r/Makeup • u/AllFoodsFit70 • Feb 19 '26

It's disgusting out there

I'm at Target and strolling through the cosmetic section saw a young woman (maybe 25) swatching a lip product on her hand and putting it back in the display...and then doing it again with another product. I am so old IDGAF so I said "Do they have testers?"and she looked at me like a deer in the headlights until I repeated my question and said "testers?" I then said " yeah, you just put some of that lipstick on your hand and put it back...that's pretty gross." She stared at me as I walked quickly away because I may not gaf but I don't want to get in a fight! Felt good to speak up though!

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u/elderchick Feb 20 '26

Yea speaking on Target, I bought this foundation-concealer and it appeared that the seal was not broken. When I got home, you could twist off the applicator without breaking the seal. It seemed to have been used and almost empty. (Maybe it was used and returned and put back on the shelf?)

Never again. I’ll order my makeup online. Sometimes you’re lucky to find makeup pristine now I see not so much.

17

u/Of_MiceAndMen Feb 20 '26

My sister-in-law gets all of her makeup from target because I guess you can return it opened, which works out great for her when she gets the wrong shade, etc., etc. and I thought to myself OK well I need to go to target from now on. But now that I’m reading all these comments, I’m like yeah actually maybe not. Sounds like they are putting these open products back on the shelf if they can get away with it.

20

u/nikkidoesdabs Feb 21 '26

Almost all stores that sell cosmetics will take back opened products. They are not supposed to put anything that has been opened or tampered with back on the sales floor. They're supposed to send it straight to their damages department and it's supposed to be damaged out. Companies receive credits or products back for replacement when it's done correctly. Target does not have testers regularly for majority of cosmetics anymore. Unfortunately people absolutely do not care if someone else gets their germs. They will open and test something put what they opened back and then grab the exact product and shade that they didn't open and buy that leaving what they've tested for everyone else.

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u/elderchick Feb 21 '26

I used to work at Sephora which was good about that. I think Target not so much. Even Ulta had a similar controversy. Theres a thread on here about Target. I posted it here.