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.

I think Clinique & Clarins used to be better years ago. I always used to treat myself at the airport. Clarins was high in plant extracts, I used to love the eye gel. It’s not the same now. Loved Beauty Flash Balm. Was recently gifted some, so I must try it out.

Also used a lot of Elizabeth Arden back then (I loved shopping in John Lewis & Selfridges beauty hall. And I loved free gifts with purchase!). But I never liked Eight Hour Cream much, even though I sometimes bought it. Go figure! Must have been the hype...

Loved make-up & perfume in my twenties. Wasn’t as arsed in my thirties, got into natural brands. Now I’m mid forties, and although I have some nice stuff, I’m just as happy with cheaper skin creams. Boots No 7 is quite good, actually!

I would say anything by omorovicza. I've had quite a few of their products in beauty boxes and advent calendars, and fancy glass packaging aside, have found them all to be quite ordinary. There is nothing 'illuminating' about my illuminating moisturiser. Also using their deep cleansing mask at the moment which is basically a mud mask. It's nice enough but it's not £72 nice!

@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

I'm still using Touché Eclat too!

I think the thing about Beauty Flash Balm is that it was a brightening primer back when we thought "primer" referred to infant school textbooks. It was probably the first, or one of the first on the market. Likewise, back in the late 80s I used to use a Bourjois mousse thing under my foundation, it was called Blanc de Base. Back then, not a clue what I was using, it just brightened my skin and made my foundation sit better.
I now know I was using a primer. And a bloody good one.
Sali Hughes book Pretty Iconic covers all of these "game changers" and is an interesting read. ANR- one of the first and best hyaluronic acid based serums. Etc.

I think ultimately, it's fine to use what makes you feel good. It's winter, so I'm alternating between Nivea blue tub and L'Occitane Divine as a night cream. Is one better than the other? Dunno. One costs £4 and one costs £80. I love both equally.

I'm a fan of a lot of Charlotte Tilbury stuff, but the mascaras are not great, and the eye make up remover is the worst one I've ever used. I poured it down the sink in the end as it was a waste of time and I couldn't think of another use for it. I didn't get on with the Magic Cream either, but that's probably my skin type rather than a problem with the product itself.

KS Exfolikate hurt like mad before I'd even finished applying it. I didn't even try to persevere with it after that!

Olaplex 4 was awful for my hair, even though 3,5 and 6 are repeat buys for me.

I’ve got a theory the original creme de la mer in the 70’s was good but I don’t think they do the whole only making it during a certain time of the lunar cycle thing now.

Plus other 70’s skincare was pretty basic so by comparison it would have been amazing.

Oh dear, I still use beauty flash balm and 8 hour cream.

I had surgery and the 8 hr cream is what I used on the scar as I wasn't thrilled to pay the price of some of the scar repair oil options. I know it's all about massaging something in, but the scar is barely visible now and I'm putting it down to the cream. I have another scar next to this one from previous op and used bio oil for that one, and it's left a white scar. So I am just going to stick with my EA as I will remain convinced it's helped the healing.

And then any leftovers get rubbed into my hands which have taken a blasting from hand sanitizer. It find it soothing as the skin cracked at one point.

@Fluffycloudland77 that's interesting about creme de la mer- I remember using it in the 90s maybe, when I assumed it was new. I recall Victoria Beckham with a giant pot of it in her bathroom in some magazine (assume gifted)!

Wasnt their usp that it was developed for scars by rocket scientists?!
I liked their eye cream too but it was about £90 I think. This was pre parenthood!

isthismylifenow, yes the curing properties of 8 Hour Cream we’re probably why I bought it, now yiu mention. I had quite different skin in my twenties, to now. Very oily & I used to suffer terrible spotty, sore skin. Hormonal breakouts on my chin & neck. That’s what I used to use it for.

The Sali Hughes book is a great read, I must agree! She’s about the same vintage as me, and I enjoyed reading her thoughts on the various products.

La Mer is in TK Maxx now. There’s a gear brand, in Ireland, called Green Angel, that uses seaweed. Lovely stuff & not too pricey... The eye gel is very nice, I keep mine in the fridge!

Might try 8 Hour on my C-Section scar, it’s a keloid scar that just isn’t healing well. It’s 18 months now...

Beauty flash balm - just could not get on with it.

Chanel nail polish - Rimmel much better and a fraction of the price.

Emma Hardie cleansing balm - too thick, too perfumed and left a greasy residue on my skin. Much prefer the body shop camomile oil facial cleanser, which goes to milk when you wash it off.

[quote GellerYeller]@Fluffycloudland77 that's interesting about creme de la mer- I remember using it in the 90s maybe, when I assumed it was new. I recall Victoria Beckham with a giant pot of it in her bathroom in some magazine (assume gifted)!

Wasnt their usp that it was developed for scars by rocket scientists?!
I liked their eye cream too but it was about £90 I think. This was pre parenthood![/quote]
Yes, it was all a specific seaweed or water or something onlynharvested at a certain time and only at night. All a bit woo but I remember reading about it in Harpers bazaar years later and they said it had been taken over and production methods had changed.

@HelloBunny

Might try 8 Hour on my C-Section scar, it’s a keloid scar that just isn’t healing well. It’s 18 months now...

I would give it a try. Although I started using it even while the stitches were still in (internal). I was sure it's the massage technique rather than the oil/cream being used on the injury, but my new scar is a lot less visible that the old one. The massaging is to avoid keloids really.

Came on to say about 8 hr cream. I don't use it as a beauty cream/cosmetic as such. It's great for rashes etc, and I will occasionally use it on my cuticles if I've really neglected them. I'm going to try it on a burn scar. IIRC Coco Channel used to use it on her horses's hooves, but I'm not sure what that actually did.

Chanel khol eyeliner was shit in comparison to rimmel

How are you supposed to apply touché eclat?

I had a cream from the doctor that I massaged in for three months on the new scar. Made no real difference... The scar is still very delicate, and I’ve used various natural balms (Shea butter etc) so maybe I’ll try again.

Touche Eclat, I always used sparingly under the eyes, just in the inside bit. I have a friend who used loads, ringed around her eyes, and it always showed up as reverse panda in photos.

Superdrug vitamin E range is utterly brilliant. Very affordable and is the only thing that adequately moisturises and smooths my very sensitive, dry skin. I've tried lots of expensive products over many years and love this great little range. Every product works, I've got the hot cloth cleanser, facial oil, cleaner oil and pump moisturiser. All amazing. Honestly agree about the cost going on marketing with big designer brands. La Mer started burning my skin in seconds unfortunately.

Most of them.

Any “anti wrinkle” cream - only Botox works.

@MintyGreenDream

How are you supposed to apply touché eclat?

The original Touche Éclat-that everyone raves about is a highlighter, so anywhere on your face you want to draw attention to. Which is probably not the bags and dark circles under your eyes that a lot of people seem to think! There is a Touche Éclat- concealer as well, just to confuse things.

Agreed, you use it to highlight brow bones, the inside corner of your eye, check bones, bridge of nose but I would also use it under my eyes where they are hollow and dark. If you have eye bags they will just accentuate them, same with spots etc. I actually think that Diors highlighter pen is a lot better.

@BusterGonad

Many thanks for the detailed response! I'm not into complicated eye make-up either, just want decent quality eyeshadows. Will take a look at brands you mentioned.

I spent a lot of money on Elemis products and found that they really didn’t do much more than high street products. Dermalogica on the other hand is amazing!