Not so lustworthy after all

Have you ever had a crush that ended in disappointment? Lusted after a guy (or girl) for weeks or months, only to realize the fantasy was better than the reality? I’m pretty sure it happens to all of us at one time or another. When I look back, I realize I had pretty good taste in guys, with the notable exclusions of a couple of losers I dated briefly (very briefly) in college.

Beauty products are similarly lustworthy. Slick packaging, strong word of mouth, beauty gurus’ reviews, company reputations … all of these things conspire to convince us that, yes, we absolutely must have certain makeup, hair care and skin care items.

As the number of my Instagram followers grows and I improve my makeup skills, I receive more and more messages from women saying, “I bought (insert product name) because you like it.” I take those messages seriously; I sincerely don’t want to lead people wrong. While some products work well for certain individuals and others don’t, you can count on me to tell the truth — and here’s the truth about four products from well-known companies:

• Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser: I used this for a week or so, then shoved it in a drawer. Why? Simple reason: It doesn’t take all of my makeup off, even when I use a micellar water to pre-cleanse.
• Zelen’s Z Pure Cleansing Balm: It’s not particularly cleansing and it’s not at all balmy. I like my cleansing balms to feel thick and emollient on my face — to have that slippery, sliding, soothing texture. Z Pure fails on all of these points. I’m sticking with Sunday Riley Blue Moon Tranquility Balm, which is heavenly. I also like Jordan Samuel Skin Plié Cleanser.
• Vichy Idealia Skin Sleep: I love sleeping masks. It’s so luxurious to apply a product that repairs your skin while you sleep. This one, though, didn’t repair my skin. Instead, it left it irritated and red. Surprising, given that I don’t have particularly sensitive skin.
• Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Lashes: I bought this mascara for two reasons. First, because I have other CT products that I love. Second, because it was getting rave early reviews from some of the YouTubers I follow. Let me be clear: I don’t like this mascara. At all. It leaves big, black smudges of transferred product under my eyes, every time. I don’t have oily skin and this isn’t a common problem for me, so I have to blame the formula.

So there you go. My honest, unfiltered opinions about four products from respected companies. Again, what doesn’t work for me might work for you, but these four items went from lustworthy to losers in my book.