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Will you purchase products if there are no testers/samples available?
Will you purchase products if there are no testers/samples available? Does it depend on the price?
If I don’t have a good handle on how the brand or product performs, then it’ll just depend on the return policy. If it’s generous, then I’ll usually still buy it–if I really wanted it to begin with. If I’m just browsing, no testers means I probably won’t buy anything.
Thanks to CeeBee for today’s question!
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I will only buy drugstore items without testers, and then only if I can return it if it doesn’t work. Thank goodness for the Internet, beauty blogs, and their swatches because I would be buying lots more duds than I am now!
I try to do Nordstrom sample saturday. You can get a sample of anything and try it.
You can’t return beauty products in NZ so I want a tester if at all possible. Samples, even of high end brands aren’t usually given either.
However, with the wonder of Temptalia and other beauty blogs, Makeup Alley and so on I am more likely to buy makeup sight unseen if there are decent reviews and/or swatches. Not for skincare thoguh!
I will buy something without a tester only and only if I have done my online research. If it’s something I am not familiar with or haven’t seen reviewed on a blog then no way.
I won’t buy if there are no testers available even if the product is cheap.
This is definitely why I only buy from department stores. Macy’s, Nordstrom, Sephora, Neiman Marcus, etc… they all have amazing return policies. So if I don’t like something and there are no testers/samples, that’s okay. If I can bring it back, it doesn’t hurt. Simple as that. Period. :]
I’m with you. If I want something that I can just return, no questions asked, I’d do it.
There are testers for everything where I live because we can’t return products!
NEVER. I know if i buy a product regardless of its return policy I hardly ever return them…just out of pure hassle and slight awkwardness at the counter lol. So I have to be sure I like the product before I purchase it!
only items I’ve already tried, DS stuff on sale cheap, or items I’ve got very high confidence in already
Sure,but only if they have good return policy.
Yes, with some good online research behind me!
Where I live there is no such thing like a “return policy”. You can’t return anything, not in the drugstore and not even at MAC. At MAC you can only return things if you haven’t used it and the MUA made a mistake (e.g.: you ask for a Cyndi lipstick and she gets you the Cyndi gloss)
So for me: no testers, no purchase.
If I read a good review and fall in love, I´d buy it with closed eyes. Some brands are not availeble where I live and I have to buy them online, I need to trust in reviews, not tester or samples
the sad part of where i live is that sa’s look at you as if you re crazy if you ask for samples.no really.most places i go to do have testers,which is great.dont think i would buy anything if they dont have a tester.
Drugstore makeup…yeah I would…
But not high-end brands! The clinique in my city, doesnt give testers for its Acne range, and it has a no-return policy. So it doesnt make sense buying the whole skin care range at all!
Growing up in a small town, I’m pretty used to no or limited testers. For appropriately priced mystery products or a trusted brand, I will still sometimes just take a blind leap of faith and try something. I will also make a purchase without a tester if it’s highly recommended by favourite bloggers or trusted friends who know what I like.
I am far less likely to purchase a product if there is not a tester available. This is especially true with foundation but it applies to a lot of other products as well. If I am tempted, I check out online reviews first and also make sure I can return the item if I’m not pleased with it.
It depends on the return policy. Whenever I’m looking for something in-store at Sephora they never have it in stock or it’s too dirty to approach without a biohazard suit so I purchase a lot of things online. Ulta has a no-questions-asked return policy as well.
no samples available in england, thats why ive a drawer full of unwanted make up which is not right for me in one way or another, if id had tried a sample i wouldnt have had to waste my money, its annoying.
it depends on a lot of stuff, but here in Italy there isn’t a return policy so I’m extra carefull all times.
for skin care i prefer samples. even with a liberal return policy. because my skin is so sensitive. and i dont know why, but i like to smell products – some how its telling, like when buying produce
for foundarion, i also want samples. not only do i tend to react, but it want to see how it looks in my bathroom lighting, office lighting etc.
I like taking chances. 🙂 In fact, I’m more willing to take chances from e-tailers than say a drugstore line that has let me down in the past.
I never use testers. I do my research online and go to the store knowing what I want!
Depends.
1. If there is a NO REFUNDS policy in clear view then no.
2. If it’s inexpensive and I don’t mind “throwing the money away” then YES I’ll buy($1 store makeup for example).
3. If it’s a brand I trust, yes, I’ll buy without testers or samples.
4. NEVER buy from a kisok.
I made the mistake recently and bought a product I had applied to my face with the owner telling me I can return it if I changed my mind only to find out she has a no refunds policy AFTER I paid over $130 for the products. First and last time I bought from a makeup kisok.
There have been too many times that I’ve went to a store, knowing I wanted to buy something based on what I saw online and after testing it decided it wasn’t what I thought. So no, I won’t buy high end things without a tester. Drug store is so affordable I don’t really worry about it. If it doesn’t work for me I have plenty of friends who may enjoy it.
Only for very few items will I buy without a tester. For example, I love Illamasqua l/s and I know the formula of it. I have bought l/s sight unseen/online because of this. But other than that, it’s very rare now for me to purchase without testing it/seeing it in person, because 8 times out of 10 I end up disliking or being disappointed by a product…either because of color or texture.
I think that as long as you are sure your going to love it from other reviews and such its ok to buy a product that doesnt provide a tester or sample.
I usually do my research by watching Youtube, checking out temptalia and the rated reviews at the stores. I also try and buy things at places that take returns for items you don’t like. Sephora is great about it. :0)
Usually I look it up on here! =) If there’s no reviews on here I’ll browse on makeupalley.com.
I can’t say I won’t buy without a tester, but I am much more likely to purchase if I can test first.
NO! Big flat-out NO!
At the drugstore I am willing to take the risk. It’s mostly face things that I will return. Highend I must try a sample because it is expensive and I want to make sure I will like it
If I can’t swatch it, I’ll check here before committing 😉
I will. I can always read some review & swatches beforehand, and if the products I bought apparently doesn’t work for me, I can always swap those w/ my fellow makeup addict.
But I have to admit it that I rarely buy makeup from drugstore before I had a chance to try it first. I have a sensitive and problematic skin (extremely oily, huge pores and the torrid sun & high humidity level here doesn’t make it any easier), drugstore products fail most of the times on me and end up in a trash bin.
Absolutely not! as here in italy i cannot return items, I must be 100% sure about what I buy. that goes for makeup as well as skincare.
I’ve purchased a clarisonic because I read hundreds of reviews and there were only a handful of neutral or bad ones…. I’ve also done the same with acne products. As for things like lip colour I prefer to see what they look like on in store, but if I know it’ll suit me I might, it depens.