Worthy of the Hype, Unworthy of the Hype & The Inbetweeners

Being on the blogosphere for a large percentage of my time means that I often purchase new products based on other peoples' positive opinions of them. The majority of the time, I tend to agree with peoples' raves regarding Revlon's newly released lipsticks or the latest Benefit bonanza, but occasionally I'll pick up a product and just feel rather 'meh' about it despite other peoples' praises. If you haven't already guessed it from the title (and this rather tedious introductory paragraph), today's post will be my personal opinions on products that were well worth the hype, not at all worthy and those that were just a bit damn caught in the middle. 

The Worthy Ones: 

Real Techniques Core Collection 

After hearing a rather excessive amount of praising regarding these brushes, I took the plunge and bought some of my own. And, of course, they were everything I had wished for and more. All the brushes look professional and are complete with hairs as sublimely smooth as you could imagine. And, at a price affordable for pretty much any budget (go to amazon, it's ten times cheaper!) these brushes are a firm favourite for most; in fact, some people argue that these are hands down better than the MAC versions, which, lets face it, is saying a pretty damn lot about the quality of these.

Kate Moss Lipstick for Rimmel
I purchased this after hearing Zoella rave about them over on her YouTube channel. These have a gorgeous matte finish and come in a stunning array of shades to suit everyone's pouty preferences. The formula is velvety smooth, gliding onto your lips with no fuss and nonsense and at a measly price of just £5.49, these are as purse-amiable as could be.

Natural Collection Blusher

Yet another beauty blogger's recommendation, these blushers are without a doubt some of my favourite. Whilst the colour choice is somewhat limited (especially in smaller Boots stores), the colour payoff and pigmentation certainly make up for it. And, once again, at just £1.99 a piece, you really can't go wrong.

Soap & Glory Supercat Eyeliner

I absolutely adore Soap & Glory products; always have, always will. They're always so perfectly presented in their pretty pink packaging, but what's inside the box is really what blows you away. I bought this on a whim on a shopping trip a few months ago- purely because I'm an winged liner failure and needed an alternative eyeliner to attempt at a cat-eye with- and boy was I glad I did. The felt-tip nib glides easily across the lid, creating a precise and pristine line which can be kept thin or thickened up for a statement look.

Revlon Colorburst Lipstick

I'm a bit of a lipstick fiend to say the least, so always jump at the chance to purchase another. (sad, I know) This was another product that I bought on a whim but have remained over the moon that I did. The formula of these is second to none: sublimely smooth and ultra long-lasting. Not to mention the powerful pigmentation and diverse range of colour choices. Basically, if you haven't already, go purchase yourself one of these.
  

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation

This has been my staple foundation for several years now and it's pretty understandable as to why. A shade to suit pretty much anyone, a light/medium coverage to create natural-looking perfection, and a matte finish to keep oily skin at bay. 

The Inbetweeners: 

Elf Moisturising Lipsticks

I must say that when I read the 'moisturising' bit of this product name, I imagined something a lot more nourishing than they actually are. Although the shades are rather pretty, and the colour payoff good enough, these lipsticks just don't live up to their name. They're not moisturising in the slightest and, if anything, actually dehydrate your lips. It's pretty safe to say that the likelihood of me repurchasing these is pretty narrow. 

Clinique High Impact Mascara 
I received this as a sample in Glamour magazine a few months ago now but am yet to decide whether it fulfilled my expectations. The formula is an ultra-pigmented jet black but is somewhat watery, making its drying period excruciatingly long. However, once you've gotten past impatiently waiting for it to fully dry, the end result is pretty good: fanned out lashes which appear elongated and voluptuous. 

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer
Maybe it's because I bought this in the wrong shade, but I really just don't understand the fuss about this. Yes, the formula blends pretty easily, and yes, it has a pretty good anti-fatigue effect, but that just doesn't make up for the lack of shades. The shade I bought is supposedly second to lightest, yet it has unflattering orange undertones and makes my undereyes look darker than they did before. I also found that it began to crease after a few hours wear, highlighting the fine lines under my eyes which, let's face it, no one wants.

Revlon Ultimate Suede Lipstick 
Despite the fact that I use this lipstick on a daily basis, I still can't get my head around whether it's quite worth the price tag. Although the formula feels velvety and the pigmentation is second to none, I can't deny the fact that this lipstick really does highlight cracked lips. However, this can easily be solved by applying a good smothering of lip balm before application to keep lips nourished throughout the day.

Elf Tinted Moisturiser 

Again, this is probably the case of purchasing the wrong shade but for me, this product just wasn't up to scratch. I figured that if I bought the lightest shade in the range then it would be likely to match my skin tone, but boy was I wrong. After applying this to my face for the first time, it appeared orange and unnatural despite having a very light coverage. The product is, however, infused with nourishments such as aloe and cucumber which work to produce a more radiant complexion. It's just a shame about the colour range.

The Unworthy Ones: 

Collection Longer Lash Mascara 

Two or three years ago (if I remember correctly), this mascara was all the rage. But it was nothing to rave about on my part. This mascara is at all lengthening, it rubs off easy as pie and creates nothing but a slightly blacker tint to your lashes. But sure, if you simply desire just a darker pigmentation, then this mascara is undoubtedly the one for you.

Collection Fast Stroke Eyeliner ("Waterproof")

I'm just going to get on and say this straight out: I hate this product. The claim to be 'waterproof' is false; I personally found that this had almost vanished from visibility after a few hours and was easily wiped off with a bit of water and a good scrub. Then, to make matters worse, the product was completely dried up and incapable of usage after a mere few months.

Elf Mineral Lipsticks 

These lipsticks were another let-down from Elf. Luckily I only payed £2.50 for each of these (it was a half price day), but had I purchased them at their full amount, I'd have been pretty naffed off to say the least. The colours are likeable enough, but the pigmentation is pretty poor. However, the one thing that I just can't get over is the smell; these products have a plasticky scent which just makes them seem tacky and cheap. Sorry Elf, but it's a big no from me. 

Collection Extreme Felt Tip Liner 

This is a bit of a 'meh' product. Although the felt-tip nib makes ease of application and precision second to none, the lasting power just really isn't up to scratch. In fact, I found that within an hour or so, the product had smudged both above and below my eyes, which just isn't practical. 

Barry M Glitter Stick 

I suppose this isn't the most raved about product out there, but I had seen a few good reviews about this. However, once I owned one for myself, I just wasn't impressed at all. The nib is scratchy and pulls on your skin, and the glitter payoff is pretty poor; only a few bits of shimmer are actually released from the pencil. It's safe to say that this won't be returning to my makeup bag anytime soon. 

Thank you for reading today's post, I hope you enjoyed my rants and raves (mainly rants...oops!) Which products would you class as worthy of the hype?

Lucy x