What highly recommended purchases have you bought that turned out to be underwhelming, if not totally shit?

[JustinianTheThird]

For me:
> Wool duvet:
No warmer than an Asda synthetic job. Heavy as fuck so hard to change the bed. Stiff so it doesn't mould around your body. Thin so looks shit on the bed.

> Heater clothes airer
Massive monstrosity. Takes forever to dry clothes. Makes clothes smell musty and fusty.

> Spa day
Just boring. And damp.

> Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
Poorly written to the extent it felt like YA fiction. Unlikable and unrealistic characters. Couldn't find the deep emotional aspects that people go on about.

> Modibodi period pants
The tightest waistband I've ever experienced in my life. Are Modibodi selling these to failed third world states as torture devices? They fucking should.

What about you?

Not a thing but a place- the New York High Line. Everyone raves about it. I’ve been twice and just don’t get it- my local park is better. Went the second time as thought I must be missing something, I wasn’t.

I like my wool duvet.

I find Dyson Vacuum cleaners underwhelming.

Air Fryer. Used it twice. Easier to put things in the oven.

I love my heated airer, I cover mine with a sheet or towel though and things dry really quickly.

wool duvet can get in the bin though

Re. Hamnet: I’ve not read the book, but I saw both the play and the movie - both were excellent.

I thought the same. It is quite a dull paved footpath with some grasses growing in pots.

What is so amazing about that?

Mile End green bridge is way more interesting. As are all parks in London.

I am very underwhelmed by the expensive NEOM bath product I got for Christmas. It smells a bit agricultural, doesn't foam up at all and is an irritant on delicate parts of the body. I love luxury bath stuff but will never ask for this again.

An Anya Hindmarch small crossbody handbag - dozens of wafer thin tiny pockets, none big enough to fit anything in. Barely fits my phone + its case. Strap less than a cm wide and feeble. All 5 dozen pockets have twee names for what to put in there (not that it would fit)

Luckily bought it second hand. It's been sitting there ages waiting to be sold/given away to an enemy

@JustinianTheThird I didn't like Hamnet either - but it was the prose style that irritated me. I'd happily see the film to find out if the story is any good.

The one that made me want to throw the book across the room was The Ministry of Time. Like it was written by a 13 year old with help from AI. Why did no one edit those elephantine similes in every sentence? Do publishers just not care any more? (she asked with a despair as powerful as a tidal wave carrying shoals of disappointments like frozen fish slapped against the gilded shoreline of her fragile-as-bone-china hopes.)

I got some NEOM a few years back and felt the same - it smelled like grass.

Elf putty primer. I thought it would be a nice mattifying pore disguising primer that you could dab on with your fingertips.

It turns out to be something akin to pink lard. I can't imagine what it's supposed to do for anyone.

Instapot. Though DH likes it.

That foot treatment that makes your skin peel off? Footner? Everyone raved about it on MN.

I love my heated airer BUT I think it depends on the brand you buy. I had one in the past that took ages to dry anything. Now have a Black and Decker covered one and it’s great for the winter months.

Designer sunglasses. They cost me a little over £300. At the time it felt like a nice purchase (I love the shape) but what a huge waste of money when I can find something similar for £40. Never again!

Love my heated clothes dryer, Hamnet, Elf putty and the High Line 😂

Creme de la Mer (bought with Christmas bonus) was an absolute rip-off. Snag tights laddered on second wear. Sloggi pants had leg holes so tight they cut off my circulation

Another vote for (or against) Neom products. I treated myself to the shampoo and conditioner last year, and they were underwhelming at best. The shampoo smelled medicinal and wasn't as effective as the cheap Garnier stuff I normally use, and the conditioner was just, well, meh. I passed them both on to my husband who doesn't much care what brands he uses, luckily.

Air fryer. My oven is AA energy rating and I have a family of 5 (3 teens eating adult portions). I might give it to dd1 to take to uni.

Oh and elimis collagen cream. Really perfumed old lady rose smell and no different to my no7 cream just double the cost. I decided no7 is better.

Vax steam mop..absolute pish
Trad mop with disinfectant far superior.

Agree with others about air fryers and Dyson vacuums.

Book-wise, I thought The Essex Serpent was shite. It was so hyped when it was published, and the lovely lady who runs our local independent bookshop raved about it but I thought it was boring and the ending was crap!

I don’t know if it’s hyped anywhere other than on Instagram but Trinny’s Miracle Blur was a total waste of money. Sounds a bit like the pink Elf putty that others haven’t liked. (On the other hand her concealer - the one in the little pot that you dab on - is brilliant for covering under-eye dark circles).

It's not terrible and I feel a bit bad for saying it because it she has a name but my robovac is a bit underwhelming.

She keeps getting stuck, she doesn't do edges or corners, she doesn't pick up smaller bits of gubbins that are deeper in the carpet pile, and she's a bit unsightly to keep plugged in the corner all the time.

But she's handy as a mid-week top-up I guess.

Steam mop is definitely my failed buy. My mum also hated it. I'm not sure what I was expecting but not that...

Shiseido foundation and a hot brush thing..both recommendations by a beauty editor on Instagram (dark hair Scottish and with a beautiful house). Colour match was great but I felt like I was wearing kids face paint it felt so masky. Hot brush thingy was just not the magic wand I wanted, more my issue than the product

I tried reading the Essex Serpent but I didn't get very far before I gave up.

From what I remember of it, it was mostly just a woman walking about in the rain being a bit angry about everything. I couldn't detect too much of a storyline TBH.

Agree - underwhelming

Slow cooker. Everything tastes a bit meh.
Velvetiser. Luke warm hot chocolate.

Oh and Jones Road balm. Made my face sticky and weirdly shiny yet matte at the same time.