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Since I have started learning how to put on makeup, finding new products that work best on me is actually a thrill I didn't expect! Obviously I am still looking to assemble what people call the "Holy Grail" set for me, but it is still an amazing feeling when I find something that just looks.. Good.
However, the flip side of that is that I now have some makeup which is useless to me for the most part. Yes I know, stores will take them back with zero complaints (within reasonable limits of course) but knowing that they will be destroyed once I return them (which I understand) makes me feel so guilty about being wasteful. I wish there was a way around it but I don't see any.
Sorry for the rant, I just needed to get it off my chest. ❤️
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This is where people can say to donate them to women’s DV shelters. :)
Oh that is such a good idea, I didn't know that was a possibility! I'll have to find one around me and make a donation, hopefully it helps.
I didn’t either until I saw it in some of the makeup reddits. I think it’s a great option
I think so too! Thank you for the suggestion. 🫶🏽
If you have used it, don’t donate it. You never know what bacteria your makeup could hold. That’s why stores destroy the makeup, and why a lot of donated makeup ends up destroyed as well. Used makeup is not able to be given to a nonprofit for reuse because they can’t redistribute it. If a nonprofit redistributes used makeup, they’re opening themselves up for huge liability risks due to the spread of bacteria, staph, and herpes that easily happens from sharing makeup products. Some nonprofits can and will accept products that use pumps, but lips, blushes, sticks, and powders really aren’t safe to share. Makeup artists aren’t even supposed to apply makeup straight from the product to a clients face for sanitary purposes. This is also why a lot of store employees will aggravate guests about using disposables and not touching the testers directly. I’ve literally seen people with open sores apply testers directly to their face and then put it back.
This thought definitely comes from a good place, and I commend y’all for that, but at the end of the day it’s really not safe to share makeup. Our faces and skin just house too much bacteria. It’s always best to donate unopened and unused products.
Yeah this is so frustrating, I wish they made testers you can buy for complexion products. I gave up on trying to use foundation because I have a hard time finding stuff that really fits my shade and skin type and I hate wasting 20-30€ on something that's just going to sit unused.
I was actually wondering why there were no test sizes available for any type of product. The best we can do is go to a store and try some of their full sized products that the store has made available for testing. But that isn't really enough, is it?
I'm guessing they've done the math and it's not profitable enough, but it does suck from a customer perspective. Especially since in my country there's a limited amount of brands available in store and ordering that stuff online without at least trying out the shade is near impossible.
Hugs sorry about that 😔
And yeah it almost certainly is a profit based decision, sigh.
You can always ask for foundation samples to try on at Sephora. They will pour enough for a full face in some tubes for you to take home and try.
This is how I got to try some expensive foundations and settle for the one that suited ny skin.
Wait really? TIL, thanks for that! I might have to ask for that next time I am looking for a product
Lol the time I tried to learn, as a super ghost white girl, how to contour my face was hilarious and now I have 3-4 different unused pallets just sitting there. Or the falsies I found out I can’t really where with my glasses……or that 10 set of matte liquid lipstick I’d told myself I’d wear every day LOL
Hey maybe that lipstick set is calling your name now lol!
Side note, as a glasses wearing person I get the struggles. Even just putting on makeup is an adventure, having to squint and adjust the whole time haha.
I just want everyone to see my pretty eye makeup damn it! Also, yeah! I take my glasses off to apply make up and I’m just like ahhh shit…..this would go alot smoother if I could just keep these on for this LOL
Manipulating an eyeliner pen must be a lot easier when you dont have to avoid the mirror that’s 4 inches from your face 😫
the way I could have written this 🫣
As someone with not a lot of money I feel this, lol. Even a 20 dollar drugstore foundation that I can't use seems like such a waste of money to me.
Yeah unfortunately. Since there is SO MUCH variety in the available products, it seems impossible to get what works for you in one shot. Even for a foundation that seemingly matches, there could be so many reasons it doesn't work. I hope to keep the waste to a minimum but it's not looking good lol.
I find the same thing about skincare! Amazing when you find something that works but also sooo expensive buying products that don’t 🥲
Girl I knowwww! Makeup and skincare products being so expensive makes it even harder, like this $30 thing doesn't work for me, but I can't really afford to keep it and figure something to do with it. Right now the only stuff that I have this problem with is drugstore makeup, I can't even imagine the guilt trip I'll have if it's expensive products in the future. 😵
I’ve often thought about hiring a MUA to do my face and give me a consult. I feel it would be cheaper than the trial and error but then I guess it’s finding someone who really knows their stuff 😅
I did get a makeup lesson at Ulta to get a hang of things. She was super nice and recommended products that she thought would work for me. What that meant, however, was that the makeup I had bought by myself earlier was no good. That's where my rant came from haha.
It might be a cheaper/efficient way to get product recommendations. I know they also offer actual makeup applications, it's the same people doing it as the lessons.
If you know a kid that loves playing with makeup products you don’t use are perfect for that.
I have a makeup bag for stuff for my niece to use when she’s at my house because she loves doing my makeup but she’s only 5 and can be a little rough with the makeup especially powdered things like eyeshadow pallets and blush
Unfortunately I don't have a kid like that in my life, but that's a great idea!
If you shop at Ulta, you can return anything you don’t like!
Oh yeah I know. I think half my rant is also inspired by me trying to not create more waste than I have to. And anything returned at Ulta is immediately destroyed, which I immediately feel guilty about, even though I most likely will get my money back. Sorry I hope that made sense. 😥
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I get a subscription service to ipsy and they send sample sizes of different types of makeup to try. They then usually have full sized products available to buy at a discount. It’s a great way to try new products for less and to get a fun package in the mail each month.