As I pointed out last week in my post about Tokidoki, some packaging is super fun. For some reason the brain gushes out happiness when an item is cuter, regardless of the abilities of the product itself to perform it’s duties.  Depending on what you need, it might in fact be worth it for that material excitement.

But what about the other way around? When a product’s inadequate packaging actually stands in the way of its performance? The following are fabulous products with poor packaging. Or ‘piss poor’ as my dad would say.

Stila Lip Glaze: Click click. Nothing. Click click click click. Still nothing. Clickclickclickclickclickclick Goooosh. A weeks worth of gloss drips from the tip of the applicator brush. Great gloss though.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion: This packaging makes you work for it. You want that shadow to stick? Do you? Let’s hope so, ‘cause you’ve got to want it to get it out of the package.

L’Oreal Studio Secrets Professional Color Presso: This packaging is just straight dumb. You have to pull/twist off the outer cap and then deal with two open color vials. Dumb.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser:  Apparently this foundation is really a two-in-one because the sponge applicator is so rough it could also be considered an exfoliater. The upside is that you can buy the product without the ‘eraser’ built-in sponge and apply it with your fingers instead.

A couple quick best packaging shout-outs include…

Any of the mini lip glosses that can fit in your pocket. These include Bobby Brown, Milani, and sample glosses by various brands at Sephora.

Sally Hansen Color Quick Fast Dry Nail Color Pen. This seems way too cool for school, but I’ve heard from a trusted source that not only does the polish dispense evenly, but that the thin pen applicator makes nail polishing much easier.

Tarte Cheek Stain and Eyeshadow Palette: The cheek stain is packaged to literally wipe across your cheeks. So much easier than other cheek stains or cream blushes. The eyeshadow palettes have a strong magnetic closure that keeps all the colors secure so you don’t open it to an avalanche of powders.

The Packaging Company produces cosmetic packaging that can biodegrade in 5 years. Like!