Beauty LAT: Make-Up Pet Peeves

I was thinking recently about things that can annoy me about a product, my pet peeves. While I try not to expect every product to be a Holy Grail one, it's so disappointing to buy something and find it just doesn't come up to scratch. So here, in no particular order, are my make-up pet peeves:

• My number one pet peeve? When a product doesn't do what it does on the description. I'm not talking about the made up ingredients or miracle results, but the basic stuff- 'non-greasy', 'easily absorbed', 'won't rub off'. If it can't do what you claim it will, it certainly won't live up to my standards.

•  Nail varnish that won't dry. I've tried to be more diligent about my nail varnish application over the last few months- doing it in an evening when I'm watching TV, making sure I've done any nail ruining activities like washing up before hand, and leaving as much time as possible for it to dry. And I mean lots of time. I try to do at least half an hour between coats, and preferably an hour or more on the top coat. It is unbelievably irritating then when it still hasn't dried and smudges after all that time! This isn't a particular brand, it happens within all price ranges. If I (a currently unemployed idle layabout) don't have time to let it dry, how will someone busier than me (i.e. everyone else) have time to do it?

• Foundation ranges with only a few shades in them. I'm talking about the brands with 6 shades of foundation (that covers about 5% of the population) or brands with massive gaps inbetween shades. My particular fury is for shades called 'Ivory', or some variation of that, that come out about 4 shades darker than my skintone. I AM NOT ORANGE, NOR DO I WANT TO BE. 

•  Lack of counters. Now I am biased because I live in the North (it's a barren wasteland up here), but I hate it when brands only have counters in a few cities. I know that they can't be everywhere, but I live in the 5th biggest city in England and I'm severely lacking in a Nars or Illamasqua counter for example. Yes I'd love to live in London and be able to pop out to a counter, but being unemployed and severely broke (my life sucks right now) I can't afford to. I don't mind per se ordering online, but a quick swatch at a counter can save a lot of anguish compared to guessing at a shade online and getting it wrong.

• Products that don't work with other products. This is probably more skincare, but it's so annoying when your suncare won't work with your moisturiser, or primer with your foundation. The ability to join seamlessly into my current routine is an essential thing for me. 

• Foundations that only work with one (very specific) brush. No I do not want to buy a £30 brush because this foundation will not work with anything else. I do not like it that much.

• Products that slide off easily. Foundations that disappear by lunchtime. Lipstick that smudges or leaves the ring of death when you try to do anything. Eyeshadow that vanishes, mascara that flakes off. My day can last longer than 3 hours, it isn't unreasonable that my make-up should too.

What are your pet peeves?

Love B xxx