Archived Post
Temptalia Asks You - Do you try most of the things you buy on in the store?
Do you try most of the things you buy on in the store? Or do you wait until you get home to really test drive a new beauty product?
Explore Temptalia
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Compare Any Two
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
16 Comments
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
Comments on this post are closed.
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
I tend to try out the products I buy when I get home. Occasionally, I might ask a sales advisor if they think it might suit my colouring, rather than trying things on. In general, I usually either pick something out (like an eyeshadow) on impulse in the shop that I like the look of and swatch it on my hand to to see if I like it or I have something in mind to get anyway that I think will be nice on.
I have tried blushers on in store from time to time, just to check if they suit my colouring and I do test foundation on my face to check I have the right colour but I don’t tend to try other products on.
no i always swatch it on my hand.
I test things out in the store. Then I go home and try it out a couple times. If it works I keep it. If not, I take it back.
If I can squeeze in, I’ll do some quick swatches on products that really catch my eye. Often times, there is someone who hovers over the display(s) and refuse to budge. LOL
Otherwise, I try it out in the comfort of my home. I end up loving what I purchase. Researching collections beforehand also helps me keep my MAC spending in check and avoid impulsive purchases.
50/50! If I have the opportunity to test, I will. If I don’t, I take a gamble and try it at home, if it’s something I really want.
I swatch on the back of my hand – if it’s a colour I’m undecided on, I give it a try in the store. However, testers really gross me out, so I usually stick to trying MAC lipsticks & glosses, where you know they are fairly clean. Once in a while I’ll try eyeshadow but then I run home & wash it off as soon as possible!
Not ever really. I usually get a color or shade in my mind and I find it and buy it. I’ll play around with things in the store to test stuff with swatches on my hand but that’s about it.
i swatch at back of my hands….once the MUA tried foundation shades on my chin…dats it:)
I try foundation on my face, and swatch pretty much everything else on my hand, unless there is no tester available.
I try everything I buy 1st! Even products and colors I loved when I saw on posters/other ppls’ swatches, etc… I ended up not liking on myself and vice-versa. Since I mainly buy MAC, and they sanitize their testers and provide disposable wands, I always try my lip products on my lips bc that’s the only way to know (it looks different on the skin of the hands, arms, etc). To me, that’s the final test: If I still like a product after I tried it on myself, then, I know for sure I’m buying it (I haave never returned a product bc I feel bad to return once I used it so I’m “stuck” with it forever!>>>).
I test foundation and concealer in store to make sue I’m getting the right shade. But testers gross me out so I try everything else at home.
Never. I had a nasty Bacterial infection from back surgery so I am now an official germophobe.. I buy it and then test it. It usually works since I know what works on me by now.
I swatch everything on my hand, except foundations… I let them do those on my face.
Yes, definitely! Makeup counters in my country don’t have a returns policy, unless you’re allergic to it. I actually prefer it that way. It makes me more careful about the things I do buy, and keeps the cost of cosmetics reasonable. I read in a few reports that MAC had to increase its prices to cover its liberal returns policy.
I always check out the things I want to buy on makeupalley.com and temptalia.com as well as some other blogs. That way I always end up really liking the stuff I purchase.
Where would I be without your amazing blog, Christine? 🙂
Half and half for me really. Here in Canada, there’s not a lot of beauty supply or specialty stores, but in drugstores, nearly every beauty product has a tester, unlike in America. I’ll test if I’m curious, but if I’m planning in advance to buy, I go onto makeupalley.com and read the reviews.
I almost always use the tester. That is the main reason I don’t buy drug store products – because there aren’t any testers.