Cheap vs Expensive

[sammatty]

If I am honest, a large part of the appeal of more expensive products, is the packaging. For me something sitting in a good looking tube or tub does have a "snobbery" factor about it when it is sitting on display next to the sink, whereas the tube of Palmolive is sitting in the bathroom cupboard even though I may have it in my rotation for the entire week.

The same for me happens with soap, the Arko and Palmolive sticks are either relegated to the cupboard and Mitchells Wool Fat soap in it's wooden bowl is out for all to see.

Do i like the more expensive soaps and creams any better than the chaper ones, that I am not really sure of.

 

[Pig Cat]

Sam, that's why I grated my Palmolive in to a TOBS wooden bowl. Looks a lot better that way. I see your point though. Few of us are immune to the packaging and the whole 'image' of a product, and what it looks like in the bathroom (if it's on display anyway) counts for something.

 

[shrink]

interesting debate folks... glad it sparked up a little bit, and some great info here.

waiting to try my recently acquired T&H west indian limes. But our shower has stopped working!!

 

[AdamSmith]

I think the Creightons made creams are the best on the market, functionally. I wanted to like Palmolive but find the lather is quite thin and lacking in cushion/slickness. Scent is also a little industrial. I feel the same about Proraso. Unfortunately, I do find the pricier creams to be better. I don't buy the really pricy ones, but I'll pay £7 for a tub of Taylors or TBS, which are Creightons made and have the same base ingredients as Truefitt or Trumpers or Harris.

AoS also seem to be very good - especially if you want a more natural scent and less dye than some of the 3T's have. Not apparently made by Creightons but work similarly well. Way too costly this side of the pond though.

Having said all that, I'm on an extended soaps kick now, and there its even more difficult to draw the connections between price and quality. There is, imo, still a connection, but the fact that the main English soaps are mostly reformulated shadows of their former selves probably has a lot of fellas so disappointed they use Palmolive forever and swear off the pricy stuff for good. They're right to - Palmolive soap works better than Trumpers or Trufitt & Hills reforumlated palm oil soap. Sad but true. THere are still some great soaps that are worth paying for - Tabac and Valobra, for example. You just really have to know which ones are worth the extra money and which aren't.

 

[Hyperborean]

This is a question that's come to mind today after reading more about the cheap indian limes creams and the Godrej products.

can a cheap cream really be good? are they as good as their more expensive counterparts. Is there worth in the £10-15-25 tubs from the likes of TOBS, T&H and beyond. What makes them worth 10x the cost of the likes of a palmolive tube that I can get in tesco for £1.60?

Ive used an old spice tube, and smell aside, thought it was a good cream. LIkewise ARKO and again with the palmolive. Now there are all budget creams but seemed to perform well. At the end of the day, I do prefer the lovely dense thick lather i get from my TOBS cream.

Would be interested in other peoples views. Are expensive creams worth it, or is it all badge snobbery.

1. Relatively cheap shaving creams can be excellent. I can say for this NIVEA mild shaving cream <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.niveaformen.com/products/shaving/mild_shaving_cream.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.niveaformen.com/products/sha ... cream.html</a><!-- m --> that it's excellent.only problem would be slipperiness of the skin if you shave with a straight razor when you put your fingers onto it to strecht it. The other shaving cream I use is made for local market by Henkels (goes by brand name Solea)---it is also good though not as good as Nivea mild, but it's somewhat cheaper and smells (Lavender scent) better plus the skin is not slippery.

2. I haven't tried any of those expensive shaving creams but I doubt they are better than NIVEA mild. I had used very high quality Golddachs shaving soap (with shaving cream like qualites) for a year and NIVEA mild is on similar level of performance. I decided to save up the second puck in case they stop producing Nivea mild shaving cream . The lather is thick and smooth. I have also used Thiers Issard shaving soap, while it smells better than Golddachs it is not as good as Golddachs.

3. To sum it up, no those expensive creams are definetely not worth it.

 

[Mikael]

1. Relatively cheap shaving creams can be excellent. I can say for this NIVEA mild shaving cream <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.niveaformen.com/products/shaving/mild_shaving_cream.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.niveaformen.com/products/sha ... cream.html</a><!-- m --> that it's excellent.only problem would be slipperiness of the skin if you shave with a straight razor when you put your fingers onto it to strecht it. The other shaving cream I use is made for local market by Henkels (goes by brand name Solea)---it is also good though not as good as Nivea mild, but it's somewhat cheaper and smells (Lavender scent) better plus the skin is not slippery.

2. I haven't tried any of those expensive shaving creams but I doubt they are better than NIVEA mild. I had used very high quality Golddachs shaving soap (with shaving cream like qualites) for a year and NIVEA mild is on similar level of performance. I decided to save up the second puck in case they stop producing Nivea mild shaving cream . The lather is thick and smooth. I have also used Thiers Issard shaving soap, while it smells better than Golddachs it is not as good as Golddachs.

3. To sum it up, no those expensive creams are definetely not worth it.

So, to sum it up: You never used any expensive shaving creams and you think they´re not worth it!? :lol:

 

[Hyperborean]

1. Relatively cheap shaving creams can be excellent. I can say for this NIVEA mild shaving cream <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.niveaformen.com/products/shaving/mild_shaving_cream.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.niveaformen.com/products/sha ... cream.html</a><!-- m --> that it's excellent.only problem would be slipperiness of the skin if you shave with a straight razor when you put your fingers onto it to strecht it. The other shaving cream I use is made for local market by Henkels (goes by brand name Solea)---it is also good though not as good as Nivea mild, but it's somewhat cheaper and smells (Lavender scent) better plus the skin is not slippery.

2. I haven't tried any of those expensive shaving creams but I doubt they are better than NIVEA mild. I had used very high quality Golddachs shaving soap (with shaving cream like qualites) for a year and NIVEA mild is on similar level of performance. I decided to save up the second puck in case they stop producing Nivea mild shaving cream . The lather is thick and smooth. I have also used Thiers Issard shaving soap, while it smells better than Golddachs it is not as good as Golddachs.

3. To sum it up, no those expensive creams are definetely not worth it.

So, to sum it up: You never used any expensive shaving creams and you think they´re not worth it!? :lol:

Yap, I guess I am not dumb enough to pay 10 times as much for a certain special "traditional"/"exclusive" shaving cream just to find out it's not even a bit better (probably lesser) than a Nivea mild for around 2 EUR. :lol: :lol: :lol:

If a person who is not some for example banking pig or alike sort pays such amount of money for a shaving cream then he is just dumb sucker.

 

[antdad]

I've just spent £40 on a soap. Is it 10 x better than what I normally use? Certainly not.

Does it make me feel exclusive, superior and smug? Yes.

Does everybody know about it? They do now.

Is it 10 x better now? Ohhh yes.

 

[joe mcclaine]

If a person who is not some for example banking pig or alike sort pays such amount of money for a shaving cream then he is just dumb sucker.

Dumb sucker?

If you like, treacle.

 

[RB73]

I've just spent £40 on a soap. Is it 10 x better than what I normally use? Certainly not.

Does it make me feel exclusive, superior and smug? Yes.

Does everybody know about it? They do now.

Is it 10 x better now? Ohhh yes.

Very well put antdad, don’t get drawn in and down by the common rabble... :lol:

 

[moodymick]

Well, have I ever dropped £40 on a soap? - no. Would I drop £40 on a soap? - probably if there weren't other things I wanted.

If I was going to throw £40 tomorrow, I'd pick up some Pens Opus Cr & ASB or a couple of tubs of CF Lavender & Lime.

Having only done my own ToBS Almond v TH Almond Cr. side by side test this week, at which TH was the winner, hands down both for scent and performance - for me this would justify the difference in expense.

So back to the MdC question, if I bought some and thought it crap, believe me i would come on here and tell you........... how lovely it was

BTW Mr Emperor Sir, in those Oxford Bags you really can't tell which side you're dressing today............

 

[antdad]

TBH I would never have bought the MdC without having tried a sample first. Lather quality and efficacy is really top notch and even using London hard water its probably the best I've ever used in that regard. It's nearly 200g, around twice the size of most soap and because of it's efficacy you use very little, very little indeed. The only questionable element is the scent, I'm not a huge fan of lavender but the soap has a very subtle natural lavender laundry note that I do find quite appealing, there justified it.

 

[Hyperborean]

I've just spent £40 on a soap. Is it 10 x better than what I normally use? Certainly not.

Does it make me feel exclusive, superior and smug? Yes.

Does everybody know about it? They do now.

Is it 10 x better now? Ohhh yes.

Great for you You see, you paid 40 Ł to feel special. You could almost feel like you are one of those lords LOL. That's another thing. I was reffering merely to the shaving cream performance.

 

[N_Architect]

The only questionable element is the scent, I'm not a huge fan of lavender but the soap has a very subtle natural lavender laundry note that I do find quite appealing, there justified it.

After two or three shaves there probably won't be any questionable elements left for you (my guess).
I was also not a huge fan of lavender but this thing grows on you, it's true what other fellow shavers have been saying, I think so anyway.
It's a very good product indeed.

 

[antdad]

There aren't K, I like the scent too although from the description I would have never have picked it unless I'd managed to try a sample first.

 

[dodgy]

I've just spent £40 on a soap. Is it 10 x better than what I normally use? Certainly not.

Does it make me feel exclusive, superior and smug? Yes.

Does everybody know about it? They do now.

Is it 10 x better now? Ohhh yes.

Well said Tony,

Gotta love your subtle and understated British type post. Them Yanks are so uncouth by comparison.

Martin