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AIBU?

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Original poster

To say that Bayliss & Harding is quite nice

68 replies

Bigbonesmeatandgravy · 07/05/2022 22:06

For a couple of quid?
I think it's pretty good and don't understand why people hate it so much. Enlighten me!

OP posts:
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 07/05/2022 23:15

I would be more than happy to use it (I couldn't give a shit about brands), but the shower gel doesn't actually lather. It blobs onto your hand/shower thingy, then slides off, whole, onto the shower floor as soon as water hits it.

They should coat tents with it. It's fucking waterproof.

So I don't buy it.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 07/05/2022 23:16

BlueSpottedGiraffe · 07/05/2022 22:39

I like it and don't see how them knocking off Molton Brown (which I also like but only when I'm feeling very flush!) is any different to all the products in Aldi.

MNers love Aldi so not sure why the hate for bayliss and Harding, unless it's been given as a gift then I understand.

The Aldi products are actually good. Maybe B&H should knock off the Aldi ones.

CrazyFishLady · 07/05/2022 23:17

I let it be known in my family that I actually quite like it.

I’ve never had to buy anymore at all. I have mildly snobby family members who throw it my way in horror whenever they get a gift set of it. I can easily get a years supply around Christmas 😁👍

DoesItEverEnd · 07/05/2022 23:24

I liked it and been given it as a girl from an elderly aunt. I have been appreciative of the gift. The goodness range is nice

but the I’m not a mug who would pay £20 for shower gel and claim it’s worth the price

LibrariesGiveUsPower · 07/05/2022 23:27

i like it, the only hand wash that doesn’t give me dermatitis.

The gift sets I wouldn’t buy for anyone tbh as they seem overpriced.

Blinky21 · 07/05/2022 23:31

I like the Goodnes B&H range for an everyday soap to have by the kitchen sink, wouldn't dream of giving it as a gift though

Original poster
Bigbonesmeatandgravy · 07/05/2022 23:37

BestDove · 07/05/2022 22:50

I like Carex (cheap) and I like Molton Brown (expensive)

But I don't like B&H, as it's pretending to be fancy. I always receive it at Christmas and birthdays though, so I give it to either the school raffle or to the charity shop if I'm doing a clothes drop off too.

So by your logic if they sold B&H for £20 a bottle it would become "fancy" and you'd buy it?

OP posts:
Original poster
Bigbonesmeatandgravy · 07/05/2022 23:38

I agree that it isn't the most inspiring gift but at least its useful!

OP posts:
RobertaFirmino · 08/05/2022 00:30

HeddaGarbled · 07/05/2022 22:41

The shower gel is poor quality. Comes out of the bottle in big gloops but barely lathers at all.

Yes, this is what I find too. The body lotion is very watery too.

I'm no snob, I'm currently using an Imperial Leather shower gel I got for a quid from Home Bargains .

PAFMO · 08/05/2022 08:39

Out of curiosity I looked up the ingredients in the B&H and MB handwashes.

Depending on the fragrance, the MB may contain a bit of the relevant essential oil (the cheaper ones though, like citrus ones) and different colourings to the B&H. So, the essential oils will make a difference in the depth of the fragrance.

But that's about it. All the other ingredients are chemically identical. At the end of the day, they are perfumed foaming soaps.

balalake · 08/05/2022 08:39

Some of them are, though other nice hand wash soaps are available for less.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 08/05/2022 08:49

PAFMO · 07/05/2022 22:08

They don't in real life.
It's only MN snobbery.

If it had Molton Brown on it everyone would love it.

BarbaraofSeville · 08/05/2022 08:50

ICannotRememberAThing · 07/05/2022 23:00

People love expensive brands don't they? This made me laugh... (sorry about the DM link - it's the only place I could find the video)
www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4025224/How-avid-Molton-Brown-fan-failed-tell-difference-favourite-18-soap-Aldi-s-80-version-fact-preferred-cheaper-one.html

It's pure snobbery about B&H and you see it time and time again in any truely blind test, where you don't know which is which that people often can't tell, prefer the cheaper brand, or at the very least don't think the expensive version, often at 10/20 times the price, is significantly better than the very cheap equivalent.

BarbaraofSeville · 08/05/2022 08:53

Sorry I quoted you @ICannotRememberAThing because I meant to say that I've posted that link before on a similar thread and I think you only have to look at the guy's tracksuit in the photo of him in the bathroom for a reminder that more expensive things aren't necessarily nicer/better quality.

AnnaMagnani · 08/05/2022 08:53

I hate it because it does dry my hands and so does Molton Brown.

Clearly I am too posh for this world.

CornishGem1975 · 08/05/2022 08:58

It's perfectly fine, I have no beef with B&H trying to make their product look fancy. Not everyone has the privileged position of being able to spaff £20 on some hand soap so if being able to buy a £1.50 bottle that looks 'nice' makes them happy then I see no problem with that.

If someone bought it me as a gift I'd be hard pushed to be offended or disappointed because, well it's a gift and I'd be grateful that they got me something.

SallyWD · 08/05/2022 09:03

I like it and buy the hand-wash for guests (we use bars of soap when it's just us). However I do know it's fairly cheap and for that reason wouldn't buy it as a gift. However for every day use I find it good and perfectly acceptable.

BarbaraofSeville · 08/05/2022 09:04

PAFMO · 08/05/2022 08:39

Out of curiosity I looked up the ingredients in the B&H and MB handwashes.

Depending on the fragrance, the MB may contain a bit of the relevant essential oil (the cheaper ones though, like citrus ones) and different colourings to the B&H. So, the essential oils will make a difference in the depth of the fragrance.

But that's about it. All the other ingredients are chemically identical. At the end of the day, they are perfumed foaming soaps.

Which means that it's simply not true when people say that 'B&H is cheap and nasty and brings me out in a rash but lovely refined MB doesn't' because they're basically the same.

At best, MB might have a slightly nicer smell that lasts a bit longer, but otherwise, it's very 'emperor's new clothes' and people think it's better quality because it's more expensive and for no other reason.

Nospringchix · 08/05/2022 09:05

HeddaGarbled · 07/05/2022 22:41

The shower gel is poor quality. Comes out of the bottle in big gloops but barely lathers at all.

Was going to say the same myself. I've given up with the shower gels I've been bought as gifts. The hand-wash seems OK though.

LoveItOrListIt · 08/05/2022 09:06

It’s the rip off factor for me…appeals to those types that get a kick out of buying cheap things then masquerading it as expensive….they think they are clever for fooling everyone else…taking the perceived “prestige” without paying for it. An acquaintance of mine is notorious for gifting this and it’s done with such a smugness at how much money she’s saved while in her mind she’s conned the recipient into believing she is super generous (and she could easily afford molten brown).

Ilikecake05 · 08/05/2022 09:15

I like B&H and buy it. I’m dead posh though so I decant it into dispensers that match my tooth brush holders 💅

Went into M&B shop once and was quite impressed they had wee sinks you can use to try the products. Had genuine intentions of purchasing some hand soap but couldn’t find a single one I liked the scent of.

To be fair, my usual go-to hand soap is the kids ones that smell of strawberry laces or lovehearts.

inappropriateraspberry · 08/05/2022 09:21

Nothing wrong with buying it yourself, but it's not as special as people like to make out and is a lazy gift option. I'd rather be given nothing than be bought a B&H gift set. However, if I needed soap and it was a good deal I'd buy it for myself, for everyday use.

LakieLady · 08/05/2022 09:28

AnnaMagnani · 08/05/2022 08:53

I hate it because it does dry my hands and so does Molton Brown.

Clearly I am too posh for this world.

I'm too posh for Molton Brown too!

I've been gifted loads of it, mostly body wash, and it dries my skin really badly. I swear it's just washing up liquid with a nice scent added.

I use it very sparingly, every 3rd or 4th day, and have to slather on body lotion afterwards. It's a shame, because the MB stuff smells fab, especially the Labdanum Dusk one.

Maverickess · 08/05/2022 09:33

For someone on a limited budget they might feel like they're getting something a bit nicer for a cheaper price to give as a gift, because they want to give a nice gift to someone who matters to them but can't afford a lot, rather than they want to appear to give a nice gift but on the cheap to look good themselves. It's not like the price is a secret when it's widely available.

I'm grateful for whatever someone buys me tbh, whatever it is.

almondbran · 08/05/2022 11:43

People saying molton brown is the same as b&h, it’s really not. When I use MB shower gel I can smell it on me for hours and the bathroom smells like it for hours. It’s much more scented than cheaper brands