What happens to returned makeup?

Steph

I purchased a MAC eyeliner today at Nordstrom. I was very torn between two shades and finally chose one and purchased it. Ten minutes later I changed my mind so I went back and the saleswoman exchanged it for me. Before I exchanged, I asked her if the eyeliner was just going to be thrown away (in which case I wouldn't have done the exchange) and she said it wouldn't.

I'm now home and I changed my mind again (I had one eye with each liner, so now that I'm home I can see it better). Does anyone have experience with what happens to the makeup when it is returned (unused)? I would just feel wasteful if a perfectly new eyeliner gets tossed in the trash because I changed my mind again. Thanks!

14 years ago

Shopping

28 replies

Latest reply was from Katya

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I -hope- it gets tossed!

Eww!

14 years ago

missvee

Veteran

I hope it gets thrown out! They could not legitimately re-sell for hygenic reasons. Now you've got me wondering.....

14 years ago

(website)

Veteran

Testers?

14 years ago

(website)

Active Member

Yeah, I'm guessing it gets thrown out as well.

I felt bad a few weeks ago when I returned some spaghetti sauce to the store and the person that helped me made a comment about how it would be thrown out. They were cans of spicy marinara that my husband had picked up and after trying one of them I realized the other three he'd bought weren't going to get used at my house. I was surprised that sealed jars of sauce would be thrown out like that, but I think we're all a little obsessed with tampering and safety issues in general.

14 years ago

Anonymous

I sold Mary Kay cosmetics when I was first married. They had a really liberal return policy and we were supposed to box up any returns and mail it to company headquarters. I asked what they did with it and was told that it was "destroyed".

14 years ago

marianna

Veteran

It gets damaged out. Nordstrom doesn't resell returned cosmetics.

14 years ago

Steph

Veteran

I definitely see why it has to be destroyed, and I want to know that I am buying makeup no one else has touched. But since *I* know it is unused, it just seems so wasteful to return it. Luckily, my boyfriend just got home, looked at the two shades, and declared them "very different," even though I saw them as almost identical. That's pretty much the excuse I need to hold onto the one I have and purchase the other one as well.

14 years ago

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

lol; he sounds like a keeper

14 years ago

Louise

Veteran

We can't return make up here in the UK for hygiene reasons, you're very lucky in the US x

14 years ago

DressLover

Veteran

ALL returned cosmetics are supposed to be destroyed. By law, used cosmetics can't be resold and it is possible to tamper with cosmetics and they still look unused. That being said, I know a retailer that is very open with their policy that they put returns that "look" unused back on sale and there are many instances where they resold something that was used.

As much as I love Nordstrom, I did receive a clearly used cosmetic item and when I told them about it, they weren't concerned at all. I was told just to return it, but it bothered me that they weren't more concerned used eye makeup was resold when it is their policy to destroy all cosmetic returns. MAC has the same policy, and I have never had a problem with MAC selling me anything used.

14 years ago

Anonymous

You almost can't return anything functional where I live! But I sincerely hope the make-up that gets returned would be trashed!

14 years ago

laurabelle0202

Member

I once bought a lipgloss from Nordstrom. I was wearing it for a few days and not liking the shade, I also was getting a sore throat (but didn't think much of it at the time). I decided to return the gloss, and I still had the box on my dresser. I went to put the box in my purse to head off to Nordstrom and noticed it had 2 return stickers on it! I asked them what it meant and sure enough someone else had purchased it before me and returned it. I'm unsure if my throat infection was related, but I did need to see a doctor and go on antibiotics. I complained to the manager, as well as Nordstrom corporate, and they didn't seem very concerned. Only offered to return the gloss. No apologies or anything above and beyond. I will not buy cosmetics from nordstrom again.

13 years ago

fashionista

Veteran

Here back in our country we use testers only. So when makeups are returned they sell it to some other since the seal would not be open. But once seal is opened here, the makeups are not exchanged. That's so awful.

13 years ago

Irene

Veteran

I bought a make-up thingy for my mom yesterday, but I didn't know exactly what tone she needed, so I asked if it was possible to change it for the right one if needed. There is a hard plastic film that covers the entire case so that you have to break it before using ir. I think things like that can be returned. Otherwise, they shouldn't accept that type of returns, just like with underwear. Can you return your knickers in the USA? In Spain -and I believe in Europe- you cannot. IF it is for a present, they seal the knickers so that you can't try it on unless you want to keep them. It makes sense.

I don't get how you have the right to return eye-make up if it's been used. And I don't get how they agree to accept it and toss it away. What a waste of product, material, money, plastic and workfroce. Seriously.

13 years ago

velvetychocolate

Veteran

This is kind of icky, if you ask me. Come to think of it, I've never returned makeup - opened or unopened. In fact, I have two bottles of foundation, brand new, unopened and can't bring myself to return them. Turns out they have an ingredient in them that I'm sensitive to. I'm going to give them to my Mom if she wants to try them, since she has a similar skin tone. Good thing they were just drugstore brands!

I think in future, I'll inspect packaging and make sure that any/all seals on any makeup I buy are still intact.

eta: I think it would be amazing if cosmetic companies would sell more 'sample/trial' sized items for people to try. They don't even have to be freebies - I'd be happy to purchase a tiny amount of something to try first, before buying a full-size version of whatever it is.

13 years ago

goldenpig

(website)

Veteran

In December I bought a Shiseido powder and compact from Nordstrom. I just opened the powder recently and then realized that the box that I thought was the compact to put it in was actually another powder. It looks like the SA made a mistake and gave me another powder instead of the compact. But this other powder is a totally different shade so I can't use it. I'm thinking of returning it and exchanging it for the compact (since I need it for my powder), but wondering if they are just going to throw away the unopened powder (I haven't opened the box).

13 years ago

nicoleb

(website)

Veteran

I'm pretty sure if open they have to throw it away.

I recently purchased foundation at Sephora and the SA told me that i could return it even if i used it everyday for a month and suddenly decided i didn't like it. I was floored. I can only imagine people taking advantage of such an amazing return policy.

13 years ago

Mamapicklejuice

Veteran

Wow - old thread!

13 years ago

Anonymous

I would hope that returned makeup would be thrown out. That said, here are my thoughts on the matter:

Why wouldn't they just say if you're not happy, bring in your receipt and they'll refund your money? Why would they want you to return the makeup? It's not like it would be okay for someone else to use it.

13 years ago

LizBo

Member

I know this thread is very old. Anyway, I live in Europe and we don't have any return policies when it comes to makeup that has been used and opened. Wrong shade? Too bad, should've thought about it more.
Of course they're not going to let you keep what you wanted to return and give you cashback, just because you haven't used it. That is fraud waiting to happen!
Anyway, the only reason the cosmetic stores are so liberal with this, is pure marketing. Get you back in that store. Chances are, you're going home with something else too! Back to MAC and other empty packaging programmes are also based on that principle.
Also, people buy more when they have they feeling they can still return it. Even though most people don't return anything anyway.

10 years ago

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

Yes, old thread, but eternally relevant topic.

I just purchased something from the drugstore for $12, used it once, but it is awful for me. About half of new drug store make-up I try doesn't work. I never return it, because I have opened the package. Does anyone know about drug store returns? I figure it's part of the process. You pay a lot less for drug store product (which I think is similar to dept. store make up except for the packaging -- assuming it's not a cheap brand like Wet and Wild --) but if the product is a fail for you, you just have to eat the cost. Even more frustrating because you can't try drug store products on.

10 years ago

Traci

Veteran

CVS allows returns of opened cosmetics.

10 years ago

retailgirl

Veteran

Where I work we take back cosmetics, no questions asked, and they are destroyed. We carry Estee, Clinique, Smashbox, Origins, Bare Mimerals, etc. plus many mass lines, Revlon, Almay, and others. The companies reimburse us. It's a cost of doing business.

10 years ago

Anonymous

Oh my! I hope they get destroyed. Even the drugstore I use accepts returned makeup. I returned a lipstick once, after figuring out it wasn't the best color for me.

10 years ago

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

Thanks! I had no idea about drug stores and mass brands.

10 years ago

Gigi

Veteran

I have always just assumed that when returns of used product are accepted, it is a customer service thing, so that when you finally find the right shade, you are so in love with the customer service that you keep coming back to the store.

It also gives a person the confidence to buy more makeup than they otherwise would, because they know they can return it if it doesn't work. I was recently at a retailer to look for a shade of nude lip color, and I couldn't decide between two similar shades (they have testers, but they have no cotton swabs or anything like that so you can try them in-store). So I bought both shades. When I got home, I decided that I liked them both, so I kept them both. If the return policy hadn't been so liberal, I would have bought only one.

I have also been to retailers who will give you a free makeup lesson if you agree to buy so much money's worth of makeup. I like this idea a lot. The makeup isn't returnable once it has been opened in this scenario, but you know up front how it will look and are confident in the purchase.

10 years ago

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

CVS must have been the drugstore I was thinking of that takes returns - I knew it was them or Walgreens. I'm pretty sure Sephora takes returns too, especially if there's something wrong with an item. I think it's a good strategy because you're more likely to buy things, and more things, if you are not worried about wasting your money on something that obviously doesn't work for you. I'm sure there are a few people who abuse the policy, but in general it's probably just a cost of doing business for these companies - just like the free shipping from Zappos, especially in the early years when people thought buying shoes online was nuts.

10 years ago

Katya

Active Member

This is actually something I have wondered about, but did not know the answer to, so thank you to everyone who has contributed on this topic. It's good to know that I have the option to return something if it doesn't live up to the packaging claims or is clearly the wrong color (and I was not able to tell from the packaging).

10 years ago

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