february misses

Hey guys!

Along with my monthly favourites posts, I also want to share with you the products that didn't really meet my standards for that month. Usually, there isn't a whole lot, as I am someone who likes to research a product thoroughly before actually committing to buy it. I do this because, honestly, the Australian mark-up price makes it so difficult to actually tell which products are worth buying compared to the US. I don't want to waste my money on something I'm not going to love.

For this month, there were three products that didn't really win me over. One, I have had for a while but didn't want to talk about it until it was released in Australia (which it was this week). Hopefully, you guys will find this helpful and will be able to determine which products you may want to steer clear of.

1. L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Magic Blur Finishing Cream

This is one of the most disappointing products for me. I watched reviews and read posts all proclaiming this product to be so fantastic as a primer, and I was itching for it to come to Australia. When it finally did, I jumped at the chance to finally have it in my hot little hands and brought it on sale for $17.40AU. Normally this retails for around $30AU depending where you buy it at.

When reading reviews, I thought this was supposed to be a transparent gel, serum type of product. Well, can I just say, Australia got the short end of the stick in our version of this. I don't know why this is called a 'finishing cream', because it is not a cream whatsoever. This is a mousse like texture, that spreads all across my face and sort of just sits there. It does not sink into my skin, which made it a little difficult to blend my foundation on top of it. It does sort of diminish the look of my pores, but not $30AU worth.

When using it, I was struck by how similar this was to another product that is on the market - the Garnier Perfect Blur (I have reviewed it here) which retails for $16.99AU. After comparing the two, I would have to recommend the Perfect Blur over the Miracle Blur. Not only is it more afforable, it is much easier to blend out, and it's softer and silkier. It's such a shame, I was desperately looking forward to this.

What the L'Oreal Miracle Blur product looks like.

2. e.l.f. Makeup Mist & Set Spray

As cheap as this was (I believe I paid about $3AU for it), this stuff is feral. First off, it stinks. Literally. The smell is just so bad, that I cannot stand to put this on my face, nor anywhere else on my body. Secondly, this doesn't really set my makeup. It does deliver a nice cooling, refreshing sensation, but that's really about it. Unlike my NYX Dewy Mist Finishing Spray or my e.l.f. Mineral Mist Spray, it doesn't help to really sink my makeup into my skin to make it look more natural and flawless. As cheap as this was, I would rather spend a little more on the other finishing sprays than buy this again.

3. L'Oreal Nude Liquid Powder Bare Skin Perfecting Makeup (or Eau de Teint in Australia)

I brought this product about mid-way through last year. As I said in my introduction, I didn't want to mention it until it was released in Australia, which it finally was this week (seriously, can we speed up product releases please!). I am not a fan of this. It is a very thin, watery formula, that dries to a powder finish on your skin.

First off, I find it hard to work with. It does recommend to use your fingers, but I find that is the only way I can apply this. I have tried a brush and a beauty blender to test, with nada results. Secondly, it has very little coverage. I have said before that I prefer medium to full coverage foundations, as I have redness that I like to cover up. I thought I would like this for days that I didn't really want to wear anything on my face but still have my skin looking a little more flawless, but it really provides no coverage for me at all. And finally, it dries to a very matte, powder finish. I do prefer dewy, more luminous finishes, but this is literally a powder. It emphasises my pores (which really aren't that noticeable normally) and also shows up dry patches I didn't even know I had. I won't be purchasing the Australian version because of this, but I would recommend trying this out if you have oily skin! I can see this may be a hit with you.

 Consistency of the foundation. You can see its very thin and watery, which is why it is running on my hand.

The coverage it provides..

So there you have it! The products that didn't really hit the mark with me for last month.

Did you enjoy any of these products? Are there any other products that didn't meet your expectations?

Until next time...

xxxx