Are these beauty products worth the hype?

Beauty marketing and new product buzz has reached a level that is impossible to ignore. TV and magazine ads, sponsored posts on Youtube and Instagram, beauty blogs, and celebrity endorsements are creating consumer frenzy months before a product launches. So is a product amazing just because every beauty guru is tweeting about it? Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Read on to learn whether this year's most anticipated beauty products actually lived up to their hype.

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation 

I'm just going to come right out and tell you why I bought Armani Luminous Silk Foundation : Youtube beauty gurus. Every beauty blogger, vlogger, beauty editor, and makeup artist went absolutely insane over this foundation, so naturally I had to try it. As a pro makeup artist, I know how to choose colors to match my skin, but I could not for the life of me get the right shade of Luminous Silk. I purchased and returned this product three times because none of the 24 shades were a match. I also struggled with the texture as it never completely "set",  and I felt that it settled into (gulp) my fine lines. I know people who love this foundation, but for me it was a complete miss. Part of me is relieved that I don't like it because $62 is a lot to spend on foundation. 

Try this instead: Our editor, Krista McAulay, swears by the new Marc Jacobs Re(Marc)able Foundation so much, that she even wore it in her wedding. Although it is $55, a little goes a very long way -- Only three dots will do for full coverage that lasts all day.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit ($40)

When the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit was out of stock for months at a time, that was a very dark period for me. All of the makeup artists of the world were exalting and the Instagrammers and Youtubers pretty much lost their minds. It was a whirlwind of excitement that always ended up with me on a waiting list and suffering from a serious case of F.O.M.O (Fear of Missing Out).

When I finally got my contour kit, I lifted it to the heavens, like Rafiki lifted Simba in the Lion King, and promised I would honor and cherish it and use it everyday. I probably used it three times, folks. I love it, it's great, but I cannot commit to contouring (say that fast three times) as part of my daily routine.

Try this instead: A rosy bronze blush still can help you sculpt your cheeks to Cher status without the use of fancy brushes and techniques. One of our favorites is Benefit's Dallas Box o' Powder Blush ($28), and it seems to last forever.

Lime Crime Velvetines ($20)

Indie cosmetics brand Lime Crime has had a tumultuous year. Lime Crime's Velvetine Liquid Lipsticks were a runaway smash hit for the brand and completely sold out with each highly anticipated color launch. As more lipstick-lovers flocked to the online store, Lime Crime's server could not handle the traffic. The site crashed, leaving customers wondering if their orders even went through. When the website was finally up, thousands of Lime Crime customers had their credit card numbers compromised and stolen when the Lime Crime site was hacked. When Lime Crime founder Doe Deere did not swiftly handle the breach of her customers' privacy, disgruntled buyers took to social media and boycotted the brand. 

The most recent blow came in the form of a letter from the FDA stating that the ingredients in some of the Lime Crime Velvetines are questionable and not FDA-approved. I am not personally using Velvetines anymore, mostly because I think there are superior liquid lipsticks available, but if you use them I suggest you look into the FDA's claims. 

Try this instead: This hyped product is really worth it! The Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick ($20) line has a gorgeous line of colors (including a dark blue that is very hot right now), and has a weightless, velvety feel that lasts through many coffee breaks.

The Original BeautyBlender Makeup Sponge ($18)

It took me way too long to get on board with makeup sponges, but now that I'm in the know there's no turning back. A dampened Beautyblender makeup sponge gives your makeup and your skin the most beautiful finish. You can build up coverage in problem areas and sheer-out coverage where you don't need it. When I use my Beautyblender sponge, my makeup looks flawless, lasts longer, and stays put. The rumors and the hype are true, this is a wonderful beauty tool.

Tom Ford Lipsticks ($52)

I wonder what it's like to live in the beautifully stylized world of Tom Ford? I imagine power suits and lacquer-lipped ladies around every corner. Tom Ford's beauty ads have a way of hypnotizing me into believing I could be initiated into his Glamazon Elite with a swipe of Bruised Plum Lipstick -- but are Tom Ford Lipsticks the end-all be-all? 

I begrudgingly shelled out over $50 for the luxuriously packaged lipstick treasure that I couldn't wait to put it on, and transform into a long-legged, smoky-eyed CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Instead I just ended up with an unremarkable lipstick that is packaged in an incredibly beautiful tube. My final assessment: There are better lipsticks out there that cost a fraction of the price. 

Try this instead: You'd be surprised to know most of our favorite lipsticks are found at your local drugstore. Among our favorites right now : Maybelline Lip Studio Colorblur ($9), and Wet 'n Wild MegaLast Lip Color ($2). Both deliver highly pigmented color and all-day wear at a very nice price.

GlamGlow Super-Mud Clearing Treatment  ($69)

Whether you suffer from acne or just occasional blemishes, one thing is for certain, you want the breakouts gone sooner than later. With legions of Beauty Editors listing GlamGlow as the "Best of Beauty",  it wasn't hard for me to spend $69 on a jar of mud. Well, not just any mud...SUPERMUD. This stuff works wonders and I love it. Feel the beginnings of a blemish? Put SUPERMUD on it to stop it in it's tracks. Large pores and blackheads? Pack on the mud. My GlamGlow SUPERMUD lasted for months and I used up every last drop. I will definitely be buying this buzz-worthy treatment again!

Benefit They're Real Push-Up Gel Eye Liner ($24)

If at any time this year or last you walked into a Macy's or Sephora, this Allure Beauty Award Winner was sure to be displayed front and center. The first-ever gel eyeliner in a pen was so buzzed about that it became the most successful beauty product launch Benefit Cosmetics has ever had. But was it worth the hype?

But, the reviews are very divided. Many people love the Accu-Flex tip and the ease of application, while others struggle with the texture and fluidity of the gel. If you purchased this pen and are struggling with it, I recommend watching this video. Once I learned how to use They're Real Push-Up Liner I really liked it, but it took a lot of wonky cat-eyes for me to get there. Still, because of various reasons, this liner pen was one of the most-returned beauty products at Sephora this year, according to StyleCaster.com.

Try this instead: If you're one of the people who hated this gel pen liner, but love the gel look and feel, try the NYX Cosmetics Epic Black Mousse Liner $10, and grab their angled eyeliner brush ($10), too.

Urban Decay Naked3 Palette ($54)

In theory the Urban Decay Naked Palettes are great. Most women own a few palettes where two colors are completely used up and the rest of the shades remain untouched and the palette ends up shoved into the back of a drawer. Each and every color in all three Urban Decay Naked Palettes are wearable, but are thirty-six shades of neutral necessary? In my opinion, no. If this palette was going to be your only eyeshadow purchase for the rest of your life, I'd say go for it. But the odds are that you already have comparable shades of neutral already floating around your makeup bag and you're barely using them. I guess when it comes down to it, the third installment of the Urban Decay Naked Palette just left me feeling bored and craving more color. 

Try this instead: Making your own palette of colors that you choose is not only fun, but you have the opportunity to create a palette of shades you'll actually use. For $40, you can create a 4-color palette from Anastasia Beverly Hills. The pigmentation is crazy good.

Yves Saint Laurent Beaute Volupte Tint-in Oil ($32)

When I first saw the YSL Volupte Tint-in-Oil I didn't care what was in the tube, I wanted it. The packaging is so shiny and beautiful! Once I actually wrapped my head around the idea of a lip tint suspended in moisturizing oil I became even more excited. I don't like gloss, I don't like lip balms, and I can't stand lipstick that is too creamy.  I love a smooth, non-sticky color option that moisturizes my lips. I paid the $32 and quickly realized this wasn't the product for me. I returned it, but the lip oil concept was still tantalizing me. 

Next, I purchased the Tarte Skintuitive Lipgloss in Energy, and while it is wonderful, the cotton-candy pink stain isn't perfect for my everyday makeup look. My final foray into moisturizing lip oil was Clarins Lip Comfort Oil ($23) in Honey, a clear warm color that looks exactly like, well...honey. I fell in love. This was everything I was looking for in a moisturizing lip product. Non-sticky, very smooth, tasteless, scentless, and mega-moisturizing. When I used up my entire bottle and went into Macy's to stock up, I was told it was limited edition and not being made anymore. Why?? Why me??

Bioderma Micellar Water ($13.99 for travel size)

What is micellar water? It is the one-stop shop for water-free makeup removal and facial cleansing. With other beauty authorities insisting that a proper skin cleansing routine should have various steps and involve multiple products, it's no wonder that beauty insiders are obsessed with these time-saving wonder waters. Engineered to not strip the skin of nourishing oils, but still thoroughly remove makeup and impurities, micellar waters are a gentle and effective cleansing option for all skin types.

I used the Bioderma micellar water for years, but had to have it shipped in from France (not the case anymore on Amazon). These days I'm all about the Kind to Skin Micellar Water Wipes by Simple. They are easy to stock up on, gentle on my sensitive skin, but tough on my long-wear makeup products. Jump on this buzz, micellar water is where it's at. 

Yahoo Shopping readers, please share your most loved and most hated hyped-up beauty purchases in the comments below, or tweet to us @yahooshopping. Stay tuned right here at Yahoo Shopping for more beauty inspirations and product reviews.