Girls - We need more BAD REVIEWS, so you can help us save $
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free skin care · Fri Jan 26, 2007 5:42 pm

Both RJez and I think there're enough RAVE REVIEWS, and our wallets are suffering and our heads are spinning as we can't keep up with all these great products to buy (plus our bathroom counter is getting seriously full), so if you find products you DON'T LIKE, please share your bad experiences, too, so you can help us save $. :-P

free skin care · Fri Jan 26, 2007 5:48 pm

I agree. How shall we do this when a product has already received a rave, though? If there are rave reviews on products you think deserve a bad review, do you start a new thread or add your review to the rave? I can see pros & cons with both but would prefer a new thread, I guess. hmmmmm....I just dunno.

Ari

free skin care · Fri Jan 26, 2007 5:51 pm

I would definitely prefer a new thread since adding a bad exp to a RAVE thread would get buried. I often have a hard time just finding the product I want to read about, and when I see I have to dig through 20 pages, I give up.

free skin care · Fri Jan 26, 2007 6:01 pm

Cherisse wrote:

I would definitely prefer a new thread since adding a bad exp to a RAVE thread would get buried. I often have a hard time just finding the product I want to read about, and when I see I have to dig through 20 pages, I give up.

i agree with cherisse ! that is a good idea

free skin care · Fri Jan 26, 2007 6:12 pm

I agree, although I'm not sure about separate threads. It's hard enough to find stuff now! BUT, if I may say seriously, the value of the board is lost if we dont have both raves and rants. Since nothing works for everyone. I know if something doesn't work, I tend to just move on, so, out of sight, out of mind. And I may not review it. But if I love it, I'll be continuing to use it, and more inclined to see it everyday and post a rave, cuz it's in the front of my mind.

We really help each other to make unbiased decisions, when we post good and bad, with no ill intent.

free skin care · Fri Jan 26, 2007 6:15 pm

Well Cherisse if you want the TRUTH, you must pick up Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me either at your local book store or at the library. Makes for GOOD reading. OR just go to cosmeticscop.com and check some reviews there. (The books are better though!!)

free skin care · Fri Jan 26, 2007 6:25 pm

SusieQ wrote:

Well Cherisse if you want the TRUTH, you must pick up Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me either at your local book store or at the library. Makes for GOOD reading. OR just go to cosmeticscop.com and check some reviews there. (The books are better though!!)

Thanks for the site. I'll have to check it out.

free skin care · Fri Jan 26, 2007 6:37 pm

A new thread for a negative "review" is a good idea, but quite often people's reviews really are not much more than a bit of a comment... and if a product has had an adverse affect, then usually it has not been used for very long so there is not much to say other than the negative affect it had and how long it took.

So I think that if you can write a pretty detailed review a new thread is worth it (and sometimes the raves are pretty scarce on concrete details other than to rave for it). Otherwise, posting in amongst a thread full of raves is sometimes a good idea, as it can bring others "out of the closet" to share their negative experiences as well.

free skin care · Fri Jan 26, 2007 8:15 pm

Good point. I normally do not review something that I feel is bad or worthless...thinking it isnt worth the time. I'm thinking now it would save someone else the money!

free skin care · Fri Jan 26, 2007 8:18 pm

Olivia wrote:

Good point. I normally do not review something that I feel is bad or worthless...thinking it isnt worth the time. I'm thinking now it would save someone else the money!

I think I posted my review of Peter Lamas products a while back...I pretty much just said they sucked, and don't buy them. But it seems that either people weren't interested in this line, or just didn't know about them, so the review didn't get any comment....or maybe people just don't want to add more bad comments, and the thread died.

free skin care · Fri Jan 26, 2007 8:42 pm

SusieQ wrote:

Well Cherisse if you want the TRUTH, you must pick up Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me either at your local book store or at the library. Makes for GOOD reading. OR just go to cosmeticscop.com and check some reviews there. (The books are better though!!)

That's Paula Begoun's site...she's hit or miss on things IMHO.
I used to use her book as my bible for I bought anything, but she wasn't right on some things.

free skin care · Fri Jan 26, 2007 11:54 pm

I am in two minds about this one. I am very hesitant to give a product a bad review simply because it did not work on my skin. The review may deter someone else from trying the product and that person may have had great results from it.
I think I would be very detailed about the review of a product I did not like so that it is still left open for someone else to consider trying the product because I have given sufficient information for them to make a personal decision based on their skin type.

free skin care · Sat Jan 27, 2007 12:03 am

bushy wrote:

I am in two minds about this one. I am very hesitant to give a product a bad review simply because it did not work on my skin. The review may deter someone else from trying the product and that person may have had great results from it.
I think I would be very detailed about the review of a product I did not like so that it is still left open for someone else to consider trying the product because I have given sufficient information for them to make a personal decision based on their skin type.

I think that most people would try a product anyway if they really wanted to. And if only one person was having a bad experience, others should know that it might not happen with everyone. However there's a certain thing about a product that may happen to a lot of people, and if one person speaks up, and others do, too, then it will help those who have not tried made an informed decision whether they want to try. But seriously with so many skincare lines out there, we need to have some elimination factors. I always wonder how there can be so many skincare products. I find it confusing as heck to sift through which one is better and which to try.

free skin care · Sat Jan 27, 2007 12:03 am

I'm very much in favour of this, but it is extremely difficult to write anything negative in a 'RAVE' thread so starting a new one seems sensible to me.

Sat Jan 27, 2007 12:26 am

Cherisse wrote:

bushy wrote:

I am in two minds about this one. I am very hesitant to give a product a bad review simply because it did not work on my skin. The review may deter someone else from trying the product and that person may have had great results from it.
I think I would be very detailed about the review of a product I did not like so that it is still left open for someone else to consider trying the product because I have given sufficient information for them to make a personal decision based on their skin type.

I think that most people would try a product anyway if they really wanted to. And if only one person was having a bad experience, others should know that it might not happen with everyone. However there's a certain thing about a product that may happen to a lot of people, and if one person speaks up, and others do, too, then it will help those who have not tried made an informed decision whether they want to try. But seriously with so many skincare lines out there, we need to have some elimination factors. I always wonder how there can be so many skincare products. I find it confusing as heck to sift through which one is better and which to try.

This thread is a great idea! I'm in favor of adding a negative review to a 'RAVE' thread provided it is more than "I hate this product, it sucks" as that doesn't really tell me anything or help me make an evaluation based on my skin type etc. I would think having both positive and negative feedback might actually be an advantage as it would paint a more honest and balanced picture of the product. It could work using Tiger_Tim's and Bushy's suggestions to be detailed in giving sufficient information as to what our skin type is, what our expectations were in buying the product, and exactly why it didn't work or what we didn't like about it, why we wouldn't repurchase etc. because, as Bushy said, it may very well work for someone else.

free skin care · Sat Jan 27, 2007 12:43 am

Do you really have to be extremely detailed in a negative review? It seems to me that rave reviews are sometimes written after the first use.

Just wanted to add to my post above about why it is difficult to write a negative review on some rave items.

I couldn't find any negative reviews on ISC so after a few weeks of use I posted a thread 'ISC - so disappointed' in the skincare forum and someone posted a counter thread 'ISC - so not disappointed' to elicit more raves like it was some kind of competition. All I wanted to do was warn people that it didn't work for everyone. That obviously made me feel very uncomfortable.

Any long-term user will be wary of raves. The negative opinions usually get discretely mentioned in amongst other topics and more recently I find people are only prepared to give honest opinions by PM.

If you saw that 'most over-rated' thread in the skincare forum recently you will have noticed a lot of negative comments about ISC and Cellcosmet Eye cream. They really should have been in product reviews because the comments in skincare generally float away very quickly. Interesting how they were pretty much by newbies though. Long-term users are reticent on a number of levels to criticise others HG's.

free skin care · Sat Jan 27, 2007 12:53 am

Thank you for starting this thread Cherisse. I can imagine it's much more difficult for newer forum members to sort through reviews because they haven't had as much time to get to know other members' skin conditions, personalities, etc. in order to make more informed and efficient product choices. Let's face it -- some of us are simply product junkies and enjoy trying new things all the time with seemingly unlimited skincare budgets, while others really don't want to bother trying something new unless there's compelling testimony from a member they trust and can relate to. And there are some of us who are in between!

When it comes to negative feedback, we have to consider though that we've had forum members actually take umbrage and get testy with people who don't share their opinions about products they've raved about. Silly really, considering most of us realize people can react to products in different ways. Nevertheless, situations like this have given me pause at times, so I imagine others have felt the same way.

I've always admired the rare instances when members revise their initial opinions about a product, and do so with equal "volume" so we can all benefit from it. I'm going to make an effort to be better about this myself. I agree with what bushy said, and I also agree with Molly that it can be quite an uncomfortable experience to disagree, and be made to feel like a party pooper. It's happened to me too.

Sat Jan 27, 2007 12:59 am

Quote:

Do you really have to be extremely detailed in a negative review? It seems to me that rave reviews are sometimes written after the first use.

Just wanted to add to my post above about why it is difficult to write a negative review on some rave items.

I couldn't find any negative reviews on ISC so after a few weeks of use I posted a thread 'ISC - so disappointed' in the skincare forum and someone posted a counter thread 'ISC - so not disappointed' to elicit more raves like it was some kind of competition. All I wanted to do was warn people that it didn't work for everyone. That obviously made me feel very uncomfortable.

Any long-term user will be wary of raves. The negative opinions usually get discretely mentioned in amongst other topics and more recently I find people are only prepared to give honest opinions by PM.

If you saw that 'most over-rated' thread in the skincare forum recently you will have noticed a lot of negative comments about ISC and Cellcosmet Eye cream. They really should have been in product reviews because the comments in skincare generally float away very quickly. Interesting how they were pretty much by newbies though. Long-term users are reticent on a number of levels to criticise others HG's.

Maybe not extremely detailed but what about at least clear on why it didn't work for you (me) or what was disappointing about it? That way it still leaves it open for those having a positive experience with it to say, "my experience was different"...

I thought the most "overrated" thread was surprising and eye-opening. Kudos to whoever started that one as it was long overdue.

free skin care · Sat Jan 27, 2007 1:43 am

I'm inspired! Gernetic Adipo Gasta is coming to mind, so I'm going to bang up a review on that one as a 'don't do it' product. I do think it would be great to have a standard sort of template incorporating the points that dollbird mentioned in her 'guide to better product reviews' thread, with maybe a rating system. Although I do have to say, if a product purports to have instant effect, then I think one application should be enough to give a rating. To me, it's kind of a personal evaluation against the manufacturer's claims. Can anyone else think of something that might be a relevant point in a review?

free skin care · Sat Jan 27, 2007 1:55 am

I disagree with a great deal of what Paula (cosmeticcop) says. As has been discussed a great deal on this board, she has her own personal taste and biases (she despises mineral makeup, for example, and says it's pretty much all the same). She will slam an ingredient, then use it in high percentages in her own products. And, as we all know with makeup and skincare, YMMV from hers. I know mine does.

I do think she has done a lot to educate women about reading labels on products, for which I am grateful. But her opinion and my opinion and experience almost always differ on products, themselves.

free skin care · Sat Jan 27, 2007 2:41 am

Sidda, that's one of the reasons why I think it's really important to compare your own findings with the manufacturer's claims, too. It's something that bugs me about the beauty industry...there seems to be little accountability for making sure products live up to them.

Individual findings are helpful, particularly if you know what sort of skin and preferences people have. I do also like a comparison of what was promised in the marketing vs what was delivered.

free skin care · Sat Jan 27, 2007 3:35 am

that's definitley a good idea!!

free skin care · Sat Jan 27, 2007 7:06 am

bushy wrote:

I am in two minds about this one. I am very hesitant to give a product a bad review simply because it did not work on my skin. The review may deter someone else from trying the product and that person may have had great results from it.
I think I would be very detailed about the review of a product I did not like so that it is still left open for someone else to consider trying the product because I have given sufficient information for them to make a personal decision based on their skin type.

I 100% agree with what Bushy said. I think it's only fair to both the product and the reader to fully explain my skin type/issues if I don't happen to like the product -- ie: "I have oily skin and the glycerin in the product left a noticable film that is bothersome to me" (can you tell that I use that one a lot? Laughing

)

I don't think that, generally speaking, starting a new thread is the way to go. To save time, I like reading *all* feedback in one thread -- rants and raves. The Quasar threads come to mind. I like reading some of the honest posts about how some didn't get the great results. Does it make me not want to buy it? Not really. But it does help give the product feedback balance.

Just as an aside, it's been interesting to me how...what's the word...Attached?...Defensive?...some are about their skincare products and how personally they take it if there's criticism. I've always felt that there's a reason there are a zillion products out there...obviously all products don't work for everyone.

Just my $.02
Marla

free skin care · Sat Jan 27, 2007 8:32 am

I think everyone makes very good points in this thread. Very thoughtful. I guess I have to say I'd vote for a separate thread for negative reviews, based on a recent experience. I posted a negative about my BQ experience in the longest thread ever, (and 99.9% positive) and it was quickly swallowed up by a long post after mine and a few other posts. The thread moved on to the next page very quickly, and no one may ever know of my experience when doing their research.
Just my 2 cents.

free skin care · Sat Jan 27, 2007 9:11 am

cedar wrote:

I posted a negative about my BQ experience in the longest thread ever, (and 99.9% positive) and it was quickly swallowed up by a long post after mine and a few other posts. The thread moved on to the next page very quickly, and no one may ever know of my experience when doing their research.
Just my 2 cents.

Good point, and exactly why I'd love to see a rating (standardised, eg. a rating out of 5, or 10, but with everyone using a consistent denominator) so you can compare in the first line of every review post. You can scan through quickly and still get a good summary of thoughts and read further if you like.

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