My Worst Beauty Purchases in 2014

I'm a consumer first and foremost. My money, my opinion. While there are products that sent me to nirvana countless times, there are those that disappointed me beyond reasonable doubt last year. I'm generally forgiving but if I spent considerable amount, I look for acceptable quality if not perfection. Ready to read my worst purchases? There's a runner-up and grand winner...

The runner-up award goes to Boscia Luminizing Black Mask ($34, 2.8 oz), a peel-off mask supposedly. It claims to detoxify, purify and brighten the face. 

Misleading, what more can I say? Put less in your face (as written in the box) and you hardly peel anything. Put more and you're peeling your soul. Good luck if you accidentally put over your brows. I'm no noob to masks, I've tried aplenty so I know first hand if I did reap results or it's major tomfoolery. This one was a complete waste of money, just a black mask you slather on and pretend something is happening within those 20 minutes or so of "me-time". No brightening of sorts, it's neither detoxifying nor purifying. It lists Vitamin C and a unique clay discovered in France in the 1800's consisting of 67 minerals but the proof of the pudding is in the eating. If you've tried this and had better experience, good for you but count me out.

Ingredients: Water, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Glycereth-26, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Montmorillonite, Acrylates Copolymer, Polysorbate 20, Acrylates/Palmeth-25 Acrylate Copolymer, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Leaf Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Pinus Pinaster Bark/Bud Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Eucalyptus Citriodora Oil, Xanthan Gum, Iron Oxides (C.I. 77499).

...and the most (un)coveted award for the worst beauty purchase goes to... Charlotte Tilbury Brow Lift Three Way Lift, Shape and Shade Tool. Quite a mouthful but for Plain Jane, it's just an eyebrow definer with built-in brush and negligible highlighter.

Remember the case of the missing liner I posted back in October 2014? this has the driest texture thus creating the most unflattering eyebrows. It's so dry that you have to drag it and line heavily just to see some color. And the worst thing that happened? it broke on my third attempt to use it. And the worst EVER thing that happened? it disappeared in oblivion as if some dark forces connived to insult me more. I even feared that my furry baby may have eaten it. Surprise surprise, when I decluttered my woman cave not too long ago, I found the teeny weeny liner tucked behind my dresser after all this time!  Oh well at least now I can show you that it was a total ripoff, considering the amount of product in it. Mind you, this flimsy and low-quality product is worth $30. 

Photos don't lie. That's all you get from this eyebrow product. Add $14 and you get thicker and more bang for your buck with Tom Ford Brow Sculptor. I pay for quality, who doesn't? But don't get me wrong, I do love me some Charlotte Tilbury; in fact the Filmstar Bronze and Glow (sculpt/highlighting kit) and Kissing Fallen from the Lipstick Tree in Hepburn Honey made it to my top beauty releases in 2014. So offhand, we can all agree that high-end does not always equate to ooohs and aaahs. Horrid experience charged to ailing wallet.

What about you? do you have any horror stories to share when it comes to your own beauty purchases? Warn me please!