Let’s continue my 2024 end of year series with easily my spiciest post. That’s right, we have to talk about the beauty products that let me down in 2024. And because I tried so many new products last year, I actually have enough fails to do a Bottom 10 for the very first time.
Now, my reasons for not liking these products will obviously vary. Some had a fatal flaw that prevented me from fully embracing them. Some just didn’t work for me. And one caused me actual physical harm. But you’ll have to stick around for that one.
Like last year, these are ranked. The ranking is based on how I feel about them as of when I’m typing this. And as always, if you like any of these products, please put down your pitchforks and torches. I love that you love these. They just didn’t work for me. Now, let’s get to the not so gentle roasting!
In 10th place, we have the SWEET TOOTH BY SABRINA CARPENTER EDP – $39.99. Now, on paper, this is a fragrance that is made for a sugar junkie like me. With it containing notes of Marshmallow, Vanilla, and Chocolate. I love all of those thing. And I do love the way that this smells. But after 15 minutes, it’s like I haven’t put on perfume at all. This has no lasting power on me. I’ve sprayed this on my clothes, on freshly moisturised skin, on the fragrance points. Doesn’t matter. It doesn’t last. And it breaks my heart. Because this perfume is massively hyped up in the Aussie fragrance space. And it took me ages to finally get my hands on it. If you want a fragrance that has similar notes and a kickass staying power, I still love and recommend Eilish By Billie Eilish.
In ninth place, we have the MILK MAKEUP MATTE BRONZER – $42.00. Like the Sweet Tooth fragrance, I quite like this bronzer. The shade is a good match for me, it blends nicely, and it has pretty good wear throughout the day. My issue, however, is that mine broke after maybe three weeks of use. And as a result, the push up mechanism no longer works. And I’ve been at the point where I can’t get anymore product out for a while now. I’ve since heard that has been a very common issue since Milk changed the packaging a few years back. It’s somewhat galling that a product that costs that much can break and become functionally useless so easily. I do plan on scooping whatever bronzer is left into a pan of some sort. But I won’t be buying this again until the packaging is fixed.
Eighth place, we have the MECCA MAX LIFE PROOF CREAM CONCEALER – $24.00. And we are now in the portion of the empties where I can honestly say that these products aren’t for me. Now, this concealer has got pretty great coverage. But on my undereyes, it feels so thick and heavy. And because it has a slight tackiness to it, I found it difficult to blend. Worst of all, it creases really quickly on me. I look older when I use this concealer. Thank goodness Mecca Max came out with the Off Duty Concealer in 2024, because I would have had a bad time if this was the only concealer that they had.
In seventh place, it’s the MAYBELLINE LIFTER PLUMP PLUMPING LIP GLOSS – $23.99. And here is where I need you guys to start holding me accountable with the purchases I make. You see, I buy these spicy, chili infused lip glosses thinking that I’ll like them. And I never do. This one was especially awful because it found every crack and dry spot on my lips and burned the ever loving piss out of them. Which I know is the point. But I don’t notice any real difference in my lips looking any bigger. The OG Lifter Glosses do a better job, in my opinion.
Well, it was nice having you follow me, Nyx Cosmetics. In sixth place, I picked the NYX COSMETICS THE BROW GLUE – $16.99. This formula is kind of a mess for me. This formula doesn’t set down. It leaves my brows feeling tacky and it does nothing as far as them staying in place. Worst of all, it leaves my brows with a milky white tint to them. I’ve heard that the tinted version of this is pretty good. But I can’t recommend this.
Now it’s rant time. My fifth place goes to the BEAUTYBLENDER ORIGINAL – $34.00. Now, I have my thoughts and opinions on duping. But as far as I’m concerned, brands can continue to dupe this trash until the cows come home. I used 1200 Sephora points on 2 of these and wow, was that ever a waste of points. The sponge is so freaking small, but the shape is too long. I hate how this feels in my hand. Textually, it’s a nightmare for me. But it’s shithouse at blending anything. I feel like it just moves the product around rather than blending it out, if that makes sense. It’s the height of audacity that BeautyBlender is charging that much for a sponge that is pretty ineffectual. I’ll be sticking to the $10 Mecca Max one.
Fourth place is the ESSENCE SUN CLUB MATT BRONZING POWDER. I know that this has been discontinued here in Australia. But I didn’t want to end 2024 without putting the boot into this bronzer one more time. This stuff is impossible to pick up onto a brush. I have to swirl and swirl to get anything. And on the rare times that I do, this is patchy and orange. It’s also not matte. It has a weird glow to it. Worst drugstore product of 2024 by a large mile.
Which means my bottom three are all high end. In third place, I have the LYS BEAUTY LASH CONFIDENCE MASCARA – $32.00 (review here). This one I reviewed earlier in the year, so I can keep this brief. I feel like the potential for a good mascara is here. But the wand is such a strange shape and the formula is way too thick and gluggy for me to make it work.
My second worst goes to the FENTY BEAUTY EAZE DROP BLUR + SMOOTH TINT STICK – $52.00 (review here). Fenty actually had a great year with me (you’ll see on Tuesday). So let this be proof that I don’t always love what Fenty does. This was a mess. Waxy, difficult to blend formula that had no lasting power on me. The amount of times that I wore this only to wash it off an hour later cannot be counted. Easily my least favourite makeup product of the year.
But to be number one on this list, you need to go above and beyond with your awfulness. And when I sat down and thought about which product I was going to give this ‘title’, I asked myself one simple question. ‘What’s worse. Taking off a product because it makes you feel uncomfortable? Or having a product completely obliterate your skin barrier?’ My biggest disappointment of 2024 is the SUMMER FRIDAYS SHADEDROPS MINERAL MILK SPF 30 – $60.00.
I still remember the day I tried this for the first time. I applied it once in the morning before work and once again during my lunch break. 1/4 teaspoon like I always do with SPF products. And it was the only new product I had introduced into my routine that week. By midday, my face and ears were a little itchy. 3pm, my mum was asking me why my face was looking so flushed. And by 6pm, my skin felt scaly and the tingly burning sensation had fully set in. It was bad. And I knew immediately that this had to be the culprit. Because, as I said before, this was the only new thing I had added to my routine. It took weeks to get my skin back to normal. So, yeah. When the product causes a literal physical reaction like that, it can be the only choice for the biggest beauty disappointment of 2024.
And that is a wrap on the disappointments of 2024. I don’t really have any dishonourable mentions. There were other products I wasn’t fond of. But they weren’t bad enough to make it onto the list proper. In any case, I’m tired of being negative. Next week, the Best Of List’s will be in full swing. And I cannot wait! Let me know what beauty products didn’t work out for you in the comments.
Cheers and love
Emily xo