Are TSV's 'sets' really value for money?

[Weathergirl]

The title of this thread will relate to mainly beauty TSV's but not exclusively. QVC often say how the value of a set is sometimes over £100 if you were to pay the full price for the item in the full size. This can sometimes be misleading in itself. However I am about to use up the last few drops of one of my TSV purchases which is probably the only TSV I have ever used all of it and loved it all-so much to re-purchase it. The set in question is Mally's "Fierce face in 5 minutes" which was a TSV last year and had full size foundation, cream blush, eyeshadow stick, eyeliner and I think a mascara. I am coming to the end of the fab foundation, have stocked up on more of the blush on ebay and have repurchased the mascara, eyeshadow sticks and eyeliner (express-o-lane). I will repurchase the foundation when I use up the other kinds I have. Gotta be the best TSV I have ever bought from Q in over 10 years. Also in the running is the very first Emma Hardie TSV which I used all of and repurchased the balm and eye and face serums.

So..is there a TSV which you used every scrap of? Loved enough to re-purchase? You could at a push include sets where you may have given a piece or 2 as gifts or sold part of on ebay as this also contributes to value for money but primarily is there any TSV you loved and used all of it yourself?

 

[louise66]

I only buy what I know I will use.

 

[Akimbo]

Most of the TSVs I've bought, which are sets of products, are padded out with items I wouldn't otherwise buy. Sometimes it's a way to discover another great item that might otherwise have missed. Usually I've been stuck with bits and pieces that the rest of the world is trying to off-load on ebay so I can't even recoup a few quid that way!

Taking today's wash ball TSV: I suppose everyone who buys it is going for the eco eggs themselves. The tube of stain remover is an add-on which I probably wouldn't buy again. The Eco Egg TSV last year which I bought also had the washing machine cleaning tablets which turn out to be a great find.

The best TSVs are those which include a super-size of a product I love to use, and if it's at a price that's well below the ml for ml value then I'll buy it. If it's a bundle of lots of small sizes (like the L'Occitane TSV coming soon) then I feel as though I'm paying for samples! Decleor sets are often padded out with the sort of sample sizes my local salon ive out for free!

 

[China Girl]

I once had an Elemis tsv that got used up,it was lovely and was good value. Agree about small sample like sizes in sets, you can often get these for free from shops if you show interest in a brand , or as gift with purchase. they bang on about these small sizes in the demos as if they are giving us something marvellous. They keep repeating ml for ml value over and over, but who would actually purchase these small sizes on there own.

 

[donna255]

I only buy now on the, "Will I use every product and the sizes?."

I used to buy say Smashbox but didn't want the lipgloss we always got. So that was given away.

Its Elemis TSVs I buy but now I don't even buy all of them, usually one a year. Its okay thinking well I don't use that so will give it to a friend, but why should I?

There is one on Sunday 7th, at first I was, yes I like it. But I checked out the new scrub on counter and not fussed, don't really like the smell of the exotic body cream(it is a lovely cream by the way). So now its a No from me.

 

[rainbowdottie]

I will only buy a TSV if I know I'm going to use all of it.If there were to be 1 product that I'm not sure on (depending on the size) I have to really think about it.I like the fact that SCW and others post the TSV details to give me time to compare and shop around.For instance on the last kipling TSV at the time I couldn't get it near what QVC's TSV price so I thought it was a good buy.

The only thing that bugs me about QVC and their price comparisons is that they say that direct from the company this would cost you say £80 for example - but the QVC *price* will be around £50 and the TSV is normally £5/£6 under that.I don't care what the company comparison is,I'm only interested in what QVC sell it for after the TSV price??? IYSWIM?

 

[MrMarple]

I mentioned on the Liz Earle TSV thread, that the pricing comments can be misleading.

From LE direct, a 200ml of shampoo is £8.75 & a 50ml of it is £5.00.

Now honestly, if you were buying direct, nobody with an ounce of sense would buy the small version, but they don't mention that when they're adding up the costs of a TSV.

So they come out with the regular spiel that 'If you go direct, this would cost you £50.00', but they don't mention that if you spent £53.75, you would end up with 4 times as much of a particular product.

I hope that makes sense, at least I know what I mean!

 

[Bea Frugal]

I shop carefully and generally will use everything in a tsv. That doesn't mean that I love it all or would buy all the items individually but it does mean that for me the tsv's are good value, with the added bonus that once in a while I stumble across a new gem. (I can't be without the Alpha-h daily exfoliator or superskin concentrate now).

 

[Akimbo]

It's taken me a good few years to work out which products suits me, but at a weak moment I'll fall for the spiel and kick myself that I've been talked into buying something I could easily live without or that performs no better than the stuff I normally use.

 

[Brissles]

TBH a lot of the One Time Onlys are far better value than the TSV's. Most beauty tsvs are around the £38 mark (have been for years), and roughly around £7 below the qvc 'normal' price, and for me that's no saving at all. I like offers to be around a £10 plus saving before I'll venture to buy.

 

[JemimaP]

I've often fallen for the spiel and while I may have used all parts or not its not been because I've loved them but because I had them so may as well.
The exception for me is the alpha h tsvs (last year and this) where I have used and loved all. In fact the recent alpha is the first auto delivery I've ever gone for.
For me the worst value tsvs are nail polish. I have hundreds and would never spend £10/£11 a bottle so not really a saving on rrp and more often than not I've already got similar colours.

 

[seesee]

Do you reckon they scavenge all the samples and small sample sizes from the shops that they can't give away and chuck them in as fillers with the odd full sized product - for the tsvs and otos and birthday deals and founders day prices. Just to save their own costs!? It really is bad, I mean do they think we all spend our lives on holiday? Or having guests over every weekend at our five bedrooms homes? Not here I don't! The former would be nice though... Maybe with all the money I save on their great deals and offers, I could save up and get myself on one of those famous elemis product using holidays they always go on about.... Obviously where I will use my tan extender every evening and my ultra sun by day.. God I go on!

 

[KimP]

Can never have too many gifts on standby for the teacher, milkman, neighbour, babysitter, window cleaner, golden arches maitre d.

 

[seesee]

Oh and all those other vital people in your life - sorry I forgot! Funny bunch aren't they?!

 

[boffy]

the only sets I have bought and used are l'occitane but I am bored of qvc's offerings. I love alpha h and use practically everything so always buy the qvc sets

 

[KimP]

I used to like the old Molton Brown TSVs, you'd get about loads of items for less than £30

 

[boffy]

I used to like the old Molton Brown TSVs, you'd get about loads of items for less than £30

those were the days I wonder if molton brown will ever return to qvc

 

[Fallen Angel]

I used to like the old Molton Brown TSVs, you'd get about loads of items for less than £30

Molton Brown TSV's with just the shower gels were brilliant. Still have some of the bags I store my nail stuff in.


I tend to buy only the brands I like and items I know I will use, and maybe it contains a new product I've never used before to try.

 

[Brissles]

Do you reckon they scavenge all the samples and small sample sizes from the shops that they can't give away and chuck them in as fillers with the odd full sized product - for the tsvs and otos and birthday deals and founders day prices. Just to save their own costs!? It really is bad, I mean do they think we all spend our lives on holiday? Or having guests over every weekend at our five bedrooms homes? Not here I don't! The former would be nice though... Maybe with all the money I save on their great deals and offers, I could save up and get myself on one of those famous elemis product using holidays they always go on about.... Obviously where I will use my tan extender every evening and my ultra sun by day.. God I go on!

Totally Agree ! I feel I must be an alien to all of this, because during my 40 odd years of working, I NEVER went from Desk to Dinner, as they now spout so often. I would go home and have a wash for a start ! and that was such a rare occasion to go out during the week anyway. It was always straight home to COOK the dinner.

Do these people live such rarified lives, or is it simply in London that all this socialising goes on, out for dinner straight from work, gifting presents for dinner parties, house guest gifts, suitable for cruising fashion wear. Who are their target audience ? - the Aristocracy ?

 

[mediastar]

I think all that is to make you feel like you are living some exotic sex and the city lifestyle, having said that, I do go desk to dinner quite often, I live an up to forty minute commute from my workplace (including a ten minute walk to and from the bus stop), then I have to commute out to my placements on top, so getting back to my base, then going home and coming back is just too much, I end up either not going out or staying and grabbing a bite somewhere in town (either something from M&S if it's just me, sandwiches and a salad, for instance) or Wagamama as I don't feel out of place sitting down with a book on my own in there, or if it is me and a colleague or a friend, then we will go to a pub or a restaurant first, which is exactly what we are doing on Thursday.

To be absolutely honest, I can't actually remember the last time I bought a tsv, and it was probably LE OR Molton Brown, I really can't be bothered with all the "fillers", if I really want something, I look at it and ask myself a) do I really really need it and b) if I really really do, could I get better value elsewhere or does someone else do a version that does the same job at a better price.