Don’t Waste Your Money: High End Edition

“High end” brands like to charge out the wazoo for their products. Partially due to the claim of the quality of their ingredients and partially due to the brand name. With established brands like Bobbi Brown, Tatcha, Giorgio Armani and the like charging black market kidney prices for some of their products. They need to live up to their product claims and price tags.

Over the last 4 – 6 weeks I’ve tried a few high-end items to which I have some thoughts.

Bobbi Brown’s Soothing Cleansing Milk . I believe this is a new product. I actually loved the smell of this but was not impressed by the performance. This product is geared towards dry skin and I understand why. It leaves a film or residue on the skin. It feels like one of those in-shower lotions that leaves a layer of “hydration” on the skin. You know the ones where you supposedly don’t need to apply lotion afterwards? One of those type deals.

Due to that layer of hydration the product leaves after rinsing, it did not play well with others. So before implementing this product in my skin care regimen I was using a cleansing oil to which I would followup with a buffing rice powder. When I tried to follow this product up with the buffing powder it was very tricky. The application was patchy. When I attempted to rub the buffing powder all over my face and work into a lather it did NOT work.

Lastly, this cleanser did not, and I repeat did NOT remove makeup well. I tried cleansing multiple times, thinking that each cleanse would remove more and more makeup. But nope. When I would dry my face there was always makeup on the towel. I’m talking I would cleanse my face 3 times with the cleanser and makeup residue would still show up when I dried my face! NAW B!

I did like the gentleness of the cleanser but for $46 I expected this to be a one stop shop type of cleanser. If I’m spending $46 and still need other products either prior to or post cleansing my face with that particular product. It’s not worth it.

Next up, Clinique’s Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm. Errbody and their brother, sister, cousin, has been ranting and raving about this makeup removing balm. I fell into the hype, feeling like I was missing out on some secret miracle. So I purchased it. Maybe due to the hype my expectations were too high but I was not impressed. It did a great job at removing my makeup but the product was just en.

Since it’s a balm it’s kind of heavy. The first few days I felt like maybe I was using too much. My pores felt clogged and my face just did not feel clean. So I adjusted. Even when using little product my face just did not feel clean and my pores still felt clogged. This balm will not break the bank at $29. It works for many just not for me.

After dipping my toe into some new cleansers and not loving them I’ve decided to stay in my lane of oil cleansers. They seem to work more along the lines of what I expect and I generally just like them better.

Sidenote: One of the cleansers or maybe both caused me to consistently breakout on my cheeks. So beware if you have sensitive skin.  

The Camellia Beauty Oil by Tatcha is something I had HIGH hopes for. It is infused with Licorice Root, Green Tea, Bamboo, and gold flakes. It’s said to lock in moisture while gold flakes provide the skin a nice glow. Sounds wonderful right?

The oil is not a bad product. It looks and feels luxurious. It’s just not worth $95. I did not notice any drastic change in my skin. Previously I was using the Maracuja Oil by Tarte ($48). From the time I started using the beauty oil from Tatcha to the time I finished the bottle (which was about a month) there was no difference in my skin from when I was using Tarte’s oil. So I think I’ll stick with Tarte.

This Luminous Deep Hydration Firming Serum was another miss. This product contains a blend of red algae and hyaluronic acid meant to nourish and firm the skin. It also has gold flecks to supposedly give the face a “lit from within” glow.

According to the site, results can be seen as early as two weeks! Well, not over here. I literally just reached the end of the bottle. It took about 5 weeks, using it morning and night. I cannot tell any change in the condition of my skin. It does not feel firmer or plumper. My pores are not smaller. My face doesn’t feel as soft as a baby’s bottom. So again, for $95, it’s not worth it.  Also, I didn’t find that the product absorbed quickly. I had to really work it in. If I’m going to spend that type of money I’d much rather spend it on the Genifique serum by Lancome. It absorbs really fast and I visibly saw a difference in my skin in 2-3 weeks.

To be fair. Looking back at the descriptions for the beauty oil and serum I think they are for more mature skin and drier skin types. For reference, I’m 33 with oily skin.

Lastly, lets talk about this Pore Perfecting Water Gel Moisturizer also by Tatcha. This moisturizer contains rose, lily, and Dokudami (plant extract). It’s supposed to help balance and clarify skin while shrinking pores. The gold dust infused in the product is supposed to impart a shine free glow.

This product is different from the previous two in that it is actually geared towards oily skin. I tried using it underneath my makeup, without a primer to see if I noticed a change in how oily my skin got throughout the day. Nope, no difference. I also used it on days I wore no makeup to see if again, I noticed any change in the amount of oil my face produced over the course of the day. And again, NOPE.

This moisturizer was probably my least favorite. At $65 it is not as pricey as the other products but there are better moisturizers for less mulah.

I hope this was helpful. If you have dry skin or want to try any of the aforementioned products, make sure to sign up for Tatcha emails. They usually are always having some sort of sale or promo. Also most of their products are offered in travel size which is super beneficial. You can test out products without committing to a full size or the full price tag. Macy’s is another place that usually consistently has some type of sale going on so you could probably get your hands on the Clinique balm for a lower price. Bobbi Brown is not as quick to have a sale. You may want to wait until Nordstrom’s has a sale, Sephora has their VIB sale, or go directly to the Bobbi Brown website and sign up for emails to get a promo code.

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