The Makeup I Didn't Buy | 5 Things I Regret & 5 I Don't

There are so many new beauty launches that it's easy to get whipped up in the hype and feel like you have to buy EVERYTHING! Today I thought I'd do a fun little post looking back on the products I missed out on: the ones I still shed a tear over and the ones I'm glad I didn't just run out and buy. Hope you enjoy...



The ones I regret not buying

Anastasia Beverly Hills Master by Mario Eyeshadow Palette 

Image via: Ulta.com

Why oh why oh why didn't I just buy the damn palette when I had the chance?! To be fair, at the time this was released I only had the Modern Renaissance from Anastasia and it was being somewhat neglected by me, so I guess I didn't want to rush out and spend another £42 on something I might not use. However Anastasia is one of the few brands that says 'limited edition' and means it! (Much to my anguish in this post...) I love their formula so much - it does kick up a lot of fallout, however I can live with that for that pigmentation and ease of blending. I also find their eyeshadows to last really well on me. Soft Glam has since become indispensable to me. The colour story from the Mario palette truly speaks to my soul! It's so rich-toned and decadent - you get these beautiful warm tones with some stunning shimmers and also the green and blue to add a bit of a pop of colour to the look, which is something I love doing these days. I'm too scared to try and buy it online because there are lots of fakes floating around (plus it's pretty old at this point) but if they ever brought this back as a super-special one-time-only thing; I'd be all over it. Until then, I'll be over here sobbing over my shattered dreams...

Check out my reviews of the Soft Glam and Modern Renaissance palettes here. 

Becca Afterglow Palette

Image via: Temptalia.com

I think this was released when I was fresh out of uni and didn't have a good job, so I agonised for ages over buying it before talking myself out of the purchase! Little did I know this would be one of about two occasions where Becca doesn't make a limited release permanent. I know it isn't a total knockout just looking at it in the pan but I would've used these shades to death on an everyday basis! I actually picked up their Gradient Glow to somewhat fill the void left by not buying this... I love their stunning, legendary Shimmering Skin Perfector pressed formula - it gives a dewy and intense highlight. I'm also a huge fan of their luminous-matte Mineral Blushes. In here you got Moonstone (a very pale gold highlight), Rose Gold (I have a mini of this now, which I LOVE), Topaz (a deep, unique antique gold highlight), Wild Honey (a perfect neutral blush you can't even buy as a single in the UK any more) and Flower Child (a more vibrant pink blusher shade). These would have been my my perfect tones in my favourite formulas and I really wish I'd picked this palette up!

I've done a ton of Becca reviews - you can take a look here.

Melt Gemini Eyeshadow Palette

Image via: Temptalia.com

It'd been a long time since I'd felt a beauty brand had come out with something new and exciting eyeshadow-wise when Melt dropped this number! It was touted as limited edition and never coming back (though they later went back on that) but I guess I just snoozed on it. I really don't make impulse purchases these days and like to take some time to consider if something's going to be worth it - so it that sense I can't be too annoyed. I've been wanting to try their formula for a long time and did consider getting the Twenty Seven Palette they released afterwards, but the colours weren't as unique, so instead I bought the dupes Angela Mary Tanner on Instagram found in her singles collection and I'm really happy with them. So, if you also missed out, that's a way of introducing these kinds of green warm tones into your makeup looks. These colours take me outside my comfort zone whilst still looking 'me'. Maybe one day I'll finally try Melt's eyeshadow formula...

Check out my swatches and thoughts on my Gemini dupe palette here.

Nars Douceur Blush

Image via: LookFantastic.com

To this day, I still see people talk about how this nude-mauve blusher is their perfect everyday shade that they reach for all the time. I love a subtle cheek look and this Nars shade was hailed as one of the greats in that respect! Back in the day, Nars was THE brand for blushers, which made me even more frustrated that I didn't get my hands on this before it was discontinued. I'm sure I have similar shades in my collection, but the unobtainable nature of Douceur means I still think about it from time to time....

I did a post on my favourite subtle blushers, which you can check out here.

Anastasia x Nicole Guerriero Glow Kit

Image via: Letstalkbeauty.co.uk

Not that I need more highlighters in my life...ever....but this is definitely the one that got away for me! I love the Anastasia Glow Kit I have - the formula is so dewy and blinding, giving incredible impact whilst having a super-smooth texture - and these shades are stunning. These are just the perfect colours for my skin tone and I love how warm they are. I think this is a product I just snoozed on and then it was gone! I think what initially held me back was the fact I had the That Glow Glow Kit already and just couldn't see myself using up six gigantic pans. It didn't look like a very travel-friendly palette, though I suppose the current Glow Kits aren't either. My regrets led me to purchase the ColourPop Gimme More palette because it looked pretty similar, however the formula just doesn't compare!

Check out my review of the Sun Dipped Glow Kit here.

The ones I don't regret not buying

Morphe x Jaclyn Hill Vault Collection 

Image via: Collectionsbestdeals.com

I think the fact I was even considering buying these palettes is a testament to how the hype had impaired my decision-making abilities - I don't even like Morphe shadows! To be fair, Jaclyn did make a big thing about her formula being different and the praise her original palette got on release seemed to back that up. I'd always been put off my Morphe's penchant for huuuuuge palettes but these were only £15 each and much more manageable, plus in far better packaging. I also really liked the colour stories of these - I'd had my eye on both the pink-toned and yellow-toned palettes. Jaclyn had explained that these shades were leftovers from her original Morphe collab, so you'd think they'd have the formulas perfected and it would be a simple case of replicating it on a larger scale? Apparently not! They did all of the marketing, built up of the all the hype and then the palettes went out to influencers and...the reviews were not good. The formula seemed patchy and difficult to work with. The release was quickly pulled and just a few short weeks later, the 'new' palettes went on sale. I just don't buy that they could've repressed all of those shadows and made them good in that period of time. I'm so glad I didn't jump in and buy these palettes because now the hype has died down and the buzz of something shiny and new has faded; I just don't want them that much any more, no matter how good the 'new' version is. My distaste towards this brand has just been reinforced by the entire debacle!

I talked a bit about my feelings on Morphe in my palette declutter, which you can read here.

Huda Beauty Faux Filter Foundation

Image via: Cultbeauty.com

When this foundation launched, I feel as though Huda was at the height of her brand's buzz and I'd never not loved a product from her (to be fair, I can still say this is true). I was honestly in a place where I'd buy her products without reading a single review, which isn't something I can say about many brands! I only didn't buy this because I don't wear full coverage foundation that often, so I don't need more than a handful of them. However this foundation got a bit of a mixed reaction - I feel the general vibe is that it looks amazing once applied but has some questionable ingredients that break a lot of people out. I already have great evening foundations that agree with my skin, so this just wasn't worth the risk and I'm glad I didn't just run out and purchase it.

I've reviewed some of Huda's other products here.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Subculture Eyeshadow Palette

Image via: Cultbeauty.com

The infamous Subculture palette... I honestly can't fault the intentions of this launch - I think Norvina (the daughter of Anastasia and the Creative Director of the brand) was trying to create the most pigmented palette ever but they ended up compromising user-friendliness in the process, creating shadows that weren't pressed firmly enough and kicked up crazy amounts of fallout. I'm sure most of you will have seen the videos of YouTubers hitting pan within a couple of uses on certain shades! These weren't my sort of shades at the time but looking at the colours now, had there not been a huge debacle over this palette, I'd likely have picked it up without reading reviews on the basis of Anastasia's name being synonymous with quality. I do really appreciate they tried to do something different here but I also heard complaints that the shades tend to muddy together, again meaning it's not really going to be something for your everyday consumer. It's such a shame because I think a lot of people are wary of ABH's new launches now, in case we get another Subculture!

I've reviewed my Anastasia eyeshadow palettes here. 

Natasha Denona Mini Sunset Eyeshadow Palette

Image via: Musingsofamuse.com

I've honestly wanted to try the Natasha Denona eyeshadow formula for forever but it's famously pricey, so a mini palette definitely appealed to me. The Sunset palette is one of her big ones that will set you back £111 and is filled with gorgeous warm tones. This mini edition captures that vibe in a smaller, more purse-friendly palette (just $25, which is under £20) - you can easily create an entire look with these colours (albeit it's not the most versatile thing in the world). However the reviews came in and they weren't exactly positive! It doesn't seem as though this palette is of the same high quality as her others, so I'm glad I didn't rush out and buy this on the strength of the name. Instead, I decided to pick up a ColourPop dupe of the original Sunset palette and will try one of her £40ish 5 pan palettes when one comes along that really speaks to me.

Check out my ColourPop Yes Please review here. 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Ultimate Glow Kit

Image via: Cultbeauty.com

This palette launched after the initial Glow Kits and I think we all kind of assumed it would be the same formula as them, given that it's part of the same line! I was ready to purchase this because these kinds of gold hues are just my sort of thing, and when this palette launched ,I had a lot less of them in my collection. I still think this is a gorgeous selection if you don't have that many highlighters, however based on the reviews the formula just doesn't seem up to scratch! A lot of people say it's chunky and glittery, which is the opposite of my other Glow Kits. I now have the Sun Dipped and I'm really happy with that.

Check out my review of the Sun Dipped Glow Kit here.

Have you got any regrets about products you didn't buy or any beauty bits you held off on and you're glad you did?

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