Oooh! This is going to be a great thread!

SKINCARE- Having skin that reacts to nearly everything, I have now settled on La Prairie. I have nearly the whole range (including the eye-wateringly expensive skin caviar luxe cream) and my skin has never been better. I think that their misturisers are some of the best formulations that I have ever tried. They are as light as air and make you skin feel and look fab. I also use La Prairie skin serum and eye creams. You need just a tiny bit of each product so to me it is worth it and also, I do not like to overload my skin so La Prairie is brilliant to me. I also have the famous Creme de la mer for when my skin is feeling 'drier' and I just dab it on and hey presto! dryness has gone. I also have the La mer lipbalm which to me is the best lipbalm EVER! It makes your lips feel like silk.
I also have different exfoliators and masks such as Bliss steep clean, Dr brandts microdermabrasion in a jar, Chanel exfoliator and a gorgeous YSL honey facial exfoliator. I do like my beauty products!

MAKE UP-
Foundation-MAC studio fix fluid
Blush- Chanel, Dior, Pout, benefit
Eyeshadow- MAC, Pout, Urban decay and Stila
Mascara- Chanel, Lancome
Lipstick-Clinique buttershines, MAC, Pout
Lipgloss- Pout, Chanel, MAC, Stila
Loose powder-Laura mercier
Concealer-Dior skinflash and Laura mercier secret brightening powder

I also love Chanel eye make up remover, leaf and rusher green tea face wash, Philosophy hope and a prayer, La mer handcream, Bliss glamour gloves and softening socks, Crabtree and evelyn hand recovery, MAC lipbalm, Urban decay eyebrow pencil, Palmers cocoa butter, Molton brown grapeseed bath/shower gel, Label M shampoo, Shu umeura (sp) eyelash curlers, leaf and rusher lip exfoliator, Mario badescu drying lotion, tigi leave in conditioner......

Have I rambled on too much?! I am an un-ashamed beauty junkie. You know the sad girl in House of fraser cooing over the new dior blushers? thats me! I have TONS of make up and skincare stuff. It's what most of my money goes on! LOL! xx

Pink Lady- La Praire/ Creme de la mer? Aren't they the ones that cost as much as a small car?? Did you try high street stuff before these?

I'm a bit envious and very curious- the only problem is that if I owned anything like that DH would STILL use it for his stubble rash. It's not so bad when it's Lush stuff (probably the best skincare I've found)

Yes it is expensive, but believe me I have tried nearly every brand you can think of from nivea, tesco skin wisdom, superdrug's own brand, Body shop, boot's own brand, chanel, dior, dr brandt, clinique, Dr Haushaka (sp) and even my beloved Lush (I am a lush addict!).

I'm a firm believer in you get what you pay for,and while I know some people may scoff at the likes of La Prairie and Creme de la mer as a load of hype I say dont knock it till you've tried it! I made sure I got samples first and tried them to see if my skin was going to react and my skin had been in terrible condition prior to testing La Prairie, I had redness, random spots that would crop up on my skin, dryness and just general dullness. My skin is now in great condition and I believe it's because of using these products.

I think that the best 'beauty' product for your skin is a good sunscreen and my La Prairie day cream has this.

I wouldn't worry Clareh - it would be awful if you shelled out and then found your skin reacted - samples usually give you an idea (but you can bet the shop assistants are mean with them) but you don't always know right away when you will get a reaction.

Anyway if you find something cheaper works good then that's fine!

The way I see it yes I could spend my money on an expensive cream but I know that when it runs out I probably could not replace it or justify buying it again. I am not knocking that people buy the stuff - it had a very mixed review on the make up alley site- or anything else that costs an arm and a leg- but remember just cos it is expensive does not necessarily mean it is good!

I kind of agree with both of you- it would be dreadful to spend so much money on something that didn't make your skin better,but then if it did it's priceless!

I always have this 'discussion' with DH who travels quite a bit with work and get my Lancome stuff at duty free- £20 for a foundation?!?! My answer is that if you took your car to the garage and got a £20 bill you'd be ecstatic, but you wouldn't willingly spend that on the only face you'll ever have?

Well to be honest I am ok at spending £20 odd for a foundation that is like a holy grail - does exactly what is says on the tin (like Ronseal!!!) and spending £20 odd for a cream, however when it gets any more than that I think, no. The most I have spent is £26 for a Bobbie Brown foundation stick.

To be honest what high end creams I have tried haven't done any better than cheaper ones and as I don't always bother to put night cream on or eye stuff it is kind of a waste to splash out. I am actually thinking that the Avon stuff I bought ages ago was actually as good as any "luxury" 'anti ageing cream' out there. I just don't like their make up apart fromt ehGlazewear lip gloss stuff.

Are you meaning La Prairie?

I also go on MUA for reviews (I have also written a lot of reviews for the site) and you could say that most products get 'mixed' reviews. What works for one does not neccesarily work for another.
I am more than happy to justify the cost of my skincare. NOT because of the name or packaging or whatever, but because it WORKS. If something I used was rubbish or did not improve my skin then believe me I would say so. If a pot of 99p moisturiser gave the same results as what I use now then of course I would use that also. Like I said I have tried a lot of brands and I stick with what I like, be it skincare make up or anything else. I dont see why people should automatically knock high end products just because of the cost. Oil of olay has had fab raves in beauty magazines yet when I tried it for a couple of weeks my skin broke out in appalling cystic acne.

As for samples, I rang La Prairie before I bought any of the products and they sent me loads of samples of lots of their products. That was before I spent a penny on any of it. I was able to test everything for a good few weeks before. So not all companies are stingy with samples.


Like I said, it is peoples personal choice and I am happy with mine. I would never dream to pass comment on how much or little someone spends on a face cream. It's nobody else's business.

It wasn't a personal knock.

I know a lot of people that buy high end stuff once then can never afford it again so it seems a bit pointless to me. Personally I would like to try the Sisley stuff but again I cannot see me buying it regularly so what is the use? I would never criticise anyone for spending ££ or $$ on anything, it is entirely up to them.

There is hype about La Mer but also at the other end there is just as much hype around the Maybelline mascara - the one with the pink and green coloured tube- I have no idea why it is thought of as such a great product, I think it is cr*p and they have much better mascaras. However, it may be someone else's Holy Grail. Fine.

I certainly would not tell anyone what they can and cannot use and I do not think I was saying that. It is all down to personal choice.

Thats the mascara I use.... its the only one that doesn't make my eyes itch or clog up my eyelashes.

Thanks for the info about getting samples - I probably spend less than £10 a year on makeup or facial products, except moisturiser but I do spend a bit on that. I'm still trying to find the Holy Grail for me but I don't think it exists. You know, the miracle one that makes you look 15 years younger....

Yeah lots of people seem to like it. A case of one man's meat! It does absolutely nothing for me even with curled lashes!

I decided to have another go at looking after my skin. I got the Clinique 2 clarifying lotion for the oily bits (was shocked at the amount of blackheads but really no surpirse I have been neglecting the old nose and chin while trying to sort out the dryness. I went into boots and, as I liked their Time Delay day cream I got the night one, the eye stuff and a serum, also a boots 17 lipgloss, in coral quench which does look pretty, plus thanks to someone - a UK chick suggesting getting the phyto soya stuff in Boots (I am peri menopausal) plus the liquid evening primrose stuff in Boots.

The Clinique lady gave me a mini version of the 3 step prgramme -the soap, clarifier and DDML (this is another people will have different feelings about - some really like the moisturiser and the soap but they don't do squat for me), anyway, my friend had asked me about Clinique stuff so I will give it to her.

Pink lady - you mention various exfolaters and microdermabrasion stuff - have you used more than one of those? What is your take on them?? Any good?

Yes, I quite lke all the ones I mentioned. I had the same problem like you with the blackheads on nose thing. Nothing would shift them, but I really like Bliss steep clean (If you call bliss, they are brilliant at giving samples!) as it is a mask, but unlike others it does not dry on your skin, it stays moist and it has made a huge difference. Now I can finally see they are clearing after trying lots of different things for them. I also love Dr Brandts microdermabrasion in a jar. It makes your skin feel like new! I dont know if you can get samples of Dr Brandt, so if you pm me your address, I will 'decant' some of mine for you to try. It is worth trying first before buying as it may not be for everyone.

Clinique 3 step takes me back. It gave me the worst reaction that my skin has ever had! I love the clinique take the day off remover, so I bought some of the wipes a few weeks ago. Big mistake-my skin completely broke out. Dermalogica seems to get fantastic reviews, yet that range also wrecked my skin! Think I have really freaky skin!

well i've just bought the clarins stuff because it was on special offer in boots but before that I've existed for 3 months on samples, I go home once a month or so and stop through birmingham and pick up samples in town. THen here there are 3 stores which do clarins samples so they've lasted me ages.

Its been really good actually because I've had a few different sample creams so the one I've got now is good cos I've tested loads and found this one best I highly recommend if anyone does like clarins the water comfort one step cleanser it is really peachy and for a wonder doesn't make my skin dry.

I found my holy grail last year with Dr Hauschka. I realised I was spending a lot of money on my organic diet then putting non organic stuff on my skin. I got one of the sample tins - £12 for a small cleanser, toner, a couple of the moisturisers etc - and everything else I ever tried (usually half finished bottles) went in the bin the next day!

I do a bit of aromatherapy and make myself oils, shampoos, creams from time to time but I only use the Dr H stuff on my face! For my base products I usually use Neals Yard Remedies - as they have a branch in Leeds. Or Culpeppers in York.

I don't really wear make-up, although I have it - I think it ages me or makes me look like a drag queen! I've never worn foundation or skin make-up ever, in my life! Most women my age who try to wear make-up seem stuck in the 1980s, or are firmly in the 'Tribe of the Orange Face' as DH calls it. Not for me.

I think it's down to avoiding chemicals, drinking your 2 litres a day and having a good diet, and then you can think about the products. Dr Hauschka do make-up too which looks nice but would be a waste of money for me!

The cleanser is £12, the toner around that and the moisturiser I think £16. I'm also using their face cream with factor 8 which was £18. It's cheap because you use tiny amounts and every last drop - it's too good to waste! There are no night creams, you just cleanse and tone so you save there.

I've only ever used cruelty free products since I was about 18 - which were hard but not impossible to source until Body Shop took off. Body Shop went downhill in the 90s, and now is owned by a firm that have done animal testing in the past so not for me... and the Lush stuff is full of harsh chemicals, colourings, etc, (although cleverly marketed to suggest otherwise) so I'm glad I've found a range that are ethical but, bottom line, work! I can't see myself changing from Dr Hauschka for the forseeable, but I do supplement it with a bit of Neal's Yard and homemade from time to time.

I'm a sucker for the blue glass jars of the Neals Yard stuff! They all get re-cycled for my home-made! I use their Frankincense cream (meant as a facial moisturiser) as a handcream, because it's just brilliant.

Phat - I have heard that Dr H is good stuff - a friend of mine uses it and I 'sampled' a bit of hand cream while I was staying with her. The Rose and the Quice creams are supposed to be very good and I remember the Neal's yard Frankinsense cream getting great reviews in a sunday paper magazine. The closest I got to owning it is sniffing the stuff and putting it on my hand!

Impossible - I used to buy Clarins a lot when younger and I think it did make a difference. I found the 'Alpine herb' cleanser (the blue bottle) too greasy though. However I have the foaming wash and a pump action moisturiser which is really nice.

Pink - I am intrigued by the Dr Brandt stuff - I think they sell it at Space NK (or spank as my friend would have it!). Also wondering about the Bliss stuff and where one can get it.

Some things give me an itchy chin (I always think that is wierd cos of being oily - I know anyone's skin can be sensitive but I always associate sensitive skin with dry parched areas.).

Funnily enough I am more worried about 'natural' brands doing my skin in because I cannot use anything by Weleda at all. There is something in the base of the product that irritates my skin like you would not believe. I look like I have caught fire!!!

Well so far so good with the Boots Time Delay stuff. I put the night serum on and the night cream and some eye cream. I did get a bit 'pouchy' around the eye but that is down to me and putting too much on. I don't have many lines around my eyes but those I did have seem to have disappeared. My skin the next day looked 'rested' and smooth. Hooray! One thing about having a podgy face - less lines!!