Over rated luxury items?

[RoyalFamilyFan]

What things are luxury items that you think are okay, but are overrated?

For me, it is Molton Brown products. I have a relative who keeps buying me these for presents. They are fine, I use them happily, but no way are they worth the cost.

@BertieBotts I think they call it 'luxury' because of the price point. usually it is referred to as 'designer bags', mainly bags from designer brands i.e. Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Celine, Gucci, Prada etc. They are more of a status symbol like a Mercedes or a Porsche. So it being able to hold things is of secondary concern which might be why so many 'luxury handbags' are so impractical. If you read the story about Rosmah the wife of the ex malaysian PM who embezzled billions of his country's money, she owned a 219,000 Hermes Birkin bag as well as many many other designer birkins! She used to wear it to functions and then people started questioning how she could afford it all!

my Senreve backpack was expensive in my book, over £500 on discount. It called itself 'luxury' i think because it was trying to attract women willing to pay the high price point; its main selling point was that designer handbags were not made to be work bags so there was a gap in the market for women who wanted a 'fashionable work bag' . So this was offered as an alternative for women who wanted luxury. But as it wasn't an established designer brand, they had to charge lower prices to gain market share; hence the discounts and the direct to consumer model. the quality is very good, it was made in a factory in Italy so the only item not made in China that I own. I bought it because it can be worn as a handbag/crossbody/backpack so quite unique in its design.

I do understand the point that branding and labels are a status symbol, having something that says "I have money", that has never appealed to me either, but handbags do seem to have a luxury status outside of that for some women, people talk about loving their bags or getting pleasure out of them in the same way somebody might feel about owning beautiful jewellery, which is the part I don't understand. I'm not having a go, I understand people enjoy different things. It's just very alien to me and something I can never imagine getting pleasure out of. For me a bag will always and only be a practical item, and I find it quite fascinating that it is so widespread to see them as a luxury purchase (and not just in a status symbol way).

@Maireas

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream. Smells horrible. I put it in the bin.

Was about to write this myself. It’s nasty.

Aveda and Charlotte Tilbury too.

‘Designer’ label watches, eg :

www.watchshop.com/watches/michael-kors-liliane-three-hand-rose-gold-tone-stainless-steel-watch-mk4597.pdp

These things are branded tat. A $10 quartz movement and some fake shiny stuff with a cheap flimsy steel bracelet. You are literally paying for the brand. Buy a Seiko instead.

I had an obsession with the smell of Badedas when I was pregnant with my first DC - used to bathe in it every night and would eat the bubbles. I still really like it 20 years later but don't eat the bubbles anymore.

Emma Bridgewater mugs. Too thick to drink tea out if. Tea needs a nice bone china mug. Love the patterns, love the teapots but not the clumpy, and very expensive, mugs.

White company striped cotton pyjamas. £80.00 a set. The John Lewis cotton striped ones are much nicer and much better quality for £39.00.

Lush shower gel
I got some snow fairy for Christmas once and my daughter loved the flying fox
Both nice enough but not life changing nice
Plus it cost a bomb!
The bath bombs are nothing special either-just turned the water pink and blue then went down the plug hole

I recall midwives and health visitors extolling the virtues of Badedas as it contains horse chestnut which is supposed to soothe bruising.

It worked for me and since then ( 27 years ago) we've used it for bruising and sprains.

Clinique makes my skin sting and my eyes water.

Can't be doing with fancy or un-fancy candles as they're mostly petroleum based.

Louis Vuitton luggage looks like everyone else's luggage so it's hard to tell apart. Plus it's stupidly expensive.

@ALongHardWinter

Ugg boots. I think they look horrible,and I can't get my head around the fact that they cost over 200 quid!

Ha! I adore my Uggs. And they cost $179.

@IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads I have a cashmere cardigan that is several years old and a cashmere jumper that I got for my birthday recently. They feel so much more comfortable and warmer than any other jumper/cardigan I have. I have jumpers and cardigans that are cotton, merino and acrylic yet cashmere just feels so much nicer on me.

I don't get the love for designer clothes and goods just for the designer name TBH. I get why you would pay more for good quality, but the love for spending £1000+ for a designer handbag just baffles me.

I guess that it is probably the circles I move in as none of my friends and family would notice what brand of bag I had , nor would I notice what brand theirs was either.

@whenwillthedecoratingend

I think luxury is relative and if it's something that you enjoy then who cares what other people think 🤷‍♀️ to me luxury can be splashing out £9 on Whittards dark hot chocolate because it's delicious or a neom candle because I like the smell and it feels special when I light it. Others will think they're a complete waste of money. Luxury is just having something that feels special to you.

That ^^

I have a £55 candle I love, and a £15 I love. I use everything from a Superdrug serum to a £40 exfoliating treatment. If it's good, works and therefore value for money then I buy it again. So I can't say all expensive candles are a waste because there is one I genuinely love

Landrover. So many other lovely cars on the market that have all the toys and yet don’t spend half their lives in the garage having fucking expensive repairs. Why don’t I learn?

Have to disagree with Emma Bridgewater mugs though. They are gorgeous and cool the tea down quickly enough for me to neck it.

Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser. They were handing out samples before Xmas. I was completely underwhelmed and told the demonstrator who seemed taken aback 😂

I really don’t like champagne, I much prefer Prosecco.

The very thought of lighting up a £55 candle???
Just light a £50 note instead.

@DroopyClematis

The very thought of lighting up a £55 candle??? Just light a £50 note instead.

It's a worth it luxury for me I don't drink, don't smoke, don't go on holiday.. Plus if you let it burn just so the surface melts to the edges then blow it out, the scent still stays in the room. It can last me months and months

That's your opinion @DroopyClematis but £50 notes don't smell as nice 😁 I would probably think what you consider luxury a waste of money. Each to their own!

Not really luxury anymore (more special occasion) but I think champagne is overrated. It also gives me a headache!

@whenwillthedecoratingend

That's your opinion *@DroopyClematis* but £50 notes don't smell as nice 😁 I would probably think what you consider luxury a waste of money. Each to their own!

Indeed. Merely an opinion.

Clinique makes my skin sting and my eyes water.

16 year old me was very annoyed to discover this. I was promised that a good 3 step routine would sort my skin out. Instead it basically dissolved it.

If you really like something expensive, then you don't think it is overrated. Something being expensive is itself not an issue.

I think I must be the only one. I absolutely love molton brown, it’s the only shower gel I buy. It lasts me months. Each too there own, I wasn’t keen on EL double wear and I know it had a huge following.

I think a lot of luxury shower stuff is overrated definitely - it's usually heavy with SLS and drying
Much prefer something like dove sls free or bioderma shower oil or just soap