Do you ever use stuff you only feel so-so about?
Me: Oh, gosh, yes. I do it all the time…and that answer feels somehow wrong because there’s so much good stuff out there, right? Why wear anything that doesn’t completely blow your mind when most places have a good return policy?
To that I say, “I dunno…” It usually happens because I bought something on a whim while doing non-beauty shopping at Trader Joe’s or Target or someplace else and subsequently lost the receipt, so later I figure that I might as well keep using the thing to get my money’s worth.
Other times, it happens because I like something enough to keep using it…even though I was never totally blown away by it. I just keep using it like a robot until the next big thing comes along (because there’s always another next big thing).
How about you?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Kim says
September 18th, 2018 at 8:08 amOh, for sure. I almost never return things. I just find it to be too much of a hassle. I’ll either use it or give it away. 🙂
Cara Cozy says
September 20th, 2018 at 6:13 amI never return anything either…I’m so bad at it. I end up just keeping it forever or find ways to creatively use it up lol
Jane says
September 18th, 2018 at 8:40 amI have been good at returning things if I am not happy with their performance, especially when they cost big bucks. There are times, however, I have used up a product even when I am so-so about it, just because I think maybe it’ll work eventually. I definitely do not re-purchase it when I finish it up.
BTW, have you tried any of the reformulated NARS eyeshadows yet? I saw they have a few more quads in the collection as well. Very curious!!
Be well!
Michele DiCola says
September 18th, 2018 at 11:10 amHi Karen ,
I have a truckload of products but only manage to use a few !
I love the Trader Joe isle w products . I always find something I love ?
I promised myself first snowfall I’m doing a big clean out !
Eyeliners first !
Ditte K. says
September 18th, 2018 at 12:03 pmI sure do. In Denmark we can’t return opened beauty products, so I use them to get my money’s worth 🙂 I am considering closing my lip monthly subscription, though, because my girlfriends get 90% of the products from there.
Emma says
September 18th, 2018 at 12:45 pmSweden hasn’t really understood the service that is returning products that weren’t what the customer was hoping for. Therefore I have tons of lipsticks and foundations in the wrong shade, mascaras that don’t keep the curl, eyeliner that smudge, glittery highlighters and chalky blushes. I really can’t throw them away because they’re almost brand new (and they weren’t free) but I can’r really use them either. So they kind of sit around in my stash waiting for better (or worse) days when I run out of the good stuff and need to use them instead. I also secretly hope for them to transform and one day be just right, but that never seem to happen (except for mascaras that SOMETIMES get a tad better when old).
Tatiana says
September 18th, 2018 at 12:59 pmYeah, foundation. I still haven’t found one I totally love that ticks all my boxes. So I wear stuff that sorta but doesn’t really match my skin or looks good for the first hour or two but doesn’t last no matter what primer I use or don’t use. Or it just looks like makeup instead of like skin. Or feels thick and gunky on. Sigh.
I keep looking. I keep trying samples. I still haven’t found my holy grail.
I try to hold onto receipts so I can return most things. Sometimes I just lose that paper receipt. I’m so glad Nordstrom and Sephora will now do email receipts. More stuff gets returned now.
Jennifer R Osborn says
September 18th, 2018 at 1:11 pmIt depends on what it is but I really try not to. That’s why I really don’t even wander into the cosmetic aisles at Target or Trader Joe’s. I stick to Sephora or Ulta.
I was reading once that skincare products that don’t work for your face can be nice to use on your back paws (feet) and front paws (hands).
Speaking of paws, give Tabs a smooch for me. Right on the forehead between the ears.
Eileen Kassem says
September 18th, 2018 at 1:19 pmSo-so simply means not good; not bad and so I’ll usually make some use of it until it’s time to discard. I purge my makeup on a regular basis and very seldom finish a product before it’s time to toss, the trend has come and gone, I’ve become bored with it, or something new and better has come on the market. After all, it’s only makeup and I have more than enough products from which to choose. Now, if a product is out and out bad (I have a bad reaction to it or it doesn’t perform as advertised), I might return it, repurpose it, or toss it. There are too many wonderful products on the market and so I don’t think I should have to “make it work”.
As for skin care, I’m in my seventies and have learned what does and does not work for me. I’ve also learned to differentiate real science from marketing hyperbole and am quite knowledgable when it comes to ingredients and know how to read labels. What that means is that I haven’t bought a “bad” product in years.
Lorraine says
September 18th, 2018 at 2:05 pmYes, who doesn’t? Mostly it is things that are almost just right- like great color lipstick but texture not so good, or gorgeous nail color that takes too much work to apply(sheers and metallics with brushstrokes I am looking at you!). If there isn’t something to love about a high end product, or it fails in a critical area, it goes back to the store. With Target or drug store purchases I tend to not return, too much of a hassle for low priced items. I will use up that mascara and remember to skip that next time. I wish every store made it easy to swatch and gave out samples! we’d end up with only things we love.
Patti says
September 18th, 2018 at 4:33 pmAll the time. I’m not so great with receipts. Or I let too much time go by and the return period expires. I love your purple rain shirt! ?
Laure says
September 19th, 2018 at 7:39 amI’m Belgian, our return policy is pretty much nonexistent. Once you’ve bought it, you might as well use it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Rachel Runyan says
September 19th, 2018 at 1:31 pmI sometimes use a finicky product if the color if I love the color, and it’s unique. With a lip color, I also might find a liner and/or topper that I already own to make it work.
I return products that don’t perform as promised. If I can’t return a product, I see whether any of my friends want to try it, and give it to them. I did this recently with the Viseart Amethyst Theory Palette: The shimmers were great, but the mattes wouldn’t blend well for me. The friend I gave it to has supernatural eyeshadow blending skills and a different skin type, and the mattes seem to work great on her.
Cara Cozy says
September 20th, 2018 at 6:11 amYes and the makeup lovers everywhere may be horrified to hear this…it’s because I don’t want to waste up my good stuff lol I want to savor the really good stuff for special occasions or when I truly feel in need of a pick-me-up. I get nervous about using up nice products or hurting them or breaking them so I end up using the “meh” stuff because I know it’s “good enough” for most days/projects and I’m not overly concerned about the condition it stays in lol