You know you’ve heard of them – those same few beauty products that are always featured in fashion magazines, get rave reviews online, and might even count a few of your friends as evangelistic fans. But if you’ve ever tried some of these cult products for yourself, you probably know that the hype is sometimes just that – hype. (Maybelline Great Lash Mascara comes to mind!) These cult products sadly don’t always work as well as their reputations would suggest.
But sometimes, these cult products really do live up to their own hype, and really do perform miracles! Curious as to which ones are actually worth the money? Here are the top 5 cult beauty products that deserve all the hype they get.
Table of Contents
1. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion – $20 at Sephora
This product is a must-have if you wear eyeliner or shadow on a daily basis – it will keep your eye makeup in place and looking flawless all day long!
I actually stayed away from this product for a LONG time because I didn’t believe anything would stop eyeshadow from creasing on my oily lids, but this totally does. I was honestly shocked the first time I tried it, and I’ve been a total convert ever since. This product is truly non-negotiable – if you want your eye makeup to look amazing and STAY looking amazing, this is one product you have to invest in.
2. Rosebud Salve
Rosebud Perfume Co. Rosebud Salve – $6 at Sephora
Rosebud Salve is a miracle lip product that will have even the most chapped lips feeling smooth and soft all day. It comes in a cute vintage-style tin and smells amazing. Even better? It’s only $6 for a huge tub that will last you months. While Chapstick and Carmex don’t work for my winter chapped lips, I swear by Rosebud Salve all year long. I don’t know what I’d do without it: no other lip balm comes close.
3. Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler
Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler – $21 at Shu Uemura
Say what you want about other eyelash curlers, but there’s not one that beats the Shu. Maybe it’s because of the specially curved pads, or the ergonomic design, but I’ve had noticeably better results with this curler in comparison to the drugstore brands I’ve tried.
Yes, $19 is a lot for an eyelash curler, but it’s worth it because you will use it every day and it really does make a huge difference in how your eyes look. Don’t believe me? See this before and after to understand why curling your lashes is so important.
4. Batiste Dry Shampoo
Batiste Blush Dry Shampoo – $5.99 at Target
If you’ve ever woken up with 5 minutes to get ready for class and no time to shower, you need Batiste Dry Shampoo!
Dry shampoo is the ultimate time-saving hair product for girls on the go and works like a charm to rid your hair of greasy roots and leave your strands freshly scented. At $5.99, Batiste’s dry shampoo is pretty affordable and so worth the cost for the time it will save you in the morning. As a bonus, it doesn’t contain harmful chemicals like talc.
5. Tweezerman Tweezers
Tweezerman Slant Tweezers – $23 at Ulta
I know some people think all tweezers are the same, but these really do make a difference. At $20, Tweezermans are definitely expensive, but worth it because they cut your tweezing time in half. There’s no more struggling to grasp a hair, worrying about the tweezers slipping, or trying more than once to tweeze the same hair. Tweezerman gets the hair without fail, every time. Even better, these tweezers are SO cute in your makeup bag.
What do you think?
Are there any cult beauty products in your repertoire? Which cult products do you believe deserve their hype? Which cult products are NOT worth trying in your opinion? Sound off in the comments!
I love Rosebud Salve! I’ve been using it since high school and converted a few of my friends to it. And I swear by Urban Decay primer when I use eyeshadow. I’m planning to get one of the Shu eyelash curlers and to check out the dry shampoo soon. Great picks!
I def. want to check out the Rosebud Salve, I hear so many good things about it! As for the eyelash curler, I don’t think I need one. My eyelashes are naturally curly 😀
i was out buying a gift for my sister in law and decided i needed to try this rosebud salve, its been 3 days and i think im already hooked.
After shoveling the snow that rocked NY on sunday, i had THE worst chapped lips. I put the rosebud salve on before i went to bed and my chapped lips were gone by morning!!
Number 1 and 2 are my absolute must haves. LOVE LOVE LOVE them. I haven’t tried any of the others, but I will now! Thanks 🙂
Another great thing about Tweezerman is that you can send them back to the company to get them resharpened for free, so you pretty much only have to buy a pair of their tweezers once.
Dear Heather,
Batiste Dry Shampoo is definitely available in Canada, and has been around for more than 2 years – and has been available in Europe for more than 20 years.
I work for the Canadian distributor of this amazing product and can assure you that it had no problem whatsoever passing Health Canada standards.
I can be reached at [email protected] if anyone is looking for it in stores here.
It is currently available in select Zellers stores, select Pharmasave stores and many independents stores across the country. Select Shoppers Drug Mart stores carry the “Original” scent.
Very disappointed that Sally’s would say such a thing, and we will be looking into it.
We will in fact be bringing additional new Batiste products to Canada in 2010.
Rosebud salve does work really well, but if you look at the ingredients it’s just petroleum jelly with a little cottonseed oil, menthol and coloring/scent mixed in. So save the money and go buy a tub of petroleum jelly/vaseline.
As for the rest, I have to agree they’re certainly worth the hype!
Rosesalve smells and tastes so good. And it works well. I would love it if it came in a click stick! One time I left my rose salve in my car on a hot day, and it was completely ruined, not to mention a total pain to clean up.
Love the Shu eyelash curler. I’ve been using it for years and it is by far better than any other eyelash curler I’ve used.
Although most swear by the Rosebud Salve for lips, I swear by Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment with SPF15. It is pricey at $22.50 a bottle, but for someone who must have chapstick on at all times, it’s nice for me because I only need to use it a few times a day because it lasts so long. I also like that it has SPF in it and it smells wonderful.
Also, dying to try the Urban Decay Eyeshadow primer. I hate the crease eyeshadow can leave sometimes (especially cream eyeshadow) and if you recommend it, I’ll try it!
I totally agree with the Urban Decay Primer. When I go out at night and forget to take my makeup off when I come home, its still perfect in the morning even after hours of sleeping. My friends are always so surprised that it still looks perfect and it’s all because of the primer!
I’ve always used the Shiseido eyelash curler, but when I was in Japan this summer, Shu Uemura eyelash curlers (mini and regular sized) were $10 duty free in the airport, so I picked up one of each.
Verdict: I still like the Shiseido one better, but that might be out of habit? I dunno..But both work better than any eyelash curler I’ve bought in the states, probably because they’re from Asian companies so they fit my Asian eyes better. =]
As for the Rosebud Salve, I think I’m going to be taking a trip to Sephora for that today…
Great article!
URBAN DECAY PRIMER IS AMAZING!! I haven’t had a chance to replace mine yet and every time I’m doing my make-up to go somewhere, I’m bummed that I don’t have it around. My eyeshadow just doesn’t come out well and just doesn’t stay without that primer! It’s magic, for real. I could go out FOR HOURS, come home, and my make-up looked just as pretty. I need to get my hands on some more Primer Potion ASAP! Definitely worth the money.
However — the shape of the product means that there’s A LOT of product in there that you aren’t able to get to with the wand. You won’t believe how much until you see it! Check it out here: http://www.bellasugar.com/940116 There’s also a link to a how-to get it all out. Now it’s even more worth the money! 😉
The Batiste dry shampoo has been banned in Canada because of the propellant causing health problems, I’d be wary of using it.
Zephyr – I never found any info about it on the net either but when I went to my local Sally Beauty store that’s what they told me. Canadian regulations are generally a lot stricter than U.S. ones, so it doesn’t surprise me that you can still buy it in the U.S.
Yes to Rosebud Salve! Yes to the Shu Uemera Eyelash Curler! And Yes to Tweezerman tweezers! I’m definitely going to get dry shampoo this winter, being so busy means I don’t always have a lot of time to get ready, and I’m intrigued by this Urban Decay stuff…
You chose some great picks that are well deserving. I’ve tried so many eye primers and I swear that Urban Decay is the best eye primer out there. I have yet to try the Rosebud Salve but I’ve heard so many great things about this lip balm. I’ll definitely pick one up during my visit to Sephora this weekend.