What pricey beauty products are not worth it?

[Teadrinker11]

I don't mind paying for expensive products as long as you get what you pay for. From your experience what expensive products aren't worth how expensive they are, and why? I usually like Loccitane stuff but I got the verbena deodorant and it's useless, I'll be sticking to my usual Boots buys for deodorant.

Yes I like Nivea Soft too @KirstenBlest. It's very hydrating and sinks in well. The Lancôme stuff was a present so I wouldn't buy it for myself. I do like Clarins because it smells so comforting to me.

made a big difference to my hair the first time I used it. Now it doesn't bother to make the effort. Reminds me of my husband when we were dating

All anti-aging skin care and serums. Instead, I use tretinoin, which is anyway the only one proven to work.

I don't use any expensive products. Boots no7 is great for skincare.

In the past there were products that were real game changers - Touche Eclat is probably a good example. Or remember Beauty Flash Balm??

I still use them both

@Bussinbussin

In the past there were products that were real game changers - Touche Eclat is probably a good example. Or remember Beauty Flash Balm??

I still use them both

@Bussinbussin - up to you if you want to use them both but Boots Botanic did a very similar product to Beauty Flash Balm and there are similar products to Touche Eclat too.

I used both BFM and TE back in the day when they first came out - both made my skin look presentable for work after alcohol fuelled school nights!

I was a long-term user of both those two classics too!

There are significantly more advanced and more effective equivalents available now and for much cheaper prices.

I also took against Touché Eclat after one morning walking through Selfridges with a hangover, and the lady on the YSL counter offered me a trial of the TE. I've already got it on, I said, it clearly isn't working!

All of them! You are paying primarily for branding, not for what it does.

@crazyjinglist

All of them! You are paying primarily for branding, not for what it does.

I'm not sure I agree with this, I do find with lipsticks and most eyeshadows you get far better pigment and the actual application process is far nicer. I hate eyeshadows that's look great in the palette but do not show up at all, and I hate the opposite, that are far far too pigmented and it doesn't blend out at all. I think the Japanese and Korean brands do the nicest ones as they can be sheer but are build able, they also like subtle micro shimmer. I think matte eyeshadows can be very aging on older eyes.

I absolutely love Charlotte Tilbury, use her stuff daily. Horses for courses I suppose.

For me the Estée Lauder advanced night serum - literally does nothing. Been using for months and absolutely no difference in my skin.

I have a few CT bits and like them all, especially the lip liner and lipstick. I have a mac lipstick and I hate it, doesn't go on well, is very drying and really patcy when it comes off.

MAC eyeshadows I find they don’t blend and the little pot ones just crumble.

Touche Éclat- was a game changer back in the day, true. (though also back in the day it was disturbing to see many people using it as a concealer and just highlighting their dark circles and ending up like some sort of reverse panda) but then everybody made one and almost everyone's was at least as good, if not better- and most of them didn't smell like dirty dishcloths after a week.

Jo Malone.- the ultimate in style over substance. Colognes- 80% alcohol, so cheap as chips both in terms of ingredients and production, and linear simple fragrances to boot, and then super fancy stylish packaging and shops.

I'm very underwhelmed by The Ordinary and instead of "ooh look, one ingredient that costs a fiver" (but oh dear, I need 6 ingredients) I buy one serum containing all 6. (apart from their less than transparent percentages on some products- though they've become slightly better since various beauty journalists "exposed" the economical maths)

@crazyjinglist

All of them! You are paying primarily for branding, not for what it does.

You and I agree, but I think no one else does:)

I'm not sure I agree with this, I do find with lipsticks and most eyeshadows you get far better pigment and the actual application process is far nicer

I think you could line up a whole row of women, with their make-up applied by the same person in the same way, but using expensive stuff on some of them and cheaper stuff on others and you wouldn't have a hope in hell of accurately guessing which was which. I'm not sure what you mean by the application process being nicer, but I'm pretty sure that on its own wouldn't be worth the price tag (to me at least!)

Also, with skin care beauty stuff it's well documented that cheap stuff like Aldi Lacura Caviar moisturiser and Nivea etc are just as good as the super high end stuff.

Sure it's nice to treat yourself to posh products in pretty packaging occasionally, but when there's so little actual difference in the effects it's not something I'd do regularly.

Agree with the top end ones being poor value, unless you strike gold with a miracle.

The truth is that they are all a waste of money- the only ones that aren't are the ones that work for your skin.

I think false or exaggerated product reviews are misleading too. What works for one person definitely doesn't work for another, and also we use them in combination with all sorts so finding the perfect skincare is like getting the stars to align. Then factor in hormones, diet, environment etc and we are always going to be searching, and buying.

If someone asks me what I'm using and wants to try it I leave a sizeable amount for them to try. If they don't like it they can give it back to me.

All high end mascaras - Primark ones have just as good an impact. Also, more likely to dispose of at 3 months due to cost.

As per Pp, I buy my skin care individually now. So apart from my skin&me subscription (which is the first thing I've found that works) I buy my actives seperately, so niamicide, Vit C and then generic moisturiser and usually a rose oil.

My individual costs add up to less than a Clinique moisturiser typically (and definitely last longer)

Bar soap for showers now, far better for my skin and the environment than the over priced over smelly shower gels.

Seriously, why are we sending s fortune on perfumes to overpower with shower/body lotion?

@BusterGonad

What brands would you recommend for lipsticks and eyeshadows? Tia.

@crazyjinglist

I'm not sure I agree with this, I do find with lipsticks and most eyeshadows you get far better pigment and the actual application process is far nicer

I think you could line up a whole row of women, with their make-up applied by the same person in the same way, but using expensive stuff on some of them and cheaper stuff on others and you wouldn't have a hope in hell of accurately guessing which was which. I'm not sure what you mean by the application process being nicer, but I'm pretty sure that on its own wouldn't be worth the price tag (to me at least!)

Also, with skin care beauty stuff it's well documented that cheap stuff like Aldi Lacura Caviar moisturiser and Nivea etc are just as good as the super high end stuff.

Sure it's nice to treat yourself to posh products in pretty packaging occasionally, but when there's so little actual difference in the effects it's not something I'd do regularly.

@crazyjinglist - you say that though but in the past I've used a Dior very luminous foundation (the bastards discontinued it of course) and also now Chanel Vitalumiere and also e.g. an old Bobbi Brown Hunter eyeliner pencil (discontinued).

I've been in work, when you could go in and people asked me what it was as it looked so nice. I had one ex colleague say she recognised NARS Dolce Vita lip pencil on me due to the colour. I used a red lipstick a few years ago with gold flecks in it (Estee Lauder I think) which got compliments and 'that doesn't look as if it's cheap' one girl commented to me at a work Christmas party - she hadn't seen the lipstick, had just put it back in my bag, we were in toilets and I had just touched it up and smacked my lips together.

Don't get me wrong - lots of cheaper brands try to imitate certain items and finishes but they just can't.

@Invasionofthegutsnatchers agree completely about the Molton Brown perfumes. 30 seconds and they're gone! Ditto L'Occitane - gorgeous fragrances but they don't linger for any time at all and so expensive too!

However I recently splurged and bought Lancome Idole mascara and I love it! I've never bought expensive mascara but it beats everything else I've used hands down.

Olaplex was rubbish except the oil which I was moaning about as rubbish when using per instructions and my hairdresser advised to slap on overnight and that does something. But there are lots of overnight conditioning hair oils out there.

@SwimmingOnEggshells

Ha! I just googled, Coty do make Chanel cosmetics.

No they don't

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm and Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream. The first is what...a primer? What is it? You have to apply it in a special way or it pills. And once you put any foundation on top you can't tell you've put it on. The second is done ghastly tacky petroleum based gloop. Where would you put this? Everywhere apparently. Where exactly though? Lips and cuticles....why would I buy a massive tube of petroleum gloop to put on my nails and lips? Just odd

CT Pillow Talk and Hollywood Filter, Glossier boy brow, stretch concealer and mascara. Olaplex 6, all pricey and cheaper alternatives just as good if not better.
Have just bought Hair Doctor shampoo and conditioner, 17 quid each, no better result than with most other shampoos/conditioners.
I keep promising myself to stop falling for recommendations I see on here