I was going to do a full “worst products of 2025” post, but honestly I didn’t have enough fails to do one. It was an amazing makeup year, and I’ve had way more great products than bad ones. That said, I’ve been collecting the products that really didn’t work for me in a bin all year, and these are the five that really stood out as not working for me (and what I’d recommend instead). In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own.
Instead of the Sephora Collection Color Shifter Strange Botanicals Palette, Try the Half Magic Eyeshadow Singles – This palette is such a cool concept. I bought it on sale because it was really inexpensive, and I thought it would be a fun way to try Sephora Collection palettes. But all of the mattes are patchy, hard to blend, and super uneven. The shimmer shade is fine, but pretty flat. It’s the kind of palette that makes you feel like you’re really bad at doing your makeup, and then you remember you own other shadows that basically apply themselves (like my beloved Byredo Bibilophilia palette).
The one topper shifter shade in the palette is actually really pretty (it’s the fifth shade in). It’s smooth, shifty, and performs well. But I think it’s better to just find your perfect shifty topper and buy that because you probably already own a bunch of mattes you love that perform way better. Specifically, I would recommend the Half Magic single shadows, especially since they have way more shades to choose from. I have Blushing Lizard, Wet Pebble, and Sparkle Puff. Look how much prettier and sparklier and smooth they are than the Sephora Collection Shades. I’d rather buy one amazing topper that can also be a gorgeous single shadow than buy a whole palette where I only reach for one pan.
Instead of the Make Beauty Heat Stroke Blush, Try the the Make Beauty Cream Stroke Blush – I wanted to love the dewy Make Beauty Heat Stroke Blush stick especially since I have dry skin. The formula ended up being more work than I want to do with a blush stick. The formula can get patchy and a little sticky, and even though the finish is nicely dewy, I don’t love how it sits on my skin. It also was really hard for me to find a shade that I thought would work well with my olive undertones, and even with Swelter being the best option I could find, it still doesn’t feel quite right on me.
The Cream Stroke Blush sticks, though, I’m so happy with. I have Major Mauve and Hypernude, and I love this formula so much more. It’s easy to swipe on, easy to blend, and the finish is blurring without being too matte. It’s not sticky at all and lasts much longer than the Heat Stroke blush. The shades also actually look great with my olive undertones. Major Mauve is a terracotta leaning mauve (they describe it as an “Earthy Mauve”) that works perfectly with my olive undertones. Hypernude is peachy beige that definitely leans orange/warm on me but is perfect for when I want to do a warm look on purpose because it doesn’t go all the way to Cheeto orange like a lot of blushes do. I’m so glad they came out with this new blush stick formula, and I’m planning on grabbing Chroma for the summer. If you’re looking for something dewier that has a great formula, I’d recommend the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dewy Flush.
Instead of the Ulta Beauty Collection Pressed Finishing Powder, Try the Canmake Abloom Face Powder – I was really excited about this one because I am always hunting for great affordable powders, and powders are my most read category on here. On my skin, the Ulta Beauty Collection finishing powder looked textured and drying without actually doing anything blurring, smoothing, or setting. It also feels a little too pigmented to work as a soft-focus finishing powder. If you’re looking for an Hourglass or Givenchy style powder, this is not the one. If you want to something similarly affordable that is actually a great finishing powder, I’ve been loving the Canmake Abloom Face Powder in shade 3. I’ve been using it just as much as my favorite luxury pressed powder from Givenchy, and it’s been working the exact same. Related, I’ll be doing a bunch of KBeauty reviews soon – let me know if there’s any products or brands you’re interested in reading about!
Instead of the e.l.f. Black Cherry Sheer Slick Lipstick, Try the Finding Ferdinand Delicious Balms – This one is supposedly a dupe for Clinique Black Honey, and I have worn variations of this shade family for years. Now that I understand my undertones and color theory better, I can see why it has always felt slightly off on me. I also know that it turns weirdly orange on some of you, and generally just isn’t a universal shade. Beyond the shade, I really do not like this formula. It feels a little drying, it does not apply as smoothly as I want a “sheer easy balm lipstick” to apply, it can look patchy, and it’s just not comfortable. And honestly, I didn’t love the original Clinique Black Honey formula either for the same reasons.
The Finding Ferdinand Delicious Balms are absolutely what I’d recommend instead (and you can use my affiliate code liftbakelove10 for a discount.)I showed the Black Balm and Lucky Cat in the swatches, but there are more shades if you’re looking for something warmer, cooler, more berry, more lavender, etc. The formula is so much better. They go on smoothly, feel comfortable, actually nourish the lips, and they smell amazing. The shades feel more dialed-in and nuanced than all the Black Honey dupes, and it’s much easier to find something that works for your undertones. I also like mixing the Black Balm and Lucky Cat to get a deeper black cherry tone that works for me.
Instead of the Ulta Beauty Collection 5-Pan Eyeshadow Palettes, Try the Colourpop 9-Pan Palettes – Ulta’s small 5-pan palettes are absolutely fine for an affordable eyeshadow palette. There’s nothing terribly wrong with the one I have, but it’s also just not amazing. And since they’re $14, and ColourPop’s 9-pan palettes are also $14, I would go with a ColourPop 9 pan every time. Not only because the formula is better, but you also get more shades. The eyeshadows are easier to use, have more consistent pigmentation, and overall just more fun to work with. Hopefully you can see how the mattes in the ColourPop shades are smoother and more pigmented and the shimmers are sparklier. Both brands go on sale often, but even at full price, I would choose ColourPop every time for the formula. If you’re willing to spend a little more for a mini palette that feels truly high quality, I love the Natasha Denona minis. I absolutely love the Mini Retro and Mini Glam palettes, and I would happily spend the extra $10 for any of those.
What other products would you like me to review? Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here, and thanks for reading! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog and some products may have been gifted, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.
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