Hmm… Ya know, I never quite understood the whole Maybelline Great Lash Mascara thing. I read somewhere that a tube of it is sold worldwide every 1.2 seconds!
I mean, that’s some crazy devotion right there. I’ve tried it a few times over the past 20 years or so and, well, I just don’t get it.
It smudges on me and doesn’t lengthen anywhere near as much as I’d like.
Certainly has a cute tube, though! 🙂
All products are hyped to a degree, but are there any makeup or beauty products you feel are overhyped?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. I’m baaaack! Back in the Bay, babe. We got in last night around 11. I’m not quite awake yet, but I feel pretty good, jet-lag notwithstanding. Tabs has been lavishing me with welcoming lurvies, which I’m lapping up greedily.
Ah, you’re too young to have experienced the Great Lash phenomenon as it started. Back in the day, there were not thousands of mascaras available, nor hundreds of cosmetic lines. There were merely a few, and Maybelline was, as it is today, an enormous drugstore brand (sharing space with Cover Girl, Revlon (which had recently moved out of department stores) and Max Factor).
Mascara evolved from “lash beading” popular nearly until the mid-20th century into a waxy product applied with a brush, and finally a tube mascara. But there were no options other than just the application of color and a bit of definition.
Maybelline changed all of that with Great Lash. Great Lash mimicked false eyelashes, which were in the Sixties being worn in an exaggerated fashion (Twiggy, Jean Shrimpton–the whole “Swinging London” look).
For that era, Great Lash was a more than acceptable product. All mascaras flaked and ran. Everyone suffered a raccoon eye. But then mascara technology advanced and Great Lash was eclipsed. It still holds onto much of its former glamour, for whatever reason, probably because of its legend.
Suzanne, you beat me to it. 🙂 I was going to say the same thing.
This is a great explanation.
Oh wow, thank you for the explanation. I knew Great Lash was an older formula but had no frame of reference otherwise.
That said, aside from tubing mascaras, I have yet to find a mascara that doesn’t smudge or flake on me despite claims. In that sense, they’re all over-hyped.
Actually, come to think of it, it’s not easy to find a product that does what it claims.
Happy to hear that I’m not the only one who doesn’t understand the following of great lash mascara. I have tried it multiple times, even the curved brush, and have always found it to be clumpy.
One product I have found recently be over-hyped was Benefit’s They’re Real Mascara. There is even a new video out about it on Youtube. Found this mascara formula to be really thick and and a major pain to remove. It was like I had glue or tar stuck to my eyelashes 🙁
I was going to comment on the exact same thing (Benefit’s They’re Real)! While I don’t harbor any bad feelings towards it (in fact, I like it alright), I agree that it is majorly difficult to remove, for a non-waterproof mascara. It looks so pretty on, is a snap to apply, and the brush is great, but the glue-like texture is too much for me as well. If it’s not a waterproof formula, I like it to come off with cleanser and water! So, while I do not regret buying it, it gets less lash time than my other mascaras.
I definitely agree – I got a sample of They’re Real from Sephora, and I was not impressed. It didn’t really do much for my eyes, and it was a mess to remove.
This is actually one staple mascara in my stash, especially when traveling. It holds my curl, is super black, and the only mascara that stays put for me during extreme activities, including snorkeling. I also like how the tiny brush lets me paint individual lashes. 🙂
Overall, I think MAC in general is overhyped. *ducks the tomatoes thrown my way* They used to be a brand made for MUAs, but their quality has gone downhill since Estee Lauder took over. It’s now a LE collection every other day and subpar makeup.
Sad, but true
I agree about MAC. I also think NARS Orgasm blush is overhyped.
I think the YSL Touche eclait is mostly hype. I finally bought it, after seeing it in almost every magazine but I can’t tell it does much. I was not impressed. At $40 for one tenth of an ounce, I expected more from it.
I found this to be a little hyped-up, too! I used samples of it in various shades and liked it (especially the blendability) but thought the price tag was too ouch to buy it full-size. I’ve since tried various drugstore liquid highlighters/highlighting concealers (Maybelline’s Dream Lumi, L’Oreal Magic Lumi, etc) and have found them to be equally effective/lasting, perhaps slightly more difficult to blend- but for the price, I’ll make the extra minute of effort!
Urban decay potion primer – did nothing for my eyeshadow!
I completely agree with the Great Lash thing – I am now an Armani mascara devotee, even at the ridiculous cost. Also, DiorShow mascara. Bleh.
Chanel nail polishes have never been as fabulous (in my opinion) as the media makes them to be, Guerlain’s Meterorites, and Benefit’s Benetint. And I’m on the fence about NARS The Multiple…I’ve only seen it look fantastic on one person and she had porcelain white skin.
I think in general everything by Benefit is overhyped due to super popular YouTube gurus.
I agree with this; I’ve never tried a Benefit product I was blown away by.
Many products are overhyped. But I think it’s especially bad when a company is charging a lot of money for a product.
I also agree with MAC being overhyped, their eye shadows are not all good and very small for the price if you compare to MUFE or Inglot. Both of those companies also have more consistent eye shadows. Their foundation is mediocre at best, their blushes nothing to call home about and the mascaras are just plain horrible.
Lancôme is also very average except for the mascaras and the blushes.
Bobby brown gel liners are also inconsistent and very pricey. The mac are actually pretty much the same for cheaper. Their famous corrector is very drying and needs to be fixed with powder or it doesn’t stay. It’s not worth the price at all.
Cetaphil cleanser is garbage.
To me, it is Chanel Bronze Universelle, too orange for me. It might be my skintone though, I’m really pale.
I have not tried Great Lash yet, but the tube surely looks cute.
Volumizing shampoos are very overrated in my opinion. And pore minimizers.
I know I’m in the minority, but I’ve never had great experiences with Chanel. Packaging aside, their lipsticks wear off quickly for me, the two mascaras I tried clumped my lashes together and irritated my eyes, and foundation emphasized every bit of dryness. The only thing I’ve liked from them is nail polish.
I don’t know about being overhyped, but mascaras definitely are plagued with false advertising. I HATE that mascara ads have obvious fake eyelashes and photoshopping on their models. That’s one of my biggest pet peeves about the beauty industry.
Yes, that is SOOOOOOO true! Those ads make me steer away from the product ASAP!
NARS Orgasm was so overhyped. It’s pretty but there is so much shimmer! Everyone raved about it and now nobody uses it.
Urban Decay’s Naked palettes, all of them. I’m sure they’re great quality, but I just don’t get the hype.
I think NARS Laguna is overhyped. I don’t see what sets it apart from other bronzers besides the fact that it’s more expensive.
I think Nars Orgasm blush is way overhyped. In fact, it was so pink on me that I returned it. I also don’t get the hype of Dior Show mascara. It didn’t seem to do anything more than a basic Cover Girl mascara. I also agree that Cetaphil cleanser is AWFUL!
Great Lash does nothing for me! Glad it’s not just me. I can’t get into Bare Minerals/Bare Escentuals (are they the same??), even though they’ve brought their delivery system in line with 2013. I have yet to find a mineral powder foundation that does what it promises. I think every cosmetics brand has at least one product that doesn’t live up to the hype. I can’t stand the majority of Bobbi Brown’s lip colors. Brown lips do *not* look good on everybody!
Yes, Bare Escentuals owns Bare Minerals. I use BM and while I really do love their foundation, it definitely doesn’t do everything it says (NO powder foundation is hydrating!)
I agree about Great Lash and YSL Touche Eclat. Luckily, there are good highlighter/concealers that are much more affordable than YSL and Maybelline does make much better mascaras.
I NEVER got the whole “Maybelline Great Lash-Holy Grail of Mascara” thing either.
I think it is a terrible mascara. YSL and MAC and the New Chanel are much better and worth the $$.
Urban decay e/s – really pretty, but what’s up with the fallout?!
I feel like with beauty blogs nowadays EVERYTHING gets over hyped. However, the only two hyped up products that didn’t work for me were Nars Orgasm (made me look like I had severe rosacea and then fell into a pile of glitter) and the Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder. For the latter, I couldn’t tell much of a difference between that and my normal setting powder (Mac Blot powder) other than it was *slightly* less powdery of a finish. Definitely not worth the $45 I paid for it.
The two products that come to mind are Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple cleanser and Hope in a Jar moisturizer. The cleanser leaves a film on my face and also irritates my eyes, and the moisturizer just sits on the top of my skin and doesn’t absorb. They just don’t work for me, even though I’ve had great results with some of Philosophy’s other products.
Philosophy Purity Made Simple, to me, is only good for people with absolutely perfect skin. If you have any kind of blemishes or skin complaints…it doesn’t work.
I completely agree with you! I have stubborn, straight Asian lashes and I haven’t found any drugstore brands that lengthen, curl and thicken my lashes like higher end mascaras. I feel like the only people who can use Great Lash Mascara are those who were blessed with full beautiful lashes.
I never got Great Lash hype either and I too tried it a few times thinking maybe it was me. TF & UD primers. Neither worked for me, too drying and made my lids look all “crinkly”. 🙁
I’m not a big fan of Great Lash either. It doesn’t work for me and I’ve given it a go several times in my early make up years! =( My overhyped product would have to be UD eyeliners. I know, tons of people swear by their wear time but for me, no matter what I do to prep, it doesn’t last on my lids for more than 2 hours (forget about the waterline…hot mess!). Tarina Tarantino liners have been hands down budge proof for me.
Where I work we sell the Glam Glow masks and I can tell you they are way over hyped. Most the other masks cost less and have much better ingredients in them as well
So true
I agree with MAC being overhyped too. They launch too many collections and the quality suffers because of it. The products get smaller, the eyeshadows aren’t as pigmented as they used to be, the colours are mostly dupable… It’s so sad cos I really used to love MAC.
I never tried Great Lash mascara, my mom told me she tried it and it didn’t do much for her lashes so she just used it to cover a few strands of gray hair when she was in a hurry. I also agree with some of the MAC products being overhyped and I’ve had mixed results with Bobbi Brown gel liners although I love her Skin foundation and the foundation stick. Thanks Danielle for the info about the Glam Glow masks I’ve been wanting to try them because of all the hype, but I just can’t see myself paying that much for such a small amount. I found another mask at about half the price, 3 times the amount and it’s pretty good
I just don’t understand the obsession with Chanel No. 5. To be honest, I’m not a fan of perfume in general and never wear it. To me, not only does this perfume smell, but it’s not particularly memorable either.
Agreed. It smells like fingernail polish remover on me. Yuck.
Makeup forever hd powder! It always left me with white patches on my face when i take photos and it broke me out!
Btw, love the vintage ad! Back then when they used real lashes for a mascara ad!
MUFE’s HD powder just makes me look ashy. Why on earth is it WHITE?
I suspect the continuing popularity of Great Lash has more to do with the Parable of the Brisket than anything else.
A woman makes a brisket for a dinner party. Her friends all rave about it, but they ask, why did you cut off the end? That’s the best part. Well, she did it because that’s what her mother always did. So she calls her mom. Mom, why did you cut the end off the brisket? Turns out that’s what her mom’s mother, the first woman’s dear Bubbe (grandmother) always did. So the woman calls her Bubbe, who left the old country in a hurry in the late ’30s. “Bubbe, why did you always cut the end off the brisket?”
“Darlink,” Bubbe says in her lingering old country accent. “I only had ze one pan zat vas my mozzer’s. It vas not big enough to hold ze entire brisket.”
I think mineral makeup in general is overhyped and overrated, though I know I’m a special case. My skin is so sensitive that wearing the stuff HURTS, and it always settles in my pores. Also, those claims that it covers anything? Nooooooo. No. It might hide acne, freckles, and rosacea, but I swear it makes butterfly rash angrier. I went from big, ugly, swollen, purple wedges on my cheeks, to BIG, UGLY, SWOLLEN, PURPLE, PAINFUL, NEON, LAUGHING WEDGES HAVING RASH MARDI GRAS ON MY CHEEKS AND NOSE AND THREATENING TO MOVE TO MY FOREHEAD. This was with more that one brand, mind. I’m going to give it ONE more try with a sample of heavy-duty stuff (and some new medication), but I suspect it’s a lost cause.
I have sensitive skin, and rosacea in the winter.
i finally figured out that it was the bismuth oxychloride in some mineral makeup that made my skin flaming and itchy a few days after trying it. i kept trying different primers or moisturizers because i hoped that bare minerals had to be good and worth the hype! but any product that had bismuth oxychloride made me insanely itchy after a few days. The bare minerals matte formula does not have that in it, and it actually works well for a day look, and no itch! for a little extra coverage I like a BB cream, Dr Jart is amazing
I totally agree about Great lash being overhyped as I’ve tried it on and off over last fifteen years never finding it was special. Truthfully I don’t find it average for my sad short pale lashes. And I spent hundreds on Creme DeLaMer convinced that it would work miracles like I’d read. I religiously paid for new tubs and found it would cause break outs anytime I used it with my foundation at that time Bare minerals. I finally stopped the madness realizing it just wasn’t the miracle potion for me. So that’s my other over hyped product that I find to be totally opposite of what others find. Enjoying your blog still very much!
One person’s Holy Grail is another person’s garbage. That’s just how makeup works. My first thought was Nars Orgasm. However, it does in fact look good on some people, it’s just too light for me. The one product that is overhyped to me is DiorShow mascara. I don’t mean to brag, but I have long lashes. I get compliments all the time and I’m constantly asked if I’m wearing false lashes. Most mascaras look pretty good on me. After two coats of DiorShow, you could barely see my lashes. It was crazy. I’ve even tried Blackout, which also produced very little results.
YSL Touche Eclat!
Oh, and NARS Tinted Moisturizer. Not that it doesn’t work for many, many people but I highly recommend that if you’re interested in it, you try it first. Both my Mother and I bought one on blind faith based on beauty blogger posts, and all it ended up doing was looking super shiny and fake on the both of us, breaking us both out, feeling itchy and catching on Mum’s dry skin. Ouch!
YSL touché Éclat is one I could never understand. I love Mac Prep and prime highlighter in radiant rose. I figured I give YSL a chance. When you swatch them, they are identical in color, but MAC is way more pigmented, half the price, and more product. Just because something is hyped doesn’t make it better. Most brands do something well, and when I find a formula I like, I stick with it.
Benefit’s “They’re Real” Mascara was completely overhyped, in my opinion. I truly don’t understand why everyone swears by it. Firstly, it isn’t black on my lashes. It’s a weird greyish charcoal color. Secondly, the wand hurts my eyes during application and the formula stings my eyes for as long as I am wearing the mascara. Furthermore, the mascara never seems to truly dry on my lashes. It stays a little bit tacky the whole time, so if I blink too hard I end up with 5 spider lashes. Lastly, this is actually the worst mascara I’ve ever dealt with as far as being able to take it off. This mascara cements itself to my lashes and is nearly impossible to take it off, and then many eyelashes come off with it (no matter how careful I am!). I am so disappointed I wasted my $20 on this mascara. I could have gotten 3 decent mascaras from the drugstore for the same price.
By George, I’ve found the only other person in the world who feels the same way I did about They’re Real!! This was by far the hardest mascara I’ve ever tried to remove, including waterproof formulas! I also didn’t think it did anything all that and a bag of chips-worthy on my lashes.
Count me as three, because everything she said in that comment applies to my experience with They’re Real! too. Especially the greyish charcoal color and the 5 spider lashes.
I commented on a similar post to this farther up, but it merits commenting back a second just because I TOTALLY agree and am so relieved I am not the only one who was not completely enamored with it! For me, it wears just fine with no issues, until removal… which is just hellacious.
I agree. Horrible to take off and stings my eyes.
Yes! Hellacious is the perfect word for it! 🙂
Oh, I completely agree. How a mascara can stick to your lashes like cement but still smudge that badly is just like beyond me.
Creme de la Mer. Maybe there was something to it before Estée Lauder purchased and mass produced it. And any eye makeup remover seems over- priced and greasy. Cold cream works great for me without that filmy feeling. It is the one thing I won’t pay for though.
My vote for overhyped goes to Stila brand cosmetics. I want to like them. The colors appear cute and the packaging is nice, but ever time I try a product I feel it’s subpar. The eyeshadows have little pigment and lots of fall-out. The convertible colors for cheeks are OK but no better than a drug store brand. I just haven’t found a Stila product I’ve been wowed by.
The only thing by stila that I swear by is their black liquid eyeliner. the last one that I purchased has lasted for about a year and a half. on the flip side of that, I purchased a color liquid liner and it dried up with minimal usage. everything else that I’ve tried from them ends up being given away.
MAC products in general. I tend to avoid MAC, as I don’t think the average-quality is worth the price. Also, Hourglass mascara, I don’t know if the sample I was given was old or defective, but I HATED the formula, it was cumply and made a mess of my eyelashes. Also, MAC fluidlines, there are not a lot of colors available in my country, only the ‘standard ones’ (black, blue, brown), and one can find much cheaper eyeliners (like ‘essence’) that stay put longer than MAC’s and don’t dry out as easily.
I’ve never tried Great Lash because when it comes to makeup, in general, I believe you get what you pay for. Judging from previous posts however, I’m glad I never plopped down the 40 or 50 for the YSL touché éclat. I do still like MAC, they have great colors and their ad campaigns are pure fun.
Agree with Great Lash being overhyped. It was so wet and smudgy! @CML I have straight stubborn asian lashes too! I curl them and once I apply mascara they straighten within a minute! LOL the only one that works is Maybelline’s Falsies :).
I’m a Great Lash fan because for me it doesn’t smudge, separates my lashes nicely and isn’t a bear to remove at the end of the day. Makeup, beauty, and hair products are so personal though and depend on so many factors so everyone has a different experience. I was disappointed by the Jordana Easyliners (they claim all-day wear but parts of the line were completely GONE by 3 PM) but I couldn’t get too offended since they only cost $1.99 each. I’ve certainly been let down by luxury brands a time or two as well, so I don’t always think the adage about “you get what you pay for” is the gospel. Aussie 3 Minute Miracle performs better than salon conditioners and only costs $3 bucks!
Alas, I never write off a brand for a miss, but if I’ve tried several things and found them all to be disappointing, I usually close the books and don’t look back. Also, I LOVE the eyeshadow look from the Maybelline ad! And I love that those look like her real lashes instead of falsies! I echo everyone else whose said they’re tired of seeing false lashes in mascara ads! If the product is amazing, you shouldn’t need them!
Revlon Lip Butter! Totally overhyped. Doesn’t give intense color and doesn’t stay long on lips.
you should try the dior heated eyelash curler i have heard that it works great but takes HOURS too heat up if you think that that is worth $30 you should try it
Oh totally agree on Great Lash, but I remember way back in the dark ages it was one of the only mascaras I could buy. But I’d never use it now! Only Armani for these lashes! I’d say all the skincare and makeup that has sold it’s soul to QVC and other TV shopping stations are over hyped. I’ve watched those shows and GEEZ! talk about hucksterism! They talk like cleanser and lipstick can save your marriage, turn your monster kids into angels and cure all your aches and pains! It’s sick. But hey I get it….make your dough where you can! I’ve bought zillions of products (too many to even remember) that were over hyped…but I think our expectations are so high that no product can really do what it’s promising. There is so much bull in marketing that you just have to take it all with a grain of salt, do your research and return it if you hate it.
I love your mentality and completely agree! I never expect miracles, and when hype gets me excited, I don’t flip out if the product is a dud. When I do serendipitously find a miracle product, of course I get excited and am grateful it goes the extra mile for my look! But it takes a lot to impress me, so between great finds, I am happy with a product that does what it advertises, or at least doesn’t mess with my skin. Extraordinary makeup takes extraordinary research and lots of experimentation (not just from the company, but from us, the beauty lovers who are on the eternal hunt for the right lipstick, or foundation, or moisturizer!) I also find a lot of people expect miracles from makeup products when it’s really skincare they should be turning to, to solve a deeper issue. Many beautynistas are smart enough to do so, but if a reviewer on a beauty website throws a 1-star rant that a concealer did NOTHING for her blemishes (which is possible, sometimes you get a crappy product!) I can’t help but be dubious and wonder: did they prime first? Did they get the right shade? Are they using skincare products that combat acne, age spots, or whatever caused the blemish? Makeup doesn’t always work miracles- you have to do a lot of work first getting to know your skin, because chances are, many products are just not right for you from the get-go! Bottom line: I am kind of the anti-hype. I’ll try everything and let myself get excited about a product that gets lots of publicity or hype, but keep my expectations reasonably low so that the truly great products can shine through in the end.
UD 24/7 eyeliners don’t work on me. they migrate all over my eye and by the end of the day, it looks like I slept with my make-up on.
I’ve also tried Bobbi Brown’s under eye concealer and it covers OK but makes me break out if used anywhere else but under my eyes. I used it once around my nose a month ago, and am still dealing with irritation from it. Also, her eye shadows are underwhelming, they’re pretty but the pigmentation is pretty lacking.
I really like MAC lipsticks but hate the scramble to try and get them from their limited editions. they’re always sold out and the secondary market for them is ridiculous.
I just returned Dior’s BB crème since it didn’t do a thing for evening out my skin, covering things, just a sub-par product.
*jumps off soap box*
The Balm Time Balm concealer was horrible on me. Bought it because of the glowing reviews it received on line. One of the few things I ever returned to Sephora.
Cetaphil cleanser- doesn’t even feel like I’ve washed my face.
Great Lash mascara-I too have tried it a few times with disastrous results.
I’m late in commenting, but I just wanted to say that what works for some will not always work for others. I personally love DiorShow Blackout, Nars Orgasm, and the Cetaphil cleanser – however, that said, I realize that while those products have been advertised to be universally flattering, they aren’t. What is overhyped to me will not be overhyped to someone else, and what works for me may not work for someone else. I do think Great Lash is over advertised, and while it’s a great mascara, I have found some others that I like better. But how did I find the others? Recommendations, this blog, and magazines. If not for Allure magazine, I may never have tried Nars Orgasm and ended up loving it so much that I have bought it every year, once a year. If not for Karen, I may have never truly discovered some of MAC’s fun eyeshadow colors, like Gorgeous Gold and Club. And if not for a friend that swore by DiorShow Blackout, I may have never tried it and loved it.
Everyone has their faves, and everyone has their duds that didn’t work. I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s comments and I will also say that some of you have inspired me to buy makeup I otherwise might not have looked at. Thank you!
I know that everyone is going to have a different opinion on what is good, but one product that I bought solely because of the good reviews from what seemed like everyone was NARS Sheer Glow Foundation. It broke me out, and we’re talking painful, under the skin, it hurts to move my cheeks type of breakout.It also made me an oil slick, no matter how many oil sheets were used.
Another one that I don’t get along with are the Urban Decay 24/7 liners. They smudge like crazy on my lower lash line, which is where I like to use pencil eyeliner.
After trying bottle after bottle of eye and face makeup removers (most of which I thought were seriously overhyped, including Lancome’s BiFacil), I am back to using el cheapo, VERY effective Pond’s Cold Cream. I feel like this is an austerity budget staple, lol! I massage it onto my dry face and neck, then use a beauty sponge or clean washcloth to wipe it away with warm water. My makeup evaporates, and I am left with glowy skin.