Disappointing Expensive Beauty Product

I was a die hard Estee Lauder girl until a friend recommended Tropic. I ummed and ahhed for ages and then thought why not give it a go as it's 100% vegan, absolutely no nasties in it and cheaper than EL. It's the only brand that has made a massive difference to my skin so definitely sticking with it.

I used to be drawn in by all the hype regarding expensive creams etc but no more after experiencing a rather nasty experience with a well known cream it made my skin red and itchy for almost a week after just 2 x applications.
I now use Superdrugs Dry Skin Cream after washing my face with Simples face wash costs under £5 for both.

Years ago, when I first started to get a few wrinkles across my forehead, I was invited by a friend to a 'party' where a brand of beauty products was being promoted. I tested an anti-wrinkle cream on my forehead and it really seemed to work. I got lots of positive comments from others there, so I invested £35 in a jar of it, a lot for me at the time. After a while I got a really bad headache but I thought it was just the wine!
However when my order came, I used it and again I had a really bad headache. I used it a third time, same headache, so I never used it again. I grew a fringe instead.

I use Aldi or Lidl for serums and mosturisers and they do the job perfectly and so inexpensively. This Summer I used the BB cream with bronzer, it was lovely.

I've bought expensive shampoos (£25 plus) and they are no better than Herbal Essences!

Agreed on the hype for fancy creams. Yehudi Menuhin’s mother lived to a great age and had skin like a baby’s bottom. Her secret? Vaseline, recommenced to her by a burns specialist when she was a young woman. So lots of Vaso for me and I take off my waterproof eye makeup off with it.
I also love Ponds Cold Cream, so useful and for make up removing too.
I’m the same age as Camilla but my skin, thank god, is nothing like hers...possibly it’s the smoking.

I won a bundle of Ren beauty products and they are lovely. My skin has now become really greasy due to the medication I am on so I do not moisturise but will use the Ren cleanser and have tried Elemis, Estee Lauder and Time Bomb by Lulu. I have also used Gruum products and I like them. I use a charcoal toner to cleanse my greasy bits and that came from Superdrug. How times change and I think of how much money I have spent trying to find the best beauty products when sometimes all you need is a basic normal priced one

I think I'm the odd one out here. I love expensive creams, my mind tells me they work. Just seeing their fabulous little pots in my bathroom sets my day off to a good start. I know it's all probably a waste of money, particularly as I'm not overly bothered how my face ages, my aim is a really strong healthy body. But to start the day feeling great can only be good for me.

From the one who works in cosmetics industry - your daily moisturiser can be as cheap as you find it as long as it hydrates. Night cream is a bit different topic, and there I would spend a bit more and would ensure it fits my skin type and needs.

I think it depends what suits individual skins. I tried Clarins once while away on a spa weekend (rare treat and a special offer). It made my skin sore and dry. Oil of Ulay did the same but, I understand that, since it became Olay, it is less likely to trigger an allergic reaction.

I use all Boots No 7. It is not as cheap as some but, having found something that suits my skin, I don’t plan to change.

A Saturday job when I was a teenager involved working on the cosmetics counter at a large department store. The most exclusive brands were available, but the beautician told me quietly that if you used any kind of cream it would improve your skin - it's the regular use that does it, not the expensive jar with expensive cream inside. I have taken her advice, and Boots No. 7, Nivea etc. have been my lifelong companions. I have been complimented on my good skin, and I do realise that it is luck and genes also, but don't feel I would have looked any different had I used Creme de la Mer, which is currently an eye popping £1,630 for a 500 ml. jar. The equivalent tub of Nivea is £4.00.

I an constantly asked what I use on my skin as nearly 70 now and apart from the beginnings of number 11s between my brows I have no discernible wrinkles. I give them a simple answer and that’s vitamin c in the daytime and retin-A at night.
I’ve always felt disappointment after buying expensive products and don’t bother anymore.
The Ordinary are so cheap, especially their vitamin c powder which I just add to my boots serum daily and their moisturiser with HA.
I think expensive skin care is just plain hype but I do spend on cosmetics when I can.

Unigran4, yes, warm water works fine for me. I use sunblock in the summer and sometimes coconut oil in the winter - but only if my skin feels dry.

Apart from knees and elbows, I've never needed anything on my body. Maybe people wash away the skin oils with harsh detergents, then need to 'replace' them with lotions?

Sorry should have said this one comes from Lidl's.

Agree with DiscoGran's recommendation of the £2.99 Q10 facial serum. Better than others ten times the price and lasts longer.

I was coerced persuaded into a very expensive ? wrinkle serum, made, so it said, from Black Mamba venom (or something like that).

Oh my god, it worked miracles! ? All those little lines around my mouth disappeared. The eyelids plumped out. The frown lines vanished.

The only problem was you couldn't move any feature on your face. Smile, talk, eat, blink. The whole carapace cracked and went back to what it was.

Now I know why celebs look so wooden ?

From the age of 7 I lived with my lovely little Granny, who did not believe in any soap or creams touching the face and neck, just warm water on a flannel, night and morning. I am in my seventies now and have never used soap or cream on my face. (I have never used facial make up but occasional lipstick) I have no wrinkles, or bags, or blemishes and often encounter surprised looks when I say I am retired.

I should just point out that, although the face may look young, the rest of the crumbling body doesn't!

Not beauty but I did once venture into Rigby & Pellar a well known store in London to be 'fitted' (not measured, that was made very clear to me) for a bra which cost an awful lot of money some 25 yrs ago. It was the worst bra I have ever owned. Became like a limp rag and not fit for purpose after only a few hand washes while I'm still wearing other cheap & cheerful bras I've had for years. All a con.

Why, if any of the miracle creams work, are they constantly superseded by new ones? Says it all!

HannahLoisLuke. Someone else who uses 'The Ordinary', too! Not many people have heard of them.

I usually buy from their store in a big shopping mall a fair distance away but haven't been on public transport since March and still would rather not travel.

I shall have to see if they do mail order:. fabulous products at sensible prices!

DH bought me a selection of Creme de la Mer products, probably could have bought a car with the amount he spent, but I was left underwhelmed. The moisturiser felt like axle grease, it was so thick.
I now alternate expensive products with bog standards like Nivea.
Someone once suggested using night cream as moisturiser during harsh winter weather, gives more skin protection.

Goodness, I can’t imagine doing without moisturiser, Bluebelle- my skin feels so tight and dried up without it. As for arms and legs after a shower, well, it wouldn’t be long before I’d be looking like some prehistoric scaly lizard.

I do wonder if it depends on your skin type? I have thin, dry, celtic skin which is quite reactive and easily damaged (and has been so since I was a child) so I use slightly more expensive products than the supermarket brands (though not £200 cream!). Birth skin-type aside, I think lifestyle choices make a huge difference (and they’re free!), eg, drink lots of water, keep out of the sun, don’t smoke, avoid too much alcohol and get adequate sleep.

Don't think it can be true that nothing penetrates the outer layers of the skin, what about nicotine and HRT patches ? Personally I like fragrance free face products ( Olay Regenerist fragrance free) and find that others irritate my skin. I did buy Charlotte Tilbury Magic cream, which has a perfume but didn't seem to irritate, unfortunately it made my skin feel dehydrated and I was glad to have the smaller size!

I treated myself to an M&S advent 'box' a couple of years back which was quite nice but none of the products were fabulous enough to change from my usual Oil of Olay original beauty fluid. The mascara and eyeliner I gave away as I never use them.
The perfume was gorgeous - that was the Christmas Day treat and I've bought it since but it was quite expensive (for me). The only thing I really got out of it was a Christmas tree shaped box!