The first of two primers that have left me disappointed is the MAC Prep+Prime Skin (£21). I bought this online as I thought it would be similar to the brands Prep+Prime Skin Refined Zone Treatment, which works incredibly well to smooth out the texture of my skin and keep my complexion shine free for hours. I was expecting the same results (if not better) from this primer, but what I didn't know is that it leaves your skin looking glittery and shimmery, which just looked ridiculous on me! When it comes to my base I love a natural looking finish, so even though it smoothed over my skin and provided a good base for my make up, the glittery-ness (is that a word?) of this product ruined it for me.
I was similarly let down by the Jouer Essential Matte Touch (£18), a colourless balm-like skin perfecter that aims to degrease the skin and diminish the appearance of pores. I am always on the look out for products that will control shine and give my skin a natural looking matte appearance, so the idea of a balm intrigued me. Unfortunately though this is such a difficult product to use - because it's a balm it's such an effort to apply to the skin and it barely did a thing for my pores. I would say this works in the same way as oil blotting paper, it does absorb oil but that's about it- there are so many other products out there that work so much better than this.
Despite Origins being one of my favourite skin care brands, I wasn't that keen on their Clear Improvement Mask (£23) - I swear I think I'm the only person out there that doesn't like this! Even though the product description sounds perfect for my congested skin, I never seen much of a difference to my complexion at all - my pores still looked clogged and overall my skin didn't look any healthier either. I've used this mask several times as I really wanted to love it, but it just doesn't work nearly as well as other face masks I've used where I see results instantly.
Another product that didn't agree with my skin is the The Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Moisture Lotion (£12). As someone with oily skin, I can be very picky when it comes to moisturisers and sadly this one just didn't impress me. It sounded perfect for me, but I didn't like the texture or the scent of this at all. I found the texture quite thick for a moisturiser that claims to be lightweight, and it didn't absorb well into my skin either. It's not often that skin care from The Body Shop disappoints me, but this is one product I won't be purchasing again.
Lastly, as much as I love Topshop nail polishes and have quite the collection of them, I thought the Matte Nails in Prince Blue Blood (£6) was just terrible. It didn't apply properly and I had to apply quite a few coats of this for the colour to show up on my nails. To top it off, the finish looked horrible and cheap- it looked like I had painted my nails with blue tipp-ex! I didn't even give this a second chance because I hated the results so much the first time round. I don't think matte nails are for me.
Have you been disappointed by any of these products? Or have you tried any of them and loved them?
