Much hyped products that you have found meh..

[Ihopeyourcakeisshit]

I'm trying to invest in myself a bit more, if I described my skin-care routine, the virus amongst you would likely have conniptions.
I can't quite get my head around the idea of spending huge amounts of money but might if necessary?
What should I save my money on and what's worth paying out for?
I've been bought Night repair serum by EL but I'm wondering what all the fuss is about?

@ImSoMagical

I liked 8 hour cream (not enough to buy it regularly!) And I do like touché eclat. Really want to try Trinnys Miracle Blur - but reviews on her website aren't 5 star! Anyone used it and not been fussed?

Me! Definitely over-hyped.

Ive just had a start on the skin and me website. It’s asked me questions but not for photos. Is that right?

I've just done the questionnaire too. They ask for photos after the payment. However they say they have to be taken in daylight so I'm just going to have to leave the page open until tomorrow!

Thanks @Justkeeprollingalong I’ll go ahead and continue with the payment then.

I've ended up with a Dermatica prescription which has been amazing in saving on 'trial and error'. No waste, no expensive mistakes, no searching for results. My skin is great, nearly 8 months in. Dermatica is great in that it is so easy to delay the next prescription too - I've used 5 tubes over 8 months along with any cheap moisturiser.

I read this thread. crap skin! www.mumsnet.com/Talk/styleandd_beauty/4442508-Help-finding-products-to-disguise-my-crap-skin

Dermatica again here, took a while to get used to it but I use fairly cheap moisturiser once my advent calendar is finished.

I do use a more expensive spf but that's only because my skin is quite sensitive.

@DedalusBloom

There's no one size fits all obviously but the things that seem to work for most people is Retinol, Vitamin C and a decent moisturiser/SPF that suits your skin.

Other things can be added in and out like acids and masks but the Retinol etc is what is doing the heavy lifting. It does take a while to see results. I use Dermatica.

I also have Botox a couple of times a year, facials when I can afford them and lip filler as and when.

All of this means I've cut down massively on skincare I don't need. I think it's also a good idea to buy skincare that works for your skin's needs at different ages. ANL seems to work better on more mature skin, younger skin often already has the glow and smoothness it gives, so it might seem like it's not 'working' if you're not the target demographic.

Things I've found to be useless:
-virtually everything from Charlotte Tilbury apart from Hollywood Flawless Filter and the cream eyeshadows

• Ruby Woo. Christ it's drying!

-Most lip balms apart from Blistex relief cream -Clinique dramatically different moisturiser -Chanel Nail varnish -La Mer anything. Ditto Eve Lom. -Kerastase hair products. Also Tigi -NARS mascara -NARS Orgasm in any form -Bum bum cream -8 hour cream. Bleurgh!!

@DedalusBloom

I see all of your nopes and I comment as follows:-

the NARS mascara in the red tube - that is good, not tried others. I don't like Orgasm but my SIL swears by it. Tried 8 hour cream years ago, hate it.

The only Kerastase I liked was their Masquintense for fine hair (hair mask). Tigi is actually good and good value, you just have to sort through the best option for your hair.

I'm sure a friend likes Eve Lom and I just can't see it either.

CT is overhyped rubbish - I used to work round the corner from their flagship shop, bought Pillow Talk lipliner, lipstick, some other stuff but their sales patter is hardcore.

Clinque DDM - good friend swears by it - horses for courses.

Best thing I have done is get semi permanent brows and lips. Then I just put on a light spray of water based tan on my face.

I do like Palmers bronzer powder recommended on here.

EL ANR did nothing at all for me.
Olaplex hair products, awful.
Alpha Liquid Gold, again no difference.
Elemis face products, over hyped and rubbish for me.

I just use a cleanser, Paulas Choice toner, and vit c serum. Nothing else.

I have spent so much on makeup and skincare over the years and found the relationship between price and quality not consistent.

Waste of money:
Glossier - no better than Collection 2000 I used to buy in mid-nineties when I was a young teen.

Mac lipsticks - the formula is so drying on the matte and semi-matte (forgot the name) ones.

Anything YSL - skincare products did nothing for me. I asked them to send me the research behind the products. But they wouldn’t and couldn’t provide the references. As other companies proudly share this info (after an embargo period usually), I’m not convinced by their claims.

Chanel nail varnish - Rimmel is 10x better.

Cerave - found it too harsh for sensitive skin.

I think that some companies increase the price of the product and spend more on the packaging and promotion, so you buy into the idea that you are purchasing a premium product, rather than it actually being a premium product.

Creme de la mer. Did nothing for me and was too sticky and gloopy.
Didn't see any visible results with Estée Lauder overnight stuff.
Always found weleda to be excellent.

Philip Kingsley's Elasticizer - I used it on my hair twice a week for a month and saw no difference at all.

@TheYellowOne

Philip Kingsley's Elasticizer - I used it on my hair twice a week for a month and saw no difference at all.

Have to agree with this. Made no difference to my hair whatsoever.

I'm surprised by some of these, but I expect it's alot to do with skin type, hair type etc.

I love MAC lipsticks, and Philip Kingsley Elasticizer, and Kerastase Resistance range. I don't mind Charlotte Tilbury products, but I prefer MAC for the price. I like the Orgasm blush too but rarely bother with blush. Tigi volumiser, shine spray and texturiser my hair seems to love but it is fine so needs these sorts of products.

I'm not keen on most nail polishes except OPI, as they all take so long to dry or need several layers. OPI your done and dried in minutes.

Most fake tans are rubbish, I have pale skin and most have that awful orange sickly tinge or smell awful. I Like Vita Liberata.

Touche Eclat, only because it runs out before it barely starts and you cant see when you're running low.

I thnk I have been luckly with my buys as not much I have had issue with.

Bad Gal Lash for me, is it Benefit?

Always ends up smudged like a panda around my eyes! And I wanted to love it so bad. I don't know whether it's my moisturiser or SPF that does it.

@Qova

I have spent so much on makeup and skincare over the years and found the relationship between price and quality not consistent.

Waste of money:
Glossier - no better than Collection 2000 I used to buy in mid-nineties when I was a young teen.

Mac lipsticks - the formula is so drying on the matte and semi-matte (forgot the name) ones.

Anything YSL - skincare products did nothing for me. I asked them to send me the research behind the products. But they wouldn’t and couldn’t provide the references. As other companies proudly share this info (after an embargo period usually), I’m not convinced by their claims.

Chanel nail varnish - Rimmel is 10x better.

Cerave - found it too harsh for sensitive skin.

I think that some companies increase the price of the product and spend more on the packaging and promotion, so you buy into the idea that you are purchasing a premium product, rather than it actually being a premium product.

@Qova - I agree with you re makeup and skincare and price and quality not being consistent.

For me - my DM always used to use Nivea skin cream and although she used other products in bath etc she rarely had facials etc. But advocated SPF in sun.

I did used to use a good SPF25 (Clinique) moisturiser in my 20s/30s and also the odd expensive item - Clinique Sparkle Skin body scrub but it was when I wanted to use a higher SPF (50 or 50) I realised most moisturisers didn't have this in them and I preferred to use a plain moisturiser and add it on top - so found Boots own moisturiser to be good but do use LRP antihelios spf50.

I do like MAC lipsticks but only becaue on the whole I find the colours to be better than cheaper ones.

YSL - think only tried samples of skincare.

Chanel - used once or twice - agreed Rimmel much better.

Cerave - not tried.

What I did notice and a close friend is French - that in French pharmacies you pay for e.g. whatever you like, it's nice etc but also in their supermarkets their own brand (e.g. makeup etc) or the mass produced shower gels (Le Petit Marsellais) are much better or on a par to the designer ones.

Agreeing with so much of this thread. I've spent so much money buying what are essentially over-hyped products.

I have tried:

Advanced Night Repair - does nothing

Clinique Moisturiser - the yellow one - have a large bottle that I got in a gift set and am using it up as body lotion

Chanel nail varnish - OPI or Jessica much better

Touch Eclat - the smell!

Agree with @Gonnagetgoing and her French friend - the French own brand stuff I have bought has been great, particularly Le Petit Marsellais. We always use LPM handwash, bulk order the shower cream and Aloe body lotion, and have just started to use their hair mask as well.

As for skincare, I have tried Elemis, Clinique, Clarins, Liz Earle. Actually you name it, I've tried it. I am now using Aldi Rejuvelate day and night cream, Aldi Rose Oil, and Aldi Hot Cloth Cleanser. Absolutely fantastic at a fraction of the price.

Highborn products, expensive and big hype especiallytargetted at mature skin, and left me with a permanent facial scar/bump by being so oily and causing a huge spot.

I could not live without Touché Eclat, would be my desert island product.

I got some of the Chantecaille mascara and the tinted moisturiser recommended on here.

The mascara is no better than any other tbh, my clarins one is miles better. I have a nars tinted moisturiser which is also better than the Chantecaille one.

They smell divine but are quite 'meh' to me anyway.

@Beaspot

I used to do this and bought loads of stuff in a bid to have some sort of routine which I never really stuck with

Signed up to skin&me which is prescription tretenoin and it’s fab, you sent them pics of your face and what you want to achieve, then £20 a month for something personalised to you which increases in strength month by month. So now, I just use a mild cleanser, use that and factor 50 in the morning. Has been really great results wise too

@Beaspot

I totally agree with this. I'm using Skin + Me too. The monthly cost sounds a lot until you realise you pretty much don't need anything else other than a cleanser, moisturiser and SPF, none of which have to cost a fortune - I'm using an Avene cleanser and moisturiser and a Garnier SPF - around £30 in total max, and they'll last a few months.

I was always buying random serums, night creams and a million other potions and must have spent a lot more over the year than the cost of this one medical-grade, completely targeted product. There seems to be discounts available too (I've just been offered my 5th month free) so I'm going to keep going with this for a year and see how it turns out.

I usually use expensive moisturisers, Chanel, Clarins, Lancome etc but recently my almost 52 year old skin had a reaction to something so until I figure out what (between this or my cleanser), I've been using good old fashioned Astral original in the blue tub. Massive tub for under a tenner. Skin actually does look nice.

I love Estée Lauder lipsticks.
Smashbox powder too.

I agree about Chanel nail varnish - it chips! Such bad quality.

Also Charlotte Tilbury pillow talk looks awful on me.