Is La Prairie, La Mer, Sisley Worth the Money?

Hi everyone,

This is my first post on Makeup Talk...

I have been buying expensive skin care products for a while now and I just cannot tell if they are worth...I have tried La Priaire, La Mer, Sisley, ReVivre, Guerlain, and Orlane.

La Prairie has become my favorite, but to be honest I am just not certain they are worth the money...

The products that I really like from La Priarie are the Skin Caviar Luxe Creme which is the most amazing moisturizing body crème I have ever used $375 for a 5.2oz pot, Extrait of Skin Caviar which instantly but temporarily gets rid of fine lines under my eyes $125 for 1 oz, Cellular Radiance Eye Crème, lightens up the skin under my eyes $275 for 0.5oz and finally the Advanced Marine Biology Cream which is just a face crème $175 for 1.4oz.

All of these products last me approximately 6 months

What do you think about these brands?

Would I be better off with something less expensive?

I know my friends think I am insane but I just don’t know...

I tend to like La Prairie a lot more than La Mer. However La Mer does make your skin sooooo soft.

I haven't tried those brands, but my personal opinion is if they work and you can afford expensive brands, don't change anything. i suppose expensive creams can work, but i always have the feeling i'm paying for the brand added on the label rather than some precious and rare ingredient.

Originally Posted by magosienne /img/forum/go_quote.gif I haven't tried those brands, but my personal opinion is if they work and you can afford expensive brands, don't change anything. i suppose expensive creams can work, but i always have the feeling i'm paying for the brand added on the label rather than some precious and rare ingredient.
Well all of La Prairie products have freeze dried cells for horses or something...not sure what they do...but I like think its like stem cells for your face as wrong as that may be.

Also La Prairie’s Radiance line is made with gold...they have a new Cellular platinum crème that’s $1000 for 1.7oz which is made with platinum...not sure how these metals are good for your face but every product from the radiance line is amazing.

You are probably right about paying a lot more for the label and the packaging though.

Personally, i feel that the high end products are good but you can more than likely find something just as good cheaper. I believe brands like that are more costly due to the name as oppose to the quality. Seriously, how can seaweed cost that much lol?

lol !! true, seems cheaper to go to an asian grocery store, buy some and reduce it to powder yourself !

Welcome to Mut.

I am totally against buying over the counter products of any price - unless a Dermatologist recommends them.

If you have that much money to spend on products that have never been clinically proven to work, why not make an appointment with a Dermatologist?

They will give you an honest appraisel - not some drivel that a salesperson knows you want to here.

If you follow a good regime that a doctor sets out for you - you will definatly see results.

If you buy over priced crap, the only thing you will see is less money in the bank.

what do i think of these highest end products? don't get me wrong, but one word summarizes my attitude the best: rip-off. for that price, these creams should make you loose few years per bottle but all they do, they give you nice moisture and some good ingredients like neutrogena or olay, or even lancome or some "doctor" brands. I read many reviews of these brands by dermatologist and people who specialize in analyzing ingredients, and these creams do not have anything that would be worth spending that much money. usually it is comparable with average priced cosmetics.

In my opinion, if you haven't found anything else that works for you, and you can afford these products, then sure they're worth it.

Originally Posted by Carolyn /img/forum/go_quote.gif Welcome to Mut.I am totally against buying over the counter products of any price - unless a Dermatologist recommends them.

If you have that much money to spend on products that have never been clinically proven to work, why not make an appointment with a Dermatologist?

They will give you an honest appraisel - not some drivel that a salesperson knows you want to here.

If you follow a good regime that a doctor sets out for you - you will definatly see results.

If you buy over priced crap, the only thing you will see is less money in the bank.

Nothing I have ever gotten from both of the dermatologists I have seen has worked for me...the products are usually really strong and irritate my skin...I can feel and see a noticeable difference when I use la Priarie products...there is definitely science behind their work it’s not just some St. Ives they recolor and put in an expensive bottle.
That said I am still not sure it is worth the high price…but I have yet to find anything that feels as nice for less money…. If you have any suggestions for a good face or body crème I am all ears.

Prescriptions come in a variety of strengths. Perhaps you were prescribed something that was either too strong or you were not told how/when to apply it and if it could be applied in conjunction with another product.

The result being, you weren't happy with the visits.

"There is a definate science behind their work" - if this were in fact the case, these companies would have published their finding in a legitamate journal of medicine or dermatology. The problem is, skin care company contine to produce lavish and expensive products that are nothing better than Vaseline or Olay. And sometimes that have the most bizarre ingredients that can actually irritate skin, rather than help it.

I have been using Retin A for close to 20 years. The active ingrediant is Tretinoin. I think it is a fantastic product and the FDA US has even approved it for removing/reducing wrinkles.

It does require a prescription. If you decide to try it, I would be more than happy to assist you or any other MUTer with how to use it properly so that you actually get the result you are looking for.

Originally Posted by Carolyn /img/forum/go_quote.gif Prescriptions come in a variety of strengths. Perhaps you were prescribed something that was either too strong or you were not told how/when to apply it and if it could be applied in conjunction with another product.The result being, you weren't happy with the visits.

"There is a definate science behind their work" - if this were in fact the case, these companies would have published their finding in a legitamate journal of medicine or dermatology. The problem is, skin care company contine to produce lavish and expensive products that are nothing better than Vaseline or Olay. And sometimes that have the most bizarre ingredients that can actually irritate skin, rather than help it.

I have been using Retin A for close to 20 years. The active ingrediant is Tretinoin. I think it is a fantastic product and the FDA US has even approved it for removing/reducing wrinkles.

It does require a prescription. If you decide to try it, I would be more than happy to assist you or any other MUTer with how to use it properly so that you actually get the result you are looking for.

Recommend me a product... I know Leaf & Rusher is suppose to have a good reinol Serum...but its $120 for an ounce.

Any over the counter product that is/has Retinoid has a maximum of 0.01% Tretinoin.

Prescription Retinoids start as the same strength and go as high as 0.1% - a lot more bang for your buck.

I have not heard of Leaf & Rusher but then I live in Canada - we don't always get the same products here. Olay's Regenerist line is as good as any - without the bells and whistles.

WHILE I AM AN ADVOCATE OF ALL THESE LINES, I DO NOT FEEL THEY ARE A WASTE OF MONEY.  I STUDY THE INGREDIENTS THOROUGHLY.  I AM LOOKING FOR ITEMS LIKE PEPTIDES, HYLAURONIC ACID AND OTHERS.  I USED LAPRAIRIE FOR QUITE AWHILE, AND DECIDED TO SWITCH TO LAMER DUE TO THE WONDERFUL MOISTURIZER.  AGAIN, INGREDIENTS WERE IM-PORTANT.  THE BROTH SOLD ME.  MY SKIN IS SENSITIVE, VERY FAIR AND FREE FROM AGE SPOTS, SUN SPOTS, AND OTHER MARKS.  NOW, THE PRODUCT OF USE IS SISLEY.  I DO REALLY LOVE, LOVE MANY OF THE PRODUCTS.  MY ADVICE IS TO PICK AND CHOOSE THOSE PRODUCTS YOU FEEL YOU NEED AND BUY ONLY THOSE FOR A TRIAL.  ALSO, MY OTHER NICHE IS I FEEEL SKIN ADAPTS TO SKINCARE AS WE ADAPT TO EXERCISE OR SOME OTHER ACTIVITY.  WE NEED TO JUMP START SKINCARE FROM TIME TO TIME.   THE CHEAPER BRANDS, IN MY OPINION, DO NOT HAVE THENECESSARY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.   THEY ARE TOPICAL.        GOOD LUCK IN YOU ENDEAVOR!!

My husband is a physician.  Unfortunately bones, not cosmetic is his specialty.   He told me something I never forgot.  If these product actually made the drastic claims they advertise, they would  have to be sold  with a prescription.  Their strength would be so strong they would be controlled by the FDA and would not be available over the counter.  For instance Retinol ol.b.  So hold on to your money.   I know it's fun to buy something expensive with beautiful packaging, and fancy name recognition. , but that is what you are paying for….not product performance.  I am talking skin care here, not cosmetics like lipstick or mascara where some spread more evenly and last longer.

I may be late to the discussion, but I thought I'd add my two cents.  I think that with skincare, you get what you pay for.  But then again, when the prices skyrocket, you're probably paying for the name on the bottle and the executives' vacation homes.  That being said, ingredients are key, and drugstore brands just don't deliver, not for me anyway.  I have sensitive skin, and I've found mid range products, used religiously, and carefully screened for good/effective ingredients work wonders.  

So, to the original poster, if you would like honest advice on the kinds of products you should be spending your moolah on, I'd suggest checking this blog: http://www.beautymouth.com/ .  It's written by a British aesthetician/brand consultant who used to work for Chantecaille.  She really knows her stuff from low to high end, and I've spent hours upon hours looking up her reviews, which are unfailingly honest.  

Good luck.

I used to use Sisley as my main skincare line.  I actually used to think of Sephora as a more low-end cosmetic place until a couple yrs ago.  I finally realized there are other good brands that are comparable (sometimes even more so).  Although I still am partial to Sisley foundation, which I used for years, I do not think they've modernized their skincare along w/ all the other brands.  They just seem a little dated for some reason.  They were one of the first ones to have the cellulite cream, which worked like a dream, but now there are lots of cheaper brands who utilize the same active ingredient.