The Gatineau 'Trap'

[JR's Ego]

.. don't succumb to it! Very tempting to purchase TSVs, however, as we all know, its the usual sales technique to grab the customer,

It is truly pointless QVC saying repeatedly "at full price it would be this" because they are simply reminding the new buyer the extortionate cost of replacement bottles when the user panics at the bottom of the jar stage, fearing super ageing would start without super cream... encouraging repeat ordering at full price stage.

The long term costs stack up. Finally.. creams may soothe, smooth, & hydrate, but there is no topical cream that will 'lift' the face. The analogy of this is putting paint on a house with sinking foundations.

 

[Lemonsqueezy]

I so agree,I just don't understand how people get sucked in to the hype of expensive skincare brands.Nothing will stop ageing or miraculously suck your sagging jowls back in to place or plump your skin.
My neice is a dermatologist and she just laughs at the stuff Andrew and Keely et al come out with.
Her advice..keep out of the sun,use a high spf, eat well, drink lots of water don't smoke,cleanse and moisturise with something but don't waste your money on expensive rubbish but hope and pray genetics are kind to you...makes sense to me!

 

[China Girl]

I agree with this,you have to be able to afford the ongoing cost of your choice of skincare.I used to use EL products ages ago,just the normal range,I remember standing at the EL counter in Debenhams looking longingly at their re-nutriv range which is way beyond my purse,the saleswoman came over and started the usual spiel and ended by saying that she always used it,her skin was certainly no advert for it and I stopped wanting it. Qvc selling things at special prices is one thing but you have to ask yourself if you really want to fall into the trap of using things you can't afford to replace when they run out.

 

[JR's Ego]

Your Neice knows her stuff!

She should get on air.. the problem is however, if she guested with her products e.g. (1 bottle of spring water, sun block and vitamin E cream) it would not sell, because its not glitzy, glam, wrapped in impressive packaging, and not expensive enough - because expensive means 'better' right? :blush: but that basic 'pack' is the perfect trio, because beautiful flowers are only bourne from healthy roots/feeding.

 

[Lemonsqueezy]

I actually feel quite ,because I have just tuned in to see Andrew with his deeply lined forehead,slackened ageing skin and double eyelids try and flog us a cream for 54 quid that will stop that happening or reverse it...what a load of old tosh!!
If it's so great...use it then and let us wrinkled mortals be amazed at the results!!!

 

[donna255]

The trouble is all well nearly all women will buy into the fantasy they always have. I remember reading a book about Estee Lauder and another about Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein and cosmetics where all selling the dream. Hence you get Cheryl etc getting paid to make you buy L'Oreal's this and that. And young women think Oh Cheryl uses that it must be brilliant better buy it. Look at VIP board on st.com and in the beauty part always questions about the new Lancome serum(oh I seen it in a mag), who has tried it, is it any good? Or the will make you have long lashes the lates mascara, the beauty boards go nuts for people rushing to buy. The only thing which will really work is a prescription only product called Lass something and its classed as a drug, hence the prescription only.

Buy what you enjoy using which means you will be more likely to continue to use it. You want a smooth line free face then its botox or chemical peels and finally a face lift.

 

[minim]

Not only do they want you to part with pots of money for their 'wonder product', they want you 'need' pots & pots of products!
This layering lark creases me lol.
Cleanser, toner, moisturiser, serum, eye cream/gel, neck cream ... re-enforced bathroom shelf.

 

[TrixieWoo]

I'm the same as most people in that I sometime do fall for hype/sell/whatever you want to call it. My last skin cream was the L'Occitane Divine Immortelle, bought from their shop with a 10% off voucher. £60+ at full price. Smelt lovely, went nicely, made skin feel nice. The stuff I'm using at the moment is from Aldi, their L'Accura range. Doesn't smell as nice but goes on well and makes skin feel soft and moisturised. I can honestly say there's no difference whatsoever in skin texture/lines/wrinkles. The most noticeable different is the lack of nice fragrance and the posh packaging. The stuff I've got is a dead ringer for the Nivea Q10 that you can get.

 

[Bea Frugal]

I agree too. I didn't watch at all yesterday other than a few minutes at 11.00 to try and catch a glimpse of Andrew's watch! It occurred to me then that whilst they obviously hope that customers will repeat purchase at the higher price, what they are really interested in in selling right here and now, and I think that by constantly talking about the savings you are making people are eventually convinced that the £50 quid deal has got to be a bargain. Wonder how many people really do come back and pay £80 for a single pot of cream. There are so many kits and offers always around, plus other places to buy, that money would really have to be no object. I was unimpressed by yesterday's tsv. For me, the size of the moisturiser is the clincher, and 30mls just doesn't do it.

 

[White Russian]

I agree with what you say about being caught in the expensive skincare trap, but if you find a product that costs £90 that you think is amazing then repeat buying that could easily work out cheaper than wasting money trying out all the other products you hope will give the same result.

I spend a small fortune on skincare products and don't feel even slightly guilty about it. I like taking care of my skin and enjoy the indulgent me-time of it all. My routine calms me down at the end of a hard day. My skin may look better in 20 years for it, it may not. But no one ever got to 50, looked in the mirror and wished they had taken less good care of their skin.

 

[Silver Fox]

I do indulge on skincare & always have since I lathered on Ponds Cold Cream & Camay soap ( non expensive I know!!! but that's all there was in the dark ages in my teens 50 years ago.)
If I had not spent so much I would now have enough cash to pay for surgery ( not that I could face it) -- or I might look pretty much the same if I hadn't bothered? But maybe not? I tell myself that if you get into your 60's & haven't looked after your skin there is nothing much you can do.What amuses me is that when they are talking about wonder anti wrinkle creams they are suggesting you need these in your late 20's & 30's.I am 64 & wrinkles are few-- all down to Ponds!!

 

[JR's Ego]

I have it on extremely good authority AKA "trust me on this" Nivea original (blue pot) face cream is identical in the ingredient list as Creme de La Mer, but minus ONE tiny ingredient.

The tiny missing ingredient is a fragrance

 

[White Russian]

I have it on extremely good authority AKA "trust me on this" Nivea original (blue pot) face cream is identical in the ingredient list as Creme de La Mer, but minus ONE tiny ingredient.

The tiny missing ingredient is a fragrance

It wouldn't surprise me. Creme de la mer is quite an outdated formula now and I've never been convinced by the 'containing traces of the original miracle broth' marketing.

 

[minim]

I tell yer - when it's time to sag ... you're gonna SAG.

Nothing can save yer but the knife

 

[minim]

I do indulge on skincare & always have since I lathered on Ponds Cold Cream & Camay soap ( non expensive I know!!! but that's all there was in the dark ages in my teens 50 years ago.)

You'll look a little lovelier, each day
With fabulous Pink Camay

Takes me back!

 

[Silver Fox]

Bring back Camay but now I am a L'occitane 'girl' & wouldn't put soap anywhere near my face!! (AY sighs & cheers)

 

[Tinkerbelle]

I've always looked after my skin. I drink lots of water, don't smoke, keep my face out of the sun and cleanse tone moisturise twice a day. I also regularly use microdermabrasion, face masks and facial oils. Now I'm rushing headlong to the big 50 and although I have a few lines on my forehead, the rest of me is wrinkle free. I do, however, have the advantage of good genes and decent bone structure and a size 18 arse.

I've always said I would never have any work done but who knows! I also have always said that if I could get to 50 fairly unscathed I would then allow myself to go to hell in a handbasket as a reward for all my efforts. I think I may have been lying to myself on that one.

Gatineau is no more of an offender at this than Decleor, Elemis, etc etc. The kits are there to make products seem affordable and attainable with the absolute intention of upselling. You buy the kit to try this product or the other and they want you to get hooked on the other products so then you'll buy kits with those in and eventually buy all the products at full price.

Very few of us pre QVC would waltz in to Boots and buy a £35-40 pot of moisturiser ... no matter how much of a skincare junkie we were. QVC makes this luxury seem normal. I'm not knocking the products as I use Elemis. I used it pre QVC but QVC keeps me using it.

Is my wrinkle free complexion down to Elemis. Erm no probably not as I used Oil of Olay from about the age of 15 through to 40. I still use it from time to time.

 

[donna255]

The Nivea has to be the one made in Germany it seems. I know on the US beauty boards they beg for people in Europe to special purchase on their behalf as the US version is made in Mexico. CdM changed when Estee Lauder bought the company some years ago, people who used it for years say its not the same texture etc.
Oh and CdM and Nivea are for people with very dry skin, will sit like a tub of grease on your face otherwise.

 

[amn]

I agree with what you say about being caught in the expensive skincare trap, but if you find a product that costs £90 that you think is amazing then repeat buying that could easily work out cheaper than wasting money trying out all the other products you hope will give the same result.

I spend a small fortune on skincare products and don't feel even slightly guilty about it. I like taking care of my skin and enjoy the indulgent me-time of it all. My routine calms me down at the end of a hard day. My skin may look better in 20 years for it, it may not. But no one ever got to 50, looked in the mirror and wished they had taken less good care of their skin.

But the people who are easily talked into parting with money they can't really afford on a promise of perfect skin may well look back at their bank statement and wish they'd not spent all that money on face cream.

 

[janie]

I've always looked after my skin. I drink lots of water, don't smoke, keep my face out of the sun and cleanse tone moisturise twice a day. I also regularly use microdermabrasion, face masks and facial oils. Now I'm rushing headlong to the big 50 and although I have a few lines on my forehead, the rest of me is wrinkle free. I do, however, have the advantage of good genes and decent bone structure and a size 18 arse.

I've always said I would never have any work done but who knows! I also have always said that if I could get to 50 fairly unscathed I would then allow myself to go to hell in a handbasket as a reward for all my efforts. I think I may have been lying to myself on that one.

Gatineau is no more of an offender at this than Decleor, Elemis, etc etc. The kits are there to make products seem affordable and attainable with the absolute intention of upselling. You buy the kit to try this product or the other and they want you to get hooked on the other products so then you'll buy kits with those in and eventually buy all the products at full price.

Very few of us pre QVC would waltz in to Boots and buy a £35-40 pot of moisturiser ... no matter how much of a skincare junkie we were. QVC makes this luxury seem normal. I'm not knocking the products as I use Elemis. I used it pre QVC but QVC keeps me using it.

Is my wrinkle free complexion down to Elemis. Erm no probably not as I used Oil of Olay from about the age of 15 through to 40. I still use it from time to time.

gosh, thinking of 'pink camay' and nivea, anyone remember when oil of olay was oil of ulay??

i'm a bit weird in that i love watching all the cosmetic stuff and have bought in the past but all i actually do is soap and water. no moisturiser. wrinkly relatives but at 59 not many wrinkles myself - some sag but not really wrinkles. just the roll of the dice i think.