To wonder whether everyone accepts that beauty products don’t work?

[SinkGirl]

I don’t know about anyone else but I’m so used to beauty (and especially) hair products not doing what they say they do that I’m often really shocked when they do what they say they will. I spent a brief spell in marketing for an insurance company and everything we said was so tightly regulated. Beauty companies can say whatever they like it seems, digitally manipulate images, do a “trial” on 11 women and then proudly state that almost 90% of women said it worked... 🙄

I hadn’t spent a penny on make up or skin care for years until a few months ago when I bought a few bits which were okay but nothing staggering. Got an event coming up tonight and I went a bit mad - I bought heaps of stuff: hair care, make up, skin care etc.

Most of it is absolute crap and doesn’t live up to its claims. I generally just accept this in a way I wouldn’t with other things but whenever they work it’s always a nice surprise (will list the few things I’m happy with below in case anyone is looking!)

I find it strange that we are so (rightly) hot on false advertising but this is an entire industry that seems to get away with it. I realise everyone’s skin and hair is different, but if you buy something that’s meant to volumise fine flyaway hair, which you have, but does absolutely nothing, surely that’s a bit ridiculous? And these things are always no returns so even if what you’ve got is basically scented baby oil, you’re scuppered.

These are the things I’ve tried that work as advertised this week - three out of over 30 products (yes, I splurged!)

• The Ordinary AHA BHA peel - have used loads of acid peels before so I was a bit blase about this one. Ended up burning the skin off my cheekbones after only a few minutes 😳 It’s very effective though!

• Estée Lauder powerfoil night recovery mask - got one of these in a lot of mini EL products. Used it last night and my skin this morning is absolutely amazing. Not greasy at all but softer, smoother, lines reduced, calmed the burnt cheeks... it’s amazing. Shame it’s so expensive (cheapest I’ve found is about £55 for 4 and you’re meant to use 1 a week but I’m considering using one every month / couple of weeks maybe)

• The Ordinary coverage foundation - I bought a few foundations as my skin changes quite a bit during my cycle and this one is awesome. Lasted all day even while running around, sweating etc. And it’s onlh £6 so you can buy a few shades and mix if you find it hard to get a colour match.

I did not see difference from any advertised beauty products, to be honest, even very expensive brands.
I have a very bad skin if untreated (psoriasis and adult acne), and now have my own secret routine, consisting of epaderm cream and sudocrem (+ a deep facial once every month). I wear foundation now only for special occasions.

My new love is sweet almond oil
Use it at gym after a steam and a swim in the shower . Also use as face cleansing oil

It’s natural and cheap

I am scared of retinol

I've mostly liked balance me and clinique products, and for hair argan oil makes it beautiful and silky. Babyliss big hair did nothing, was just a weak hotel hairdryer.

In all my years of using a plethora of skincare products, the only 1 item which made a real, visible, consistent difference to my skin has been the Eve Lom hot cloth cleanser.
Most things bought in a shop haven’t done anything and a few have had (in my head) a preventative role.
I concluded that regular face and body and hair masks and massage are the only things that give real but not magical results. I do them myself but am religious and very disciplined about it.
The beauty industry is like religion, we are scared to stop in case something terrible will happen. We also know the adverts are fake, we know the excessive packaging is super annoying, most of the time we have no idea how the ingredients work or what they are, we know it doesn’t do anything but maybe it’s a form of being selfish without feeling guilty.
Yes, I have a lot of ‘slop’ (as my DH lovingly refers to all the products I have ) and most of it does nothing of what it says on the tin but I love spending time on looking after myself so I’ll carry on.

@Macandcheeseplease so weird that you’ve asked about Sisley, I was going to start a thread about how bad it is!
I too was at duty free the other week and saw it, and as I’d read in a magazine years ago that their mascara was the best, I bought some.
£40 fucking pounds, and it was the WORST beauty product I’ve ever bought.
No difference between that and my £6 Rimmel mascara. The Rimmel is actually better 😬😬

I agree that some products make no difference (to me at least) and aren't worth it.

Professional facials do make a difference to my skin though. I have one every few months and they really seem to boost my skin.

Interesting thread. I’ve bought very few beauty products in my life, partly as I’ve always had (hormone based) acne so was scared of irritating that further with lotions and potions, and partly because I’m overwhelmed by the mindbogglingly huge range out there.

All the money I’ve saved should pay for some discreet surgery in a few years’ time...

Of course they work!

Their primary purpose is to make money, which given the profit margin on the cheap ingredients, is an absolute given.

Their secondary purpose, to undermine women's self-esteem so they will buy even more beauty products in the future, is also fabulously successful.

If you think beauty products are even intended to improve your appearance, then you really need to take a step back and ask yourself who it was who spent a lot of money on advertising to convince you that improving your appearance was important / a good idea in the first place.

The one thing that has really made a difference to my skin is taking a collagen powder. I was very sceptical, but it has transformed my skin.

I do tend to agree op. I wasted a fortune over the years on things that never even came close to living up to the hype. Face cream wise, I now use Astral but three nights a week put on some Retin A bought from spain. That sure does re-surface the skin! I wear make up daily, Bourjois CC cream for skin tone instead of a full foundation and whatever eyeshadows/mascara are on offer but usually bourjois.

I love to splurge on fragrance though. Scent is so evocative that it's worth it for the memories it triggers.

I'm a sucker for cosmetics but not so much for skincare. I find simpler works better for my sensitive, oily skin with rosacea. People rave about Roche Posay but it's done nothing for me, in fact some of that range makes me redder! Make a good base for makeup but that's it. I'm 48 and all I use now moisture wise is Child's Farm, it's not greasy and it soothes like nothing else. But it's such a personal thing. In day time I use no moisturiser at all.. I'm just too oily. I just don't believe in expensive skin care where the money goes into marketing and packaging. Lush is about the most I'd spend on skin care and they don't advertise or use fancy packaging also you can save the black tubs to get freebies.
I've used a fair amount of The Ordinary products and found it all pretty meh. The caffeine solution did nothing at all for my horrendous dark circles and is drying, Azelaic acid, nothing for my rosacea/redness and drying to the point of almost being painful. Having said that I have hollows as well as dark circles so I guess the only thing that is going to work is tear trough fillers. My go to concealer is Estee Double Wear but that only partly disguises.
Recent bad purchases have been Trinny London's Bff Cream (am sure it would be good on someone with dry/clear skin but it's def a no for my rosacea/uneven skin. And It Cosmetics CC oil-free matte full coverage cream (is not matte, separates and does not give full coverage) and It's bye bye undereye concealer.

The products I buy time and time again...

Lush's Big shampoo (black tub) - only thing that's ever worked for my oily fine hair, means I can go 2-3 days now without washing. Also nothing beats it for shine. I have a certain way of using it that works well for me.

Clinique Lash Power mascara, but even that isn't fool proof as my outer lashes just come off (the tubes) but that's because I am watery and oily. It's still the best I've found though.

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder - I've never found anything better or finer for setting undereye concealer and stopping makeup settling in the lines

Urban Decay Vice metallized lipsticks.. I have a big range of them and they just seem to flattering as long as I go for paler shades (have very thin top lip)
and CYO liquid eyeliner (the long last one)

Phillip KIngsley Elasticizer..but only if I leave on overnight.. a short time just doesn't work for me.

But all my holy grails ..that def DID work... have been discontinued.. Seventeen's Tattoo eye liner/ No7 shine free primer / MAC's pro long wear lipliner / the Body Shop's henna conditioner, that disappeared in the 90s. I have never found anything as good as these. I've never found ANY primer works for me though since.

What @M3lon said😁

I worked in advertising for one of the biggest global beauty companies and let me tell you that it is all a heap of bullshit. Even I used to sit there going, oh my god, what are we doing!!!!!

Turns out that my hippy/zero waste soul was in the wrong job! Clearly.

I can never remember to apply all these things and it all seems so complicated now, there's so many products. I just use moisturiser from Lidl now plus cleanser when I remember and clay mask occasionally. Seems to be fine. I do like that green tea marvel gel stuff though cos it makes my face feel really clean.

I agree it's taken me years to find products that work for me. IT cosmetics cc cream works in hot and humid weather staying put all day. Olaplex 3 helps keep my frizzy hair in control. Charlotte Tilbury has my perfect shade of lipstick and when I can be bothered use henna which is pre mixed to cover the Grey's.

Well some of it works? If my hair is greasy I use shampoo and it's shiny again.

If I don't want to burn I put sun cream on and I don't.

I clean my teeth twice a day with toothpaste and they're white.

If my hands are dry I use hand cream and they're soft again.

I think they work...just you don't have to spend a fortune . For example i use lidl factor 50 sunscreen on my face. I will use coconut oil as a cleanser etc.

Surely drinking loads of water not smoking not drinking alcohol and staying out if the sun are the best ways to decent skin
Not expensive creams that don’t do anything

I’ve yet to find a foundation that looks natural stays on and doesn’t cost a bomb

Is most of it a con designed to part us from our money. Yes

Yanbu. I laugh when they throw in science words like DNA and pentapeptides to convince you somehow it gets into your DNA. It doesn't. Things that slip into DNA are carcinogenic chemicals as the mutate it.

I have friends doing MLM makeup and beauty promotion, on their 'amazing results' photos there is either no change or blatant photo manipulation.

I suffer from adult acne around my chin area. I've tried SO MANY products over the years, nothing has worked so I just don't bother now. All I use is a mild face wash and water.

I also have really fine damaged hair, I used to buy Kerastase shampoo and conditioner (that cost £20 PER BOTTLE) on the recommendation of a hairdresser to help thicken and mend it. Did nothing at all so I switched back to normal shampoo.

I do like Estee Lauder foundation, I think it is really good and has really good coverage. I used a different foundation recently and it was crap.

Retinol, Botox, Sunscreen all work. BHAs seem to work temporarily well for exfoliating. The rest not so much.

happyspud I'm so glad you escaped! I nearly got sucked into a science based collaboration funded by P&G but at the last second I lost my cool and started ranting at them about scented tampons....