Ladies, we get bombarded left and right everyday through advertising. Lately, whenever I watch TV (only terrestrial channels) I’ve noticed popular skincare brand SK-II stepping up their commercial game. I can’t watch TV without once seeing their ad for the Facial Treatment Essence of the Cellumination Pixel White essence.
I am however, quite immune to the brand, popular as it is. Nothing they say could even vaguely pique my interest or get me to use the products. I used to use the products so I can speak from experience. I just could not get into it at all which is why I wavered and looked elsewhere. Ditto MAC Cosmetics. Try as I might (and I have been trying especially hard in these past 2 years), it is not a brand that interests me at all. Sorry, lovers of MAC. I just can’t!
I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling this so I’m curious if most of you have this sort of numbness towards some popular cosmetics brands too?
For myself, SK-II and MAC are the 2 primary very big, very popular brands out there amongst the skincare users and makeup users, that I hit a blind spot with and just can’t get into.
I never bought into Bobbi Brown either. The main reason I think is because I started out loving bright colours and Bobbi Brown just didn’t have what I wanted. By the time I mellowed and started looking into neutral colours, there were so many other options out there. I did use to collect the Shimmerbricks (had so many!) and I would love to get to know more about the brand because it would appear that they have some gems in their profile but I haven’t quite sussed out what.
Recently for me, Shu Uemura has also started to hit my blind spot. I was a huge huge fan of the brand when I started out more than 5 years ago. HUGE! I had so many of their eyeshadow singles and blushes because they were just amazing stuff. But with their most recent reformulations, I just felt they weren’t quite up to the standard I was used to anymore.
Oh and there’s Chanel too. I know they have their legion of fans – blogs are afire with every new Chanel release – but I haven’t been able to drum up enough interest to even take a look until its too late and the collection is sold out (bad blogger! 😛 ) Its certainly strange, considering I used to be a huge fan of their products before this.
These are just a few of the popular brands out there that I just can’t get into. I do still keep an eye on Chanel releases because some remnants of the interest remains. But I can safely say that SK-II and MAC definitely hit my blind spot. I guess that explains why you never see much if anything from those brands on my blog 😀
Your Say: Is there a popular cosmetics brand that you just can’t get into? Is there a reason why or is it just general indifference? In my case, as far as SK-II and MAC are concerned, its just general indifference.
Paris B
I’m like that with MAC lately too-I have a few staples that I love, but the new collections I’ve lost interest. Chanel-it depends for me. Same with Dior too-I’m not a fan of their eye palettes for some reason, but I love the bronzers they have. I think I’m just not a one brand kind of girl, although if I was going to stick to just one, it’d be Burberry or Guerlain I think.
I think MAC is killing it by going overboard in their limited edition releases every month. I don’t even know how/why they are doing it. Well actually I do. People buy into it don’t they? 😛 I like Dior eye palettes 😀 But then, I do like that sheer colour they tend to have, and their blushes! Don’t forget them 😉
MAC for me, definitely. I’ve tried the very popular SKII facial treatment essence and found it quite meh. Have not tried anything else in the brand but that’s more due to lack of funds than not liking anything else from it 🙂
I used to be an SK2 user. Up and down the whole skincare line. Burnt a giant hole in my wallet and saw no real improvements so I decided it was all hype and left it. My prejudice does come from experience 😀
MAC for me too! mostly because i never like their SAs. And SKII, oh for some reasons they just dont work on me!
Same here!!! I don’t like MAC’s SA at all!!! The SA made it sound like he has the best make ups in the world and he tried to match me with the wrong color code when he kept saying I was using the wrong color code from another brand. Just doesn’t work for me!
Oh yeah, MAC and their SAs are legendary!
Definitely a big user of M.A.C being a make-up artist. The eye shadow pigments are great and can last under water for a period of time if applied properly. One brand I’m definitely immune to is SKII as the essence burned my skin for some odd reason. Not into Shiseido & Lancome also. I think its because I have sensitive skin, hence very fearful of skincare that contains high levels of fragrance.
Oh I do love MAC pigments too and own a few tubs! But I find that the newer formulations aren’t as good as the older versions. They tend to be powdery when pigments usually aren’t so. I think MAC appeals to makeup artists for the variety and the colours but for the everyday person like me, it is a bit meh especially when they release new collections every week… or so it seems 😛
Chanel has never interested me. On top of that, every time I’ve attempted to try Chanel, because of hype, or people saying it would be perfect for what I was looking for, etc., I’ve encountered horribly rude SAs. Even worse than the average MAC one. So that’s always turned me off, too.
I know right? they can be seriously arrogant sometimes. Have not experinced much “attitude” from MAC but mainly because I just go in and tell them what I want and walk out.
I’ve been to a few Chanel counters and I would say the best SA awards goes to a….trans-gender. No joke, ‘her’ service is much pleasant than those arrogant ladies.
Yeouch! Rude SAs are most definitely a turn off in any brand. Its what partly turns me off MAC and most recently, Shu Uemura at Pavilion KL. Ugh!
Yeah, I tend to stay away from brands that I feel are overhyped – they’re good, I’m sure, but kind of boring because of the hype 🙂
Its so….. “common” hehe…
MAC – can’t keep up with any of the collections. Dior is another one, not entirely sure why but it just never comes to mind.
Yeah some brands really hit the blind spot don’t they? Chanel does it to me. Hits my blind spot totally for now. I used to really love them 😛
Hmm. I think mine would be SK-II, MAC, Dior, Lancome and Clinique mainly, for reasons either they don’t attract me, or their products don’t work well for me 🙁 The only thing from Dior that attracts me and works for me is their Dior Addict lippies, though 😛 As for SK-II, tried their Facial Treatment Essence too (Went through 2 bottles) but nothing at all haha! Oh and I am wary of trying Shu Uemura because most of their products have mineral oil and after trying their Cleansing Oil and broke out from it even more cautious.
Brands that I do like? Chanel and Burberry. Not because they really attract me per se, but mainly because they work for me and don’t break me out! 😛
I do find that when we’ve had poor run ins or experience with a brand, we tend to overlook it more and more and then one day, we just forget it altogether! Actually Burberry does that to me. I can walk past their counter at Isetan KLCC and not realise it. I think their new location doesn’t quite do them justice 🙂
Quite frankly, it’s the Japanese brands for me, i.e: Shiseido, Kanebo etc. I just don’t know why I prefer Western brands, huhuhu.
There’s no reason to prefer one over another 😀 Western brands tend to be more pigmented, I find and Japanese brands tend to be sheerer and more shimmery and besides, we’re all different with different preferences 😀
I’m just completely meh about everything right now. I go through phases. I was in a phase where I didn’t buy any makeup because I just wanted to finish using up what I have. I think I’m walking down that path now. I’m overwhelmed by all the new releases and new “technology” and I’ve gotten really jaded.
Oh yes! I go through those phases too. If not for keeping up with news/releases/products for the blog, I might have burnt out and given up. But now that I blog stuff I like (nevermind that they may be old news) I’m a lot happier 😀
Agree about mac, never really ventured beyond two blushers i have from them! I think i’m weird like that.. The more high profile brands are, the more suspicious i am of their products, hah. SkII does have such a huge cult following though and i may want to try them out in future, but their spokespeople aren’t too convincing hehehe
I think I just can’t relate to the SK2 spokes persons and they are all such high profile people, the cost of hiring them must be staggering! Might explain the prices of the products hehe..
Occasionally I’d a few pieces of Mac eyeshadows, but otherwise I’m kinda meh about them, especially since the last few pieces I bought were a complete bust. My co-workers rave about SKII and Guerlain, but they’re so expensive I can’t see myself buying them anytime soon.
Ooh I have a soft spot for Guerlain 😀 Some of their products, especially their powders or bases are quite good. Their colour line is a bit touch and go though.
I’ve heard excellent things about Guerlain’s skincare and bases, but they also come with a strong perfume scent that I can’t stand. The same thing with Armani.
Definitely SK-II, it has been around even when I was working in China. Girls were flocking the SK-II counter and I was just watching ..and I’ve seen the various commercials too! I would love to give it a try but even if they were right in front of me and are on sale, I don’t know why I just can’t grab at least ONE !
I know right!? When they first launched here, I actually bought everything from the line. As in from cleanser to serum to moisturizer and even sunscreen. Got too expensive to upkeep and had no WOW effect on my skin so I moved on
MAC used to be meh for me.. cos their SAs were too stuck up and too b***** for their own and my good. There was an incident where the SA (a guy who acted very feminine-like) laughed at me with his colleagues cos I only bought a concealer. The rest of the experiences werent too impressive too and I sworn off them for quite a long time. Recently I find myself going to them for their eyeshadows especially the pearly finishes ones and was lucky enough to encounter a few friendly ones (one even gave me free samples for foundation:)) and the rest who are not as rude lol..I reckon with MAC, you got to do your homework ie, look up youtube for recommendations for eyeshadows or look at what people are raving about or know what collection they are carrying so you would appear more knowledge and not as clueless. Cos it seems to me that they dont need effort to sell their products as the products sell themselves. The SAs arent very kind to people who dont know what they want or are just browsing. But if you want to look at blushes or eye shadows, they would be able to give some recommendations based on your skintone and preference for finish such as frost or sheen or matte etc. For Bobbi Brown, Shu Uemura, Chanel bad experiences and products that dont work for me. Paul and Joe foundations seems very yellow so am quite on the fence about it.. their eyeglosses look nice on the hands but I dont think they would show up if I were to wear them on my eyelids.Revlon would be a good sub for Bobbi Brown, I feel. Rather Dior than Chanel. Not super crazy about japanese makeup except for mascaras maybe and ZA mascaras and brow pencils do very well (well enough to repurchase with a more affordable price tag) for me . Oh Shiseido and Kose are 2 brands I am looking into and currently am quite pleased 🙂 Well and maybe Lancome too. But always, always, always do homework first especially if venturing into new grounds.
I’d tried quite a few products from MAC – colour, bases etc. I personally think as a product they aren’t bad. But they just don’t appeal to me. Their eyeshadows are the only ones that fade on me which is super weird considering they are so pigmented and all 🙂 The only thing I really like is their Pigments. But recent formulations aren’t impressive or interesting anymore 🙁 I’m looking more and more into Shiseido recently and liking their new products and formula.
haha, I feel that too. I haven’t tried SKII before, and I just can’t and wouldn’t try it. I have heard they are just bacteria eating your skin away, so your skin grows back new and feels like baby skin, but at the expense of making you get sensitive skin, as though you do laser peel non-stop.
I can’t get into Bobbi Brown too. I have their eye corrector duo (cream and concealer), but that really is it. I know their brushes are pretty good, and gel liners. But somehow, I haven’t bought any. I think for BB, it’s the staff. BB Singapore has really stuck off and unfriendly staff, like at every single counter!!!
I am out of Shu Uemura and Shisedo too. Shu Uemura is getting more and more kiddy and sub-standard in terms of image. I have got their curler from 5 years ago though.
I have recently taken into Shisedo because the SA at Tangs Orchard outlet is awesome to the max! She is like the kindest, sweetest, and most gentle SA I’ve met in all these years. (haha, yeah, I got that new Maquillage lipstick. Just one. That’s mad expensive.) But really, she has closed me in on Shisedo.
The reason I prefer Chanel and M.A.C is because the SAs are just so awesome when I approached them as a newbie. Forever friendly and helpful. Dior staff here is horrible too. Nowadays, my M.A.C SA recognizes me… =P so I always patron the same few outlets (they are familiar with me, and me them).
To me, whether I get into a brand or not is of course affected by branding/image, but on top of that, the final call is whether the SAs are good. Whether they are ambassadors of the brand, and truly put in effort to make the customer feel part of the brand. Afterall, the customer is paying a lot for the brand, not just any fish and fruit in the market.
I still go back to Shu Uemura for my curler and brow pencil but that’s about it now. I have been repeatedly disappointed in their eyeshadow and blush formulas recently so I’ve been overlooking them. A recent poor experience with their service was the final nail in the coffin 😛 I do think that the SAs are very important when it comes to our decisive factor on which brand to go with or try. Sometimes, the SA may make or break a brand but they don’t seem to realize that.
MAC -somehow have not built up the courage to walk into our local MAC shops. For some reason I feel intimidated. Ha Ha! However have been to various overseas MAC shops and I’m ok. I only have 2 of their items – Fix+ and mineralized skin finish. I do like the mineralized skin finish but the Fix+, uh uh. Don’t see no difference 🙁
MAC KLCC used to give me good service. Their SA were less scary. MidValley were the worst. But I haven’t walked into one for a very long time so things might have changed 🙂
Mine is a skincare brand Pond’s.. It’s popular right? And affordable too! But no matter what I do, or what ever product I buy from the brand, be it facial wash/scrub, moisturizer or whitening I always always breakout.. :/
Me too!! I haven’t tried anything from Pond’s that really works for me.
I have a lot of pupular brands that I can’t get into but mostly because I can’t afford them, hihihi….
LOL Ok name us a couple come on 😉
MAC. I’ve tried only 3 of its lipsticks and I hated it. I’m a makeup artist and I mostly use pro brands like Kryolan & Graftobian, much better quality.
Thanks for sharing! I’ve heard of Kryolan and Graftobian but since they are pro brands, its harder for consumers to get to them but I hear they are really good stuff especially the Kryolan concealers 😀 I can’t wear MAC lipsticks because I find them too drying but they are extremely popular 😛
for me, it’s SKII as well. I bought a sample of their FTE to try last year and it broke me out. my face was red and flaming hot for 1 week thanks to SKII. the FTE smells rotten too.
another brand would be shu uemura. nothing has caught my eye so far and between shiseido and shu, i will choose shiseido.
Eeks! Sorry to hear you had such a bad reaction to the FTE. I hope you managed to get a refund 😛