October 15, 2018

Which Beauty Brand Do You Hate and Why?

Social media has grown considerably since I started blogging ten plus years ago and with growth comes change and sometimes change can be damn annoying. There are certain beauty brands out there that have definitely overexposed themselves on social media and in some ways they have become mighty annoying. This might have evoked a sense of hate or even dislike.

Or hey, maybe your hate of beauty brand doesn’t stem from social media at all maybe it’s a product you tried that completely turned you off of the brand or perhaps some other issue.

So, which beauty brand do you hate and why?

Do spill the dirty details!

Ok, so, mine is Tarte.

Oh my god I can’t believe I typed that out loud. Tarte used to be one of my favorite brands but so much has changed about the brand and a lot of it isn’t necessarily good. Their Holiday Collections have been so horrible the last few years, the constant repetitiveness of shades (brown, brown, brown, more brown), the overexposure on social media, the list is huge to say the least when I say that I really don’t love the path they have headed down. I feel like in two years Tarte will be at Kohl’s. They seem to lack the ability to change at all and it’s just a constant round of really bad launches.

I feel like they can do better. Actually I know they can do better but for some reason they keep on keepin’ on the same lazy path.

Go on and spill the beans!

Which beauty brand do you hate and why?

Do you hate Tarte? Why?

Some other brand?

Spill it here!

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Neda

    Kat Von D – through social media if come to find out what a racist bigot she is! I will never purchase another KVD product again. Also, in general, I’m over the sexually named products so many brands have these days. I actually didn’t want to try the Too faced BTS mascara because I was annoyed by the name, like they were trying too hard. S’all good though, because I eventually got it for free and didn’t like the mascara at all 🙂

    • Susan

      Yep, Kat von D, because … she’s Kat von D. Besides being a racist bigot, she ranted about people who eat meat a few years ago and called them terrible things. This from someone who wears leather and has taxidermied animals in her home, so she’s a hypocrite too. Now her latest “look at me” publicity over her ignorant anti-vaccination stand. I will never, EVER buy her products.

    • amy harris

      Omg yes to both. First one because of being pro kids getting preventable illnesses and second because there’s absolutely nothing “shocking” about these “dirty” names! They are so overdone it’s boring and mostly perpetuate negative, worn-out stereotypes about women and sex!

    • Kelly

      Neda, are you sure you’re not me? I feel the exact same way. In fact, I never liked Jeffree Star’s products in part because of his product names. When I found out just how awful a person he was, it made me really glad I never purchased from him.

  • Beth

    Definitely NYX. The brand just does too much and to me it’s just overkill. I’m sorry but their products are okay for someone who wants a quick pick me up but there’s no consistency in their product range and they have TOO MUCH crap. The fact they they’ve taken over practically every space in drugstores and big box stores is annoying and they’ve done away and are giving less space to other brands we truly want. They’re being very bold with some of their pricing and it’s laughable. It’s nearly all made in China and we know it doesn’t cost that much to make. You can’t charge an average pricing of $7 but then come out with holiday kits for $60+ and a foundation that costs as much as a prestige brand. Get over yourself NYX. I haven’t purchased anything from the brand since 2013, that’s how long I’ve been annoyed by them. 😉

  • Sarah

    I like a lot of Tarte products but their digital campaigns annoy the heck out of me. So tasteless and excessive.

  • kjh

    SM has definitely made some brands and ruined others. Not liking Tarte or tf at present. ABH is a bit in my craw. But the one I really hate is Nudestix. Nothing about them works for me. Multifunctionality? Nope. True to color description? Nope. Great ingredients? Not at all, though I have yet to figure out the provoking one(s), via Cosdna or any other ingredients source. They all read good, but the magnetic lipstick HURTS. Yeah, I can hate the only lipstick that ever hurt.

  • Tracie

    LOL! I hate Tarte too, which is especially sad because it was the first high end brand I purchased after graduating from college and getting a real job. I felt like Tarte spoke to me in a way my college employer, Estée Lauder did not. Well that was a long time ago and I don’t know what they are doing. I’m such a brand loyal person that it is hard for me to cut the cord with Tarte but I must. They seem to appeal to a demographic that I’m not a part of but besides that they are lacking in innovation and creativity, which used to be their strong suit. I think they will skip roght over Kohl’s and show up at Target, if they are lucky. The terrible launches, the lack of inclusivity in their products, the social media snafus, and the list goes on and on. I would love to see them make a come back but I don’t think they know how, so they keep doing the same thing over and over.

  • Olwen

    I don’t know that I’ve ever used Physicians Formula actual products, but I cannot S T A N D their packaging!!! For someone who went to art school, that graphic design nightmare cannot be forgiven.

  • Gina

    Too Faced

    That brand used to be my favourite, my first eye shadow palette was from them.
    I have this 2014 Holiday eyeshadow palette and haven’t used it because it just smells like menthol (I don’t know if that’s normal, I’ve been searching on the net and haven’t found anything about it).

    Got 2 Love Flush Blushes and after one month using them, they smelled like menthol and started to look kind of gray from the top and had to just put them in the trash and that hurt, because they were a beautiful color and very long lasting and really love them, this was when I realized that Too Faced was going (for me) down the hill.

    I don’t know if it’s “the rush” they feel because they need to start planning the new collections, the designs and all of the stuff, that they just messed up with the formulas. Like they just focus in how cute the package will be, but what about the real product? It’s like “Forget about quality!! We need cuter things to sell!!” I know they want to be a little bit more like korean brands but this is not the way to that.

    • Olivia

      Oh my gosh… I thought I was the only one. I feel like Too Faced isn’t even on par with some awesome drugstore brands (hello Maybelline, Milani, WnW) yet it retains that “prestige” price tag. And TF is really one of the key culprits when it comes to fast holiday launches, and fast launches in general. Every time I see another set or collection on the shelves, I wonder how awful the quality is and how long I’m supposed to use it for when the next launch is 2 weeks away and they expect the same customer base to go out chasing that next one. No thanks!!!

      • kjh

        Let us not forget that they use saccharine a lot. Saccharine is a cross-allergy with Sulfa drugs, so if you, like many, have a sulfa allergy, at best, your eyes will blow up. At worst, let’s not even contemplate. I think that is HIGHLY irresponsible to the public at large.

    • Brandy

      I’ve only tried one thing from Too Faced and that was a bronzer. My face is pasty as can be and I couldn’t get it to show up, and then it developed a hard film after only a month of limited use so I tossed it. Their reviews seem so scattered with each product so I haven’t had a desire to try anything else. Plus I can’t stand the name of their mascara.

  • rachel

    I can’t stand Too Faced. Their packaging is so ugly and tacky. I love kawaii things, but I think they miss the mark every single time. It looks like stuff that you could buy at Walmart. I do like their Born This Way concealer though… classic packaging too.

    • Isabella Muse

      I feel this exact same way! I don’t get it. I love cute stuff but it seems like some of their releases just didn’t grab me! I Have to admit I did like the peach/fruit stuff but prior to that with the unicorns and the stickers/etc just didn’t grab me!

  • Justin Gentges

    There are so many brands I’m over because price and quality don’t equal. Tarte foundation, Stila eyeliners, Kat lip products, etc. Too Faced just cause of Jared (even before the Jeffree drama). Mostly I don’t hate a brand generally I just had a line of theirs

  • Kyuu

    I loathe Lime Crime. I have a personal friend who knew the owner way before in the Lolita community before she dipped into makeup and she was as much of an obnoxious drama-mongerer back then as she is now. Plus, y’know, the whole Hitler costume. I tend to want to boycott any companies that decide to carry Lime Cime. *rolls eyes*

    From a purely products point of view, I hate Juice Beauty. There are plenty of brands that annoy me though, with the overpriced products.

    • kjh

      So many young folks have no idea about ‘Doe Deere”s backstory. IDC if LC is the world’s best product, no way. S.t. I am surprised that a big player like Ulta would take LC on……you’ll notice that the Ordinary never materialized at Ulta, as was rumored. At least Brandon T has obvious mental illness issues. ‘Doe’ is just a mean spirited catalyst of all things negative and crazy…deliberately!

  • Beth

    Brands I hate? More like brands I’ve completely lost interest in like Kat Von D, Jouer, Stila, Make Up For Ever, Tarte, Too Faced…pretty much any brand that refers to a product as “ultra-limited”� haha wow I didn’t realize there were so many! My love of makeup hasn’t diminished (sadly for my bank account) I’m just tired of the overhyped, unoriginal nonstop releases. I want brands to try harder and stop jumping on every trend with subpar products.

  • LS

    LORAC is at Kohls, and I love that brand!

    But for brands I dislike, I’ll start with Jefree Star. I can’t endorse his behavior. Too Faced used to be a favorite, but I’ve slowly stopped purchasing their products. Many formulas have gone downhill and the super cutesy packaging is not for me. I hate all drugstore foundation. I’ve tried several brands, and they all start to smell like new tires after a few hours on my face, which is a deal breaker. Nobody else seems to know what I am talking about, so perhaps it’s just me.

  • Hollie

    Tarte (so much brown), Too Faced (slow your roll and make something decent and consistent), Kat Von D (used to love and now, ew for so many reasons), Jeffree Star (I don’t get the cult of personality there).

    Still loving Urban Decay, I will never forget my first lipstick. It was that horrible gloppy lacquer thing in the tube in the shade Gash. Still obsessed with the shade Gash but that formula was gross in today’s standards.

    I remember seeing in Seventeen that to get the perfect Gwen Stefani red lip to use a lip brush. I bought a lip brush, sat down at a mirror with my Gash Lip Gunk, and proceeded to give myself unintentional clown mouth for hours! Ahhh, memories…

  • Marcia

    Coming from Asia(Taiwan) and previously working for a white label company which incidentally makes the Sephora sheet masks, I really don’t like the “trends” of many “brands” nowaday. Many, if not most, brands, doesn’t matter if it’s a brand “created” by whom or what, do not have their own manufacturing, a person, a company, anyone who wants to get into the so-called beauty business, actually choose products from catalogs from white label factories which may produce many other “brands'” products in the market, then the “brands” spend the most money and efforts on PR and promoting. I think I can answer why some brands seemingly spend top money to send “influencers” things they don’t sell (in the PR packages) or even trips — it’s to create an image of fake luxe life, it’s subtly suggesting that if you shop enough, promote yourself enough, then you’re having these.

  • Kish

    OK…pull up your chair, get some snacks, this might take a while.

    But seriously, can Too Faced just stop with their Better Than Sex crap? First of all, it’s the worst mascara I’ve ever tried. Ever. And rolling it out with new packaging or a new stupid slogan doesn’t make it a better product. (I adore the Clover line and will for all eternity, however.)

    Tarte, why oh why can’t you maybe just stay off social media. Just for a minute? A second? I’m tired of their influencers going to Tahiti and then posting about just how much they love the products. Oh, do you now?

    Jeffree Star. Lime Crime. I’m sure those go without saying. And I’m not sure about Dose of Colors, they just rub me the wrong way for some reason. And I think their stuff is wayyyy too expensive for what it is.

    And there are a couple of indie brands that I just really dislike, but I won’t name them because I’m sure other people probably love them. If you are on IG, try not being condescending to people who ask you questions or reply by calling everyone “sis.” Yes, I know it’s annoying when you think people want free stuff, but that’s not everyone. Some people just have questions. Man that annoys me. OK, I’m done…

  • Rebecca

    Kat Von D – Her stuff is well packaged, but mediocre quality. So many of her eyeshadows end up being super chalky.

  • Andrea

    I don’t know if “hate” is the word I’d sue for Tarte, but disappointed might be. Pretty much everything they put out these days makes me say, “Oh, pretty, but eh” and I don’t even think about buying it. The two products they used to to make and stopped, well almost stopped with the one, was the Cheek Stain sticks and the two ended glosses. I had a mini set of 4 cheek stains and I loved those things to death, but I was never going to buy one of those expensive giant ones. Then they came out with CLAY everything and have discontinued the stains. I wish they’d just made them smaller with a smaller with a smaller price and people would have bought them more. As for the lip glosses, I never got to try them, because there were so many I liked and could never decide which to get, but the colors and the name pairings were so great. And now they’re gone too. 🙁

  • Danielle

    Alright, alright…. I’ll say it. (Type it?) MAC cosmetics. That’s right. MAC. They release WAY too many collections now and the quality has changed. I swear that my ‘Well Dressed’ blush is a totally different shade than what it was years ago. I can never find an exact match with their concealers or foundations; Their brushes have changed in quality; and their eye shadows are crap. You have to keep layering them and I don’t have the time/patience for that. I just want to do one or two swipes and I’m done. They’re always soo chalky on my eyes too! Those pigments…. how do you wear them? Why do you have to buy extra products just to wear them? Why?! What?!

    The *only* thing I like from them is their powder and that is it. I tried. Believe me, I tried. I just can’t anymore.

    Whatever happened to brands releasing *fewer* *quality* collections? It’s just this rush to continually blast us with products on social media and then run out of stock, back order, etc.

    Maybe I’m just getting old and bitter, but I miss the good ol’ days when there was good ol’ quality makeup.

    • kjh

      And lots of perm, with a few seasonal collections, not like the Ford assembly line of today. Lots of the current mess is due to SM, insta, and no attention span! Last week’s palette is passé. What the F is right about that statement? It’s nuts by definition and in operation.

    • Tatyana

      I must admit I haven’t tried any Mac because of all of the limited edition releases. I was going to buy the Selfridge’s limited edition as it seemed like a very sensible palette but IT SOLD OUT in two weeks!

      So annoying.

  • Anna Fantasia

    I dont hate any brand, but I have chosen not to purchase any Kat Von D items- I use to collect her products because I loved the aesthetics- after Prayers disrespect I found other brands who would take my money and be a bit more respectful to me as a consumer.

  • Jan Kelley

    Tarte used to be a nice brand. I hate to say it but in my opinion Tarte has become a cheesy brand. The packaging is generally tacky. The blushers are still ok but they are last on my list. I just don’t bother with Tarte. There are better drugstore brands available.

  • Jess

    Too faced has been annoying me lately. Their collections are repetitive and boring. I still like Tarte but their releases lately have been really … hokey? immature? and definitely catering to millennials! I’ve also been disappointed with cover girl, I typically like their mascara but it hasnt been good lately. I feel bored with a lot of brands lately. I hate jetted star and lime crime.

    • Jen

      As a millennial, I can say with certainty that they completely missed the mark if my generation was their target demographic.

  • Kristi

    Huda: ripping off beauty bakerie.

    Kat von d: well…same as everybody-the anti vaccination stance.

    Natasha Denona: her foundation went bad within 6 mo of me purchasing it and they refused to stand by their product, saying it was the sunscreen in it. Ummmm…nope.

    Storybook cosmetics: crappy palettes, and the whole book club sub. I subbed back in May with a August ship date. Guess what hasn’t shipped yet…?

  • Angie Clementine

    Okay, I don’t hate this brand, but I’m seriously annoyed with Deciem. The constant drama is unforgivable, and now no one even knows if they’re still in business or not. I have fallen in love with a couple of products from Hylamide and the Chemistry Brand, so I really hope Deciem can get it together and keep making their magical potions.

    Also… and I think I’m in the minority here… but I don’t like Lush. I really want to like them, but I just don’t enjoy bath bombs or solid soaps, and those are the products they’re always pushing. I don’t feel drawn to any of their fragrances, either, with the exception of Rose Jam. And they never have sales, argh! I just can’t.

    I really don’t hate any brands, but I do think those two are missing the mark. It’s no biggie, because there is no shortage of other brands who are worthy of taking my money!

    • Saoirse

      I agree with you about Lush. I hate the smell of their products and even the smell of the store itself. I once bought a cream that I wound up giving away. I love that they’re vegan and ethical, but I hate the products.

    • kjh

      Check Beautylish. They severed with Brandon publicly a while ago. After the taxi ride video…abso LUTE ly horrifying…I reupped a few things there. (NIOD and the ordinary, at least.). During the ride, he suspended business immediately, for two months, and made not so veiled remarks about all, even employees. Didn’t we hang our shingles about him recently? I think he has schizoaffective disorder. He was truly psychotic and paranoid,and his Mood DO, pretty consistent with manic 1 bipolar disease. Why not have the psych disorder w/features of both, that is virtually impossible to regulate, and not really curable. Deciem is far more sad than hate worthy. And SM gave him open platform to decompensate in front of a world audience. I know he is SM driven, and clearly not competent at that point. He cruelly outed his own ongoing mental health problems. It’s tragic.

      • Angie Clementine

        Beautylish is already sold out of the Hylamide Low Molecular HA. I know Brandon needs help for his mental health issues, but he is very reluctant to admit he has a problem in the first place. I think that was the reason for some of the fights with colleagues. I’m afraid the company can’t be saved until either he actively seeks treatment or Estée Lauder steps in and assumes control. But for now, it’s a real headache to figure out what’s going on and where to find the products. I really hope this story will have a happy ending, for Brandon and everyone else.

    • Tatyana

      I think Brandon has had a psychotic episode. I think the brand will be back on track when he receives some medical attention.

  • Ledonatella

    Tarte but I started using them when they first came out back in early 2000’s and they’ve never really got any better quality since then.
    Mac used to be amazing in the mid-2000’s but got into the cheap quick launch hype and suffered in quality. I used to be a freelance for them and they had awesome classes and pro events but that all went down the tubes when they tried to compete with like TF and other younger brands.
    Hourglass- Boring & overpriced.
    Any “influencer”� brand…you are not an artist you are a celeb wannabe with a you tube channel, nothing special or talented about you & the quality is usually poor.
    Anything made by a Kardashian- I do not believe they have any input in what the brand is, just slap they’re name on it & make money.
    Anyone that tests on animals, it’s purposeless in this day and age.

    • Emily

      I have to agree about Hourglass. I purchased something from them-a highlighting product I had *such* high hopes for, and it was hard and chalky. Fir $46, I better be getting far superior quality than that. I like one lip product line they released-I received a deluxe sample-but would never spend money for the full size-coming from someone who will spend coin on quality makeup. Lackluster and overpriced.

  • Mo

    Excellent question!!

    tarte. I used to love tarte when Maureen Kelly was the owner. They were about “natural” products… maracuja oil, Amazonian clay… now they push to–I don’t know, tweens?–with unicorns and sparkle or mermaids and sparkle. Plus all their palettes look the same (brown). Nope.

    ABH for ripping off her teacher and mentor Eugenia Weston (Senna). I will never, ever, buy anything from ABH.

    Huda for ripping off Beautie Bakerie. (Also waiting for Huda to rip off Lemonhead.la)

    “Hate” is probably too strong, but Bobbi Brown hasn’t had anything that interested me in eons.

    And just a general hatred of so many brands using hyper-sexualized or vulgar names. I like Tom Ford, but, really? Lost Cherry? F*cking Fabulous? I don’t need that on my vanity. I wonder why so many brands think tacky (names, cheap packaging) is better (or makes more sales) than something elegant and classy?

  • Emma

    Clinique pisses me off. They market themselves as this dermatologist’s brand, with their white coats, but the formulations are so meh. That expensive yellow moisturiser? Just a pretty colour, no big deal.

  • Dori Wittenberg

    Younique. L’Oreal’s Xtreme Resist mascara is product engineered far better without all that MLM nonsense and without all that excess cumbersome packaging.

  • Elise

    There are no brands that I hate per se. However, I am unmoved by beauty influencers so I pretty much skip ALL influencer brands and collaborations.

  • Amber

    KVD because obvious reasons and Limecrime because of their past. Typically I’ll buy a brand no matter what but those two I really can’t justify.

  • Shil

    tarte also! They blocked my account and accused me of reselling their products! What kind of bs is that?? I spent hundreds on them buying almost all their products. I loved them but they don’t want my money and fandom, then fine. There’s lots of other good brands out there to give it to.

  • Anne

    Okay I know everyone loves Colourpop BUT I tried their matte lipstick a long time ago and it was so drying it hurt and now every time I pull out my (beloved) Colourpop eyeshadow I curse the company.

    And Kat Von D for all the reasons everyone said, although I have no personal experience with the products.

  • Audrey

    For me, it’s an absolute deal breaker for the over-sexualized names. No matter the brand. I have a daughter who will want to try makeup eventually, and I’ll be damned if I buy anything like “Better Than Sex” or “Orgasm” or “Deep Throat” for her to use. I don’t care how bestselling it is. There are more fish in the sea, folks, so stop with the risque names. It’s not cute. It’s desperate.

  • MM Curator

    I can see hating Tarte – lots of their packaging is gimmicky and they do a lot of the same shades. Because I’m a collector though I’m still drawn to it! 😀 Can’t stand Kat von D – the anti-vaccination stance is awful and I won’t support that. Plus I had no idea she was married to a racist! Speaking of which, also can’t stand Jeffree Star – even if he’s “changed” and is no longer a racist, he comes across as a phony who just likes to stir the pot. His love of drama and starting shit with other brands annoys me. Finally, I absolutely hate any Kylie/Kardashian products. Mediocre at best and why would I want to line the pockets of people who are famous for no reason?! They have no talent and certainly don’t know anything about beauty/makeup…yet they’re making a mint off their name alone. Drives me crazy. So that’s my $.02. (By the way, I don’t mean to be harsh – if you like these brands please enjoy…I won’t judge! I’m just saying that I personally don’t like them.)

  • Cassie

    I hate Benefit because I’m fascinated by them but most of their products contain bismuth oxychloride so I can’t use them.

    Definitely sour grapes.

    • Tatyana

      Benefit was my saviour in Europe for quite a few years, it was almost impossible to find a blonde eyebrow pencil before them.

      They did all sorts of highlighters before there was even a sheen on a cheekbone, CC foundations before anyone thought of sheer coverage, and then they discontinued them…….

      Seriously, they have discontinued so many of my faves I went off of them for a long time.

    • Felis

      I hate Benefit for their incredibly nasty “Yuck/wow” campaign. Seriously, they’re dead to me. I sent an email while that campaign was up and got the snottiest reply back. Ugh. It’s too bad because a couple of their products were KEY for me… but nah, I’m too “yuck” for their overpriced crap anyway.

  • Lissan

    I have to agree with you about Tarte. Everything they come out with is exactly the same…nothing innovative. Honestly a lot of brands are annoying me because they are just coming out with the same things over and over again. Instead of saturating the market with meh products…take some time and give us something amazing!

  • E

    Tarte Cosmetics – Their customer service is horrible. I am subscribed to their mailing list and am annoyed with the multiple emails I get from them daily with their gimmicky, child-like advertisements. Their products and branding is sub-par and not unique. What exactly is Tarte’s aesthetic and who is their target audience? They feel very gimmicky. I feel like they have really changed their branding since they first launched. Their current designs and packaging looks cheap and not worth their price. They haven’t done anything new or innovative and they seem to struggle to keep up with other mid-range brands that put out consistently good products. Tarte feels very average to me in terms of their style, design, and products. They haven’t put out anything new that is above average in terms of quality. They seem to operate on a quantity over quality mindset. They are always putting out new, sub-par products and they play it safe too much by sticking to the same eye shadow range in all of their eye palettes. I decided to not purchase from Tarte any more.
    Urban Decay – I was never really into Urban Decay’s grungy, alternative aesthetic. Having said that, I was interested in their Naked palettes and purchased Naked 1 and 3. I say this because I was very disappointed in the quality of these Naked palettes. I do not understand how they could be $54 and be the most dry, powdery eye shadows I have ever used in my life. They also have the most fallout out of any of my eye palettes I own, and I own quite a bit from various brands. The pigmentation just wasn’t there either no matter how much I tried to pack on. I don’t know if I received a bad batch or what, but my experience with those eye palettes left a bitter taste in my mouth and I likely won’t ever purchase anything from Urban Decay again.
    Jeffree Star Cosmetics – I just dislike Jeffree and his aesthetic is not my style. The packaging of his cosmetics looks dreadful and tacky to me. Although I do like the honest, blunt reviews he gives on his YouTube channel on products and brands. Not many makeup artists and beauty gurus do that.
    KVD Beauty – I am just not into the gothic style and aesthetic of her brand. There’s just something about her that is so off-putting to me. I also refuse to support someone who is against vaccinations.
    Smashbox – There is nothing about this brand that stands out to me. Their products don’t seem interesting and their primers are overrated.
    Huda Beauty – Quality and packaging of her cosmetics does not match the price. Her eye palettes are overrated. I can’t stand the packaging of her products, especially her eye palettes. If you are going to charge $65 for eye shadow, at least make the packaging look less cheap and tacky. I understand that it is her own brand she founded, but do you really have to include a photo of your yourself on almost everything? I don’t know of any other brand that does this. Her stuff is overpriced for someone who is just an Instagram beauty guru. I might as well spend my money on NARS products for that price.
    BH Cosmetics – I have a tried a variety of their products and it all sucked. Quality wasn’t there at all – but I guess that is why their products are cheap.

  • E

    Tarte Cosmetics – Their customer service is horrible. I am subscribed to their mailing list and am annoyed with the multiple emails I get from them daily with their gimmicky, child-like advertisements. Their products and branding is sub-par and not unique. What exactly is Tarte’s aesthetic and who is their target audience? They feel very gimmicky. I feel like they have really changed their branding since they first launched. Their current designs and packaging looks cheap and not worth the high price. I dislike their packaging. They haven’t done anything new or innovative and they seem to struggle to keep up with other mid-range brands that put out consistently good products. Tarte feels very average to me in terms of their style, design, and products. The only thing Tarte is known for is their Shape Tape. Other than that, they haven’t put out anything new that is above average in terms of quality. They seem to operate on a quantity over quality mindset. They are always releasing new, sub-par products and they play it safe too much by sticking to the same eyeshadow range in all of their eye palettes. I decided to not purchase from Tarte any more.

    Urban Decay – I was never really into Urban Decay’s grungy, alternative aesthetic. Having said that, I was interested in their Naked palettes and purchased Naked 1 and 3. I say this because I was very disappointed in the quality of these Naked palettes. I do not understand how they could be $54 and be the most dry, powdery eyeshadows I have ever used in my life. They also have the most fallout out of any of my eye palettes I own, and I own quite a bit from various brands. The pigmentation just wasn’t there either no matter how much I tried to pack on. I don’t know if I received a bad batch or what, but my experience with those eye palettes left a bitter taste in my mouth and I likely won’t ever purchase anything from Urban Decay again.

    Jeffree Star Cosmetics – I just dislike Jeffree and his aesthetic is not my style. The packaging of his cosmetics looks dreadful and tacky to me. Although I do like the honest, blunt reviews he gives on his YouTube channel on products and brands. Not many makeup artists and beauty gurus do that.

    KVD Beauty – I am just not into the gothic style and aesthetic of her brand. There’s just something about her that is so off-putting to me. I also refuse to support someone who is against vaccinations.

    Smashbox – There is nothing about this brand that stands out to me. Their products don’t seem interesting and their primers are overrated.

    Huda Beauty – Quality and packaging of her cosmetics does not match the price. Her eye palettes are overrated. I can’t stand the packaging of her products, especially her eye palettes. If you are going to charge $65 for eyeshadow, at least make the packaging look less cheap and tacky. I understand that it is her own brand she founded, but do you really have to include a photo of your yourself on almost everything? I don’t know of any other brand that does this. Her stuff is overpriced for someone who is just an Instagram beauty guru. I might as well spend my money on NARS products for that price.

    BH Cosmetics – I have a tried a variety of their products and it all just sucked. Quality wasn’t there at all – but I guess that is why their products are cheap.

  • Saoirse

    I would have to say that Kat Von D has made my hate list. I used to buy her products and have quite a lot of it, but after her anti-vax and other statements, I cannot support her anymore. Also, I never have and never will go near anything Kardashian/Jenner-related. Ever.

    I was surprised by all the Tarte-hate, as I have several Tarte products that I adore, including Shape Tape, Lights Camera Lashes, and a couple of eye palettes. But I haven’t really been driven to buy any new releases by Tarte in a very long time.

  • kjh

    Ooh, i’ve been in hate with Makeup Geek for so long, that I forgot about it, and the products (massive shitton, from the startup for a few years) are at the bottom of a Z palette pig pile. They doubled half my order. I sent that back unopened. Never replied to emails, requests, even a photo of my return receipt. FTS. Marlena lost a good customer; watched her even before she had a line. (Christine, the Muse, Marlena, and Cora/vintage or tacky…they were the pioneers). It was their mistake. Guess what? No more opportunities to make them, MUG. FOAD.

  • Amanda

    I don’t see that anyone has mentioned this yet but Too Faced is NOTORIOUS for re-using old shades and slapping a new name on them. Or just keeping the name as is and throwing it in every palette. Satin sheets? Lace teddy? Seen it a million and one times. Their launches are awful and the only quality product they’ve released since the OG peach palette was the Born This Way contour concealer, which was a total surprise.

    KVD has probably the greatest skinny brow pencil I’ve ever tried but the rest of her brand is trash.

    Unpopular opinion but… I don’t love Fenty. Don’t hate them, either, I am just over the hype. Her products are good, not life changing. And NOT worth some of these price tags. $60 for a body oil this past summer?! BYE. Also over the use of the word “universal”� for her lip shades. They aren’t, not sorry.

    • kjh

      The brand amped up the 40 shades/inclusion thing, and I totally agree. Foundations, concealers, the whole gig. IN THEORY. No Fenty foundation comes even close to matching me, and I’m pretty ordinary.. The ‘cool’ ones look like yellow paint. SA: I think that is actually the worst color match I ever saw. Are you sure you picked the right one?’ Yup, light to medium cool side..all dreadful. But I hardly hate the brand. I think the truth is there is no such thing as universal.

    • Magenta Wilde

      Agreed on Fenty. Best thing is it drew attention that beauty needs to go beyond light and medium foundation colors. But L’Oreal has had a pretty good lineup for years at a third of the price, to cite one example. The Fenty line is cute, but it’s for young gals, not forty something me.

  • Brandy

    I’m hate the makeup products sold at Sally Beauty. I’ve tried Palladio, Femme Couture, their new line Collab. It all sucks plus the prices are steep for the awful quality. I haven’t had a lot of luck with NYX products, their displays are confusing and Ulta is always out of stock of their products anyways. I’m honestly not a fan of mid range makeup like Tarte and Too Faced. Their quality control is all over the place and I’ve found drugstore products that far surpass them for much cheaper. All of Tarte’s pallets look the same to me so idk why they need to release a new one every week. I’ve never tried KVD or Lime Crime, but everyone seems to hate them so I guess I will too. Lol.

  • Liz

    Glad you asked, Muse! I’m really going to get up on my high horse for this one, bear with me.

    The only brands I truly ‘hate’ are Kylie Cosmetics, and KKW Beauty. Although I have never tried the products, to me they embody the beauty industry’s most distressing elements: The aspirational element, the shameless markup, and the catering to young (often preteen and teen) girls’ insecurities and poor money management.

    The Kylie lip products I find especially depressing. It’s been openly admitted that Kylie has had cosmetic surgery on her lips, so the aspiration of teen girls wanting “lips like Kylie’s”� so they are going to buy a ‘lip kit’ is ludicrous. Second, Kylie has admitted that her brand is private labelled Colourpop. So why have we been brainwashed into paying 4x as much for the same product because it has the name “Kylie”� on it? It’s like a dystopian nightmare.

    I don’t want to hate on the Kardashians, although Kylie in particular, I do not think is a good example to teenage girls, who tend to be her biggest fans. Her entrepreneur spirit maybe is good, but I think she became very sexualized and in the public eye at a super young age, and I’m not comfortable with 16 year old bodies being objects of sexual desire used to sell mark-uped drug store makeup.

    Lastly, it was pure greed on the part of the Kardashians to create these brands. They are millionaires many times over, and did not ‘need’ to become cosmetic conglomerates. I would rather buy from an indie brand, someone who really made it their business, not just the extension of a personal franchise.

    X

  • Magenta Wilde

    I can’t say I hate any brand but like someone else posted I’m also not into social media influencers. I don’t like the aesthetic of makeup to mask rather than enhance, which seems to be what they’re mostly about.
    I avoid Too Faced though because I get tired of product s like Glow Job. My sense of humor is crude but that’s just tacky for a pricey product in particular. I also hate their scented, like peach etc. products and others who add fragrance especially to skin care since fragrance can be a huge irritant.
    Kat Von D I now avoid because of the anti-vax comments and for some reason her wedding excess irked me. For someone vegan it was still a lot of plastic and waste, IMO.
    I’ve never tried Charlotte Tilbury but the ingredients in her products seem rather ordinary for the price.
    I’m also angry with Maybelline for their perfumed lipsticks. I want them because the formula is nice and the colors are great but the smell makes my nose and throat burn. I still buy that undereye concealer though..l

  • Jennifer Roten

    Makeup Revolution… I thought I would fall in love with their dupes…not so much

    Milk Makeup! I am tired of the trend of everything on a stick!

    Lancome… Underwhelmed by their products

    Estee Lauder.. Love the Double wear foundation , everything else is way too scented

    Anything Ulta Brand Cosmetics… Nope Nope and Nope

    • Brandy

      Makeup Revolution is great in theory and I like their vivid baked highlighter, but I just can’t seem to use their other products. Their face primer and eyeshadows make me itch so bad. I have no idea what ingredients are causing it, but I’ve never had such an adverse reaction to makeup.

  • Onyx

    Replace everything you said about Tarte with Too Faced and I’m right there with you.

    • Isabella Muse

      haha ;-D I think a lot of people have a lot hate for TF! They are a little overexposed and ridiculous at times!

  • Jen

    Lime Crime, Kat Von D, for obvious reasons, Tarte for more than the obvious–they promote natural ingredients (or used to at least; they fell off my radar right after the clay blushes launched years ago), but a lot of those ingredients were not hypoallergenic or otherwise incredibly histamine reactive.

    In general with a lot of brands I really hate heavily fragranced makeup, unethical and/or outdated testing practices and wastefulness–whether it’s with gimmicky packaging, use of plastics or just multiple overwhelming launches.

  • Bonnie

    I never did see the big deal about Clinique. Their stuff never worked for me and I think there are drugstore brands that are better for that “quality.”

    I also keep trying Burt’s Bees (which i know is a big conglomerate now) every so often, but nothing works as well as I want it to.

    Supergoop was hyped and it just turned my face into a greasy mess!

    I haven’t been following Kat Von D the way I used to and am shocked and appalled to hear about these things! Won’t be buying from her line anymore, that’s for sure.

  • Emily

    I’m going in. Straight up. Fenty.

    First, there *are* other lines with as many or even more foundation shade selections, and likely more user friendly than this brand’s formula has been. I have 130 and in the humid summers it’s just ok. I look unnaturally matte if I wear it alone any other time of the year. And I hear so much about how the brand makes specific primers that make their products work best (especially the foundation). Umm…no. That’s shady all around. Each of your products should be able to stand alone in performance and ‘play nice’ with other brands.
    I can’t stand the chalkiness of the Matchstix, which *really* sucks because one shade was *spot.on.* for me. That and it didn’t provide much coverage. The mini stick pair I ordered came disconnected from the container. And the formula was STILL chalky.
    The lip paints *do* bleed and are not transfer proof. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
    Finally, the eye shades are so ‘out there’ and glittery for the most part that it just puts me off.
    I will say I enjoyed the consistency of the Mattemoiselle lipsticks. Griselda is a surprisingly wearable burgundy which doesn’t overwhelm your look.

    Ok I’ve said my piece. Lots love it, and that’s perfectly fine. I’m personally…just not impressed.