"The Emperors New Clothes" - stuff you don't think is worth it

[LaurieFairyCake]

By Terry Lipstick for £33 - yes, £33 for a lipstick.

I came this close to being seduced by the hypnotic voice of the seller in Space NK yesterday.

I didn't because I realised it wasn't that great, nice on - but not the dogs nuts of lipstick.

So what is the Emperors new clothes for you?

Acne pistols - £300 mum boots

Anything by a brand that spends a middle size country's GDP on PR, advertising and the CEO s salary. That s you Burberry , and mulberry et al.

Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser - I do like it, but I've found a cheaper cleanser and use a flannel to get the same affect.

Loads of stuff, tbh.

Trad Uggs - unstylish, expensive, shapeless, unsupportive, smelly things that are crap in all but bone dry, ice cold weather. Even remotely wet weather and they soak it up like satan's own sponge. If the weather is on the chilly end of mild or warmer, feet sweat like a fucker. Vile.

I have just googled the acne pistols. They are clumpy, frumpy & look like something from the bargain bin in ShoeZone

T-shirts over £40 (and even £30 seems a lot).
Molton Brown bubble bath. It's nice but absolutely ridiculously expensive and Radox does the job just as well.
I wouldn't pay over a tenner for a lipstick, ever. Soap and Glory ones are gorgeous and are always on offer.

Bareminerals. I like mineral foundation and expected great things from Bareminerals but it is nowhere near as good as the hype suggests and I've found cheaper brands like Lily Lolo are better.

Yes - any posh bubble bath. I'll pay for posh oils and salts but bubble bath is always just soap, no? Enjoyable, but not good for your skin.

A lot of the department store beauty hall stuff - eg Clarins, Clinique, Estee Lauder etc. I'm not saying everything in there is awful, there may be many people who use various products and think they're great, but ime a lot of what is found in there just isn't worth it. I used to work in the area and got a lot of stuff for free, and had to chuck so much (eye cream that burned, moisturiser that didn't moisturise, cleansers that were far too harsh, make up only suitable for a minority of skin tones... etc). I remember trying a new Lancôme moisturiser, it was alright, then I found out it was £101 RRP! Same with an EL eye cream, again I thought it was alright, not amazing but better than other ones they had, but it was around £50 RRP. Just really not worth it.

Expensive polyester type stuff. Kind of vague, I know, but so often I see a top that looks nice, the price is in the £50-100 range, and it turns out it's just made from some cheap material. A lot of the 'designed by...' ranges at high street stores are like this.

FitFlop Due. I thought they would be so comfortable and lovely. I've ended up owning 2 pairs (one went back to store, the other was a gift and currently collecting dust!), both awful, weird fit, painful. Even after loosened up and worn for a bit.

I have very even tempered skin, so for me it would be expensive skincare. I can't justify paying more than £50 for a moisturiser when one costing under £10 will do just as well. I am currently a fan of the Superdrug Naturally Radiant range (as recommended on MN of course).

LOVE my Acne Pistols 4 years old and still going strong........ though I like the utilitarian look you have to style them right though.

"Premium" skin care, shampoos and conditioners often loaded with chemicals prefer more natural ingredients and cheaper prices.

Totally agree re: Molton Brown - smells nice but dries my skin and and makes it itchy. I don't reject expensive bath/shower/skincare out if hand, but Molton Brown just does not deliver for me. I like the L'Occitane Shea butter range though.

Mulberry handbags - they are ridiculously expensive and I just cannot get over the fact they aren't lined.

Louis Vuitton handbags - I think that the monogram range is for people who want other people to know they have an expensive handbag. Sorry, it's just my personal opinion.

Chanel nail polish - the quality just isn't there, Barry M has better lasting power IME.

Conversely, the things I think are worth the money:

MAC and Bobbi Brown make-up. Really good quality and lasting power IME.

L'Occitane Shea butter hand cream. My hands' saviour in the winter.

Moleskine diaries - just something about them, I buy one every single year, love em.

Jaeger clothes (outlet prices only though) - amazing quality for work, lasts for years and years, always look immaculate.

Liz earle cleanse and polish. It's cleanser and a flannel ffs.
Pretty much all beauty products.

My (genuine) Mulberry is lined

Pretty much any handbags. Just don't get it.
Jo Malone candles - try Isle of Skye.

Some Mulberry handbags are lined. Some aren't, such as the Roxanne and the Anthony.

I like pretty much everything you all hate on this thread

Looks at pistols, new mulberry handbag and expensive lipstick - albeit Tom Ford.

It is all so personal though - for me HOC would be a total waste of time but I get it works for many people. I love my pistols and don't think they look like mum boots, but I am a mum so what do I know.

Uggs Hunters wellies ( cheap & basty)

Jo Malone perfume - overpriced, overhyped airfreshener!

Mulberry handbags - they are ridiculously expensive and I just cannot get over the fact they aren't lined.

This! If they were lined, you could just about understand the high price, as they are really classic. But not even lined? They are the quintessence of Emperors New Clothes!

I love my Mulberry Bayswater it is a classic and looks better with age, it doesn't bother me that it isn't lined and I use a bag liner to keep it looking clean inside.

Michael Kors my daughter has just spent £264 on a plastic tote and that was in the sale!
If it was gorgeous leather fair that would be expensive to me but plastic!