Things MN have recommended on threads that you bought but turned out to be crap?

[CovidStoleTheRainbow]

I'll start.

Shark vacuum cleaner.
I should have got another Miele. The Shark is just another average sucker upper.

A Dualit toaster.
After years of cheap toasters that starts off great but soon end up toasting one side more than the other, I listened to the years of recommendations on MN and spend £140 on an effing Dualit toaster just for it to do exactly what allllllll the other toasters do. The only difference is, is that it looks a tiny bit better and as though I have stupid money to throw at ridiculous items like toasters. Never again.

Anyone else?

What other things are always recommended by other Mumsnetters that actually turn out to be a bit shit?

I bought hubby an AeroPress. Absolutely waste of money as he prefers his cafetière.
I must admit that it looks like a real faff to use.

The only big purchase I've made (conciously) as a result of a MN thread is Eufy and he has quite literally changed my life. I love love love him.

The only real flop I recall was an anti static spray which I was promised would stop skirts sticking to tights but didn't help even a tiny bit.

A lot of the skincare stuff - cleansing oil had exactly the effect you would imagine putting oil on skin had.

I do love my cordless Dyson though...

Shark. bought one recently waist.of.money.

Glad I kept my 25+ year old Kerby I got second hand 7 years ago for £60.

Only bought a new vacuum as DH likes shiny new looking things, he never liked the kirby as it looks like a 1940s hoover. But he hates the shark now, it's like a toy in comparison, it can't cope with dog hair dust bunnies and bits that end up under the sofa in the kitchen, the little roller gets wedged constantly and it gets blocked if you you suck up anything bigger then a grain of sand. it needs emptying every 10 mins, and we get the pleasure of being covered in dust at the same time.

I grin everytime DH has to get the Kirby out to finish the job

If I hoover I don't even bother with the shark anymore.

@Thecazelets Baby Bottom Butter was shite, ha more like Ice Cream scented Vaseline than anything else. I live 2 mins from a Waitrose so everyone I knew messaged asking me to buy them some.

Ah yes. I fell for the Benefit "They're real" as well.

Really awful, so bad!

I can't think of any negative buys, there have been a number of things I've wondered about over the years and decided they aren't for me.

Things I have brought after discovering them on MN then doing other research are;
Mooncup - got after I had ds2, he's now 14, the first couple of periods I struggled with placement etc but once I got the knack I was totally comverted. Just so easy, feels so much cleaner, cheaper, environmental friendly.
Babyblis big hair - probably had it 6 or 7 years, use it daily. I have very fine hair and find it just smooths it slightly and helps give the ends a bit of definition, although having to spend very long on it. I do think the bristles have flattened now and I could do with a new one.
Eufy - brought in the hype this summer and really pleased I did. It does the lounge, playroom & hall overnight, I put it in the kitchen & utility every couple of days and upstairs weekly. Floors look so much cleaner all the time. Apart from the stairs which now don't get done as often as I don't have the vacuum out and look messy in comparison.

Other things mentioned on this thread but which I didn't get because of MN.
Steam mop - I find easier than normal mopping, and the floor dries much quicker.

@PuppyMonkey

Remember all those bra intervention threads where if you’re a size 34b in M&S you’re doing it wrong and you’re supposed to where a size 30gg but you have to go to bravissimo - that was all bollocks. Couldn’t stand how tight and uncomfortable they were.

You never see those threads any more I wonder why.

Oh gawd yes. On those measurements I was something like a 28GG, never mind that this size is impossible to find but the only place that did stock this sort of size, I would need to remortgage the house to buy one bra.

So I went and had a measurement at another well know lingerie place and I'm a 32c. This size fits quite well in my budget, fits me well and I can have more than one bra.

Footner foot peel. My skin peeled but left the hard stuff still there.
Soap and Glory foot file is just crap.
Dyson hairdryer my old Parlux is just as good if not better and a lot cheaper.

@Newfornow

Shark 🦈 s shit .

I see what you did there. Clever!

@GreyGreenVase I wrote almost exactly the same thing to my mum about my shark vacuum. The only difference is that I use a garden cane to unblock the tube. I know keep a cane in the larder as it is a regular occurrence.

Needless to say, she isn’t buying a shark.

We have two Dysons, a Henry and a Miele. The latter wins hands down. I can never use it on full suction or it will 'stick' to the floor and not move as it's that powerful.

I adore the Waitrose baby bottom butter. No idea if it's similar to creme de la mer but I absolutely love it (distraught it's been discontinued).

Hush harem pants. Compared to my usual slob option of Swetty Betty Garundasana the quality is awful, bobbly after one wash and a bit see through. Yuck.

However I must say this is the only disappointing MN recommendation, the rays have been completely amazing so shall we add below our crap recommendation the ones that have been life savers too??

Rapid lash
Philip Kingsley elasticizer
La Roche posay moisturiser
Clinique mascara (the one that stays on brilliantly, can’t remember the name)
JL thermal camisoles
Mam bottles for windy LO

Sure there are more!

Grimm’s wooden toys! No one plays with them.

*to our

Shark hoover was brilliant for the first two days and thereafter rubbish. That reminds me to return it.

Instant Pot is brilliant for cooking pulses and rice pudding. Hasn’t worked for anything else.

I love Korea Italy towels, also Footner but only the expensive branded version works IME.

I love my Shark (and yes I've had a Miele in the past, but always thought Henry was more efficient than the Miele). Yes, it gets clogged up as I have very hairy dogs, but every vacuum cleaner does. Still picks up far more stuff.

Also love my InstantPot. None of that slow cooker 'everything tastes the same' and use it for all sorts. (Currently have pink grapefruits cooking in it for marmalade LOL.)

Think my only one that I've said 'yep' to on this thread are the Snag tights. Wore them once and then put them in the bin, give me M&S Velvet Touch any day.

I use my Lakeland heated airer all the time - as an ordinary clothes horse in front of the radiator, switched off because it’s pretty shite switched on.

A Bosch athlete cordless vac. Struggles to suck anything up, and just spits it all out again when you switch it off. If it does manage to eat anything, it instantly clogs the pipe.

Mooncup - when I bought mine the lady in Boots was very excited "ooh we've had those on the shelf for years, no one has ever bought one before!" Was okish until it got stuck and I had to ask for DP's help to retrieve it. Went back to tampons with nice user friendly strings after that incident.

Waitrose baby bottom butter - sickly, greasy vanilla smelling nonsense.

Steam mop just moves dirt around.

I love my instant pot and my Miele cat and dog, though.

@covidstoleTheRainbow you can repair a dualit toaster when the element breaks unlike other toasters......agree though lots of money!!!

@Blufandango
unless I am doing it wrong, the hair plug hole thing does not work well. It gets a bit out, but nothing like the advert.

I can’t imagine you’re doing it wrong, how else could you do it? I’m sorely disappointed, my long curly hair destroys plug holes!

@alltoomuchrightnow

Benefit They're Real gives you wonderful bonus panda eyes too. With me , took about 15 minutes. Got the photos to prove it. And only wore on top lashes

That's so weird, every mascara I've ever tried has given me panda eyes except They're Real

I wonder why it works for some and not others...

I like our Eufy. Totally converted to the concept of robot vacuums, but wish I’d bought the model with intelligent room mapping. Still, if/when he dies, I’ll be ordering a replacement within the hour.

I like our Shark. DH’s purchase, so not due to anything here. I’m not sure it lives up to DH’s excitement, but I like it and it does the job. DD and I have long hair and despite its long hair claims it needs its roller de-hairing every other outing to keep it picking up properly, but it’s easy enough to do.

Our Lakeland heated airer is ok. I was disappointed at first, but once I’d adjusted my expectations decided to keep it. I’ve only had it 3 weeks, so perhaps I’ll love it more with time. It hasn’t cut down on our tumble dryer use, takes up loads of space and definitely does not dry a full load over night, but it IS a good alternative to radiators for non-tumble dryable items. Still, I suspect I might have been better off buying the drying pod.

Hated Bravissimo bras. Had 3 fittings over the years, and all the bras I’ve bought sit pristine and unworn in the back of my wardrobe.

Love, love, love my menstrual cup and period pants. I hated the cup for the first 2 periods, but persevered and bloody love it now. Would never use tampons again.

Footner was kind of fun but bloody useless

Going back some years now, but I loved my mobywrap.

I love our ancient slow cooker. I think it cooks slower than modern ones. With the right prep, it makes cheap cuts of meat delicious. I don’t use it as a time-saving aid so don’t mind spending time preparing the meat and cooking veg/accompaniments separately later.

I need the plug unblocking thingy. Why has no one linked to the plug unblocking thingy?!!! Or have I missed it?

@Shizzlestix have you tried these? It has saved me (DH) a lot of unblocking.
haircatcher

I love a lot of my MN buys and finds:

Babyliss Big Hair
Bra intervention
Retinol
Eucryl for teeth whitening
Biore sunscreen
Perfume Parlour (currently wearing the dupe for MFK Feminin Pluriel, which smells EXACTLY the same and saved me £120!)

Things that have been complete shite, though:

Bodyshop hair henna

Most of the ‘Miracle’ make up recommendations. Especially my unfortunate run in with mineral make up (urgh).

Beauty advent calendars - not this year, mate! Total load of guff.

Mooncup. I can’t be arsed with rinsing out bloody caps in communal work toilets, thank you very much!