My Worst SEPHORA Purchases of 2020 | Money Was Wasted

In my last post, I highlighted some of the best products I purchased from SEPHORA over the course of the year. And in this post, we’re talking about my worst SEPHORA purchases in 2020. Ya’ll … money was wasted. So unlike the previous post full of recommendations, this group of products is makeup you should probably just skip.

My Worst SEPHORA Purchases of 2020

NARS Ignited Eyeshadow Palette: I slept on the 2018 holiday collection from NARS, the Studio 54 inspired collection. That Inferno palette was beautiful and full of shades I love, golds/reds/bronzes. So when I was intrigued by the 2019 holiday palette, Ignited, I eventually bought it. I didn’t want to kick myself again. But I wish I hadn’t. The color story is beautiful, full of duochromatic pinks and purples and peach tones. The color way really spoke to me. And then I got it.

Firstly, the promo photos make this so much more tempting than it looks IRL. The photos made it seem dynamic and versatile. But when I got this in my hands, all of the shades looked the same. It was missing the variety I hoped for. Now, the mattes in this palette are beautiful. They blend easily and look beautiful on the eye. But there are only 3 of them, so that doesn’t save this palette.

The shimmers were disappointing and lackluster. They were flaky and chalky and didn’t have any kind of impact or dimension on the eye. I’m not someone who talks shit on fallout, but the fallout from these shadows was because the glitter was so loose and separate from the pigment. I wanted to love this, but I don’t. And for $59, I wish I’d have passed.

Bite Beauty Changemaker Skin Optimizing Primer (Normal to Dry Skin)*: This launched with the Changemaker Foundation, which I also wasn’t a huge fan of. But I can get on with the foundation and still use it from time to time. But I just don’t like this primer at all. I picked up the version to normal to dry skin, and I swear it made my skin look even more dry and flaky than it did without the primer. I have other primers I swear by, and definitely would forgo this one if I did it over.

Bite Beauty Changemaker Skin Optimizing Primer*, $38, sephora.com

You may interested in this review: Bite Beauty Changemaker Micellar Foundation Review

Patrick Ta Major Beauty Headlines Lipstick in “She’s Not From Here*”: Lipstick is one of my favorite makeup items ever. It always has been. And I am a sucker for a bright, orange based red. But I don’t like this one. The color is that gorgeous firey red I love, but the formula just doesn’t do it for me. It’s kind of that powdery velvet matte formula, and I don’t mind that. I just find it moves and smudges and just doesn’t fade well. I don’t enjoy wearing this like I do other lipsticks in similar colors or formulas.

Patrick Ta Lipstick in She’s Not From Here*, $32, sephora.com

Patrick Ta Major Beauty Headlines Lip Liner in “She’s Not From Here*”: Same thing goes for the lip liner of the same name. It’s a gorgeous color. And honestly it’s easy to spread onto the lip as an all over lip color, which I appreciate in a liner. But I just find this one, be it the formula or just the color, slips around the lip and outside of the lip line. It just doesn’t fade well and ends up looks sloppy. And I just don’t like that, especially when I have other liners that don’t do that.

Patrick Ta She’s Not From Here Lip Liner*, $26, sephora.com

Slip Silk Headband*: I just picked this up during the last SEPHORA VIB sale, and I kind of wish I hadn’t. Actually I wish I’d have gotten the other knotted headband* instead of this one. I love the Slip pillowcases for my hair as I find I experience a lot less breakage, tangles, and creasing. So I wanted this to do the same thing when pushing my hair out of my face during washing/makeup application. But I don’t like this. It slips off my head; it’s really hard to keep still. I also find my hair creases badly beneath this. In the short time I’ve had it, I don’t reach for it often. And it’s expensive. It’s like $55. It was a total miss for me.

Slip Silk Headband*, $55, sephora.com

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I don’t like wasting money, but sometimes you just buy some duds. And these worst SEPHORA purchases were major duds for me. Have you used any of these products, and what were your thoughts on them?

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