GLOW Research · August 2026
Does price predict performance in Australian beauty?
Barely. We analysed every product GLOW has independently scored and priced, 134 products across tan, skincare, hair, makeup, wellness and devices, and measured how much the price tag tells you about the score. The answer: almost nothing.
The headline finding
A correlation of 0.11 means price explains roughly one percent of the variation in how products actually perform in testing. Products at or under $25 average a GLOW score of 8.55. Products at or over $100 average 8.65. Spending four times more buys, on average, a tenth of a point.
Grouping the full dataset into five equal price bands makes the pattern plain. Scores drift up modestly through the mid-price bands, then fall in the most expensive fifth, which scores below the $49 to $65 band it sits above.
| Price band | Range | Mean GLOW score |
|---|---|---|
| Quintile 1 | $11 to $25 | 8.48 |
| Quintile 2 | $25 to $38 | 8.40 |
| Quintile 3 | $40 to $49 | 8.62 |
| Quintile 4 | $49 to $65 | 8.85 |
| Quintile 5 | $66 to $1,649 | 8.60 |
The exception: devices
One category behaves differently. Beauty devices, LED masks, IPL and microcurrent tools, carry a median price of $650 and a median score of 8.85, and within the category more expensive engineering does tend to test better. Everywhere else on the shelf, formulation quality and price have largely parted company.
| Category | Products | Median price | Median score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tan | 32 | $34 | 8.75 |
| Skincare | 31 | $65 | 8.8 |
| Hair | 17 | $49 | 8.8 |
| Wellness | 15 | $52 | 8.6 |
| Makeup | 8 | $44 | 9.1 |
| Devices | 8 | $650 | 8.85 |
The best value products we have tested
Ranked by score per dollar, showing each brand's single strongest entry so the list stays brand-diverse (methodology below).
| Product | Brand | Price | GLOW score |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG | The Ordinary | $11 | 8.6 |
| Batiste Original Dry Shampoo | Batiste | $12 | 8.3 |
| Bepanthen Tattoo Aftercare Ointment | Bepanthen | $13 | 8.0 |
| Bulldog Original Moisturiser | Bulldog | $14 | 8.3 |
| b.tan Self-Tanning Mousse | b.tan | $17 | 8.2 |
| The INKEY List Retinol Serum | The INKEY List | $18 | 8.4 |
| Australian Glow Gradual Tanning Moisturiser | Australian Glow | $20 | 9.2 |
| Bondi Sands Everyday Gradual Tanning Milk | Bondi Sands | $20 | 8.7 |
| CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser | CeraVe | $20 | 8.7 |
| Frank Body Original Coffee Scrub | Frank Body | $20 | 8.4 |
Methodology and data
The dataset is every product carrying both a published GLOW score and an Australian price on glow.com.au as at 27 August 2026, deduplicated across pages (134 products). Scores come from the GLOW review method: independent editorial testing, no paid placements, no score for sale. The headline figure is the Pearson correlation between price and score across the full dataset. The best-value table caps entries at one product per brand; where a brand places several products, its highest score-per-dollar entry is shown.
Download the full dataset (CSV) · prices are AUD at time of review and change at retail.
Citing this research
This analysis is free to cite with attribution. Suggested line: "Analysis of 134 independently scored products by Australian beauty review platform GLOW found almost no relationship between price and performance (r = 0.11)." Link to this page. Media enquiries: the GLOW Newsroom.