Beauty Shoppers Remorse Blues

We have all been there! New products are released, the buzz spreads through the blogosphere and somewhere in between, you end up being convinced that you need the object of all that attention because somehow you just know that it will be perfect for you. Don't ask me how that makes sense - someone with no impulse control like me can justify just about anything at that point. 

However every once in a while I am knocked back into reality and realize that my coveted, must-have product is actually an "epic fail" for me and is now most likely going to be designated to a solitary drawer to live out its sentence. 

Please keep in mind that theseproducts didn't   work for me but probably preform amazingly for someone else. After all it's because everyone seemed to love it that I ended up getting it in the first place. In fact i know some of these are holy grails for a lot of you but unfortunatelythat doesn't   change the fact that for me for whatever reason these ended up being beauty duds. 

Some of these simply didn't work on me, some caused beauty harm, while others just left me confused and thinking I might have understood something completely different in the item description in the fist place. 

Enter Beauty Shoppers Remorse Blues! 

                                                                            Revlon Lip Butters

These lip butters were all the rage last year and it seemed like people were tripping over themselves to buy the entire collection with bonus limited edition shades.

I got four of what I thought were suitable, flattering shades for my skin tone and looked forward to subtle tints plus moisture. What I got was nice colour but texture and gritty feeling on the lips were a complete turn off and something I just couldn't get past. The L'Oreal Riche Balms were a much better choice for me (review here)

                                                      Proactiv Skincare 

This particular set confused me completely and might be single-handedly responsible  for my anti-infomercial bias. 

Proactiv worked for me for about 2 months and then somehow all hell broke loose, with my chin being a heavy casualty. 

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush 

I wanted to love these so much! They are simply adorable and remind me of childhood silly putty which was probably one of the reasons why the blush didn't work. I was even very creative and persistent in my attempts to figure it out but regardless of the application method the Bouncy Blush just wouldn't blend in and what's even worse, it caked and ruined whatever I had underneath.

Too bad, so sad Maybelline!

                                                                          
 Maybelline Great Lash Mascara (pink tube) 

This mascara has been the "it" makeup item for years among beauty bloggers, gurus and makeup artists. On me this smudged extremely badly and the "wet" formulation never dried, making my eyes droopy and heavy. 

I don't get the appeal unless of course I received a defective tube and everyone else used the "real thing" 

Kiehl's Abyssine Face Cream

A while back when Kiehl's first launched this cream, it was said to be the ultimate anti-aging weapon with superior moisturizing properties. 

It broke me out badly, after just 2-3 days of use. Talk about disappointment! 

                                                       Organixs Coconut Milk Conditionder 

This has got to be the worst conditioner I have ever come across! In fact it seems to do the opposite of what it promises because my hair is always drier after conditioning it with this "conditioner". It's a double disappointment since i really loved the scent of coconuts in the formulation but that doesn't make up for such low performance

These are only some of the products that caused my Beauty Shoppers Remorse and since its highly unlikely that i will stop indulging my beauty palate,  more products will be added very soon. 

What are some of your beauty regrets? What do you think of my choices? 

Thank you for reading 

XOXO 

ANJA

P.S. If you enjoyed this post and want some more Princeza Beauty Musings, please consider following me through GFC, Bloglovin, Pinterest or Twitter! Insert "happy dance" here :-) 

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate

It wasn't so long ago that the thought of putting oil on my face brought visions of grease balls, pimples and other unpleasantries. Even though my skin is essentially combination-dry I believed that hydration should come solely from a conventional moisturizers and/or hydrating serums. That being said I have loved body and bath oils for years but never even considered such a product to my facial beauty routine. 

Fast forward to the present and I am now a proud owner of multiple facial oils that have benefited my skin so much that i couldn't really imagine a regiment without one. 

One of my favorite facial oils comes from a tried and true North American brand - Kiehl's. This is a true apothecary old-fashioned New York brand that has consistently been on the top of its game when it comes to combining natural ingredients with the latest scientific innovations, thereby coming up with products that deliver what they promise (for the most part!).  

The Midnight Recovery Concentrate is oil-based elixir that is to transform and deliver skin health virtually over-night! The ingredients included in the formulation: squalane, evening primrose oil, lavender oil and omega-6 fatty acids are all supposed to aid hydration, renew skin surface and repair the damage caused by everyday environmental factors. 

Those are some mighty big promises for a few drops of oil! So does it deliver? 

I have used the Midnight Concentrate sporadically for the past 4 months and I have to say that I definitively notice some encouraging results each time i use it. My skin never feels or looks greasy the next day and my entire complexion looks significantly more radiant. I have also noticed that my skin tone and texture always improve the next morning, giving me that "plumped up" soft appearance. It may be my wish-full thinking but I can almost say that i look more rested and fresh in the morning. Pretty impressive for just a couple of drops, I say! 

The texture of the elixir itself is very light but that means that it spreads very easily and absorbs almost instantly. Some nights it almost reminds me of the consistency of a dry oil, which I love. Kiehl's classifies this as fragrance-free but I have to disagree, however the scent is very light and it gives it kind of an aromatherapy feel of pampering. I can mix it with my moisturizer or just use it as that extra treatment step after cleansing & toning but regardless of method the results are the same. My skin glows!

The price tag may seem high at first ($48 for 30 ml here) but if you consider that each use only requires a few droplets, this bottle will last a very long time. I for one consider this Kiehl's product to be one of my skin care investments 

Have you tried this before? What is your favorite oil?

XOXO 

ANJA

P.S. If you enjoyed this post and want some more Princeza Beauty Musings, please consider following me through GFC, Bloglovin, Pinterest or Twitter! Insert "happy dance" here :-)