To ask why everyone on MN seems to hate Baylis & Harding?

[Hearmeout]

Is it just a snobbery thing?

I've just smelled a few of them in the supermarket and they were lush to be fair, so what's it all about??

it’s the quintessential ‘that’ll fucking do’ gift for someone you barely know but courtesy requires you get a gift for.

This. MIL, who has known me for 18 years, buys me a big B&H gift set every Christmas. I'd rather she just saved her money and didn't get me anything to be honest. There's always a ridiculous amount of unecessary packaging and I can't even use the products as I have sensitive skin and this stuff dries me out to the point my skin cracks.

It's really poor quality pretending to be something posh. The texture is thin, the shower gel doesn't foam properly, the body lotions feel thin and sticky and so on. The perfume is too sickly and synthetic and they dry my skin out.

For the same price, I'd rather be given Nivea or Dove. At least those products work, are kind to my skin and I would use them.

It's not snobbery. I'd just rather have a present I will be able to use, rather than one I'll send to the charity shop.

It's fake posh. Molton Brown rip off.

Yeah I guess it's a bit like when someone gives you Thornton chocolates?

no, more like getting a box of celebrations.

It's cheap and a cop out present. Like a Lynx set for men.

Yeah I guess it's a bit like when someone gives you Thornton chocolates?
no, more like getting a box of celebrations.

I would prefer the celebrations to be honest 🙂

I'm no snob and I don't spend lots of money on toiletries (bar soap and Aldi moisturisers here), but I dislike Bayliss and Harding. I don't like the insipid smells or the texture - it's kind of slimy and gloopy. It's cheap crap in aspirational packaging, and imo it's worse quality and more expensive than lots of good, more basic products in non-aspirational packaging.

I wrote a list for my birthday last year of things I would like but never treat myself to. One was "nice shower gel". I got given three giant bottles of the rose and geranium shower gel/body wash from a relative. Had never used it before and was delighted 🤣 Thought it smelt lovely and lathered up nicely too. Felt way fancier than the supermarket any old own brand I would usually grab. Was actually sad when it eventually ran out!!!!! Shame I didn't put it on my Christmas list! Each to their own. The scent I can't stand is the bog standard Sanctuary one.

I get a B & H gift set every Christmas. Someone always gets me one. :( I don't like it. Not because it's Bayliss and Harding but just because I don't like getting any smellies or beauty related things. I buy the same Herbal Essences Shampoo and Conditioner and buy whatever shower gel and hand wash is on offer. It's just not something I'm in to. I'd rather a box of chocs or a book. Definitely not snobbery.

I can’t stand the stuff. Not snobbery. I was given a set years ago before I had heard of the brand. Still thought it was rubbish. Would rather have no gift than a B&H set. Always gets loads at charity raffles and people get rid of rubbish gifts they don’t want.

Because it's not nice. It dries out skin and is a pretty thoughtless Xmas gift.

As an autist ... they have a scent so I don't like them. I buy all unscented. But if it wasn't for that I'd likely use it.

I don't hate it. I buy the handsoap because of the nice smells. I don't use any other of their products.

But it's not a gift. Gifts should be a bit more luxurious and not something you buy yourself regularly.

It's cheap crap in aspirational packaging, and imo it's worse quality and more expensive than lots of good, more basic products in non-aspirational packaging.
This hits the nail on the head.

The Aldi hand soaps are cheaper and nicer too.

People seem to think if you take cheap crap and make it look nice then it's something other than cheap crap, but it isn't. It's no different to the cheap crap hampers people flog on Facebook where £3 worth of sweets/chocolate is dolled up in cellophane and ribbon and some hun charges £15 for the 'hamper'.

For the price of B&H gift set, I'd rather have some nice herbal teas, or one bottle of hand soap that's a bit nicer than what we normally have in.

Well I love the mandarin grapefruit bubble bath, get in in the light up bottle every Christmas. The smell is amazing.

get in, not get it

I would beery happy if someone bought me some for Christmas (and I am probably considered 'posh'). People are ridiculously snobby and quite ungrateful in my humble opinion.

Or get it 😂I'll get my coat

I think it's partly because it seems to be a rip off of Molton Brown.

I personally can’t bear them because I have sensitive eczemery skin (I find any liquid soap posh or other wise is like paint stripper on my hands) and smell sensitivities (They set off migraines).

I solely use bar soap for hands/body wash because it has recycling card packaging and I buy an organic brand I can get on offer for the same price as dove soap from TX Max.

I’ve never received Baylis & Harding (I do buy the Aldi hand wash which has a similar packaging). However, I generally don’t like getting gifted toiletries for Xmas as I am fussy about smells, textures and ingredients - particularly when it comes to hand or body lotions because my skin is very dry.

This. I’ve come to hate the words ‘High Earner’ and ‘six figures’ because of mumsnet.

I love Baylis and Harding handwash, especially the apple and jasmine one, and I love that they are available to throw in with my weekly shop.

The body washes and gift sets are a bit more hit and miss, quality wise, but I still like them. Some of the scents are really lush for the price.

And if it adds anything to this thread I used to work for Molton Brown and I don’t now buy anything from them.

Funnily enough it's on sale in my local posh supermarket in Europe as a classy gift pack.

In my opinion the gift sets are vastly overpriced- shower gel and body lotion sets for £30 for example, more a price you'd expect to pay for a Boots Soap & Glory set, or something similar. The quality of the products is awful, as previous posters have said the shower gel has a very jelly like consistency, doesn't really lather and lasts 2-3 washes on a bath lily max. I wouldn't give it to anyone, but if I received it I would use it and be grateful.

I like it well enough.