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What do you do with products you don't like?

What do you do with products you don’t like? Toss? Return? Give away?

I return if I’m not outside the return period or else pass it along to a friend/family member.

Thanks to Kristina for today’s question! Got a question idea? Submit yours here.

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Carmen Avatar

Hey! I know you didn’t ask me specifically lol, but I’ve been on makeup alley for a while now and have done several swaps and its really fun and easy. You just have to make sure you swap with members who have positive tokens, it really feeds my makeup addiction and instead of going out to buy the makeup I can swap a makeup product I don’t use as much with another person and get the product I want! =)

Holly Avatar

How many members will happily swap with a newbie? Like Kalex, I have never swapped on MUA before, but have always thought about trying it out. However, the number one thing I hear is to swap with members who have positive tokens – but I don’t have ANY tokens so who is going to want to swap with me!!

Sixx Avatar

I shouldn’t feel bad but I usually feel bad returning an opened makeup item…so I usually just bring it back for an exchange..as there is always something else I could use! 😛

Melanie Avatar

I usually give them to my friends, if they want to have it 🙂 If they don’t, I’ll try to swap it, because I want to find somebody, who loves the product, although I don’t 😉 In Germany you usually can’t return a product, that has been opened 🙂

Paddychat Avatar

I rarely don’t like products and make up ! But when I have choose a wrong one for me I give it to my mum or one of my friends.

Have a nice day (sorry for mistakes !)

Céline Avatar

I have never returned a product I don’t like because I didn’t know that I could do it so I always find a way to use it. For example I bought MAC “myth” lipstick because I only swatched it on my hands when I saw that it appears almost white on my nc43/nc45 skintone I start mixing it to use it.
I found that when I mix it with red lipstick I have a nice coral shade. lol

DolceAria Avatar

Depends. If I REALLY don’t like it, I try to return it. Otherwise, I try to find new uses for it. maybe that eyeshadow color is poorly pigmented on its own—-but maybe it works to soften the crease of a VERY bright lid.

I give away Dupes(like when you buy another darn UD palette with half baked and midnight cowboy!)

I haven’t yet figured out the whole swapping thing, but there’s a lot of products I’d feel a bit bad doing that with, since I’m a FIEND for depotting everything. I doubt anyone wants to trade for NARS orgasm, depotted from the case, or whatnot. I just HATE opening 20 different containers to see the colors I’m debating using.

Samantha Avatar

i usually keep the failed purchase for awhile trying to find other ways to use it by messing around with application and stuff… if it still isn’t working out i either give it to a friend or family member or just toss it!

Lauren Avatar

If it was under $10 and a BIG mistake, it gets tossed. If it was a quality product, I’d try to return. If I couldn’t return, I’d give it to family or friends.

Yumi Avatar

I usually return it. If I can’t I just keep it in an old drawer and eventually throw it out…it’s usually crappy drugstore makeup anyway which I no longer buy, thank goodness!

Lady Di. Avatar

I try to use everything even if I dont like it. If its a lipstick, Ill just use it with a gloss that will change up the color. Ill only toss something if it was really cheap and I dont normally give away products if they have been used.

Cassykins Avatar

Same here. If I don’t like it, I keep it around and in a few weeks I’ll pull it back out and see if time has changed my mind. I’ve never returned makeup and I feel bad giving a friend something I didn’t like. To me that’s like tasting something and saying it’s disgusting and then asking someone else to try it. Why would you do that to them??

Linnea Avatar

I have just discovered that returning is an option! I will return, or it ends up at the back of my makeup drawer. Haven’t really swapped anything.

baby in a corner Avatar

I’ve done loads of good swaps on beaut.ie. Its only for people within Ireland (or maybe the UK at a stretch) but I’ve swapped things that didn’t work for me for a MAC 190, Chanel Particulaire, BNIB Lancome Hynose Drama, MAC Fix +, and MAC electra eyeshadow. Very happy with all my swaps and I love waiting for the postman!

Eileen Avatar

I don’t think it’s right to return something just because I’ve decided I don’t like it. If that’s the case, I toss it or give it away if it’s something like an eye pencil that can be easily sterilized. In the case of a faulty product or an adverse reaction, I have no problem taking it back.

Faith Avatar

Unless it’s a foundation in the wrong shade (which I return), I just use it anyway. All the store is going to do is throw it out, and I’d rather waste my money than have it end up in a landfill.

Ru Avatar

My sister and I swap products every few months, so I’ll usually just exchange it with her. Otherwise, I’ll keep it (I can’t throw away) and keep trying to use it.

Ani_BEE Avatar

If I can return (which is very rare in Canada) I try to on makeup tools (brushes that don’t work really don’t work). Otherwise I’ve taken up with MUA (Makeup Alley) to swap for my barley touched products. Most product I only test once to know if A. don’t like the tesxture B. the colour won’t work or C. or something else unexpected about the product dosen’t work.

MMU samples I swap or giveaway to friends.

Courtney Avatar

If returning isn’t an option and it’s something I think someone else may want, I’d either swap it, throw it away, or if it’s small, include it as a freebie in a swap or sale.

Phyrra Avatar

If it’s a product I don’t like and the company is a good one, I’ll give it away to a friend or sell it.
If it’s a product I don’t like and the company is a bad one, I’ll throw it away.

Mar Avatar

Depends on how much I’ve spend on it…’

If it’s expensive, I’ll try to find a way to make it work for me by mixing it with other products or changing the application.

Stuff that didn’t cost a lot and I don’t use goes to my best friend. Sometimes I give her my expensive stuff too… What good is it laying around in my drawer while she’s happy with it? I never make her pay for it; it’s my bad I bought a product I didn’t like so thats just good luck for her ;-).

Holly Avatar

Depends on the product. If it is a situation where I feel like the product failed (ie: made me break out, major flaking or smudging, any irritation, etc) then I will return it without hesitation.
The only other products I have returned are foundations/concealers if they were the wrong colour or if I bought a duplicte item by accident.

Otherwise, I give them away.
I’ve always wanted to try swapping, but it seems difficult for newbies to get into the game so have never bothered.

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