Caroline Hirons 'kit' she's at it again..will she ever go away?

[MrsKingfisher]

A friend today was telling me about another kit of the usual suspects £300 same brands, same hype, then she showed me same censorship on her 'freak' group if anyone says they aren't buying one.

I'm no longer in her group, I don't like her I don't like the way she shuts people who disagree with her down and I wonder when has she had her day? Surely people can see through her now?

I agree she's a bit of bully / psycho / control freak in her freak FB group that's for sure under the guise of being fair and just, lol.
I feel for those who are sucked into buying all those unnecessary expensive products she's been promoting for years, esp those in their 20's who's skin will be worse in their 40's for using all those acids and retinol products far too early even if they are using spf. Makes me chuckle how she's now happy to promote brands she was quite negative about (despite them being decent products) now that they pay her to promote them. I started following her years ago due to MN and it was all quite useful along with advice from MN. I think you just grow out of her eventually and see through it all. Her blog / website is useful though at the start of your skin care journey but I get very cross at these costly kits people feel compelled to buy by hyping themselves up, Brilliant way for her and these brands to drum up buyers though, fair play to them if people are willing to go along with it all and spend £££.

I take from it what I want to. So I read her reviews of products then do a bit more research. The brand discounts were good for me as I really like deviant skincare so used that to stock up

What do you want from this thread? Really?Caroline Hirons is successful and good at what she does and she gives back. And she sell skincare. Not sure what there is to ‘see through’ to.

FWIW I think these CH Autumn kits did completely jump the shark. Too many products in each one. There are still some kits available and I bet they have loads of people cancelling their orders once the FOMO has passed. It was just too much.

I think there must be significant numbers of people going into debt to buy either one or, in some cases, both kits. I bought the kit she released with Space NK - it was great value but they are becoming more and more expensive now. The weird hero worship is just strange though.

I have no idea who she is and reading the thread feel pretty comfortable with that!

Ditto NiceGerbil
Just off to google now , along with Oodies!

I followed her for years but this week have stopped following her on Instagram. I feel as if I've simply moved on. I could afford the odd product and I did buy her book but the majority of the stuff was out of my price range.

Fair play to her though for working hard, knowing her shit and being successful at what she does.

@George22 I got that Space NK kit and it was a total winner. Pitched exactly right.

Loved her a few years ago. Was happy that she was upfront about being high end.

But then it got more and more expensive, less clear that cheaper and fewer products would do the same thing for far less, and very opaque about the sponsorship.

Im guessing she consults for these brands, it's always the same brands.

I think her kit is ill timed and many on her group are saying the same only to be shut down. The censorship in her group is ridiculous. A bit like the Trinny London groups. You can't criticise constructively or otherwise you'll get deleted.

Lots of ladies in Caroline's group saying the just can't afford it this time. Each of the posts are removed or commenting is turned off.

She's not a nice person I don't care how she parades herself as mother Theresa.

It saddens me to hear she's shutting people down for their opinions re the kits etc on her FB group. Which kind shows the group is really all about self promotion, raising her profile etc which is fine I guess.

She can't help that she's popular and making money from her name so explains why she would exploit that in these difficult times.

In contrast though I see that Nadine Baggot has skincare box colab with Superdrug for only £20 or so.

She's not a nice person

Wait, who thought she was? If anyone thinks of her as being nice and sweet then they need glasses, and she'd probably agree with that. She's never attempted to be particularly nice. But I didn't mind that as at least she's true to her own character, which is bossy by nature.

I find her wearing, she's either cats bum disapproving or eye rolling hectoring. I find both modes to be tiresome so only lasted about 6 months watching her videos.

I think as someone said, she's a phase people go through. You think all your skin problems will disappear if you follow the instructions given from on high by a High Priestess. And to be fair, she was always very big on instructions. "You do this, then you do that, then you do this other thing after". Easy to follow.

And some of it was transformative just because maybe people weren't washing their face that much before. If you suddenly start properly removing your makeup properly for the first time because CH told you so, and your spots clear up, then you attribute it to CH, even though it may just have been better hygiene!

I think once you do the eleventy billion steps and realise half of them aren't making much of a difference and cost a fortune, then you scale back considerably. And then the phase is over. You keep what really works, and ditch what's unnecessary.

I kept proper cleansing, and kept Pixi Glow Tonic - though I've found that once a week/10 days does just as much as using it every day, so doing it every day is a total waste of product.

I've also kept the concept that moisturisers can be bog standard as they all do much the same, and no longer buy expensive ones. (She would also say to spend loads on serums for underneath but I take that with a pinch of salt tbh.)

I can't believe the price of the products and kits and can't believe people buy them. Yes looking after your skin is good but no one needs all of that stuff. A few choice products are fine.
Also look at the faces/skin of certain people swearing by this stuff - are they good adverts?!

I can't believe people buy into this, its all hype, she will say anything for a buck, I take all those who recommend products with a pinch of salt, specially if they go down the botox filler root, nothing against those who do, but stop telling me its the high end creams I need, as others have said, do your research before you buy, there's so much information now you don't have to take her advice.

If you find her so annoying or whatever, why bother reading about her or engaging with the forum?
I know who she is and read a bit of her blog a few years back but have long stepped away from expensive skincare. As PP said, of you are into that, there's plenty of other places to get info.

I think her kit is ill timed and many on her group are saying the same only to be shut down.

Ill timed? For who? They are Autumn kits (timed for Autumn). They are a fun lovely bit of luxury if you can afford them, and if you can’t afford them it’s no different to the mountains and mountains of other stuff that we all want but can’t afford - it just life.

I used to watch her a bit but then found her too shouty and bolshy. I prefer people who can get their point across in an eloquent way.

Saying that I just went and looked at a video linked to her spring kits, in which she’s telling you which kit to buy for your “lockdown skin”. Lockdown skin, really!? Now if that’s not inventing a problem for the sake of flogging something then I really don’t know what is.

On one hand she is saying don't get in debt for skincare, on other she is offering pay on installments. It doesn't add up!

I watched the live videos and she keeps talking over the brand reps - very annoying as some interesting people. However I have to admit I am guilty of that sometimes, it takes discipline to shut up and listen when you are over excited.

She advertise her mates mainly, anyone who would tolerate her and doesn't really buy into what dermatologists say about skincare.

She is anti no fragrance skincare. WTH??? You like perfume in your skincare, fair enough but why mock others who don't?

I much prefer Nadine's advise in terms of skincare and it's much more in line with dermatologist. I get feeling that CH is making up things to suit the products her mates sell

however
her kits come with discount codes if you only want to purchase product or two
she gives to charity
her followers are grown ups - they can decide to buy kit or not
there is a lot of good chat in her groups

I don't think the kits are selling out this time as quick as previous.

It's awful they have turned comments off for people saying they can't afford it. So greedy.

I find it extremely irritating that people are proclaiming how saint like her and her team are for these kits. Like it's a huge act of charity! It's simple retail. They approach big brands say, can we buy 10,000 units to sell to skincare enthusiasts and give you tons of social media publicity. It's not curing cancer 🙄

The other element is if I was space nk or cult beauty, and I work with someone new I will be - you either give me the discounts you give to CH, or enjoy your partnership with her - bye! She gives out about them trying to undercut her, but she is the one undercutting them and I bet Sunday Riley makes more out of Space NK and Cult beauty than she does selling one product in the kits

"will she ever go away?"

Seriously?
This all sounds oddly personal.

Nobody is liked by everyone. If you don’t like her fine. Don’t engage.

She can’t please everyone. None of us can.

Talking over the brand reps etc - she has spoken about having ADHD.

Yes she is fairly bolshy and not everyone’s cup of tea.

Yes the kits are expensive. But actually really good value if you like high end skin care and actually not all of the products are always from higher end brands.

Yes most of the products are from companies she has a relationship with. Her ‘mates’.

No it’s not curing cancer.

But she has raised an awful lot of money for various charities.

The first kit was around this time last year and she guaranteed a large cash donation to the Eve Appeal. Whether the kits sold or not. Obviously they did but she was worried they wouldn’t.

She raised money for Black Lives Matter charities and it wasn’t just a bandwagon jump - she had been outspoken prior to the events in the summer.

She has raised loads of money for Beauty Backed - to help support hair and beauty industry workers who have fallen through the cracks over lockdown.

So she is not everyone’s cup of tea but then again who is? If you don’t like her or what she does it’s pretty easy to ignore her. Loads of people manage it!

Oh and the payment in instalments thing was because people asked for that option. She looked at Klarna but didn’t like how much pressure they put on so went with Clearpay.

And she repeatedly says not to go into debt for skin care.

300 quid for an 'Autumn' kit of skincare, some of which you might not even like?! And paying in instalments??!

It takes all sorts I guess.....

It does indeed!

You don’t have to pay in instalments but it is an option for those that want it.