Going shopping? These are the beauty products that are simply not worth spending your pay cheque on
We all know the products we couldn’t live without, but what about the ones that we really should? From the newest innovations in makeup and skincare to so-called hair saviours, we’ve tried them all, and while there are a fair number that do deliver, there is also an unnerving amount of marketing mumbo jumbo around which our bathroom shelves and bank statements would quite frankly, be better off without.
So which beauty products should you transfer from your shopping lists to your black lists? Here are our recommendations...
Cellulite creams
We are yet to find a cellulite cream that truly delivers on its promises for tauter thighs and wobble-free bottoms. Although providing a smoother, suppler appearance to skin in the short-term, this is by no means a long-term measure to get rid of cellulite more extensively. In truth, you’re better off concentrating your efforts on eating the right foods, decreasing your consumption of fizzy drinks and alcohol, upping your daily intake of water and incorporating a combination of interval training and weights into your fitness regimes. We hate to say it, but unfortunately, there is no quick-fix for this one. Believe us, we’ve tried to find it.
MORE GLOSS: 15 reasons why fizzy drinks are evil
Bust creams
If your bra size could be increased with a daily dose of cup-boosting cream, this modestly-busted GTG writer would be bathing, swimming and showering in the stuff. Although the idea of a fuller bust without going under the knife sounds AMAZING in theory, the reality is that there is very little that a cream can do to give nature a helping hand. (Darn it).
Miracle creams
Anything promising to be a ‘facelift in a jar’ is a downright, dirty liar whose villainous antics are best reserved for Albert Square. The Grant Mitchell of the anti-ageing world, keep your lines and credit cards away from such rogues, to avoid running the risk of adding more wrinkles to yours and your beloved’s foreheads upon looking at your bank balances at the end of the month...
Neck creams
The Phil to the Grant above, this fellow partner in crime is fighting more than just ageing. It’s fighting gravity. Yes, GRAVITY. Unless this cream has the power to propel the next rocket into outer space, we advise you keep your jawlines and bank balances safely away.
MORE GLOSS: Face time - why facial tweaks have gone too far
Lip plumpers
The idea of bigger, more voluptuous lips coming from a tube probably has Angelina Jolie in stitches right now. A bit stingy and overly tingly with results that never last the night, we’d rather adopt some clever makeup tricks for feigning a fuller pout instead if you ask us.
Split end saving hair products
If you happen to pick up a hair product that claims to reverse split ends, follow our advice and put it down, pick up the phone and book in for a haircut instead. What you’ve come across there is simply just a glorified hair mask to add to your hair washing regime which we can all agree, we’d like to keep as faff and fad-free as possible thank you very much.
Stretch mark creams
While these will certainly help damaged skin feel more hydrated, aid the healing process and encourage stretch marks to fade (over time), none will unfortunately make them disappear altogether. So, if you do decide to buy a bevy of oils, lotions and potions to help tackle them, just be realistic in your expectations and look to keep skin well moisturised with a daily body cream or serum in the lead up to anticipated skin-stretching life events (i.e. pregnancy for example), to keep skin supple and at reduced risk of tearing before sudden weight gain.
Eye creams for dark circles
Puffiness yes, fine lines yes, but can eye creams really address dark circles? We’re still on the hunt for one that works in the same way that a good night’s sleep, plenty of water and an antioxidant-rich diet does...
MORE GLOSS: 15 ways to get a better night’s sleep
Makeup with SPF protection
As much as we love a multi-tasking product that offers us the opportunity to streamline our skincare regimes, we’re a bit dubious when it comes to the issue of dual-functioned products that claim to address both sun care and coverage in one fell swoop. If you’re heading to a hot and sunny climate, the amount of sun protection in your favourite tinted moisturiser simply isn’t enough to adequately protect you from both UVA and UVB rays mainly due to the fact that it won’t be applied in the same way as a sunscreen - generously all over the face rather than just where needed. If you do choose to buy them, do so for their role as a good piece of makeup, not as a fast-track way to block out the sun.
Toner
An additional step in your skincare regime that can easily be omitted thanks to today’s collection of cleansers that no longer leave a greasy film behind, the only benefit that these offer is if they deposit something of value on your skin such as AHAs or BHAs (for example salicylic acid). That being said, these can also be found in other exfoliants and blemish-busting products too, meaning that it looks like it could soon be out of the job any day now.