Are Q's Beauty Brands Pricing You Out?

[minim]

Ageing is inevitable, learning to live with it's effects takes time.
Looking at your face in the mirror when you are ready & posed is very different from catching sight of your face by chance.
I've had a few nudges on the way -

passport photo time! Hells bells ain't that a ringer - a wake up call
catching sight of my reflection in a shop window or in a mirror
my daughter asking, "Are you cross?"
a shop assistant asking quite nicely & conversationally, "Have you had a long day?"

So yes, you are spot on Donna we look for something to make it better.

Fortunately, I've reached an understanding - roll-over & accept it or save to see Dr Scalpel :happy:

 

[Moth]

I am deliberately keeping names out of this post, but I used to work for a *very* large multinational company. One part of this company was a lab and manufacturing site for cosmetics products. They didn't actually make and sell under any of their own brands but they manufactured for most of the well known names, both budget and high-end. That is why many things are very similar, because they are all made in the same place by the same company. It wasn't a company secret, per se, but it wasn't advertised. Most people probably wouldn't know the company name if they heard it but they sure would recognise most of the names they made for.

 

[Moth]

(mum writes)

I've always been happy with the products I buy from QVC. As I'm not able to shop and stand around browsing much, it's been a boon to me. Unwittingly, I've always trusted what I've been told, that they're safe to use and relatively free of "nasties". This thread has been quite an eye-opener for me, especially with the Judith Williams range. I haven't yet tried much of her range but was thinking of trying as I cannot afford to keep paying the now exorbitant prices of the other ranges. Everything has gone up so much and some are practically double. Products I used to use day to day I cannot afford now, especially with the P&P added. Liz Earle TSV is an example - AY hinted about it at the Beauty Bash and I was keen to look in but when I saw it would cost me nearly £50 with no easy pay I knew I couldn't go for it. I am on a limited budget and that is a considered purchase. Looking at other ranges, it seems most start at £30 now, and if you need more than one different item you get stuffed for masses of P&P. At one time, I would have bought from QVC first as they always had the best prices and products you really couldn't find anywhere else. Now they're everywhere and at cheaper prices. I use Smashbox O Gloss, SBC Arnica gel and Decleor Iris oil regularly and I'm able to get all three of these for around half the QVC price elsewhere online. And I always use reputable brand shops, so no dodgy copies or illegal imports. Use QVC to get the product info and then go elsewhere to actually buy. You'll save a fortune and it'll get to you quicker too! I've made purchases at lunch time online and had the product arrive the next morning. QVC can't even get it out of the warehouse in that time.

 

[silversequin]

I just look at photos of me in my younger years and wonder why I did not realise and apprciate how lovely I was. Instead of enjoying my looks I was angsting about my chubby legs and and "big" nose. Now although my skin is good and relatively unlined I still feel a shudder when I catch an unexpected glimpse of myself in a shop window.....not nice but nothing we can do about it. I just focus on the fact that my health is ok ish at the moment and I enjoy life and having a laugh.

 

[minim]

The shop window is a bummer. I always look so fierce!

I understand now why my youngest used to ask me if I was cross. It took a reflection in a window for the penny to drop.

 

[Tinkerbelle]

I think QVC sells mainly high price beauty and I'm sorry but I think they plan to sell it to people who normally wouldn't pay that kind of money. The kits and TSVs are deliberately designed to "up sell". They hook us in with a good price - £80 of products for £3.50 in the hope that we will love all the products and sooner or later end up buying the products at full price. And instead of just buying a face cream we will end up buying half a dozen lotions and potions that without the kits we would never have tried.

If I couldn't afford my preferred face cream at full price then it couldn't be my preferred face cream. Because I couldn't afford it ... not really.

I do actually use a combination of QVC brands but I found QVC after choosing those brand. I'm very brand loyal. I use one product for years and years without hopping about normally but QVC had changed that. I'd tried Gatineau, Alpha H, Decleor ... well what for? Because I don't prefer any of them to my simple routine of Cleanse & Polish, Skin Tonics and PCMC with a twice a week go with Skin Buff. I occasionally use Pro Oxygenating Night cream, Neal's Yard Balm Cleanser and their Rose facial wash. But in the kits I've had scrubs, serums (should that be sera I wonder?), face masks, gels and god knows what else that I neither want or need. Oh I forgot I use Decleor Prolagene as a serum sometimes or, when I'm flush I use Jo Malone's serum.

Anyway to answer the original QVC aren't pricing me out of the market but they have had more of my money than they should have in the past. I am lucky enough to have Elemis, Liz Earle, Decleor and Jo Malone on my high street so I can buy what I want when I want. And in my Liz Earle store you get a freebie each time you buy and can choose which freebie you want. And they have cupcakes in store on a Friday.

 

[Frazzled]

Anyway to answer the original QVC aren't pricing me out of the market but they have had more of my money than they should have in the past. I am lucky enough to have Elemis, Liz Earle, Decleor and Jo Malone on my high street so I can buy what I want when I want. And in my Liz Earle store you get a freebie each time you buy and can choose which freebie you want. And they have cupcakes in store on a Friday.

That's why you go the High Street! - where!, where!

 

[donna255]

Last time my sister in law was over from Canada she forgot to pack her face cream. It was Olay brand and we went to Boots and she nearly had a fit. This Olay range cream was £19+, seems in Canada its $19 Canada! So every brand out there is ripping off the UK/Ireland customer. I know on a Irish beauty blog I read they complain about the prices charged in sterling compared to the Euro a third more usually.

Neal's Yard had a famous night cream which papers,magazines etc raved about. I did buy to try but it did not suit my skin. Anyway it was around £8 then, about a year later I saw it on shelf and this time it was £18.

So the more hype and popular something becomes they bump up the price.

 

[Starlight]

I always check on makeupalley for reviews of products if possible if I am tempted to buy them from QVC and have recently discovered www.beautypedia.com by Paula Begoun.

I know that many people disagree with her views on skincare but it does make interesting reading. I have simplified my skincare routine by using some of the cheaper products she recommends (or just using the products in my stash that she actually likes) and following her step by step guide, and my skin has improved no end!

She is definitely not a believer in essential oils being in skincare products (she says that even if they make your skin look better now they are irritants and are causing long-term damage) and is a fan of AHAs and BHAs. Also says that any cream packaged in a jar where air can get to it is useless!!!!

You're probably familiar with her Donna255, I would be interested to know what you think?

 

[donna255]

I do read PG, get the newsletter. Now I take everything she says as I would with anyone reviewing a product with a pinch of salt. She does not like natural ingredients but others hate parabens. Both are the devil's plaything depending on who you read. Yes the big words and razzle dazzle you get from the experts can confuse the hell out of us. She is giving her personal opinion on products.

I have said in another thread about the air tight pump and the use by dates on cosmetics. The EU wanted companies to put ingredients on pots and use by dates. Hey I remember as a teenager keeping pots of creams for years without major side effects. Can't see a problem if your hands are clean before dipping in the pot. If you want proper use by dates then it should be a date 12.12.12 and not random 6,12 or 18 months and should really be in air tight pumps. Even pump products you can unscrew the tops. I know Decleor did used to put a real date to use by on their products but then changed to what everyone else was using.

 

[minim]

I always check out the two sites you mentioned Starlight and I also just type the product "name + reviews" into google to see what comes up.
Paula has a good Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary http://www.cosmeticscop.com/cosmetic-ingredient-dictionary/A.aspx and I often refer to that. If it's not there, I google.

 

[Starlight]

Yes, Minim - if Paula Begoun and makeupalley both give a product rave reviews I figure that it would be worth trying, rather than just relying on what the presenters at QVC say!!

 

[Flamenco]

I too have spent sooooo much money on beauty products from QVC over the years and have pretty much been through all the brands with the exception of Judith Williams (too heavily perfumed for my liking and other ingredients I'm not keen on), Prai (can't bear the selling tactics of the presenter) and Perricone (scientific garbage). They are all fine and make my skin feel nice, but I've not seen a remarkable difference to my skin that justifies further purchases of these products. Lately I've become more concerned with ingredients (silicone in particular) and have been surprised to see it present in so many expensive moisturisers (PCMC is one of them, but lets not go there at the moment!). Its really made me think twice about buying these overpriced products. Also, I just can no longer afford that level of expenditure. I've discovered that I don't need to buy expensive cleansers as my skin doesn't seem to be any different using a cheaper brand. I now buy most of my gel-based foaming cleansers from car-boot sales - you'll be surprised how many people have a beauty clear out, including GWP sizes of cleanser from brands like Estee Lauder, Clinique, even Decleor I've picked up. All have been unused and I've rarely paid more than a couple of quid for each bottle. I also pick up GWP sizes of Lancome BiFacil or Clinique Take the Day off eye makeup remover for around a pound each. I bought a 50ml size of Clinique Take the Day off for £1 a couple of weeks ago at a boot sale and 125ml sells for around £15 at the counter. So I can save quite a bit of money using more expensive brands. Moisturisers are a tricky one for me as my skin is extremely dry due to an autoimmune disease I have. I've done a bit of research and ended up buying a REN moisturiser for £15 on Ebay (retails for £27 usually) which is fine, but my skin is still quite dry. I've started using a few drops of pure jojoba oil on my face before applying moisturiser and that is definitely does the trick. I paid about £8-9 for 500ml of jojoba oil on Ebay, and use it all over including my face now. I do have a bit of a love affair with Kiehl's Creme De Corps which is really pricey stuff but also tend to pick that up on Ebay a bit cheaper than at retail. I no longer buy TSVs because I found that whilst there was one product I wanted, I didn't really want or need the rest. I've not bought anything from QVC for about 7 weeks now (NY resolution) and am sticking to what works for me and what I can afford. Jojoba oil has been a bit of a discovery and its really quite cheap with no nasties in it at all. Whilst I used to think QVC was very informative about beauty products and what is best for your skin, I've now stepped back and seen QVC for what it is: a shopping channel, with the primary purpose to get you to buy what they are selling!

 

[minim]

I agree with so much of what you have written above Flamenco I'm beginning to wonder are you me lol.

Lately I've become more concerned with ingredients

Me too. After a lot of trial & error I found it was SLS that made me react

I love Clinique's Take the Day off eye make-up remover too. I buy from eBay. I also love their Redness Solutions Soothing Cleanser & their Comforting Cream Cleanser. I've got both, the Redness Solutions I bought after I got a sample & my daughter bought the other one for me for Christmas.

I've abandoned all eye creams & gels now. I think they caused more damage than help.

 

[Flamenco]

I've abandoned all eye creams & gels now. I think they caused more damage than help.[/QUOTE]

Completely agree with you, Minim! I reckon its just a beauty industry spiel to get you to buy more expensive products. And eye creams can be eye-wateringly expensive! Nice to find a kindred soul too!

 

[Tinkerbelle]

I'm not trying to persuade anyone to use PCMC but one of the reasons I love it is because you can use it as your eye cream too. One less product to use, buy and choose. Suits me.

Cleanse and Polish is the same. No need for a separate eye make up remover. A real result in my book.

I am prepared to look after my skin but I'd prefer not to spend hours fiddling about.

 

[rosey]

I'm not trying to persuade anyone to use PCMC but one of the reasons I love it is because you can use it as your eye cream too. One less product to use, buy and choose. Suits me.

Cleanse and Polish is the same. No need for a separate eye make up remover. A real result in my book.

I am prepared to look after my skin but I'd prefer not to spend hours fiddling about.

I tried PCMC in one tsv a few years ago and sent it back it was too thick and sticky for me and my make-up didn't go over it well. Prefer the Gatineau creams and unlike most you can use the gatineau masks over the eye area too.But then we all like different stuff.

 

[rainbowdottie]

I can't say I'm an absolutely beauty junkie.I can take or leave the "beauty" shows on QVC.

I have no interest in Perricone,Gatineau,Declor,Elemis or Philosophy.I only originally bought my Liz Earle because it seemed a bit "homegrown",made by a British person with many many years of experience that I actually knew of....and thought ethically it was OK.

The only one other product I've ever tried is an SBC proplis gel (sp) as my eldest son has a very bad skin condition.

So beauty,nope,not bothered.....................its the make up I can't resist.I'm an absolute make up junkie.Although I think I will,I can never really resist a laura gellar TSV,even if I know really,I may have most of it stashed in my dressing table.I've succumbed to some bare minerals,YBF in their day and the odd bobbi brown.The only brand I'm not really into is smashbox.......................but I'm learning - I've bought far more from the high street,than I have at QVC lately.

 

[donna255]

I used to use all sorts of brands, in fact sometimes being only half way down a pot before getting bored and trying something else. Then I developed roseaca and found I could not use many of the brands I did before, I broke out in acne like spots or got a red rash. The only brand which did not annoy me was Elemis so I just stuck with them. I cannot use everything from the brand but PCMC does work for me. Now I do buy TSVs not everyone, if products I don't like or won't use then it gets a no from me. If I need a particular item I look at deals online or ebay and save money that way.

 

[boffy]

i cant use any high end brand from qvc or high street but i love rejuvinating cream from alpha h. the glycolic means i get the refining and skin clarity that makes my skin look really good. i cant use creamy cleansers as they dont clean my oily skin adequately so i use l'occitane shea facial soap.
i am happy with these 2 items and will stick to them no more looking for something thats just going to give me boils and painfull rahes.