Under eye-cream bought on impulse that cost a lot and looks awful after drying - help needed!

[NedsAtomicWheelieBin]

At the weekend I went to a shopping centre where they had an event on. We were having a lovely chilled out day and wandering around the shops in between events. There was a pop up stall which were giving out samples (just to note an important part that this was in the lower level of the centre and it was quite dimly lit), so I took one and the guy handing them out said to come in. He called over to a colleague who told me to take a seat and thinking I'm getting a free treatment I sit down. She then gave me an under eye treatment to cover the dark circles and minimise the puffiness. Honestly, within minutes the effect was amazing. I was so impressed, it had taken years off me. Then she told me the cost. £150 down from £400.

I'm really frugal usually but I was so blown away by the results that I bought a tube of the cream. Stupid idiot that I am.
We continued mooching around the shops for a bit, then went outside. DP (who had also been impressed by the results of the treatment) stopped me and took a photo of my face to show me - in the natural light my under eyes were white and powdery as if they had chalk on them now the cream had dried. I wiped it off, not that concerned as I wasn't wearing any other make up and the consultant had said that it could be used with make up. The next day I tried it again with make up and within a couple of hours it looked awful, the chalky white powder was now mixed in with my make up and the best way I can describe it is to say that it looked like my skin had been peeling with clumps of the dried under eye cream and make up mixed in together.
I feel such an idiot. I don't spend much money on beauty treatments and am really starting to age so I was delighted with the initial results so felt it was worth the money - but now I don't and I don't know what to do. I've emailed the company asking for a refund but I don't think the outcome will be successful.
I don't know why I am posting really, maybe someone can advise me on how to get a refund - or to suggest a product that actually works that I can try to make me feel better about my aging face and draw a line under my stupid impulse buy!

Sorry, that was long!

If I added up all the impulse buys I have made because of promises to fix my face it would add up to a hell of a lot more than £150. Not even impulse buys, some of them have been quite carefully thought out and still ended up being shite. You weren’t stupid you just bought a product you thought you would like and it turns out you don’t like it. Try for a refund but if you don’t get it then you don’t, its just one of those things

I agree with the poster above. It was an impulse buy, you have to clock it up to experience a d whenever it pops into your head and you start berating yourself then think of it as the price of learning not to buy on impulse. It’s incredible annoying but that is all you can do if you can’t get a refund.

150 down from 400 on a the stall???? Eeek.

I think you just have to chalk it up to experience it spund like that stuff they used to sell on clickbait ads on Dailymail.
Its kind of a glue that tightens the skin but then looks weird..

Its happens it was a snap judgment try not to dwell on it

I also wasted my money on this last year! Just so you know you're not alone!

What brand? I can't even imagine a Chanel eye cream costing £400.

What was the brand? Over the years there have been many pop up stalls and brands, often claiming they have something from the sea in the them, and offering a huge on the day discount. The employees are often young and attractive and come from abroad for the sole purpose of working for this company. Almost always, they’re a con and their products are shite.

That being said, it was an impulse buy and as PP said, way too many of us have spent a fortune on impulse buys that turn out to be shit. There is no point in being annoyed about it - perhaps see if you can find another use for it!

I bought something similar about 15 years ago in a mall in the USA. is it the stuff you need to 'fan' to dry? I never used it again as it was such a faff. I'm still annoyed with myself...

This has reminded me of a product which was around about 20 years ago based on egg whites which you applied under your eyes and then kept absolutely still whilst it dried.

Looked ok until you moved your face or eyes in the slightest way and then it cracked unevenly so your face looked like you had very recently had a stroke.

We have all bought a beauty related dream of some sort at various points in our lives and then seen the error of our ways when it turned out to be crap so don’t berate yourself OP.

Please tell us what this is called so we can avoid it!!

I had this with an expensive foundation OP looked amazing at the beauty counter but I looked like a ghost outside.

I know the stuff you mean there is a pop up shop off regent street and they are always trying to get people in - they put a sample on me looked great, went back to the office and it was all chalky looked awful!! They were charging £400!!

I think like others have said, chalk it up to learning!
For future- NO pressure/impulse purchase of that scale. 'Thank you. I'll have a think about it' is the only possible answer. Then go have a coffee.
Googling your statutory rights, the cream does not do what it says. I'd chance taking pictures and returning for a refund

Check your bank. I had this once- they lured me into a shop, applied a cream which I had to close my eyes for whilst they applied the cream and dried it out. I didn’t buy the cream but next day I noticed I had been skimmed £50. Probably by one of those readers they must have put close to my handbag whilst I had my eyes closed.

I brought the Loreal Laser Eye bag remover cream for £12 and was disappointed with the result and I paid too much!

Did you pay cash or card? Do you have a receipt? What brand was the eye cream?

How disappointing for you, I’m sorry.

I can’t imagine spending more than about £30 on a beauty product. My face is looking very old these days but there are no miracles to be had in pots and tubes of cream, sadly.

Any eye cream is a scam! And yes I felt this way about the stupid eye cream I got pushed into at Benefit.

Anything at a stall or counter you need to be on your guard as they exploit your politeness to add sales.

Not the point of the thread but there's an under eye roller in Home Bargains for about £1.50. It's blue with a metal roller. I've had amazing results with that! I even rolled it on my 11's and it helped those as well.

As a bonus, it helps with my headaches because the roller is so cold 😁

Was it from Sakara, or something like that. They are very pushy

Can I take a guess and say it was a company Obey Your Body / Genome or one of their affiliated brands.

They were at an event recently that I went to, and they have moved on to LED devices as well now. I clocked who they were when they pulled my pal in and coated her face in their day cream (also reduced for today only) and then proceeded to stroke her face with this wand. She did look more refreshed after, and she was quite tempted. It was probably just hyaluronic acid cream I am sure. Then he said the price of the thing, which was about half a months salary reduced for today only, to a quarter of a months salary.

And he had such an attitude when we said no thanks and walked on.

They use bully tactics and they put so much pressure on unsuspecting targets. So perhaps just put this one down to one of life's lessons OP.

I wanted to add in, that they are quite brutal as well.

I usually give them a wide berth when I see any stand like that now, as they work on commission so target your weak points to get you in. My dd was having a hormonal acne breakout, and one says to her from across the walkway, Oh that must be painful, it looks painful, come in as I have something that will help that acne. Or they will say something like how tired you look and this cream will take away those wrinkles or some such shit.

The kid was devastated, and then there I was now having to boost her self esteem again after that idiot shouted that at her when she was just minding her own business walking by.

It’s a horrible feeling when something like that happens. It sounds like one of those things you have to put down to experience unfortunately.

There is a kiosk upstairs in my local shopping centre that sells some brand of “miracle” beauty products. They are very pushy and will call you from far away and beckon you over 🙄 I’m not likely to go in for anything like that anyway at the moment but even if I was, they always get my back up by calling me “ma’am” or madam. We don’t say that where I’m from and it really pisses me off.

So - have you tried it again without any make up or cream on already @NedsAtomicWheelieBin ?! I have had this happen when a product is applied on top of existing make up and cream - but is fine underneath.
edited - read it again and saw you tried again the next day. Are you using any other cream? That’s so expensive - I’d be writing to the the brand to complain!

Your poor DD. That has made me feel really angry! Hope she is OK.