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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be annoyed with India Knight?

30 replies

RoseVase2010 · 10/07/2017 09:59

Column in last week's Sunday Times Style magazine by India Knight talking about a life changing at home facial that best of all costs £6...

She then goes on to add that you can buy it from a discount subscription service that costs £10 a month to join.

So excited was her by the review I googled the product. I can ONLY see it for sale via subscription only websites, no trace of it for sale for the rrp of £50 and whilst I can find a couple of other products by that brand for sale full price I can't see that the 'brand' actually has a website.

I know these articles are usually who can bribe the writer the best but this feels like a particularly cheap shot, she's basically done a TK MAXX on me and I feel a bit let down.

But now worse of all I don't believe her when she says my face will be "fresh, plumped, dewy, rosy, youthful"

OP posts:
NotSuchASmugMarriedNow1 · 10/07/2017 10:01

How can you buy a facial on a website? Surely a facial is something that a beautician does to you.

YouHaveBeenSummarilyDismissed · 10/07/2017 10:02

Eh? I don't understand what happened?

hackmum · 10/07/2017 10:10

Here you go:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/india-knight-finds-a-facial-that-works-for-all-skin-types-from-beauty-pie-mnfd2v26c

Not sure if everyone can read it, but essentially India Knight's beauty column recommended a face pack that she said was only £6, but in fact if you want to buy it you have to subscribe to a particular service for a minimum of three months and spend at least £10 a month on products.

YouHaveBeenSummarilyDismissed · 10/07/2017 10:11

I see, yes, definitely mis-leading, isn't it?

IHateUncleJamie · 10/07/2017 10:11

She said you can buy it from a subscription website - and you can only find it on subscription websites? I may be being dense but I don't understand the problem here other than the fact you clearly have money to burn

Artisanjam · 10/07/2017 10:14

The issue is that India Knight eulogised the particular facial which apparently only costs £6.

To actually buy it, you have to spend at least £30 which should have been flagged up in the article.

BarbaraofSeville · 10/07/2017 10:15

Well that is annoying, but could it be that it's been sent to her to promote and she isn't aware that it is only available from a subscription website?

Or if she is a beauty products enthusiast, she could think that £10 a month is nothing to spend so doesn't think joining the website and spending a tenner a month is a particular issue, especially when she likes the products? Some people think nothing of spending £30+ on moisturiser etc.

IHateUncleJamie · 10/07/2017 10:16

Oh, I see. Sounds like IK has been given a back-hander by the manufacturer then.

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow1 · 10/07/2017 10:16

It's not a facial. It's a facepack

Yes, India lied about the price. She has been dishonest, lots of people are, sadly.

Abra1d · 10/07/2017 10:24

Calling her a liar and accusing her of getting backhanders is OTT. Careless, perhaps.

SaucyJack · 10/07/2017 10:24

I found their website within 3 seconds?

I'm not getting this one. If the products are really that good, then subscribing is almost definitely a bargain for those who want to invest in high-end skincare.

SaucyJack · 10/07/2017 10:45

Also, (having just done a bit of reading), it appears Beauty Pie was founded by the woman behind Soap and Glory, and Fitflops. Both are well-known high street brands so it's unlikely that this range is poor quality or a MLM con.

It's a new business model she's trying to cut out the middle man and sell luxury products at factory prices straight to the consumer. Doesn't look too bad at all. Has anyone tried it?

(No, I'm not on commission....)

Notso · 10/07/2017 10:49

What's TK Maxx done?

girlwhowearsglasses · 10/07/2017 10:57

Is it beauty pie?

I had a sub for a few months. Bought a few products (lipsticks, foundation, primer) , and then I stopped my subscription.

It's not a swizz or an MLM, the products are ok, but there is a very limited range, so even the most committed beauty product geek would run out of things they wanted quite quickly. I suppose that's where more consumable things would drive sales - how often do you actually run out of foundation once every year in my case ?

I only signed up because Sali Hughes said it was ok on Woman's Hour (she didn't endorse it - but she did confirm that it is good quality)

I also found it difficult to unsubscribe and had to email them

Scrumpington · 10/07/2017 11:05

She's a very annoying person so YANBU.

BarbaraofSeville · 10/07/2017 11:20

but there is a very limited range, so even the most committed beauty product geek would run out of things they wanted quite quickly

I had a quick look and they don't even seem to do a moisturiser with sunscreen in it, so totally useless to me.

I'm also skeptical about the supposed 'full price' of the products, particularly as you can't buy the products elsewhere.

When they took expensive beauty products out of their packaging on Shop Well for Less most of the participants, even when they were confirmed users of expensive products, couldn't identify their favoured products and couldn't tell whether something was cheap or expensive.

I am fairly certain that if there was a true blind testing of beauty products, so present them all in plain packaging, people wouldn't be able to tell what was cheap and what was expensive and there would be no consistency as to what was 'best'.

Beauty Pie are just using marketing trickery to convince people they are getting a bargain, when the products could be no different from those priced at the same level as their 'factory price' from other shops.

thatsnotwaynesbasement · 10/07/2017 11:26

The general understanding of how editorial 'backhands' work on MN is staggering. I am no fan of India Knight (can't stand her actually), but if you think she is getting paid to advertise this you are wrong. She is the Times beauty editor. She gets sent probably hundreds of products a day to test. If she likes them she will suggest them in her column, same as Sali Hughes for the Guardian. They don't take backhanders for this, it is what they are paid to do by the newspaper they write for. Being sent free stuff is how the companies get their products out there (the same way it works for bloggers, magazines, etc), the same thing happens for every industry when it comes to getting editorial coverage for products. Taking payment for editorial coverage is advertorial and no respectable magazine or paper is going to blend the two.

Original poster
RoseVase2010 · 10/07/2017 11:27

For the lady that said she found the website, that's Beauty Pie, not the brand thank makes the facial (she calls it a facial, so that's why I have).

My point is that Fruitzyme doesn't seem to exist outside of selling on discount sites. Much like a lot of the items in TK MAXX.

My other point is that it's not really a HUGE saving if:

  1. No where actually sells it for £50
  2. You have to subscribe to a website to buy it for the 'discount' rate

Beauty Pie are just using marketing trickery to convince people they are getting a bargain, when the products could be no different from those priced at the same level as their 'factory price' from other shops.

Yes, that's it. You're tricked into thinking you are getting a bargain. It's not like SPACE NK having a sale.

OP posts:
IloveBanff · 10/07/2017 11:32

I signed up for emails from Beauty Pie but didn't take out a subscription. After a while they emailed me and said if I filled out a survey they would give me a 1 day membership pass entitling me to order what would be £100 worth of products at the regular price for the member price, so I did that and bought:-

One Powder Wonder (Reg price £26) for £3.76
Bio-Infusion Breathable Primer ( RP £24) for £3.18
Superluminous Concealer (RP £22) for £2.69
Smart Powder Blush (RP £18) for £2.82)

So I got £90 worth of goods for £12.45. It's worth looking at the website, otherwise you could be forgiven for thinking that the "regular price" is just a made-up figure to fool the gullible into thinking they're getting a bargain by becoming a member (minimum 3 month membership at £10 per month). It's all explained in detail.
I still haven't become a member, but will in time. For one thing I will not be without the One Powder Wonder so will want to replace that when it runs out. New products are being added all the time and they're extremely responsive on their Facebook page (founder Marcia Kilgore often answers posts) if there are any questions although I think everyting's clearly explained on their website www.beautypie.com/uk. It's not a con.

BarbaraofSeville · 10/07/2017 11:42

It's also worth bearing in mind that they appear to charge a handling fee as well as postage, which is £2.99 for postage, which is fair enough, but also £1.81 per order, plus 42 pence per item, I think.

So you could look at it as that postage will be at least £5.22, which is not insignificant if you only want one or two items, which are all very small and light.

TabascoToastie · 10/07/2017 12:29

I don't have any dog in this fight but I have family at the Times and Knight definitely is not getting back handers to promote the product. That is a very serious allegation with no basis.

hackmum · 10/07/2017 12:45

Abra1d: "Calling her a liar and accusing her of getting backhanders is OTT"

Not just OTT, but potentially libellous.

Original poster
RoseVase2010 · 10/07/2017 12:51

Yes, I look forward to the court summons for being a bit annoyed with a journalist and voicing my opinion on Mumsnet. :D

OP posts:
2014newme · 10/07/2017 12:52

She's always irritating.

🙈

Abra1d · 10/07/2017 12:52

Erm, OP, you weren't the one our cautions were directed at!

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