Ever gone more expensive only to find out no better than cheaper stuff ?

[Frostine]

I got taken along by an advertisment for Phillip Kingsley shampoo / conditioner which was £72 & £52 . Been using for several weeks now and it's made not an iota of a difference to my hair which used to have £3 / £4 spent on it .
What did you buy thats no better than the cheaper stuff ?

I'm on the other side tbh. I started using Paula's Choice skincare and Kerastase shampoo a few months ago and my skin and hair look SO much better. The difference is astonishing and now I will have to keep using the more expensive products because I can't go back!

Phillip Kingsley is a professional trichologist and highly regarded. The products are very good.

Keeping it real 😀

Soap and Glory powder compact is better than expensive ones.

Although bin bags not generally the subject of a style and beauty thread..

A bin bag with holes for the arms is a style statement of sorts 😀

I've tried every mascara under the sun
Wilkos mascara (the green and black tube) was the best I've ever used-and then they went under
Sods law-back to the drawing board

Augustinus Bader cream, it made no difference. Well nothing noticeable to me after 3 months use.

It doesn’t prove its overrated, it just proves that different things work for different people.

Is it the lash princess one? Essence is the brand, You can get it on Amazon

I much prefer cheap mascara - never gone wrong with no 7, maybelline or collection lash surge

Didn't even notice we were in style and beauty it was in active 😆 😆

Hey a week's worth of holiday clothes for a quid. Bargs!

Each to own, but Tret isn't just for anti aging. It's also for acne, brightening and general improvement of skin texture.

@Lentilweaver, I acknowledge that and these are the reasons it will often be prescribed. However it is my impression, especially on these boards, there is a huge demographic of women using Tret primarily for anti aging. Plus it is by no means not the only skin care ingredient which will brighten or help combat acne / improve skin texture. So your claim anything else is 'snake oil' is somewhat of an exaggeration. My point being different ingredients (and not necessarily high cost ones but can include high cost ones) target differing specific individual needs.

My (ex) friend used to consider herself a skin care connoisseur and she got me trying Liz Earle and their hot cloth cleanser. Well it irritated and stung my face.

Anyone who has rosacea, I swear by the below products.

Superdrugs own vitamin E hot cloth cleanser is the shit. It comes with it's own cloth, never irritates my skin, is cruelty free and takes off waterproof mascara!
Also their vitamin E skin care range is fab. Usually buy 1, get one half price. I love their under eye serum and lip balm.

Also any aveeno users? Well I've found the exact same dupe but cheaper and cruelty free. Boots do their own version and it's phenomenal. My skin feels like a babies butt when I've used it 🤣🤣🤣* *I use it as a night facial moisturiser. Great for dry skin.

Garnier's rose water toner never stings me either. Or boots own.

I was seduced in a weak moment by the WOW hair products adverts. They’re crap and defo not better or worth the money.

I’ve always splashed out on mascara (£30+) but dd convinced me to try maybelline sky high or something like that and it’s brilliant on my lashes! It’s not thick and clumpy, it’s lengthening and really defines my lashes, builds well, doesn’t seem to flake or smudge at all. Brilliant at about a tenner! I’m not saying I won’t buy any more spendy mascaras again but I’ve been really impressed by this - maybe I’ll never go back!

I use a mix of pricier (Clinique etc) and cheaper stuff (elf) on my skin. I've been converted to boots no7 future renew which is probably mid range. I do have a lot of skin treatments, once a month including a variation of hydra facials, skin pen, chemical peels, laser treatments which has made a huge difference to my skin, so I've found that if the base is good, the brand you use makes little difference.

@Lentilweaver and for sensitive, easily irritated skin which is prone to dryness Tret might not be the best type of skincare....

I look for gentler ingredients. Ingredients which I have found suit me are aloe, hemp, castor oil, lanolin, topical Vit D, seaweed extract (from Ascophyllum nodosum) zinc oxide and squalene.

My idea of expensive is a £10 tub of garnier moisturiser and it definitely wasn't worth it,

Which Boots cream is this please?

I’m one of those Tret didn’t work for. Shredded wheat skin with no benefits whatsoever. Yuk. Doesn’t mean it’s over rated I suppose, but everyone always shouts about it from the rooftops on here.

My mother always said by cheap buy twice, but for me , buying expensive and reverting to cheaper brands had worked for me, as another post pointed out your buying a brand nivia moisture body firming creams brilliant , yet cheap , but may not suit everyone.

I've found by trial and error over the years that it's pot luck really. The ones I think are worth spending on are:

Aveda shampoo and conditioner: came across this by accident when staying at a friend's.

No7 Early Defence Serum: apparently it's the original Protect & Perfect rebranded (the new P&P is rubbish).

Lancôme Hypnôse mascara and Long Lasting Softening Concealer.

Everything else I can buy in supermarkets - Simple Micellar Cleanser at £6 is way better IMO than stuff that costs ten times that.

Body lotions for me - higher end ones smell nicer for sure but are basically just that - body perfume. For actually moisturising, nothing I’ve tried has beaten Garnier and Nivea.

I'm using a Ren glow moisturiser that I got in a Boots "Star" box, honestly amazed at how much difference it's making to my face. Thinking of investing despite the slightly out of my range price tag - anyone else have any experience?

Barry M nail polish gives better coverage and lasts longer than all the far more expensive brands I've ever bought.

On the other hand, Philip Kingsley does wonders for my hair. Will take any going spare off your hands, you unbelievers!

The Philip Kingsley elasticizer actually works really well on my frizzy hair.

I found Ouai underwhelming, and Sam McKnight too.