As an Influencer, blogger, and writer for Her Campus UT, I get to work with tons of brands and get to try out many products. People read my reviews and watch my routines as I showcase the latest beauty, food, or fashion products that I love at the moment. Every once in a while I am asked: “Em, are there any products you don’t like?”
and the answer to that is: umm… OF COURSE!
I’m not the type to use my platform to put down the brands that give me a helping hand. But one thing people must know is that just like everyone else Influencers (and other media types) purchase products on their own, for pure curiosity, or because they’re just as excited as everyone else and we’re not going to wait for that company to “sponsor us” just to get their products.
Now, most of these things I couldn’t flat out say “I hated” because it must be noted, what may not work on me might work for another person (I guess that’s just another way of saying ‘ what’s one mans trash is another man’s treasure’ but I think you get the point here).
1. Alba Botanica’s Hawaiian Facial Cleanser
I received this cleanser as part of a winter Influencer packet from the wonderful people at InfluenceHer Collective. Along with the cleanser I received, 3 chapsticks, and a facial moisturizer (all which I’m a big fan of) however, this cleanser is NOT for people with sensitive dry skin. People love it for how well it cleanses your pores and I agree it definitely does, but for someone with very dry skin, it doesn’t leave for much moisture. I always use their moisturizer right after but it feels as if my face just sucks it all up.
2. VP Ultimate Skin Spa Facial Cleansing System
About two years ago when I began my journey into having impeccably beautiful skin, I saw a post on one of my favorite influencer’s story (@sofiajamora). She shared her daily beauty routine with her fans, and although this was very obviously sponsored by Vanity Planet, I went ahead and used her discount code for 10% off… lol no it was more like 40% (which was awesome!) and got myself one of those fancy spinning brush sets, just like Sofia.
Now I didn’t purchase just this, I got around 10 other products (that’s how devoted I was to this skin game). But this was the main thing I looked forward to getting and the most disappointing. It tore my skin and gave me a rash.
Here’s what they don’t tell you… BE VERY CAREFUL using this spinning brush, as the bristles are tough. Don’t press it onto your skin, as you shouldn’t so much exfoliate your skin, rather cleanse it from all the dirt that’s gathered on your face throughout the day. Be very careful with your skin, as I very unknowingly went for it and exfoliated my face, leaving my skin feeling tough for the next 3 months. I had to go light on makeup after this because my skin was so weak and sensitive after this.
It wasn’t until this school year, that I got the opportunity to review Clarisonic’s Mia Pria, and got to see what the original spinning cleansing brush can do for you. First off the bristles on the brush were significantly smoother. And although VP’s kit brought a rubber brush, I wouldn’t suggest using it to buff out your skin (unless of course, you’ve got super tough skin), this is what I believe tore my skin and gave me the rash.
What my current Beauty Routine Essentials: Clarisonic’s Mia Pria & Kiehl’s Ultra Facial CleanserThankfully, my skin has gone back to it’s glowing baby soft feel… it was definitely a learning experience and although all of VP’s products aren’t trash, I do think they need to be used with caution. So, I hope this helps some of you before making a purchase.
3. Wings from Armature Works
(As seen on my previous post on my food blog @IateAllofThis).
Now I get this isn’t quite necessarily a product but considering I paid for the service, I consider it one. As a UT student (and somewhat of a Tampa foodie, @IateAllofThis, on IG) quite often I end up at Armature Work’s Heights Public Market, for its great food and picturesque location. One of the great things about food hubs is that you can go back to the same place and always try something new, and although I’ve been to AW hundreds of pf times I had never tried out this restaurant. When I had arrived that night, there was NO line at this place (which should have been a dead giveaway considering there were tons of people this evening). I was in a big mood for wings (and although there is another, more popular, BBQ spot at this location, I decided to give this place a shot). I got an order of their Southern Fried Chicken Wings. I must admit that (although I did not edit the pic to show off how great they looked) they looked AMAZING. I mean, these were HUGE wings, so I didn’t mind that I got 3 wings/$10 (does come with chips). Here’s where they got me… No flavor. Oh yeah. I had two bites, one full of confusion and one solely out of curiosity. I had two of my friends taste it as well and we all agreed, “it just tastes fried“. The wing very clearly had tons of spices added on to it (the residue on my fingers may have easily been mistaken for Cheeto dust), I don’t know what the spices were, but if salt was the main (and only) ingredient I could see why the flavor points weren’t so impressive. The customer service was great and all but these wings were so disappointingly heartbreaking.