Beauty Product Battles, Throw Downs and Showdowns

[itsfi]

Ready to pit some beauty products against each other? Can't decide which of your mascaras, lipsticks, hair masks, eye creams, vanilla scents, etc. reign supreme? I don't know about you but I love hearing about how products compare with one another, and which products come out on top when going head-to-head in a dual.  Share your beauty battles here and let's see which of our product(s) come out on top! 

If you have two or more similar products you're testing out or have been wanting to compare against the other to see which performs better for you, put them to the test. So that we can all join in on the fun and learn from your experiment, let us know what product(s) you'll have face off against each other and who comes out victorious, and any other details you'd like to share. 

[itsfi]

Lip liners are some of the items I've included for theShop Your Stash Challenge: Summer 2025. I've been going through my lip liners, to get more use of them and also to see which one(s) I might part ways with in an effort to pare down my collection to something a little more manageable and practical. I've tried a number of approaches throughout the summer to determine which liners stay and which go. One approach has been to compare like hued liners to determine if which one(s) stand out from the others. 

Here we have a set of six (6) pinky-nude and peachy-beige liners that are somewhat similarly shaded. To keep things as equitable as possible from a testing perspective, I paired each liner with (1) the Sarah Creal The Adults are Talking Solid Serum Lip Repair Balm Clarity (which I was trying out for the first time with this lip liner throwdown and which I have zero recollection of purchasing and yet, there it was in my stash) and (2) the Rhode lip peptide (watermelon)(not pictured & unable to tag anyways).

Final Tally: Three (3) lip liners will stay in my stash, 2 of which are keepers and 1 being set aside for a later lip liner battle. Three (3) others have been sharpened, sanitized and sent with other items to a few not-for-profits and local women's shelters.

Yay:

• Dior Rouge Dior Contour Lip Liner - 100 Nude Look - one of the few peachy-nude liners I like. It has good lasting and staying power, too.
• TOM FORD Long Wear Lip Liner Re-See - I was convinced this would be leaving my collection, but a recent purchase of a pair of Tom Ford lipsticks is making me reconsider keeping it around - and, it really is longwearing which is a plus. 

Nay:

Each of these liners swatch beautifully but each suffers from wearing too pink and chalky on my lips.

• Freck Beauty MAKEOUT CLUB Nude Muse Lip Liner Shade 02 
• Sweed x Lydia Millen Lip Liner - Rose Petal
• Tower 28 Beauty OneLiner Lip Liner + Eyeliner + Cheek Pencil Fill Me In 

Lives to Play Another Day:

• Pat McGrath Labs Permagel Ultra Lip Pencil - Divine Rose (discontinued?) - this is the outlier of the bunch, shade-wise. It probably should be grouped with my other mid-tone rose liners, so I'll return it to my bag of lip liners for a subsequent showdown. 

[Mel231]

K18 Biomimetic Hairscience Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask 1.7 oz/ 50 mL vs Living Proof Triple Bond Complex Leave-in Hair Treatment 1.5 oz / 45 mL 

These use two different technologies, but the results were indistinguishable. The major differences are that the K18 mask is applied in place of a conditioner/mask, whereas the Living Proof product can be used after conditioner/mask.  The Living Proof instructions say that blowdrying increases efficacy, but I got good results even when airdrying.  

shu uemura Ashita Supreme Purifying Sea Salt Scalp Scrub 11.4 oz/ 325 g Vs Christoph Robin salt scrub.

The Christoph Robin product is the OG salt scrub, but it is no longer available at Sephora. Very similar results. The Christophe Robin product has larger, less uniform salt crystals.

Bottom line:  I had no real preference with either comparison. In the future, I will probably purchase whichever product is the better deal.

[itsfi]

It's been a while since I've checked in with a throwdown, but we're back with a battle of the in-shower shine hair treatments - three in particular, which I've been rotating through for the past 6+ months. 

About My Hair:

* Fine, thin strands (but a good amount of them so my hair looks thicker than it actually is)

* Color treated

* Uses heat / thermal tools 0 - 3x / week

Comparison & Results

Criteria	Kérastase Chroma Absolu High Shine Gloss Treatment for Color-Treated Hair 7.1 oz/ 210 mL  *	Living Proof Perfect hair Day (PhD) High-Shine Gloss Hair Treatment  **	Moroccanoil High Shine Gloss Mask	Winner
Consistency:	Thin liquid	Thick cream	Between a lotion and a cream	Kérastase  (the thinner liquid is better suited for my fine hair)
Wear Time:	1-2 minutes	5 minutes	5-7 minutes	Kérastase
How to Use:	Between shampoo & conditioner (or mask) steps On mid-length to ends	After shampoo & conditioner On roots to ends	Apply generous amount and run product through (presumably root to ends) with wide tooth comb  Between shampoo & conditioner (or mask)steps	Kérastase  - I have fine hair, flat at the crown, and an oilier scalp. I prefer not to put too much product at the roots unless I have to; or, if I do, that it's a lighter formulation (even if directions call to rinse out the product).
Performance:	Hydrating, softening, smoothing & glossy - high shine - revives / retains vibrancy of my highlights	Soft, smooth & shiny hair	Keeps color bright, hair shiny. My hair felt slightly drier compared to the other two products.	TIE - Kérastase  & Living Proof
Notable Ingredients:	Centella Asiatica;  Amino Acid, Lactic Acid, and Tartaric Acid	Silicone-free; Ceramide-Like Emollient	Argan oil; Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil; Panthenol; Amino acid blend	Kerastase
Scent:	Herbaceous (moderate strength)	Clean, fresh, slightly citrusy (light)	Signature Moroccanoil scent (moderate strength though lighter than their oil) - a mix of citrus, vanilla, amber and florals	Living Proof  I don't mind the scent on the Kérastase, but it's an acquired taste. The Moroccanoil, while lighter than the hair oil, can be too heavy for me at times.
Packaging:	Bottle with nozzle & markers for dosage	Tube (for full size & mini)	Tube (for both full size & mini); these packets are harder to find which is too bad because they're great for travel.	Kérastase, but would love to see a travel-friendly version as well.
Price / Ounce: (based on full size)	$8.73	$5.67	$4.48	Moroccanoil
Travel Size Available?:	None at the moment	Travel size available	Travel size available	TIE - Living Proof & Moroccanoil
Other:	Good for color treated, color- damaged hair	Claims to last through 3 washes. No info as to whether it's color-safe	Color-safe; prevents against color-fading	TIE - Kérastase  & Moroccanoil

Final Tally 

Kérastase - 6

Living Proof - 2 

Moroccanoil - 2

My Thoughts

All three of these products do as they claim and are good products. You can't go wrong with any of them, but overall, I do like the Kérastase more - the thin liquid formulation suits my hair and I like that the dosage is marked out for me. I can make the other products work for me (and have) but the Kérastase is just easier to use. It's also quicker which factored heavily in it being my favorite of the three. 

* Kérastase received as gratis (thank you, @TeamBIC!)

** Living Proof received from brand at Sephoria 2024 Atlanta, GA

[missjeanie]

@itsfi Well I just discovered I'm meant to condition/mask after the Kerastase.... I've been using in place of on my mid-lengths to ends!

[itsfi]

@missjeanie, I treat it as a shine treatment. Consistency-wise it works for me to use a conditioner or mask afterwards. If that’s something you try, let me know your thoughts. I know you like the Living Proof product a lot; can see how the formulation on that one would be something your gloriously thick hair would love. 

[missjeanie]

@itsfi I'm going to have to try this out.  I usually use all of them in place of a mask/conditioner.  I believe I also have a little Redken one to test out yet as well.  

[itsfi]

@missjeanie, the instructions say to use it after shampoo; it doesn’t say in lieu of conditioner. The consistency is too thin to act as a conditioner for my hair so I follow it up with a conditioner or mask, or a leave in conditioner. I checked with my hair stylist as well and he gave me his 👍🏼. 

[missjeanie]

@itsfi I may end up copying your throwdown with my own version this winter.  I do have a few different products like this to test out over the winter and I have a feeling I'll have more time to start and actually pay attention in November.

[Titian06]

@missjeanie - The instructions say to use it in place of conditioner.  That's what I do.  When I was reading the Q&A on the product page, I saw people saying they use conditioner/mask after.  I guess it's a preference like anything else. 😄

[missjeanie]

@Titian06 Okay so I wasn't crazy using it like that lol!  I have a tendency to not always read the instructions in full.... I'm going to have to try it out both ways now.

[Titian06]

@missjeanie - I'd love to know what you think if you try it with a conditioner.  I used the Chroma this weekend, but I forgot about this conversation.  I'll try using conditioner next time.

[itsfi]

It's been a while but we're pitting some blemish busters this go round.

Battle: Day Dots	Peace Out	The Inkey List	The winner is ...
Quantity	20 dots	22 dots total	Depends on your preference for dot size(s)
Size	One size	Two Sizes	Depends on your preference for dot size(s)
Thickness	Thin	Thin - one of the thinnest dots I've ever used.	The Inkey List
Ingredients	Encapsulated salicylic acid, retinol & aloe	99% Hydrocolloid, 0.4% salicylic acid, 0.4% succinic acid, 0.2% ectoin	Depends. My skin doesn't typically tolerate retinol well and I was surprised it didn't react negatively to the Peace Out Day Dots (containing retinol). For that reason, I'm going with the Peace Out Day Dots for this category (though I appreciate having the percentages disclosed on The Inkey List.
Price (regular price)	$20	$9	The Inkey List
Performance	Adheres well; melts into skin, the gunk gets pulled out, little to no scarring	Adheres well; melts into skin, the gunk gets pulled out, little to no scarring	Tie
Results	Not easily detectable; bump goes flat more quickly; pulls out the gunk; little to know scarring; healing seems to occur more quickly	Not easily detectable; bump goes flat more quickly; pulls out the gunk; little to know scarring; healing seems to occur more quickly	Tie
Tips & Tricks	I like to use tweezers to remove the dots.	I like to use tweezers to remove the dots.	N/A
Other		Reminds me of CosRx Master Patch Intensive Hydrocolloid Patches (now, the white packet with yellow square, with ovals instead of dots; previously the white packet with black square on the packaging and dot shaped)	The Inkey List

And the winner is ... 

Spoiler

The INKEY List Hydrocolloid Invisible Patches 22 patches / pack which came as a complete surprise as the Peace Out acne dots have been ride-or-die products for me for several years.

The INKEY List Hydrocolloid Invisible Patches 22 patches / pack 

Peace Out Salicylic Acid Acne Day Dots 

[Shosh85]

@itsfi  Thanks for sharing this, this is definitely good to know! I've tried the Peace Out ones but not the Inkey List. It's nice to know the Inkey List is just as effective, but less than half the price! 🙌👌

[itsfi]

@Shosh85, I've gone through so many boxes of the Peace Out dots. They work beautifully but I would have preferred to not need them so often. 😞 I don't go through them that often these days 🙌 and I'm thankful for that. I was really surprised by how well The Inkey List patches work - they blend into my skin really well. 

These CosRX ones are good, too. They are oval shaped - the previous versions were round. These have good staying power but they don't blend into the skin as well as The Inkey List (or the Peace Out Day dots), so I've been using these in the evenings. Got them as part of a gwp set.

[Shosh85]

@itsfi  I've tried the CosRx ones - I've gotten them a lot in Ulta GWPs 😉 I agree they work pretty well! I do think I remember liking the Peace Out ones a little better though. I'll definitely need to give Inkey List a try, especially for only $9 👌

[PDXXXX]

I decided to do a battle of my peach/coral blushes in an attempt to see if I should purge any of them. The result was a tie-breaker - they're all good for different reasons. So I'll show the swatch and products and then share my experiences with them in the spoiler:

These are 1. MAKEUP BY MARIO Soft Pop Plumping Cream Blush Veil Just Peachy , 2. Iconic London Blurring Blush Cream to Powder Lip and Cheek Stick Daiquiri , 3. Hourglass Unreal Liquid Blush Scene and 4. Gucci Luminous Matte Beauty Blush 04 Bright Coral 

Spoiler

My Thoughts: 

The MAKEUP BY MARIO creme blush is new for me and runs the most orange. In terms of concentration, it's pretty on par with the Iconic London. I think a lot comes down to packaging preferences. I do prefer a stick like the Iconic London. But, having worn that all summer I have noticed the packaging isn't the best and it starts to get messy.

I was initially in love and still really like the Hourglass Liquid Blush but I feel mixed about the packaging and consistency. I have two shades of this and love Scene and wore it all Summer. However, it does separate, and if you don't shake it a lot it will shoot clear oil onto your hands. With that said, the finish is gorgeous, it blends well and can be applied for a sheer or more concentrated look.

The Gucci Powder Blush is amazing. This is one of the most concentrated powder blushes I have used. No complaints, great color, and works well over cream or liquid products if you want to shift color or go too light on a cream or liquid formula. And, it certainly doesn't hurt that while it took me two days to figure out how to open it the packaging is gorgeous.

Overall, all are good products and shades with some compromises on the packaging. If I had to pick a favorite it would be the Gucci. If you have any favs in the same color family let me know: I'm curious what else is out there.

[itsfi]

Peachy/ coral shades look so good on you @PDXXXX! Love the swatches. That Gucci is beautiful - the shade is very pretty and oh, that packaging. It's gorgeous but yes, opening it can take some guesswork - and I'm always nervous I'm going to stab the actual product with my fingernail after I open it - there's been some near misses already. lol.

[PDXXXX]

@itsfi I couldn't figure out the packaging at first and thought it was broken 😂 So glad I figured it out. Like you said the packaging really is gorgeous and it's always such a nice surprise when the product inside is on par with what you see on the outside!

[itsfi]

Okay, the last round of the battle of the red lipsticks, part 1.

Product Breakdown:

Spoiler

💄  Armani Beauty Lip Power Long Lasting Lipstick 400 Four Hundred glides on smoothly and feels comfortable on the lips. It wears bolder, brighter, and deeper than it shows up in the photo. This is a powerful red - a red for grown-ups. When it comes to reds, I'm still in training wheels. 🤣 And will be for some time. It's an absolutely gorgeous red, and someone should have it. I'll pass it on to someone else. 👋

NOTE: these Lip Power lipsticks, including this one is currently on sale. I really like the formula and finish of the line and the other two shades in this blister packet are lovely as well. Don't be too surprised if you see the other two shades in the Love At First Sample!!! 🥰 thread at some point. And by "some point" I mean, probably next week if it's smooth sailing with processing my order. 

💋  Orange-based reds have never been great on me until I met Charlotte Tilbury Blossom Red (Lunar New Year 2023) (limited edition). At this point, the rustic-orange-leaning red Blossom Red is my go-to as far as orange-reds are concerned. It stays. 👍

💄  Round 1 saw DIOR Rouge Dior Forever Transfer-Proof Lipstick 720 - Forever Icone  in the undecided camp. It doesn't glide on as easily or cleanly as some of the other reds here. The color is also somewhat similar enough to the CT that I don't need both, even though in the pic it photographs much deeper and less warm or orange. This one will be re-homed.👋

💋  For some reason, Florasis M7319 Burgundy Berries is looking less burgundy in the arm swatches than it does on my lips. I went into this battle expecting to go back-and-forth over this one, with the argument for keeping it resting solely on the packaging and the exquisite detailing of the bullet. Because look at this beauty!! Imagine my surprise when I was completely taken by how smooth it applied, how well it wore, and how beautiful a burgundy it showed up on my lips. This one is a keeper. 👍

💄  The swatch of GXVE BY GWEN STEFANI Original Me Clean High-Performance Matte Lipstick Original Recipe  gives off that slightly fuschia hue that more often than not has been how many a red lipstick has worn on me. The fuschia tone, however, is just in the arm swatch - the lipstick shows up as a true, neutral red on me. While the matte formula of the GXVE lipsticks is not my favorite when it comes to the reds in the GXVE brand, I like this one enough to keep it in my stash for now. Not gonna lie, the curiosity with what's going on with GXVE is also making me keep this one for the time being.👍

Photo from a couple of years ago

💋  Hourglass Unlocked™ Soft Matte Lipstick Red 0 survived the first round and it holds strong this round as well. She's staying in the stash.👍

 

💄  MAC 916 Devoted to Chili also stays. If I were to wear a red everyday, this would be a strong contender for that red. 👍

💋  If the Pat McGrath Labs MatteTrance Rouge 8 wore on my lips the way it swatches, I would be inclined to keep it. Unfortunately, it pulls warm on my lips, warmer than I like. I feel like I would prefer PML Elson compared to Rouge 8, so this one's out (and I've made a note to look for Elson for a future red lippie throw down). 👍

3 out of 8. I'm passing on 3 out of 8 from this batch of reds. 

Battle of the Red Lips, Part I - Final Tally and Thoughts:

Spoiler

We started out with 14 red lipsticks (not counting lip liners). My goal was to declutter 4; I passed on a total 5. Yaaay!

💋  The 9 keepers from this first battle of the reds (there will be another one, just not for a bit) are:

• Armani 524 - I like this one but it probably doesn't belong in the reds color family so it won't be part of future battles of the reds.
• Chanel lip balm - Of the nine here, this would probably be my first to go. With a light hand, the sheer wash of color can work well for me, but this has a tendency to lean fuchsia, which while a lovely shade, isn't one that I'm comfortable with on my lips. 
• Charlotte Tilbury Blossom Red ❤️
• Fenty Hot Cherry - the shade and gloss formula are wonderful, the plumping effect is nice, and the stinging isn't so bad on this one. If were going on just the color and gloss, it's a definite keeper. I do think there are probably other plumping formulas out there in a pretty red hue like this one. It survives this throwdown but I can see this getting bumped off by a similarly plumping, less stingy formula.
• Florasis M7319 Burgundy Berries ❤️
• GXVE Liquid Lipstick Original Me ❤️
• GXVE Matte Original Me - this isn't my favorite formula from the GXVE line
• Hourglass Unlocked Satin Red 0 ❤️
• MAC 916 Devoted to Chili ❤️

💄With the reds being decluttered from this third round and Armani 524 out, that leaves 8 reds still standing - 

• The 5 reds marked with hearts (GXVE liquid lipstick, Charlotte Tilbury, Hourglass, MAC and Florasis) will have a reprieve (a buy, if you will) from further throwdowns unless and until there's a lip product in or that makes its way into my collection that is comparable in shade and finish, in which case, I may do a head-to-head battle with those two lipsticks. These 5 are different enough from one another that I'd be happy to keep them - and yes, wear them. 

• The other 3 (Chanel, Fenty and GXVE) will go back into the throw down pool, waiting their turn in a future battle.

@ather @CynthieLu @PrettyPaint 

[PrettyPaint]

Thank you for the tag @itsfi

-You cracked me up with "a red for grown-ups." I really do think the Armani looks great on you, but I completely understand if you feel like it's a bit too bold. 

-The CT blossom red is lovely on you, and I think my very favorite might be the Florasis Burgundy Berries. I've never purchased anything from them before, but that's a lovely shade!