Monthly Misses: April 2025

[greeneyedgirl107]

I bet many of us tried at least one product that didn't meet expectations.  Share here!

[Titian06]

I haven't been thrilled with Fenty Beauty by Rihanna The Homecurl Curl-Defining Styling Cream 11.5 oz / 340 ml .  It's too heavy for my hair, but when I thin it out, it doesn't have enough hold.  I'm still experimenting.

[gonerogue]

100% miss/will never purchase: #Dr. Jart+ Vital Hydra Solution™ Water Cream Glow Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid 1.69 oz / 50 mL   -I’ve been on a journey to use up my foils/trial sized products and used up one of these foils about 2 weeks. When I tell you I had the worst breakout I have had in years…. Holy moly. I am still trying to recover from this by doing a clarifying mask 3x a week and slapping on moisturizer to help with the dryness. Moments like these remind me why I stay loyal to my HG and try not to venture too much with skincare.

Miss but willing to give it more chances: Armani Beauty Vertigo Lift Longwear Lengthening Mascara Obsidian Black - this was surprisingly underwhelming and produced raccoon eyes in a matter of minutes. I was able to save the look with another coat of concealer and powder but I’m just not sure the price point is justified by the performance. I’ll give it more chances to redeem itself but so far, not impressed.

[caitbird]

For me, there have been a couple of misses this month - neither was terrible, just disappointing. One was Orly Sec N' Dry topcoat, which I used a couple of weeks ago when I did my nails. Unfortunately, the polish started chipping very quickly, which I haven't had a problem with using other top coats, so I probably won't use that one again. The other was Glossier Sandstone scented candle, which has a nice scent and a cute vessel but a lackluster throw.

[WinglessOne]

@greeneyedgirl107  Just one big miss so far: 

Montale Eau de Parfum Discovery Set - now that I’ve given each fragrance a full day wear test (some even got a second test), I can say these are all too sweet smelling for me. Sure, I expected Lucky Candy to be overly sweet, and it is. But even Arabians Tonka is too sweet, and that’s a bummer because it’s the one I was most interested in. They’re not all bad, but none of them are complex enough (on my skin) to keep my interest—in addition to being too sweet. Folks who love sweet fragrances will probably enjoy these Montales. 🤷‍♀️

[lmaster]

I love sweet @WinglessOne and I was extremely disappointed in this set 😔 

[WinglessOne]

@lmaster  Now I think I remember you talking about this set in another thread… a hauls thread? Oof, sorry this set let you down, too. 🤦‍♀️

Someone told me “of course you don’t like these, none of them are smoky or leathery,” as if those are the only scent notes I like. 🤣 Heck, I still kinda like the original Mugler Angel and there’s no smoke or leather in there; it’s definitely on the sweet end of the scent spectrum. Angel is more interesting than any of the Montale fragrances in that discovery set. I’m sure on some other people’s skin, the Montales might smell quite different. But I’ll be spraying my little vials on cotton balls to use as potpourri—if they smell good that way. 

[lmaster]

@WinglessOne I do like the muglar scents,  I was just so disappointed in this set. Thank goodness we just opted for the discovery set and not a fs. The bottles are so pretty ugh!! There was not one in the set i absolutely loved

[byme4u]

CLINIQUE Redness Solutions Soothing Cleanser isn't actually a recent try,  but recently reformulated without notice.   I have used, alternately, for many years because it removed my makeup and wasn't drying. 

Clinique has tweaked the formulation many times without advertising the change.  My latest purchase, I immediately noticed the texture was different and the product was drying to my skin.

Label should have stated the new formula,  I would have read the ingredients label and definitely not purchased,  because it has very little resemblance to the previous product.  

[CorgiMommy]

I was surprised that i didn't like Tatcha Macha Cleanse. It left my skin dry.  It is  not a good replacement for their deep cleanse product.

[Titian06]

@CorgiMommy - I didn't like the Macha Cleanser either for the same reason.  Very disappointing.

[CorgiMommy]

@Titian06 it does make an okay body Cleanser but definitely not worth repurchasing 

[greeneyedgirl107]

I was hoping this CeraVe cleanser would help remove eye makeup, but it did nothing of the sort.

[WinglessOne]

@greeneyedgirl107  Aw, sorry that cleanser didn’t work out. I haven’t tried it on my face at all yet; I’ve just used it on the rest of my body, particularly my very dry legs. Now I’m even less inclined to try it on my face. 

Have you ever tried CeraVe’s cleansing balm? 

[greeneyedgirl107]

@WinglessOne I remember that you used the foaming oil cleanser on your hands, and that is such a great idea!  I've Bern wanting to rec that to a friend of mine.

I haven't tried the balm, but it's certainly on my radar.   Once I'm done with my Clinique one, I will try the CeraVe for sure.

I'm looking for a makeup remover right now that can be used on wet skin.  I've kinda given up on The INKEY List Oat Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm 5 oz/ 150 mL because the texture has been giving me too much trouble. 

[WinglessOne]

@greeneyedgirl107  Oh, it’s the CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser I always use as hand wash. That stuff’s awesome for dry hands, and now it comes in a refill pouch so I can stop buying so many new bottles. But I imagine their oil cleanser would also be nice as a hand wash. 

I can’t think of a balm that’s designed to be used on wet & dry skin, if you mean something you first apply to wet (instead of dry) skin. Even TIL instructs customers to use their cleansing balm on dry skin, then add water later to emulsify. I’ve used it on wet skin a few times though. If you’re looking for another balm that can be used that way—one that emulsifies when you add water—I imagine plenty of balms can do that. I’m not a product formulator or cosmetic chemist, so I can’t say for sure. 😅 But maybe next time you’re at a Sephora, try a few testers of cleansing balms on your hands at one of the skincare stations in-store (the stations with sinks) and see if any of them work the way you need them too.