When are fancy toiletries worth it?

[tcufrog]

I recently was gifted some Kiehls products and have been trying them out. The Kiehls #1 lip salve is by far my favorite lip balm ever but I really prefer Eucerin lotion from Target to their hand cream. My dermatologist swears by Eucerin. I'm the same way about a lot of other toiletries. I have really sensitive skin and prefer Aveno's body wash for sensitive skin over anything else I've tried. I use shampoo and conditioner from Aveda or Eufora because my hair looks great and they don't irritate my scalp.

When do y'all buy high end items and when do you buy more affordable products?

 

[dizneegirl]

I only buy affordable products... they do the job to my satisfaction, why would I spend more?

 

[Christine]

I buy expensive stuff for my hair. I always try to get by with the "drugstore" brands but my hair is really finicky. I have a lot of it but it's fine and limp and there's only certain shampoos that really make it look good: Alterna, Paul Mitchell mainly. Same with the hair products themselves--I do use texturizer and hairspray and, again, the cheaper brands don't cut it and they almost always smell horrible.

For cleansers and moisturizers: Dove Bar and Cetaphil or Cerave and Vaseline. That's about it.

 

[tvguy]

I won a couple of gift baskets with those expensive Multi Level Marketing products (Arbonne, Nerium). My wife and I sure couldn't tell the difference although no beauty product is reasonably priced anymore. .

 

[NannyBeBe]

There was a time in my life when I was extremely poor. Ivory soap was all I could afford and I used it to wash my body and my hair. Ironically, I would get comments on how pretty my hair was. These days I use Herbal Essence shampoo and conditioner. They aren't too expensive and do the job. But if things got tough, I could always go back to Ivory.

 

[ronandannette]

I only buy affordable products... they do the job to my satisfaction, why would I spend more?

This. All my regular stuff, including make-up, is from WalMart or the grocery store health-and-beauty departments. Are there "better" high-end products available? Maybe, but I'd spend a whole lot of money trying to find them, I reckon. Even in the modest price range, I've wasted tons trying new things, only to go back to my trusted favorites every time.

 

[slo]

I buy Redken shampoo & conditioner - helps keep my color longer.

I buy Clinique moisturizer - everything else makes me breakout

I buy Urban Decay palettes - just because I love them.

Those are my only high end products

 

[dizneegirl]

There was a time in my life when I was extremely poor. Ivory soap was all I could afford and I used it to wash my body and my hair...

Ivory is awesome. I've used it as a shampoo, body wash, car wash, for hand laundering, and dishes (though I prefer Dawn for that in general). I *still* use it for bubble baths (sometimes with bath salts - I love bubbles! ).

 

[Jwaire]

Does toothpaste and toilet paper count? I splurge on Pronamel and Charmin.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Do whatever makes you smile, life is too short to have dry skin that doesn't smell to your liking.

I actually prefer olive oil myself because it prevents migraines but the Kiehls hand salve is amazing for other people in my home.

 

[NotUrsula]

This is one of those categories where I think most women, at least, will go for the best they can afford.
Kiehl is nice, but IMO it's kind of at the top of the scale in terms of cost; there is a whole lot of distance between mass-market brands and Kiehl. I tend to go kind of middle of the road; I'll pay up to about $30 or so for a tube of good stuff if I know it works well, but higher than that is rather too rich for my blood.

When it comes to lip balm, applicators count; I always gravitate to brands that have a steel ball applicator, because it's easier on already-damaged skin.

For bar soap I do splurge a bit and buy scented French-milled, but I order it online or get it at places like TJMaxx, so I don't pay that much more than drugstore cost. I generally don't have any adverse affects as long as I stay away from scents that I know will bother me (Bergamot and Verbena being 2 options that I must avoid. I'm terribly allergic to Verbena; brings me out in hives.)

The category I will most readily spend high for is sunscreen; I'm fair and burn like a biscuit in no time flat, but I have sensitive skin.

 

[QueenIsabella]

I have itchy, sensitive skin. I use products that work for me, and save money elsewhere as necessary. That said, more expensive does not equal better, for me.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

Most of my preferred beauty items are from brands that I've fallen in love with while traveling so many of them I buy from this apothecary in Chicago called Merz but most of them are mid-range brands like Fa, Nivea, Tabac, or Laroche Posay (the last of which I can find in Target). If anyone is interested, here is Merz's website: https://www.smallflower.com/

I'm bald so I have no need for hair anything and the only really high end product I splurge on is my beloved Guerlain face wash (don't even ask how much it is).

 

[Moliphino]

I don't really splurge on this stuff. All of my fancier makeup was gifted to me by my mom.
Dove soap, Blistex lip balms, Covergirl makeup.

 

[bcla]

Just shampoo. I have short hair so it lasts a long time. I might buy large bottles of Paul Mitchell Awapuhi and then transfer that to small (50-100 ml) bottles to use.

 

[tcufrog]

I find that the Kiehls lip salve isn't that much more because I need to apply it much less often than the other brands I've tried. A lot of what I choose is based on whether or not it irritates my skin. My skin itches horribly if I use the wrong product. If the skin on my palms gets irritated my hands turn red and swell. That really hurts and that is why I stopped wearing my wedding ring. The wrong scents can give me a headache as well. I can't use anything that smells like lavender, for example, because I instantly get a headache. Almost everything I use is unscented including my laundry products for that reason. I like perfume but I have to be careful about which ones I use and I have to be careful about how I apply it.

 

[jimmymc]

I use decently expensive shampoo, Curlsmith Conditioning Wash. It almost pays for itself because I don't need to regularly use conditioner with it, I just do a leave in treatment every 2ish weeks.

My face is prone to breakouts, so I use higher-end moisturizers, but drug store-level medicine for when I get blemishes.

Every doctor and nurse I've ever asked about the subject recommends Eucerin for body and hands. It gets very cold and dry in the winter here, and it really helps.

I also use a high end cologne, but sparingly, so the full size bottle lasts several years.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

I also use a high end cologne, but sparingly, so the full size bottle lasts several years.

Don't even get me going on colognes. My dresser is a Nordstrom counter.

 

[MrsPete]

I recently was gifted some Kiehls products and have been trying them out. The Kiehls #1 lip salve is by far my favorite lip balm ever but I really prefer Eucerin lotion from Target to their hand cream. My dermatologist swears by Eucerin. I'm the same way about a lot of other toiletries. I have really sensitive skin and prefer Aveno's body wash for sensitive skin over anything else I've tried. I use shampoo and conditioner from Aveda or Eufora because my hair looks great and they don't irritate my scalp.

When do y'all buy high end items and when do you buy more affordable products?

Several comments:
- I have Eczema, and I don't know HOW Eczema-specific moisturizer /lotions are different, but they are different from regular lotions! They are more expensive, so I use them ONLY on my face.
- I dislike Eucerin lotions -- they feel like a slightly burn or sting to me.
- I love Aveno products, but I can't tell the difference between "the real thing" and the Walmart Equate copycat.
- For body lotion, I love Bath & Body Works -- good, thick lotions and lovely smells. I get their free-product coupons on a regular basis, and that goes a long way for me. I also stock up when their stuff's on sale.
- I have long rotated between 2-3 shampoo /conditioners I like -- but now that my hair's going gray, I'm floundering a bit and need to find a new "what works for me". I bought a pricey "purple" shampoo and liked it -- but when it ran out, I tried the Walmart brand, it felt thicker /more luxurious. At 1/3 the price. It's still more expensive than the shampoos I've used for years, so I'm trying to use less product.
- I couldn't care less about brands for sunscreen or toothpaste.
- I like several brands of soap.
- I'm good with any brand of deodorant -- except Degree. I once developed a massive rash after using Degree, and (unless you've experienced it) you just don't understand how bad an underarm rash is! Every move you make, you feel it.
- I use redness correction foundation make-up from Clinique; I've tried so many, and this just works for my skin. But everything else -- eye make-up, etc. -- I use any brand.
- I prefer Burts Bees chapstick but don't dislike other brands.

This is one of those categories where I think most women, at least, will go for the best they can afford.

Eh, disagree. I've not found a strong connection between price and quality in beauty products. Sure, the bottom of the barrel stuff is mostly to be avoided -- but the difference between mid-priced items and high-priced items seems to be status /perception of status.

 

[tcufrog]

Eh, disagree. I've not found a strong connection between price and quality in beauty products. Sure, the bottom of the barrel stuff is mostly to be avoided -- but the difference between mid-priced items and high-priced items seems to be status /perception of status.

I totally agree. I'm curious to learn when people thought it was worth it to pay more and why.