Beauty

Second-chance drugstore beauty

Drugstore-beauty-favorites

Drugstore-beauty-favorites

No one likes disappointing products, but did you ever consider give them a second chance?

As much as we all love finding these holy-grail, where-has-this-been-all-my-life beauty products, once in a while there are duds that seem like a complete waste of money. This, thankfully, doesn’t happen to me too often, but when it does, I very rarely just throw something away. I either give it away, or find a different use for it. Today I’ll tell you about few products that I’m giving a second chance.

Loreal-highlighting-powder

L’Oreal True Match Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator in Rose– Where do I start with this one….. it was a very disappointing product at first. This highlighting powder is chalky and glittery, and if you have oily skin and/or large pores, it will only accentuate them. I cannot see myself using this on my face because it’s just way too sparkly, BUT I did find a different use for it. I mix this with my favorite body BB cream and apply it on my legs, arms, collar bone and décolletage when going “out”. The BB cream takes care of hiding small imperfections and smoothing out the skin, while the Illuminator adds a nice glow and color. I love using it for that purpose only though. I definitely wouldn’t recommend using this as a highlighting powder on your face/cheeks, unless you love going for an ultra-sparkly, chalky-glitter look.

NYX Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator in Sunbeam– This has light, pink undertones that work great with my (light) skin tone. The formula dries rather quickly so it has to be blended in quite fast before it gets a chance to set. This once again is a product that I would avoid using in areas where the pores tend to be enlarged. My favorite way to use this on daily basis is to mix it with my tinted moisturizer and apply it where I usually would use highlighter on top of my foundation, always using a beauty blender- I find this to work the best. The reason why I mix it with a tinted moisturizer is because i think that it can be a bit too intense of a highlight if we’re talking everyday use.

baby-lips-lip-gloss-maybelline

Maybelline Baby Lips Moisturizing Lip Gloss– These lip glosses are so stinking cute and I really think that the only reason I picked them up was because they made me feel very nostalgic. Everything about these; the smell, the feel, the packaging, reminds me of my very first makeup product: fruity lip gloss. My cousins, my sister and I were obsessed with lip gloss as it was the only makeup product we were allowed to have when we were little tweens. If you love thick, creamy lip gloss, then you won’t like these. These are very light, non-sticky BUT actually very moisturizing. Perfect for those no-makeup days. They also don’t have a lot of pigment, but they do add a nice, (very) subtle shine.

elf-moisturizing-lipsticks

Elf Moisturizing Lipsticks in Flirty & Fabulous and Pink Minx– These have such  a unique formula; they are pigmented and long-lasting, but at the same time they feel quite “thick”. Usually when a lipstick is said to have a “moisturizing” formula, I find it to glide easily and wear off quite quickly which is definitely not the case with these lipsticks. I actually thought that for a moisturizing lipsticks these tug and pull on the skin quite a bit. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I just think that these might not be moisturizing enough. Pink Minx is actually a great, everyday color but I find that the only way I can use these is if I moisturize my lips heavily prior to application of this lipstick. I think that what I’m trying to say is that these work great as lipsticks (especially for the price) they are very long-lasting, I just don’t know if I’d call these “moisturizing”.

beauty-and-lifestyle-blog

Olay Tinted Moisturizer with Sunscreen– You might remember me talking about this moisturizer in my no-makeup makeup post. Because of the minimal coverage this provides, the only time I used to reach for this tinted moisturizer was when my skin looked exceptionally good. In addition to minimal coverage this also didn’t work too well with my then very oily skin. Now that my skin is dry, I love using this moisturizer. It’s enriched with vitamins B3, B5, C & E, it’s very hydrating and makes my skin feel very comfortable, taking care of those dry patches and I don’t have to worry about my skin looking very greasy.  I’d love if this product came with a higher SPF- this one has SPF15.

Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy Lips- This is basically just Vaseline with tint and fragrance but I absolutely love it. It’s cheap, it lasts for ages and it works great with dry and chapped lips. I went through quite a few of these, and it’s still one of my favorite lip care products. It’s the first thing I use right after brushing my teeth and washing my face in the morning and night. There is one thing that I really, really don’t like about this product- I really wish that these came in different, easier to use packaging. Yes, it’s cute and pretty, but not very practical- especially if you’re almost done with the product or if you have long nails or chubby fingers. Application can get really, really messy since you’re dipping your fingers in this tiny, tiny jar. I usually have to use a cotton swab when applying this. The bad packaging is not enough to put me off though, because with my chronically dry lips I need all the help I can get.

drugstore-beauty

Left to right: Olay Tinted Moisturizer in Fair-to-light, NYX Liquid Illuminator in Sunbeam, NYX Liquid Illuminator in Sunbeam blended in, L’Oreal Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator in Rose, Elf Moisturizing Lipstick in Pink Minx, Elf Moisturizing Lipstick in Flirty & Fabulous, Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Glosses in Life’s a Peach, Just a Glimmer and Taupe with Me.

Do you ever give those disappointing products a second chance, or do you toss them out right away?

40 Comments

  • Reply
    Danielle Beautyblog
    September 7, 2015 at 11:34 am

    This is such a helpful post! I usually do struggle through using products I don’t like but never think to use them in a different way! I definitely need to think outside the box a little more!

    Danielle’s Beauty Blog

  • Reply
    Jodie Vernon
    September 7, 2015 at 12:08 pm

    I’ve never heard of the Baby lips lip glosses, they look so cute though!

    Jodie, xo // Jodie Loue

  • Reply
    Maddy
    September 7, 2015 at 1:10 pm

    It’s always a shame when beauty products don’t workout but I’m glad you’ve found uses for these!

    Maddy // £100 FeelUnique Voucher Giveaway

  • Reply
    Anika May
    September 7, 2015 at 1:51 pm

    Great post, love the concept too!

    Anika | http://www.anikamay.co.uk

  • Reply
    tia katarina
    September 7, 2015 at 1:52 pm

    This is such a unique post idea, I love it! The idea to use that illuminator with a BB Cream is so great, I might actually use that because I love using illuminators on my legs and collarbones on nights out. I agree about the Vaseline! So irritating, I’ve snapped so many fake nails trying to prise off the lid.

    Tia | at0ut.blogspot.co.uk

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      September 9, 2015 at 5:01 pm

      Thanks Tia! Oh, yeah the lid is another annoying part about it haha ;) I really wish these came in a different packaging.

  • Reply
    alionablog
    September 7, 2015 at 2:48 pm

    My faves <3 … Would love it if you could check out my Holiday Style Diary!

    Kisses xo | From Aliona With Love

  • Reply
    Sam Murphy
    September 7, 2015 at 2:49 pm

    I absolutely love the Olay tinted Moisturiser in Medium for my every day make up look :) I actually find this shade gives my skin enough coverage when I’m only in work :) great post!
    Sam|www.shoppingsforlifenotjustforxmas.blogspot.com

  • Reply
    Emma Louise
    September 7, 2015 at 2:53 pm

    I haven’t tried any of these products. I sometimes give products a second chance too as my skin can change over time x

    Emma | Emmys Beauty Cave | My YouTube

  • Reply
    Kim Petersen
    September 7, 2015 at 3:02 pm

    I agree 100% about the Vaseline Rosy Lips, it’s one of my faves but the packaging is quite annoying, I would like it better even if it came in a bigger size! I tend not to throw things out either, but either try to love them or pass them on to someone who will. I love the idea though of finding a different use for a product, that’s genius. Great post! XO -Kim
    http://www.thethirtysomethinglife.com

  • Reply
    Michela Amp
    September 7, 2015 at 3:35 pm

    The ELF lipsticks seem amazing :)

    little taste of heaven

  • Reply
    Alina
    September 7, 2015 at 4:00 pm

    I agree as I never throw something out after just one try no matter how disappointed I am. I’ll usually try it again a good few times using different combos to see if there’s any way to make it work. Baby Lips glosses are actually so cute, don’t think I’ve spotted them in the UK yet x

    Beauty with charm

  • Reply
    Jordan Piper
    September 7, 2015 at 4:08 pm

    I really want to give the NYX illuminator a go, I wasn’t aware of the Baby Lips glosses such cute packaging! x

    Jordan | Keep Dreaming ♡

  • Reply
    Alexandra
    September 7, 2015 at 4:52 pm

    What a great idea for a post! I totally agree with you about the Elf lipsticks. x

    alexandraabeauty.blogspot.co.uk

  • Reply
    Chaste and Beautiful
    September 7, 2015 at 5:01 pm

    Omg! I need to buy that Olay tinted moisturizer as I have been looking for something natural to wear on my face. The baby lips packaging is simply adorable. Great post:)

    Chaste & Beautiful

  • Reply
    Caked To The Nines
    September 7, 2015 at 7:35 pm

    The NYX liquid illuminator looks so nice :). I usually either give away or try to find a different way to use disappointing products as well!

    xx
    Caked To The Nines

  • Reply
    ≈ CARMEN ≈
    September 8, 2015 at 12:11 am

    That’s a shame about the L’oreal Illuminator. It has some lovely packaging but I hate disappointing products. :]

    // ▲ itsCarmen.com ▲

  • Reply
    BubblyColor
    September 8, 2015 at 6:56 am

    The liquid illuminator from NYX looks great! I should check it out :)

    http://www.bubblycolor.com

  • Reply
    Dagmara Klich
    September 8, 2015 at 7:01 am

    I am similar and before I throw/give away something I don’t like I will try to make it work. Great idea with mixing the highlighter with BB cream for your body, I have some highlighters that are too chunky for my liking so will definitely use them for my décolleté :) x

    Mummy’s Beauty Corner

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      September 9, 2015 at 6:23 pm

      Thanks so much Dagmara! I actually usually just leave those products hidden somewhere and I only recently started doing this :)

  • Reply
    Nina
    September 8, 2015 at 8:06 am

    What a great post. I, usually, try to give any disappointing product a second chance but it doesn’t always work. You have found some nice ways to use them.

    Nina
    http://www.ninasstyleblog.com

  • Reply
    Mlle Coconath
    September 8, 2015 at 8:34 am

    Great post!

    xx

    Mademoiselle Coconath

    http://mllecoconath.com

  • Reply
    Nereyda Gonzalez
    September 18, 2015 at 2:17 am

    I LOVE the Vaseline Lip Therapy so much! And I’m such a Nyx fan and ELF has some great products too.

  • Reply
    Rita Macedo
    September 23, 2015 at 5:59 am

    I had never seen a tinted Vaseline Lip Therapy! Here there’s tons of the original one and I love it, it’s so great for dried lips! I wish I could get my hands on this cute version! I don’t really like the packaging either, it’s not very easy to use! Xx

    riitamacedo.blogspot.pt

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