful blush. It looks terrifying in the pan and I actually tried it on as a joke one day while working in a makeup department and then was like holy, I really really love this. And I've been wearing it ever since! Great for pale skin, even though it looks scary, try it!

-Tonique Confort is a great toner for sensitive skin! I have oily-dehydrated skin so I use a cleanser for oily/acne prone skin then follow up by using this toner for dry skin to rebalance. The amount of alcohol in it is so little that it actually evaporates when it hits the open air so it's basically alcohol-free, smells great but is non-irritating and the jelly texture feels soft and soothing to the skin. I hope they never discontinue this, I had a rocky road to finding my HG toner and this one actually doesn't burn my skin.

 

The Second is Too Faced:

Honestly, I just love what the company stands for! #OwnYourPretty is so empowering and I love that Jared Blandino is always asking followers (on Instagram) so their imput. I feel like they listen to customers and really work on creating a community within their brand lovers. Of course the packaging is another thing though it doesn't contribute to the overall quality of the makeup, it's cute and fun which is what makeup is supposed to be! You should feel light and happy and creative whenever sitting down to do makeup and they really strive to make it like 'art' rather than a chore to do before you leave the house. I guess I just love their creative energy 🙂 I also have to point out a few loves for products #1 being Glitter Glue because oh man, my eyeshadow has never stayed put better and you get your money's worth since it isn't that expensive and you only need to use a tiny bit. I know it's talked about a lot but the Chocolate Bar Palette is so amazing, a great balance between matte and shimmer shades (use the glitter glue with the shimmers!) and all of the colours work together, this palette was well thought-out in terms of shades and has pretty pretty transition colours. This is a great staple of a great first palette for someone that is just getting into makeup as the colours are neutral and you can get so much use out of it. Lastly, it gets mixed reviews but the Lip Injection Extreme plumps my lips so nicely! I've never experienced any irritation or even a tingling feeling and I'm very sensitive- it also makes my lips look and feel hydrated! I'm interested in trying the chocolate soleil bronzer next. Another thing I love is that Too Faced tries to cater to everyone and I can use their products even though I'm pale as a ghost. I can't use their foundation both because 'snow' isn't right or me (the lightest shade) and because the born this way foundation does not work for oily skin but still their bronzers and everything have options from light to dark so I can find products that don't make me look orange or like I've put dirt on my face lol

 

A brand I could live without is STILA.. The liquid lipsticks are great but I don't like them enough to buy stila over another brand and their shade 'kitten' in the magnificent metals is wonderful (I do own and use it) but other than that they just don't grab my attention

Re: BRANDS: LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT

Thanks for the shout-out to Lancôme.  I love the stick foundation, which I purchased when my husband and I went on a cruise last year.  I wanted something I could use for the evening, and it wears so well and photographs beautifully.  In fact, I love the foundation so much that I purchased it in two shades--my own and a darker shade for contouring. It's a staple in my makeup bag.  I also love the underye concealer, which is the only one I use now.  It doesn't cake or settle into fine lines.  

 

Thanks for the blush recommendation.  I may have to check this out.

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I agree with Stila. Other than their not-so-frequent HG launches, they're easily passable. 😞

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