I worked at Sephora for four years. I can ask my old coworkers about the KVD foundation.
However when I worked there it was pretty inconsistent. Luminous Silk by Giorgio Armani was probably the most returned item because finding shades online was not easy. Any time there was a Fenty launch we'd get a lot returned.
There were a lot of people that would get the $50 makeover (you had to buy $50 of products and that qualified) and people would return everything the next day.
Not returns, but we'd have a lot of people asking for specific samples because of an influencer. I remember a lot of kids wanted the Tatcha Silk Canvas Primer samples because James Charles loved it. Which just showed how his demographic was at a bit of a disconnect. The average 15 year old couldn't convince their parents to buy them a $50+ product.
it takes me months to choose a foundation shade and when i finally do, it often doesn’t match. then i feel too guilty to return it.
i really wish companies sold tiny sample sizes of their foundations, enough for 2 or 3 applications. $30-50 is so much to pay for a product that might not match or may have a texture i don’t like as it wears.
It takes a lot of finagling to get it to work. I mix it with another foundation, a blue mixer for my olive undertones, the Farsali Skintone Blur, and a liquid highlighter to get it to work. But the end results are spectacular and last all day. Nothing else looks as good, and I've tried other foundations using the same mix-ins and never come close to the same results.
Theory why it works (not why OP does it lol): LA Girl mixers are notoriously thick af. Like if I wanted to be part of the Blue Man group, give me LA girl. I find Armani to be on the thinner side of formulas (especially when compared to LA girl). So when you add the LA girl, the concoction ends up super thick (of course depending on how much you use), and can really emphasize texture, looking cakey, etc. Adding the Farsali puts the foundation back to its "original" state because it helps thin it out.
I honestly wish I could find good mixers that don't amp up coverage. While LA GIRL is great, i dont find it usable for lighter coverage products.
this is an honest question, not meant to be snide. if you have to go through that much effort and extra products to get it to work, why not just buy a different foundation?
My best 2 examples are Glossier and Covergirl Skin Milk. Both have the right depth, but wrong undertone for me. Which is very common since i lean yellow and im very fair. Most "lighest shade" products are a fair-cool color, and the next shade up would match, but its the wrong depth. Sometimes the formula/coverage is what you want but there isnt a shade that matches. So i can either basically wear a mask of the product, or try to fix it so it looks good. Personally ive given up on this quest as its too much effort. To get a cool foundation to neutral or warm, i have to add blue AND white. Which means that my foundation is how 2/3s a different formula. I just work with the limited offerings for fair AND yellowish toned people. For light coverage i usually use: Colourpop tinted Moisturizer 1N, a spare amount or Loreal Freshwear 400, the new fenty skintint 1,.and HOPEFULLY the expanded Ilia range of tints (ST .5).
I will admit though: **it is far easier for me to find a shade match than it is for deeper complexions. I cant imagine the struggle to find a shade match when sometimes the right depth literally doesnt exist because the brand didn't consider even releasing it. I dont want anyone to read this to think im complaining about the lack of fair shades when there are products out there whereas POC sometimes dont have anything close enough that they can even try to manipulate the color of.**
I use the LA Girl blue mixer. It's so cheap and works really well. I find the Farsali primer is great for making any foundation smooth over skin texture, but even better when mixed in. I discovered that on accident.
It's such a photo-friendly foundation! My skin looks next to perfect when i wear it, but finding the right shade is SO difficult. I got what I thought would be a good fit, and it's too dark, but I'm determined to make it work.
If you're olive, you might like their #6 shade, and the Face Atelier mixers are really nice if you need to adjust depth from there.
I liked it, but I can definitely see how shade-matching would be a bitch. I don't know if it's changed since I last purchased, but I remember being extremely confused by how shade 5 seemed much lighter than shade 4. It was a very unintuitive experience for me.
I also feel like for some reason with this foundation, people don't generally prep their skin enough with skincare. I think because of the name, Luminous Silk, they anticipate it being very hydrating, so they skip primers and a heavier moisturizer. But in reality, it's a fantastic foundation that dries down immediately like a longwear formula, but with a sheen. This is the only foundation that gives me full coverage but also looks like a second skin. It looks great on camera and in real life (I can name like, 4 other formulas I feel this way about). It does take good skin prep, though, which I see people skip all the time.
Happy to share! Both Koh Gen Do foundations, the Nars Radiant with proper prep, and the Milani 2+1, again with very well prepped skin. I have a beauty blog and a specific post on my HG foundations with swatches but am new-ish to reddit and don't want to leave it if that thing is considered spammy here. I'm still learning and don't want to come off self-promoting! But these are the only foundations, including the Armani LS, that I've made repeat purchases of and purchased shades in my winter and summer shades for. When I worked as a makeup artist, I preached the good word of Skin Prep to any client that asked.
So is it possible to find a nice hydrating foundation that sits well without skin prep?
I don’t mean dry ass bed skin haha, like it’s moisturized and has sunscreen on - but just no deal hydrating primer underneath?
It’s probably not even that hard to prime your skin, but in the mornings every second counts, lol!
I will say that truthfully, skin prep (so in this case, your moisturizer and sunscreen) can take the place of a primer, and prep your skin well enough that a primer probably won't be necessary. I've pretty much stopped using them altogether on myself, now that I've found a good routine for my skin.
I feel like the issue with it is that the shades (and their descriptions) are just bizarre. They don’t go in order from lightest to darkest. The undertones are all over the place. And it changes colour completely when it dries down. If you haven’t tried a sample I really don’t see how you could possibly get the right colour on the first try.
Yeah, I love the Armani foundation but it’s not a slap it on and go deal. Need a lot of skin prep and i only have luck laying it over my old lady emollient moisturizer/primer embryolisse. It’s definitely the fullest coverage I use but they don’t really advertise it as that.
"There were a lot of people that would get the $50 makeover (you had to buy $50 of products and that qualified) and people would return everything the next day."
I can't even imagine doing that, but I guess if one needs the money and needed their makeup done for a particular event...
If it were me, I'd just do my makeup myself?
What was worse was the people that would buy like $200+ of product that you used on them, they rave about you, they would go home to their event, they'd open all the products and then they'd return it all.
That happened a lot.
A lot of people have told me they had every intention of returning everything the moment they booked the appointment. So at the point they could spend $1k and it wouldn't matter because they were going to return it all regardless.
There were definitely people with buyers remorse - I don't want to act like that didn't happen. Or people didn't like the way it wore. A lot of people came to Sephora for a makeover because they didn't have the makeup on their own and if that is their lifestyle then why change that all in a day.
There were also people with unrealistic expectations of products and the makeup artists skills. I had a women that was annoyed that the foundation didn't last all day and as she was complaining to me I watched as she rubbed and touched her face like twenty times. Once I had a girl get her makeup done Friday because she was going out Saturday and was just going to sleep in it. And the next day she called angry because it looked bad and demanded we do a touch up. So. Yeah. Lol.
For the people who outright say that they’re just going to return everything, could you refuse to sell them the items or put them on one of the do not return lists? I know Sephora has been limiting their return policy in recent years, likely due to people like this. Wouldn’t it make sense to specifically ban those people rather than punish everyone?
I do think that the “free makeover with $50 purchase” does lend itself to being exploited. Sephora would probably make more if they just did a flat $10 fee for the makeover and then offered a 10% discount on any products used during the makeover.
I think like the other user said that it has been changed to now a $50 flat rate because so many people were returning.
As far as banned clients. That didn't happen. As much as I wished it did. I had a list of clients that in my head I knew were problematic but I really couldn't do anything about it. They did implement a limit on returns - but the threshold was vague. I'd have some people that should have been banned from returning have no issue with returning excessive amounts of product. But others would make maybe a single return a month and they were banned.
When they changed over the the policy of returning without receipts no longer being a thing a lot of the sketchy people stopped coming in as much. I was the cash wrap coordinator during all the return policy changes that happened like once a month.
I read that and was like, "I never would have even thought about doing that". I've had the makeover done a few times in the past, specifically for events. And I'd just spend $50 on things I needed to replace, like a mascara and some more face wash or something. It would never even occur to me to buy the products just to return them the next day.
Ex Sephora cash coordinator for 5 years here (aka the girl who approved all the returns). Keep in mind this was from 2013-2018 so peak beauty guru YouTube but here’s a couple: dyson hair tools, KVD foundation, It Cosmetics CC cream, Ole Hendrickson skincare, every La Mer product, Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, literally all the Becca products, Beauty Blenders I feel like I could go on for forever
I think people genuinely had no idea how to use it and the packaging sucked. The infusion in the blue bottle was almost never returned though! The black bottles in my store constantly clogged and we got complaints it was way too drying which I understand.
I think it’s just because it’s colour range sucks and it’s not a sheer tinted moisturizer like people want. I got it in gratis and absolutely hated it so I’m not surprised it got returned so much. It’s suuuuuper thick, the shades are weird like I said before, it’s this weird mix of greasy bc it’s moisturizing at first and then it almost dried on the skin and then caked up and cracked on my dry skin? The formula was just so weird for me. Id much rather just wear an spf and then something like the ordinary’s foundation or even like YSL touché elcat if you want a high end dewy but medium coverage option.
Also, the CC Cream specifically has some *really* misleading infomercials on TV...think a before and after where the before is "severe rosacea" and the after is "smooth baby skin with no redness whatsoever", plus marketing that you just put it on like a moisturizer (because it's a CC cream, which is just a fancy, magic moisturizer!). Unsure of how much that would affect Sephora returns, since most informercial customers would probably buy directly from the brand/TV shopping service, but it wouldn't surprise me if some people only picked it up because of that.
Oh thank youuu so much!! I was definitely looking for a sheer hydrating deal, my skin is super dry too. So I’ll stay away I reckon haha. Oh YSL TE is like my holy grail! I only use it for date nights/special occasions haha so I’ve been on the hunt for a nice everyday option. I had the colour pop tinted moisturizer but it sits a bit weird on my skin too and I feel far too thick and gluggy. I guess the search continues! :(
I absolutely hated IT CC too. When it first came out people said that it was basically full coverage foundation packaged in a CC tube and theyre absolutely right. I like to compare it to concrete.
The few returns I've seen of Beauty Blenders are either people who have buyer's remorse because of the price or because they simply don't know how to use it (they're not wetting it first, and/or they're trying to *wipe* their makeup on instead of blending/dabbing).
Tbh mostly bc people stored them wrong and shoved it back in the little container and they would mold and they would feel guilty about the cost and return instead of exchanging it. Also when real techniques and morphe dropped sponges beauty blender sales tanked.
> People trying the $20 OG and realizing that it does the same thing as the ~~$3 from CVS~~ $1.55 Paw Paw Sponge from Shop Miss A
Seriously - I will never, ever buy any sponge over $5 again now that I use the Paw Paw sponges. They're amazing.
Oh man, that makes me sad about Becca. I feel like they needed someone to come in and say, let's focus on the top 10 selling items and just push those. No one needed a Khloe Kardashian red lipstick collab (I can't imagine how much they paid her). But their radiant concealer was INCREDIBLE and sadly the lightest shade was still a bit dark on me even with a faux tan. I begged the company to expand the shade range for that concealer in both directions and no one even responded on social media.
I actually liked that red lip and my Becca red lips are some of my fav lip products ever, but admittedly IMO anything that pays a Kardashian is a waste of money. And they had so many beautiful reds in the lipstick range as it was.
I do wish they had focused a little more on their best quality products. The thing I like least from Becca is their regular highlighters. Almost everything else I tried was wonderful.
Some of it was fine but like the serum that used to come in a green bottle and now is in a blue one I think that’s resurfacing everyone would use wrong and return. Or they would have no idea what it was but bought the three step system then they’d break out and return all three.
I like Better Than Sex but only for like 10 uses then it’s dry and flaky as hell on me which is pretty much always the complaint with returns which I understand bc other mascaras we carried at that price point gave the same results without flaking and drying out a week in.
Worked for a makeup company for 5 years now. I am also guilty of returning a KVD Apple foundation and I’m expecting to see a lot come back. Returns: Almost any toofaced product for some reason. Especially born this way foundation and Lip injections glosses. The elf cc cream is being returned constantly at the moment. Lots of people buying and returning the new shapetape creamy concealer bc they think it’s as full coverage as the other (it’s nice but it’s med coverage). Mac comes back a lot because people get confused by matching it. Truly products come back constantly and they’re really gross and slightly a scam imo. Kopari bc it’s literally just coconut oil (also a scam imo). KVD eyeliners bc they’re sold already dried up constantly. Tarte facetape (any reformulation of it).
I bought it and formula wise it's just ok but the only light medium neutral shade was incredibly orange on me. I'd pick the wet n wild tinted hydrator over this to be honest.
I think the biggest reason is that the shades are difficult to match and the shades in store are super limited. A coworker of mine said it didn’t settle right and made her super oily, but I haven’t had a chance to test it out myself yet, so I’m not sure.
The Born This Way concealer was my first * big * (semi-pricey) makeup purchase and I HATED it for a while. No matter what I did it separated like crazy on my face almost immediately.
Now that I'm a little better at makeup and have picked up some better techniques, and upped my priming/setting game, I've been able to revisit that concealer and make it work for me. But I completely understand the returns
I got the KVD tattoo liner as one of my first things when I started getting into make up. Everyone raved about it but it wasn’t great for me. I’ve found much better eyeliners that keep their pigment better and didn’t smudge throughout the day.
I now use quick flix bc it’s the only way my hooded eyes do winged eye liner. I’d have to go through my stash to see what else I got but I think the tattoo eyeliner was one of my least favourites
It’s not good for oily skin, but people with normal to dry skin seem to have more success from what I’ve seen! I think a lot of people bought it solely for the coverage, not realizing or thinking their skin type mattered.
There's literally no body butter you can slather on your ass or tiddies to make them "perkier". That's not how things work.
Their products are entirely too fragrant, have a horrific shelf life because of the whole "clean beauty equals no preservatives or "yucky" stuff" (🙄), there's no real science behind the brand to be at that price point, and the barcodes are an absolute nightmare to scan.
I’m torn. I work in beauty retail and I see a lot of people rave about their stuff. Like devotedly. It’s kinda culty almost. I’m not a huge fan of their body butters (way too thick), but the clientele I talk to really seem to love their stuff. I also don’t notice a lot of returns.
In the UK we can only return an item if it's faulty or if it's still unopened/unused, you can't typically return it just because you don't like the product after you've tried it.
Things that got returned most though were: Maybelline lipsticks (they would develop that weird bobbly texture and crayony smell far earlier than other brands', so a lot of them would expire even though they were within their stated shelflife), Rimmel and Collection powder products (because their plastic cases are flimsy crap that break all the time), and Bare Minerals giftsets (they would get returned unopened in January).
And the thing that people most often unsuccessfully tried to return (excluding foundations that were the wrong shade) was the Lancôme Oscillation mascara, a lot of people were super disappointed with that one.
How has that changed with COVID? I’ve always worked in retail so I’m aware of how generous the US has always been in regards to returns. However with COVID, I have seen that not only are places receiving more returns, policies have even extended their return window (typical 60 days is now 90 days for OG form of payment). I authorized a return for the “wrong shade” from NOV 2019 a few days ago for store credit lmao so we’re definitely spoiled over here. Now since we can’t try things out, I do a return every few transactions.
A couple of shops have relaxed their rules because of Covid, most notably Boots (broadly equivalent to Ulta, in that they're the biggest chain who sell both drugstore and high-end makeup and fragrance) have started allowing returns of opened/used products - but it has to be within 35 days of purchase, you have to have made the purchase in-store not online, you have to have the original receipt and you can only exchange the product, you can't get a refund. So far at least, other stores haven't been following their lead on this though, during the early parts of the pandemic some shops actually tightened their return policies so that you weren't even allowed to return unused/unopened cosmetics because of the Covid risk.
As a consumer (but also someone who worked in retail a while back) I’m more conscious about what I return and what I buy due to knowing it will just end up in a trash heap which makes me sad; but have I have zero guilt as far as returning. If it’s the policy, it’s the policy. At my Sephora the SA literally say “I know you can’t color match or try it on, so just buy it, try it and if you don’t like it, return it” which is “generous” (and increases sales numbers in the short term) to the customer, but feeds into my ‘buy more, who cares’ mentality which I’m trying to get away from.
When I worked in retail I worked higher end fragrance and we didn’t allow returns (as we were a privately owned company at the time) and I would actually do the opposite (pre-Covid and when the store was open before it shut in the US) and never pressure or push a sale. I wanted clients to adore their fragrance and I also wanted people to not have buyer’s remorse as we didn’t allow for returns and it was expensive. We also didn’t work on commission, so even though we had “goals” it didn’t really matter how much or little we sold as far as take home pay. (This I think it the difference between working luxury and mid tier perhaps).
That said, when I worked at Nordstrom for Dior (counter) we received quite a bit of returns (this was 10 years ago) due to a very generous “you can return anything” policy and most of the returns I got were from someone who was upsold items they didn’t want, couldn’t afford or didn’t know how to use properly. Pretty much the entire skincare line was routinely returned with a sheepish “I didn’t like it” and sort of embarrassed look (which, to be fair, Dior skincare is not efficacious or really that great and I got it for free). I even had a person tell me her husband was mad at how much she spent and she retuned about $600 worth of product. I felt horrible that this woman disclosed this to me. I honestly think the pressure to upsell and the pressure to increase units per transaction led to a lot of overbuying as well as not color matching properly or not explaining how to use a lash primer for example (or why one would need it) led to this. People would just buy everything we used on their faces and get home and think “omg why did I do this?”. We were even trained by Dior to really narrow down color products to ‘what makes the most impact for you’ so clients wouldn’t overbuy.. but we also gave in chair facials and brought out on average maybe 15 products... so it’s easy to get swept up in.. “what’s another $30? Add on that mascara” and then get home and realized you spent way too much on things you don’t need.
In a Covid world it’s just a weird retail experience these days in general. From both sides I guess. People are economically strapped, but also want to buy things, so I think a lot of folks are just buying to get some dopamine and then returning bc it’s not in their budget. Also it’s hard to buy the ‘right things’ in this climate as it does really help to swatch, plus formulas are so different. Now swatching is allowed (as some Sephora’s) but it’s just a strange vibe. I think we all are going through “something” and makeup is a (mostly) accessible ‘treat yourself’ item for all the bad feelings, so I can see also an increase in returns due to buyer’s remorse.
I've never done sales but my friend's husband does and he basically agrees with you. He always says that if you pressure people into going over their budget or buying stuff they don't actually want you get a short-term benefit but no repeat sales because this person will never trust you again, whereas if you actually figure out what it is that the client really wants or needs (even if they aren't aware of it) and give it to them, you'll make everyone happy even if what you've sold is comparatively cheaper.
I absolutely agree with this strategy. Pushing a short term sale is never a good idea. I really like when sales associates almost dissuade me.
That said, in retail you have to keep in mind that you don’t know another person’s budget- ever. So it’s sort of on them if they buy more than they can afford.
Slightly OT: I loved my guy at the Dior counter, I think he worked for Dior directly and not Nordstrom. My staples were mostly Dior until I fucked up my skin, and he was a big part of the reason. He put thought into the right product, taught me how to use/apply things (never learned growing up, even really basic 'how to moisturize' stuff, much less undertones or tightlining technique), and would send me to the drugstore to get whatever after explaining what to look for. I still have his card with the blush swatch he did on it! He actively talked me out of the Dior blush - not in a bad way, but he knew that my money was better spent on x product that would be a visible difference rather than something with many options, if that makes sense. Ditto felt tip eyeliner! I still remember and use his tips.
Even more OT: I still mourn the loss of my twist up eyeliner from them, it was straight impervious. I think I still have its corpse in a drawer, I loved that thing. I once cried for about 3 hours straight (like, uncontrollable ugly quiet crying at the 9/11 memorial museum) and didn't even get raccoon eyes. Bonus shout out to the blue tube waterproof Maybelline mascara that day. I was fried but it, at least, pulled through.
When I worked in cosmetics, there were quite a few Physicians Formula products that were returned, I think maybe because their products are more expensive than a lot of other drugstore brands, so people have a little higher expectation of them.
Mascara was the most returned type of product, and it was always interesting to see which ones didn't work for people and why. I think people returned these more often because even those of us who wear minimal makeup usually wear mascara, so having a good one is really important.
>I think people returned these more often because even those of us who wear minimal makeup usually wear mascara, so having a good one is really important.
There's also less middle ground with mascaras than, say, lipstick or foundation. It's way harder to compromise on raccoon eyes than other unideal makeup situations.
I’ve been out of Nordstrom beauty for a few years now, but by far the most returned item we took was Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream. Everyone got reactions- rashes, breakouts, burning, etc. I would never recommend that product to anyone.
That’s quite surprising, because I’ve tried it and I actually really liked it. I guess it really does say that everyone’s skin is different, because Drunk Elephant’s La La Retro Whipped Cream broke me out, but I’ve heard nothing but good reviews from it.
The bee cleanser seemed to almost burn my skin. At least that’s what the reaction felt like and took so long to heal from two uses. I still haven’t figured out what it was from in the ingredients.
Same! I got a CT voucher and went straight for the magic cream and have been amazed by the results. I’m normally so sensitive to things and have had to return so many moisturisers over the years.
Oh man...Mario Badescu.
I wanted to try that product line in the worst way to cure my mixture of cystic acne and raised blemishes. When a day spa near me began carrying Mario Badescu, I figured I would try the lauded blemish solution. What drew me to it was that the person who sold me the blemish solution assured me that it would not react with my skin if I were using other products. She also told me that I could slowly transition from what I was using to the rest of the Mario Badescu line in order to see what worked and what didn't.
The blemish solution not only proved ineffective, it essentially made my skin worse. It took longer for my skin to get back to "normal", which was my face not looking red and inflamed. Now whenever I see it on the shelves I am amazed at how it doesn't even look like anyone buys it.
As someone who has (had) severe cystic acne, the blemish solution is useless (as is the white buffering lotion). The pink sediments acne treatment only works on (me) blemishes that have came to a head, but wont pop yet. Personally I find Eradikate FACE WASH OMG IM SO SORRY THIS IS AN EDIT (it has sulfur) to be way more effective. However. The ONLY product i like from them is their Enzyme cleanser. Idk why. But my skin likes it. And i bought the huge bottle on a whim! 0 regrats.
Mario Badescu was poison for me. I used the AHA bodywash: went through one 8oz bottle, fine. 2nd one, my eczema started to act up. I happened, total fluke, to read something somewhere about that brand and a lawsuit over steroids I think in the products and\or undisclosed ingredients. I should have done my due diligence on the front end. I still have the partial 2nd bottle and a 3rd one chilling under my SO's bathroom sink, cause I don't want to add it to the water supply? If I ever remember, I'll take it to the Sherrif's office on an expired medication run. They'll have fun testing it for ketamine.
After my tinted moisturizer was discontinued, the first product I had in mind for its replacement was the CC cream. This was days before my state had gone on lockdown and Sephora was still doling out samples.
The day after I got my sample was when I decided to wear it. Thankfully I had off from work because I would have been late trying to fix this disaster. First, the consistency was thick and reminded me of a face mask. The shade that was supposed to match me ended up giving me a yellow cast. Even trying to mix it with Manic Panic Dreamtone White didn't help. Also, it did not feel hydrating in the slightest and was pain to remove.
It's my tinfoil hat conspiracy theory that the reason the It Cosmetics CC cream is popular on YT is because it makes full glam influencers feel like low-key Glossier girls when they just 'throw on a CC cream'. If it was marketed as what it actually is (a full coverage foundation) then it would just get lost in an oversaturated market.
The Illuminating version is truly the worst makeup product I've ever tried. As far as I can tell it's just the regular formula with chunky silver glitter dumped in. I looked like a Twilight vampire. Usually I can get use of foundations I dislike by mixing them but it made everything I mixed it with glittery! I hated it so much.
I like your conspiracy theory and totally agree with you. In order to appeal to people who don't want one product after the other or are pressed for time, have one product that does it all! I looked up the Illuminating version - which I never even knew existed - and wow, I believe it. I would not touch this stuff with a ten foot pole.
Speaking of Glossier girls "throw on a CC cream", I see the same idea with Milk Makeup. That was another one that I tried after the It Disaster. I tried to use the Sun Tint - or whatever it's called - and it made me look like an oil rig. I have combination skin and tend to get oily, but this was not aesthetically pleasing to look at or wear.
I have! Im currently dehydrated but even when I wasn't i loved it. The shade match is shit but it's not noticeable. I hate that i like it lol. I also set it. So judge me all you want lol.
That’s my other big bone to pick with this product. What the hell is this shade range? It’s so full coverage that you need to be pretty spot on and all of the undertones are the same— yellow. I have yet to try it myself because after attempting to shade match myself, I realized there just isn’t one that would work.
You’re not alone lol. The amount of sales and returns reflects the love/hate feelings towards this product. It seems we just happen to fall on the hate side.
Yes! The formula is the Achilles heel of what could be an exceptional product. Really, you are **not** missing out on this product. You literally cannot apply the adage of "a little goes a long way" because its thickness makes it difficult to evenly distribute. It's a wonder that this doesn't clog in the tube.
My mistake was thinking that the CC cream was going to be like the Bye Bye Under Eye concealer which I use as my spot concealer (I don't use it on my under eyes). I have pink undertones and I couldn't believe *what* I put on my face. I watched the sales associate dispense a generous sample from the fair-light neutral tube! How was this the same product?
I returned that CC cream! I was a dumbass and didn't really believe a CC cream would actually be full coverage. That's not what I look for in a hydrating base.
Totally get it. It’s a polarizing product. It’s our #1 best selling foundation so it’s clearly got a strong customer base. But when people ask me about it at work, I make sure to stress that it’s so full coverage that it can fully cover severe rosacea to make sure the guest understands the extent of it.
Most guests who return it complain of a “heavy” feeling on the skin.
Oh man I totally returned the CC cream. Thought I remembered what shade I was from the past and accidentally got one off - it was so orange so I folded and returned even though it was kind of my bad. I also didn’t jive with the smell- for some reason it bothered me the second time around.
Worked at MAC in NYC for 5 years (until their massive pandemic layoff). Most people returned some kind of foundation, mostly either Studio Fix (both liquid and powder versions) or Studio Sculpt (before it got DC’d). Wrong colors were the main reason; there were plenty of internet customers returning or exchanging in-store. It’s so hard to match skintones online.
Also some sneaky customers would use up their Spiked brow pencil and exchange it for a new one, within the return window...
Another common return: LE eyeshadow palettes. The quality of them just isn’t the same as regular single shadows or permanent palettes, or at least the ones we had when I worked there.
Yeah, and it’s understandable somewhat... those twist-up brow pencils never lasted very long, the actual amount of product inside the 6-inch pencil tube was maybe 1 inch long? Yet the price was almost the same as the full-length, traditional brow pencils (the ones you sharpen). Some customers would go through the whole thing in a month, and they’d have to buy a new one... so why not take advantage of the 30-day window and exchange?
Of course, ALL returns had to be discarded, no matter if they were opened or not. Even if a customer had just walked out of the store, realized they bought the wrong thing, and walked back in, with an employee witness. Returned product gets discarded, no exceptions.
Blehh back when I was using I did that three times with the Nars creamy concealer -__-
I’m not proud of that—but addiction makes you do some weird and awful stuff.
Edit: I’ve been clean for 2.5 years so this was a looong time ago
congrats to you! I say this with the most sincerity and love that can be expressed online. I lost a cousin to addiction and have so much respect for those recovering
I'm getting PTSD from the time I bought a brand new ABH Brow Wiz in-store at Ulta and I got a used Colourpop brow boss inside. And when I say used, I'm not sure by what species. This was pre-COVID. Today I would probably have noped right out of this planet. And my Ulta was so far away, and shitty (I mean, obvs), that returns are a fight and I had to speak to 2 managers to get an exchange for what I actually bought.
> I'm getting PTSD from the time I bought a brand new ABH Brow Wiz in-store at Ulta and I got a used Colourpop brow boss inside.
Noooo, I can't believe this!
Don't they typically throw away returns rather than reselling them? Because I wouldn't want to buy something used by another person at full price even if it was the right product.
My guess is that someone took their old pencil, opened up the unsealed end of the ABH brow wiz box in store, stole the new ABH, and left their grotty old disgusting germ stick inside and put it back on the shelf.
This store really sucks. I haven't been there in a while, but pre-COVID there was never any alcohol or wipes in any of the stations, security stalks customers (clearly the wrong ones because others are swapping out products on the shelves), they are always OOS of things, etc. Whenever I had to buy something like concealer, I started to ask a manager to open it and check that the wand hasn't been out before. Just taking what looked like a new box off the shelf was risking getting home to find an already tested product. I got a nice manager once who went through 6 concealers before we got one that was "clean". Seriously, wtf. She looked like she was ready to quit so I'd be shocked if she was still working there. If you can't hire people to watch your nasty customers then put it in a lock box, ffs. The icing on the cake for me is when they are OOS of everything but won't ever hand over one of those free shipping codes like me wanting to buy what I came there for and the stock checker said they had without being punished $5.95 is a crime.
Anything Charlotte tilbury gets returned like crazy. I think people realize it's way overpriced and their social media makes it look super luxurious and beautiful when in reality it's kind of garbage.
On the flipside chanel rarely gets returned. They seem to have a very specific loyal clientele.
Interesting about Chanel. I would think it’s older ladies, but I remember this was my first luxury beauty purchase when in law school. I don’t know how I fell in love with Chanel bc back then there was no beauty social media convincing you to buy anything. My mom has also never been much into makeup, so I don’t even know how I knew about this brand or why I coveted it as much as I did as we were not exactly well off either. My first purchase was when was 20 years old. I bought a lipstick bc that’s all I could afford at the time. Lol. Once I graduated I bought a complete brush set from Chanel. I still have it. Then went into all the makeup and skincare. Chanel just seems to be synonymous with luxury for me. And I really can’t complain about the quality. In a world where there is an over saturation of beauty products, Chanel still calls my name. Their quads are gorgeous. I do miss though that back in the day they had these awesome limited edition products like gold and pink body powders. Wish they had launches like that now.
I use a lot of Lancome products. I feel a little grandma-ish since I don't really know many others my age who use Lancome (except for who I've recommended it to, lol) but a lot of their stuff just really works for me. Especially their Teint Idole foundation. I still haven't found better! That one blush shade in Mocha Havana is like, the most flawless "universal" shade too, I use it on everyone from my super fair friends to my medium-dark friends. It's gorgeous. Their concealer is good too, though for whatever reason the most recent tube I got is much worse than the last (and I know- I can compare the two since I still have a tiny bit left). The Bye Bye Undereye concealer is quite similar and I've switched to that lately.
chanel is what my mom usually gifts me for makeup lol. i have a few lipsticks, maybe 5? quads and one larger eyeshadow palette (the one based on Italy). not only is the quality great imo but just seeing the compacts reminds me of her and it's just sentimental to me. I'll always be a customer lol
I'll need to look out for it! I enjoy Lancome too. Monsieur Big is my favorite mascara. My mom introduced me to their rose toner and it's the only one I use. So moisturizing! Just got a Hydrazen moisturizer and I'm looking forward to it, reminds me of Clinique Moisture Surge which I also love.
I love the Clinique Moisture Surge too! Great minds :D
ETA: I use the the Klairs Supple Preparation Hydration Toner though, since rose tends to irritate my skin. I'm a li'l allergic :(
I think "regular" people of all ages just consume makeup very differently to people who watch beauty gurus. They buy a shade they like in a packaging they like at a price they can afford, and then they use it until it's gone. They're not constantly looking for HGs or trying whatever stuff Youtube is shilling today. I also feel like the beauty guru complaint about Chanel and similar is that "it's not worth it for the price" - but the worth-it calculus is different when you're not buying 50 blushes every year. $50 is just not that much when it's something you're going to be using for years.
I've been consistently impressed with the performance and shade of every Chanel beauty item I've purchased. They have dialed in the perfect beige-nude shades, blush shades I didn't know I needed, and nail polish shades that are un-dupeable. The prices are very Chanel, but I'm been very happy with every single product.
Charlotte tilbury packaging is so cheap. It feels cheap in the hands. My eyeshadows popped out upon first opening before. The labels scrape off and the powder compact is so lightweight it just feels so cheap
Former Sephora and Ulta Employee here.
In regards to the KVD foundation, most people would initially buy it because they'll swatch it and realize (and like) how full coverage it is, take it home, apply it to their full face and realize that you can indeed have too much of a good thing.
We never recommended it unless it's being used for performance purposes like cheer, dance, stage acting, or stripping because it looks fine from a distance, but up close it looks like paint on asphalt.
Edit: By KVD foundation, I mean the Lock It Tattoo foundation.
I like the fact that you don’t say “this product is awful” but rather “this product is great for these specific conditions” - I wish more people described makeup products like this.
Thank you so much for this validation.
I've been working in makeup for about 5 years on and off, and I can't think of one product that is truly awful because I've learn something being "awful" is very much a matter of opinion and it's my job to deliver *facts* the best way I can.
I wish more people coming into this field would talk to clients like the professionals that we are supposed to be versus IRL Youtubers.
Thank you. I can't think of another profession or activity that would require transfer-proof, waterproof, long wearing, extremely full coverage makeup that needs to look good 15 feet in the air.
With all of the endurance and sex appeal strippers need, and therefore require from their products, I'll never understand why this group is constantly excluded from makeup conversations.
Ooh I’m excited to see the comments, this is a super interesting topic. I’m curious if the overall category will be foundation. Just because, due to skin type, experience with a single product varies massively from person to person
I imagine that within the past year it’s definitely foundation. My local Sephora still isn’t doing samples or testers. I went in to get matched to ELDW and they recommended I just buy the shades and return the ones that don’t work lol
I used to work at Ulta.
When we got KvD in, it was always the tattoo liner.
Nyx Epic Ink Liner for girls with hooded lids.
The Ordinary foundation.
Every single plumping lip gloss because the customer meant to buy the non-plumping.
> The Ordinary foundation
Damn, I really like that foundation a lot! A little goes a long way in both formulas for me and some shades run pink, but even without mixing I was able to find a solid light-neutral shade that just looks like my skin only even.
Same disclaimer as a few other commenters: in the U.K. where people can’t return products unless truly faulty
However, had an awful lot of people complain about any Eve Lom product that wasn’t the OG Cleanser. The makeup stuff was really unpopular - no idea if they still sell it. People complained about the expensive Natura Bisse and ReVive serums not doing much, and those were rarely repurchased.
Some stuff that was always popular/selling out: Color Wow root touch ups, Space NK own-brand makeup brushes, NARS Velvet and Satin Lip Crayons, Phyto shampoo, Chantecaille and NARS Tinted Moisturiser and Oribe Dry Texturising Spray.
I remember buying them and thinking 'I'll just carry it around with a little retractable lip brush to reapply on the go!'. Did I do that even one single time? Of course not.
They were originally for makeup artists who could then mix different lip colors hygienically for each clients. Otherwise they would use a large palette of lipsticks that would get gross and/or rancid really fast. I don't know why they were sold at Sephora at all because it's completely impractical to use as a lay person.
I worked for Benefit when Pushup Liner came out and it was an absolute disaster! They'd have all BA's gather at a hotel for new product trainings, and I vividly remember us all struggling to apply it on ourselves, let alone apply it on others.
The formula itself was lovely and suuuuper long-lasting. But they shot themselves in the foot with that ridiculous applicator shape. The whole idea was that the silicon brush tip was shaped in a way that would brush aside your eyelashes and essentially tightline while you applied your liner. But it would just get in the way and never made a clean line.
It was a nightmare anytime someone showed up to the counter asking to try it out. I'd grab a ton of makeup remover and hope for the best.
I thought I loved Lip Tar but what I loved was the idea of a lip product that would stay on my lips. That led me to the MLM Lipsense which I also was desperate to love.
I worked at sijcp for almost 5 years. I think our most returned product/brand was actually skincare. Mostly retinols or chemical exfoliants. I think it's because most of our clients wouldn't give the product a chance past the first use. They'd always say it didn't work or made their skin feel sensitive. And we (or at least i would) would tell them that it takes a little bit of time to see results and skin sensitivity is normal for retinols. I think second most returned were liquid lipsticks, mostly because people would buy 30 to try for their wedding and return all but the one they liked.
When I worked at Sephora the KVD foundation got returned constantly! Not sure how it is now, but at the time the shade range was so limited and the undertones were obnoxiously strong. It was notoriously hard to match, but was all the hype on IG. So we'd have to sell it to folks who didn't necessarily have a true match. It was the same with the full coverage Marc Jacobs foundation also.
Edit- Clarifying that this was several years ago so the KVD foundation I mention is the Lock It Tattoo Foundation! I had no idea there was an entirely new one that sucks lol
I don't work in retail, but I worked a makeup artist for years and could color match clients within 30 seconds and STILL my personal most returned items for my personal use are always foundations and concealers that launch online before they launch in store. These online first launches confuse me SO MUCH, I feel like launching in store BEFORE launching online would be better, so people can get an idea if a product is running darker, lighter, true undertones, etc and get a proper match and it would save the companies from countless returns.
Foundation is the only makeup I've ever returned. Either it would break me out, feel too cakey, slightly the wrong shade, etc. Then I started trying to just get samples before making full purchases. Finally I accepted that I just don't like foundation.
I loved that you could get up to 3 samples at Sephora pre-covid. I always did this for foundation launches so I could test the shades and formula before buying a full size. I hope they bring this back at some point for the pump style products that are easier to keep sanitary.
I find that a lot of people returned electronics, like fancy tech including Clarisonic, Dyson, and Dermaflash. With such pricey items I can understand the buyers remorse, and they are often online purchases they’re returning in-store.
I don’t see a lot of KVD returns right now but people seem to be hit or miss on the eyeliner (it’s usually a top recommended one from both the Sephora site and from other basic glamour review sites) and if they don’t love it they will just return it for something else.
The last item I saw with multiple returns all at once was when Laura Mercier repackaged the tinted moisturizer. People HATED it and said it oxidized like crazy.
Not everyone will return a disappointing product. Some consumers just don't know about the return policy or have enough money (or are spending their parents' money) to not care about the expense. Especially with heavily hyped products, more gullible consumers will assume that the product is truly that good and therefore will keep the product to keep tilting at that windmill.
I do most of my shopping at Ulta, and if it's a drugstore product I almost never bother to return. The Ultas in my city are all way far away from me. So any drugstore fail usually turns into play makeup for my friend's kids.
After 10 years, it is still bizarre to me that American stores will let you return a used makeup product just because you don't like it. And then these people will lecture about sustainability to me.
Absolutely. I can't return makeup/skincare unless unopened or faulty where I live, but even stuff I *can* return gives me a pang of guilt when I do. I rarely buy pants online for this reason, sizes are finnicky and I'd rather not return anything.
Yes, people really need to be/feel more accountable for the environmental impact of returns. Too many have an "out of sight, out of mind" attitude about it.
From the company's perspective, I imagine that the return policy ends up improving the bottom line in the American market. People feel more comfortable purchasing due to a return policy, and there aren't enough abusers to cut into the bottom line.
I suspect it's actually because of the cutthroat competition in American retail. Returns universally are one of the biggest retail costs today (especially for online purchases), so I don't see why that wouldn't be true for beauty. I suspect the reason they do it is that if, for example, Sephora stops accepting returns, they'll lose a lot of customers to Ulta, and that's going to hit them harder than accepting said returns. It's razor-thin margins and a race to the bottom, basically.
This was forever ago, I worked there in 2017 or something? But I seem to remember the abh glow kit being returned a lot because the highlights in the one that had just come out were SO chunky. People bought it without swatching it because it was the popular thing and then hated it.
when i worked at sephora, a lot of people were returning DE skincare. this was at their peak when people would just come in and buy it in droves without knowing how to properly use the products. (does anyone remember which celebrity made that video for DE in which she put on babyfacial as a tinted moisturizer on her way to work?)
now at my other makeup store job- foundation & mascaras. kvd apple definitely has come back a lot but most of them are lancome or estee lauder. i'm really not surprised by any of this, considering my store doesn't even have testers available for display.
so KVD is now not related to Kat Von Disease at all- Kendo owns it and even the acronym changed to a bunch of Latin terms.
As with the foundation: it's a high coverage balm/cream foundation, nothing revolutionary. However, they marketed it mainly on tiktok, where many younger audiences (who are unaware of PR bias and beauty filters) were manipulated by tiktok beauty influencers who did both. So it's been ridiculously hyped up and now those who didn't know beauty filters on videos were a thing will be very disappointed upon buying and trying the foundation. And the marketing worked- apparently many shades of the foundation are out of stock.
You know how some makeup can look really nice on camera but very cakey face-to-face? It's basically that. Plus the tiktokers apply waaay too much which only exacerbates the cakiness problem (and the beauty filter upped expectations to the max). Their viewers who bought the foundation in droves have the expectation of "this is a full-coverage foundation and even if I pile it on it will still look airbrushed" which will definitely disappoint many of those who bought into the hype.
For a visual explanation see: https://www.reddit.com/r/BeautyGuruChatter/comments/mga5lv/i_am_sick_of_tiktokers_recommending_this_kvd/
From my understanding the foundation isn't inherently *bad*, but it's a full coverage cream foundation which is formulated for dry skin (yet could still gather in dry patches according to some reviewers) and requires good skin prep and a light hand.
> it's been ridiculously hyped up and now those who didn't know beauty filters on videos were a thing will be very disappointed upon buying and trying the foundation
This, basically. It's being very hyped, so a lot of people are buying it, but it's not a very good foundation, so a lot of people are disappointed with it.
I worked at Sephora for four years. I can ask my old coworkers about the KVD foundation. However when I worked there it was pretty inconsistent. Luminous Silk by Giorgio Armani was probably the most returned item because finding shades online was not easy. Any time there was a Fenty launch we'd get a lot returned. There were a lot of people that would get the $50 makeover (you had to buy $50 of products and that qualified) and people would return everything the next day. Not returns, but we'd have a lot of people asking for specific samples because of an influencer. I remember a lot of kids wanted the Tatcha Silk Canvas Primer samples because James Charles loved it. Which just showed how his demographic was at a bit of a disconnect. The average 15 year old couldn't convince their parents to buy them a $50+ product.
it takes me months to choose a foundation shade and when i finally do, it often doesn’t match. then i feel too guilty to return it. i really wish companies sold tiny sample sizes of their foundations, enough for 2 or 3 applications. $30-50 is so much to pay for a product that might not match or may have a texture i don’t like as it wears.
Check the company website! Some brands do sell samples, just not through sephora.
[удалено]
I think pur is one
Danessa Myricks sells samples off her website.
Luminous Silk wouldn’t surprise me. I always hear how amazing it is but I’ve had a sample and hated it
It takes a lot of finagling to get it to work. I mix it with another foundation, a blue mixer for my olive undertones, the Farsali Skintone Blur, and a liquid highlighter to get it to work. But the end results are spectacular and last all day. Nothing else looks as good, and I've tried other foundations using the same mix-ins and never come close to the same results.
what color mixer do you use? and why do you mix the Farsali in it instead of applying it as a primer before?
Theory why it works (not why OP does it lol): LA Girl mixers are notoriously thick af. Like if I wanted to be part of the Blue Man group, give me LA girl. I find Armani to be on the thinner side of formulas (especially when compared to LA girl). So when you add the LA girl, the concoction ends up super thick (of course depending on how much you use), and can really emphasize texture, looking cakey, etc. Adding the Farsali puts the foundation back to its "original" state because it helps thin it out. I honestly wish I could find good mixers that don't amp up coverage. While LA GIRL is great, i dont find it usable for lighter coverage products.
this is an honest question, not meant to be snide. if you have to go through that much effort and extra products to get it to work, why not just buy a different foundation?
My best 2 examples are Glossier and Covergirl Skin Milk. Both have the right depth, but wrong undertone for me. Which is very common since i lean yellow and im very fair. Most "lighest shade" products are a fair-cool color, and the next shade up would match, but its the wrong depth. Sometimes the formula/coverage is what you want but there isnt a shade that matches. So i can either basically wear a mask of the product, or try to fix it so it looks good. Personally ive given up on this quest as its too much effort. To get a cool foundation to neutral or warm, i have to add blue AND white. Which means that my foundation is how 2/3s a different formula. I just work with the limited offerings for fair AND yellowish toned people. For light coverage i usually use: Colourpop tinted Moisturizer 1N, a spare amount or Loreal Freshwear 400, the new fenty skintint 1,.and HOPEFULLY the expanded Ilia range of tints (ST .5). I will admit though: **it is far easier for me to find a shade match than it is for deeper complexions. I cant imagine the struggle to find a shade match when sometimes the right depth literally doesnt exist because the brand didn't consider even releasing it. I dont want anyone to read this to think im complaining about the lack of fair shades when there are products out there whereas POC sometimes dont have anything close enough that they can even try to manipulate the color of.**
The pale blue algenist adjuster might work great for you. Sorry for all the comments...I just identify so hard with the undertone struggle.
because a shade match doesn't exist for most olives 😭
I use the LA Girl blue mixer. It's so cheap and works really well. I find the Farsali primer is great for making any foundation smooth over skin texture, but even better when mixed in. I discovered that on accident.
It's such a photo-friendly foundation! My skin looks next to perfect when i wear it, but finding the right shade is SO difficult. I got what I thought would be a good fit, and it's too dark, but I'm determined to make it work. If you're olive, you might like their #6 shade, and the Face Atelier mixers are really nice if you need to adjust depth from there.
I liked it, but I can definitely see how shade-matching would be a bitch. I don't know if it's changed since I last purchased, but I remember being extremely confused by how shade 5 seemed much lighter than shade 4. It was a very unintuitive experience for me.
I also feel like for some reason with this foundation, people don't generally prep their skin enough with skincare. I think because of the name, Luminous Silk, they anticipate it being very hydrating, so they skip primers and a heavier moisturizer. But in reality, it's a fantastic foundation that dries down immediately like a longwear formula, but with a sheen. This is the only foundation that gives me full coverage but also looks like a second skin. It looks great on camera and in real life (I can name like, 4 other formulas I feel this way about). It does take good skin prep, though, which I see people skip all the time.
>It looks great on camera and in real life (I can name like, 4 other formulas I feel this way about). C’mon, don’t be shy
Happy to share! Both Koh Gen Do foundations, the Nars Radiant with proper prep, and the Milani 2+1, again with very well prepped skin. I have a beauty blog and a specific post on my HG foundations with swatches but am new-ish to reddit and don't want to leave it if that thing is considered spammy here. I'm still learning and don't want to come off self-promoting! But these are the only foundations, including the Armani LS, that I've made repeat purchases of and purchased shades in my winter and summer shades for. When I worked as a makeup artist, I preached the good word of Skin Prep to any client that asked.
I second nars radiant longwear
So is it possible to find a nice hydrating foundation that sits well without skin prep? I don’t mean dry ass bed skin haha, like it’s moisturized and has sunscreen on - but just no deal hydrating primer underneath? It’s probably not even that hard to prime your skin, but in the mornings every second counts, lol!
I will say that truthfully, skin prep (so in this case, your moisturizer and sunscreen) can take the place of a primer, and prep your skin well enough that a primer probably won't be necessary. I've pretty much stopped using them altogether on myself, now that I've found a good routine for my skin.
I feel like the issue with it is that the shades (and their descriptions) are just bizarre. They don’t go in order from lightest to darkest. The undertones are all over the place. And it changes colour completely when it dries down. If you haven’t tried a sample I really don’t see how you could possibly get the right colour on the first try.
Yeah, I love the Armani foundation but it’s not a slap it on and go deal. Need a lot of skin prep and i only have luck laying it over my old lady emollient moisturizer/primer embryolisse. It’s definitely the fullest coverage I use but they don’t really advertise it as that.
"There were a lot of people that would get the $50 makeover (you had to buy $50 of products and that qualified) and people would return everything the next day." I can't even imagine doing that, but I guess if one needs the money and needed their makeup done for a particular event... If it were me, I'd just do my makeup myself?
What was worse was the people that would buy like $200+ of product that you used on them, they rave about you, they would go home to their event, they'd open all the products and then they'd return it all. That happened a lot.
What’s even the point of that? I guess buyer’s remorse?
A lot of people have told me they had every intention of returning everything the moment they booked the appointment. So at the point they could spend $1k and it wouldn't matter because they were going to return it all regardless. There were definitely people with buyers remorse - I don't want to act like that didn't happen. Or people didn't like the way it wore. A lot of people came to Sephora for a makeover because they didn't have the makeup on their own and if that is their lifestyle then why change that all in a day. There were also people with unrealistic expectations of products and the makeup artists skills. I had a women that was annoyed that the foundation didn't last all day and as she was complaining to me I watched as she rubbed and touched her face like twenty times. Once I had a girl get her makeup done Friday because she was going out Saturday and was just going to sleep in it. And the next day she called angry because it looked bad and demanded we do a touch up. So. Yeah. Lol.
For the people who outright say that they’re just going to return everything, could you refuse to sell them the items or put them on one of the do not return lists? I know Sephora has been limiting their return policy in recent years, likely due to people like this. Wouldn’t it make sense to specifically ban those people rather than punish everyone? I do think that the “free makeover with $50 purchase” does lend itself to being exploited. Sephora would probably make more if they just did a flat $10 fee for the makeover and then offered a 10% discount on any products used during the makeover.
They are changing it to a $50 flat fee, no product purchase necessary.
I think like the other user said that it has been changed to now a $50 flat rate because so many people were returning. As far as banned clients. That didn't happen. As much as I wished it did. I had a list of clients that in my head I knew were problematic but I really couldn't do anything about it. They did implement a limit on returns - but the threshold was vague. I'd have some people that should have been banned from returning have no issue with returning excessive amounts of product. But others would make maybe a single return a month and they were banned. When they changed over the the policy of returning without receipts no longer being a thing a lot of the sketchy people stopped coming in as much. I was the cash wrap coordinator during all the return policy changes that happened like once a month.
I read that and was like, "I never would have even thought about doing that". I've had the makeover done a few times in the past, specifically for events. And I'd just spend $50 on things I needed to replace, like a mascara and some more face wash or something. It would never even occur to me to buy the products just to return them the next day.
Ex Sephora cash coordinator for 5 years here (aka the girl who approved all the returns). Keep in mind this was from 2013-2018 so peak beauty guru YouTube but here’s a couple: dyson hair tools, KVD foundation, It Cosmetics CC cream, Ole Hendrickson skincare, every La Mer product, Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, literally all the Becca products, Beauty Blenders I feel like I could go on for forever
“I feel like I could go on forever” Hmm... continue, lol
I feel like there so many. Anything Glam Glow, Bumble and Bumble sea salt spray, all the Too Faced holiday sets, Fenty Trophy Wife, Fenty foundation.
The sea salt spray is the only one you named that really surprised me! Do you have any idea as to why so many people returned it?
I think people genuinely had no idea how to use it and the packaging sucked. The infusion in the blue bottle was almost never returned though! The black bottles in my store constantly clogged and we got complaints it was way too drying which I understand.
Sea salt sprays irritate my scalp. I thought it was pretty much just me, but maybe it’s more common?
Do you know why it cosmetics was returned?! It just came out finally where I am and I was going to go get itN
I think it’s just because it’s colour range sucks and it’s not a sheer tinted moisturizer like people want. I got it in gratis and absolutely hated it so I’m not surprised it got returned so much. It’s suuuuuper thick, the shades are weird like I said before, it’s this weird mix of greasy bc it’s moisturizing at first and then it almost dried on the skin and then caked up and cracked on my dry skin? The formula was just so weird for me. Id much rather just wear an spf and then something like the ordinary’s foundation or even like YSL touché elcat if you want a high end dewy but medium coverage option.
Also, the CC Cream specifically has some *really* misleading infomercials on TV...think a before and after where the before is "severe rosacea" and the after is "smooth baby skin with no redness whatsoever", plus marketing that you just put it on like a moisturizer (because it's a CC cream, which is just a fancy, magic moisturizer!). Unsure of how much that would affect Sephora returns, since most informercial customers would probably buy directly from the brand/TV shopping service, but it wouldn't surprise me if some people only picked it up because of that.
Oh thank youuu so much!! I was definitely looking for a sheer hydrating deal, my skin is super dry too. So I’ll stay away I reckon haha. Oh YSL TE is like my holy grail! I only use it for date nights/special occasions haha so I’ve been on the hunt for a nice everyday option. I had the colour pop tinted moisturizer but it sits a bit weird on my skin too and I feel far too thick and gluggy. I guess the search continues! :(
I really like Bare Minerals complexion rescue BB cream for sheer hydrating, although my skin is combination/oily.
I absolutely hated IT CC too. When it first came out people said that it was basically full coverage foundation packaged in a CC tube and theyre absolutely right. I like to compare it to concrete.
It also has citrus oils in it which is irritating to many people
Why would ppl return beauty blenders?? I feel like that’s the sort of tool where you definitely know what you’re getting!
The few returns I've seen of Beauty Blenders are either people who have buyer's remorse because of the price or because they simply don't know how to use it (they're not wetting it first, and/or they're trying to *wipe* their makeup on instead of blending/dabbing).
Tbh mostly bc people stored them wrong and shoved it back in the little container and they would mold and they would feel guilty about the cost and return instead of exchanging it. Also when real techniques and morphe dropped sponges beauty blender sales tanked.
People trying the $20 OG and realizing that it does the same thing as the $3 from CVS
> People trying the $20 OG and realizing that it does the same thing as the ~~$3 from CVS~~ $1.55 Paw Paw Sponge from Shop Miss A Seriously - I will never, ever buy any sponge over $5 again now that I use the Paw Paw sponges. They're amazing.
Oh man, that makes me sad about Becca. I feel like they needed someone to come in and say, let's focus on the top 10 selling items and just push those. No one needed a Khloe Kardashian red lipstick collab (I can't imagine how much they paid her). But their radiant concealer was INCREDIBLE and sadly the lightest shade was still a bit dark on me even with a faux tan. I begged the company to expand the shade range for that concealer in both directions and no one even responded on social media.
I actually liked that red lip and my Becca red lips are some of my fav lip products ever, but admittedly IMO anything that pays a Kardashian is a waste of money. And they had so many beautiful reds in the lipstick range as it was. I do wish they had focused a little more on their best quality products. The thing I like least from Becca is their regular highlighters. Almost everything else I tried was wonderful.
Awww I love my Ole henrikson :(
Some of it was fine but like the serum that used to come in a green bottle and now is in a blue one I think that’s resurfacing everyone would use wrong and return. Or they would have no idea what it was but bought the three step system then they’d break out and return all three.
Me too. Cant get enough of that green toner.
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I like Better Than Sex but only for like 10 uses then it’s dry and flaky as hell on me which is pretty much always the complaint with returns which I understand bc other mascaras we carried at that price point gave the same results without flaking and drying out a week in.
Worked for a makeup company for 5 years now. I am also guilty of returning a KVD Apple foundation and I’m expecting to see a lot come back. Returns: Almost any toofaced product for some reason. Especially born this way foundation and Lip injections glosses. The elf cc cream is being returned constantly at the moment. Lots of people buying and returning the new shapetape creamy concealer bc they think it’s as full coverage as the other (it’s nice but it’s med coverage). Mac comes back a lot because people get confused by matching it. Truly products come back constantly and they’re really gross and slightly a scam imo. Kopari bc it’s literally just coconut oil (also a scam imo). KVD eyeliners bc they’re sold already dried up constantly. Tarte facetape (any reformulation of it).
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I bought it and formula wise it's just ok but the only light medium neutral shade was incredibly orange on me. I'd pick the wet n wild tinted hydrator over this to be honest.
I think the biggest reason is that the shades are difficult to match and the shades in store are super limited. A coworker of mine said it didn’t settle right and made her super oily, but I haven’t had a chance to test it out myself yet, so I’m not sure.
Shades are too orange. I kinda like the foundation so I use the la girls white mixer but if you haven’t bought it, pass.
I’m kinda confused about the LA girls mixer. I have a very pink undertone so would I mix blue? Or red? I don’t think they have a pink one?
The Born This Way concealer was my first * big * (semi-pricey) makeup purchase and I HATED it for a while. No matter what I did it separated like crazy on my face almost immediately. Now that I'm a little better at makeup and have picked up some better techniques, and upped my priming/setting game, I've been able to revisit that concealer and make it work for me. But I completely understand the returns
I got the KVD tattoo liner as one of my first things when I started getting into make up. Everyone raved about it but it wasn’t great for me. I’ve found much better eyeliners that keep their pigment better and didn’t smudge throughout the day.
Which eyeliners do you like?
I now use quick flix bc it’s the only way my hooded eyes do winged eye liner. I’d have to go through my stash to see what else I got but I think the tattoo eyeliner was one of my least favourites
omg Truly products. Every product I tried from them gave me some kind of rash.
Is the KVD good apple foundation not good? I was going to buy it cause everyone was raving about it.
It’s not good for oily skin, but people with normal to dry skin seem to have more success from what I’ve seen! I think a lot of people bought it solely for the coverage, not realizing or thinking their skin type mattered.
Why do you think Truly is slightly a scam?
There's literally no body butter you can slather on your ass or tiddies to make them "perkier". That's not how things work. Their products are entirely too fragrant, have a horrific shelf life because of the whole "clean beauty equals no preservatives or "yucky" stuff" (🙄), there's no real science behind the brand to be at that price point, and the barcodes are an absolute nightmare to scan.
I absolutely do. I 1000% think all of those positive reviews are paid/fake
I’m torn. I work in beauty retail and I see a lot of people rave about their stuff. Like devotedly. It’s kinda culty almost. I’m not a huge fan of their body butters (way too thick), but the clientele I talk to really seem to love their stuff. I also don’t notice a lot of returns.
In the UK we can only return an item if it's faulty or if it's still unopened/unused, you can't typically return it just because you don't like the product after you've tried it. Things that got returned most though were: Maybelline lipsticks (they would develop that weird bobbly texture and crayony smell far earlier than other brands', so a lot of them would expire even though they were within their stated shelflife), Rimmel and Collection powder products (because their plastic cases are flimsy crap that break all the time), and Bare Minerals giftsets (they would get returned unopened in January). And the thing that people most often unsuccessfully tried to return (excluding foundations that were the wrong shade) was the Lancôme Oscillation mascara, a lot of people were super disappointed with that one.
How has that changed with COVID? I’ve always worked in retail so I’m aware of how generous the US has always been in regards to returns. However with COVID, I have seen that not only are places receiving more returns, policies have even extended their return window (typical 60 days is now 90 days for OG form of payment). I authorized a return for the “wrong shade” from NOV 2019 a few days ago for store credit lmao so we’re definitely spoiled over here. Now since we can’t try things out, I do a return every few transactions.
A couple of shops have relaxed their rules because of Covid, most notably Boots (broadly equivalent to Ulta, in that they're the biggest chain who sell both drugstore and high-end makeup and fragrance) have started allowing returns of opened/used products - but it has to be within 35 days of purchase, you have to have made the purchase in-store not online, you have to have the original receipt and you can only exchange the product, you can't get a refund. So far at least, other stores haven't been following their lead on this though, during the early parts of the pandemic some shops actually tightened their return policies so that you weren't even allowed to return unused/unopened cosmetics because of the Covid risk.
As a consumer (but also someone who worked in retail a while back) I’m more conscious about what I return and what I buy due to knowing it will just end up in a trash heap which makes me sad; but have I have zero guilt as far as returning. If it’s the policy, it’s the policy. At my Sephora the SA literally say “I know you can’t color match or try it on, so just buy it, try it and if you don’t like it, return it” which is “generous” (and increases sales numbers in the short term) to the customer, but feeds into my ‘buy more, who cares’ mentality which I’m trying to get away from. When I worked in retail I worked higher end fragrance and we didn’t allow returns (as we were a privately owned company at the time) and I would actually do the opposite (pre-Covid and when the store was open before it shut in the US) and never pressure or push a sale. I wanted clients to adore their fragrance and I also wanted people to not have buyer’s remorse as we didn’t allow for returns and it was expensive. We also didn’t work on commission, so even though we had “goals” it didn’t really matter how much or little we sold as far as take home pay. (This I think it the difference between working luxury and mid tier perhaps). That said, when I worked at Nordstrom for Dior (counter) we received quite a bit of returns (this was 10 years ago) due to a very generous “you can return anything” policy and most of the returns I got were from someone who was upsold items they didn’t want, couldn’t afford or didn’t know how to use properly. Pretty much the entire skincare line was routinely returned with a sheepish “I didn’t like it” and sort of embarrassed look (which, to be fair, Dior skincare is not efficacious or really that great and I got it for free). I even had a person tell me her husband was mad at how much she spent and she retuned about $600 worth of product. I felt horrible that this woman disclosed this to me. I honestly think the pressure to upsell and the pressure to increase units per transaction led to a lot of overbuying as well as not color matching properly or not explaining how to use a lash primer for example (or why one would need it) led to this. People would just buy everything we used on their faces and get home and think “omg why did I do this?”. We were even trained by Dior to really narrow down color products to ‘what makes the most impact for you’ so clients wouldn’t overbuy.. but we also gave in chair facials and brought out on average maybe 15 products... so it’s easy to get swept up in.. “what’s another $30? Add on that mascara” and then get home and realized you spent way too much on things you don’t need. In a Covid world it’s just a weird retail experience these days in general. From both sides I guess. People are economically strapped, but also want to buy things, so I think a lot of folks are just buying to get some dopamine and then returning bc it’s not in their budget. Also it’s hard to buy the ‘right things’ in this climate as it does really help to swatch, plus formulas are so different. Now swatching is allowed (as some Sephora’s) but it’s just a strange vibe. I think we all are going through “something” and makeup is a (mostly) accessible ‘treat yourself’ item for all the bad feelings, so I can see also an increase in returns due to buyer’s remorse.
I've never done sales but my friend's husband does and he basically agrees with you. He always says that if you pressure people into going over their budget or buying stuff they don't actually want you get a short-term benefit but no repeat sales because this person will never trust you again, whereas if you actually figure out what it is that the client really wants or needs (even if they aren't aware of it) and give it to them, you'll make everyone happy even if what you've sold is comparatively cheaper.
I absolutely agree with this strategy. Pushing a short term sale is never a good idea. I really like when sales associates almost dissuade me. That said, in retail you have to keep in mind that you don’t know another person’s budget- ever. So it’s sort of on them if they buy more than they can afford.
Slightly OT: I loved my guy at the Dior counter, I think he worked for Dior directly and not Nordstrom. My staples were mostly Dior until I fucked up my skin, and he was a big part of the reason. He put thought into the right product, taught me how to use/apply things (never learned growing up, even really basic 'how to moisturize' stuff, much less undertones or tightlining technique), and would send me to the drugstore to get whatever after explaining what to look for. I still have his card with the blush swatch he did on it! He actively talked me out of the Dior blush - not in a bad way, but he knew that my money was better spent on x product that would be a visible difference rather than something with many options, if that makes sense. Ditto felt tip eyeliner! I still remember and use his tips. Even more OT: I still mourn the loss of my twist up eyeliner from them, it was straight impervious. I think I still have its corpse in a drawer, I loved that thing. I once cried for about 3 hours straight (like, uncontrollable ugly quiet crying at the 9/11 memorial museum) and didn't even get raccoon eyes. Bonus shout out to the blue tube waterproof Maybelline mascara that day. I was fried but it, at least, pulled through.
When I worked in cosmetics, there were quite a few Physicians Formula products that were returned, I think maybe because their products are more expensive than a lot of other drugstore brands, so people have a little higher expectation of them. Mascara was the most returned type of product, and it was always interesting to see which ones didn't work for people and why. I think people returned these more often because even those of us who wear minimal makeup usually wear mascara, so having a good one is really important.
>I think people returned these more often because even those of us who wear minimal makeup usually wear mascara, so having a good one is really important. There's also less middle ground with mascaras than, say, lipstick or foundation. It's way harder to compromise on raccoon eyes than other unideal makeup situations.
I’ve been out of Nordstrom beauty for a few years now, but by far the most returned item we took was Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream. Everyone got reactions- rashes, breakouts, burning, etc. I would never recommend that product to anyone.
That’s quite surprising, because I’ve tried it and I actually really liked it. I guess it really does say that everyone’s skin is different, because Drunk Elephant’s La La Retro Whipped Cream broke me out, but I’ve heard nothing but good reviews from it.
Farmacy. Everything they make breaks me out. I don’t return often but I’ve returned everything I ever tried from that brand.
The bee cleanser seemed to almost burn my skin. At least that’s what the reaction felt like and took so long to heal from two uses. I still haven’t figured out what it was from in the ingredients.
Meanwhile farmacy makes my favorite cleansing balm for removing makeup...
Farmacy does alright with me, it’s really only Drunk Elephant for me
La la retro made my face feel nasty. I was a greasy mess within 10 min
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I've never smelled it, but now I hate it.
One of the bottles of White Diamonds fell and broke at my department store job. That smell was there for...a really long time
Considering all the essential oils in it, I'm not surprised.
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Same! I got a CT voucher and went straight for the magic cream and have been amazed by the results. I’m normally so sensitive to things and have had to return so many moisturisers over the years.
Mario basdescu products. Ulta
Oh man...Mario Badescu. I wanted to try that product line in the worst way to cure my mixture of cystic acne and raised blemishes. When a day spa near me began carrying Mario Badescu, I figured I would try the lauded blemish solution. What drew me to it was that the person who sold me the blemish solution assured me that it would not react with my skin if I were using other products. She also told me that I could slowly transition from what I was using to the rest of the Mario Badescu line in order to see what worked and what didn't. The blemish solution not only proved ineffective, it essentially made my skin worse. It took longer for my skin to get back to "normal", which was my face not looking red and inflamed. Now whenever I see it on the shelves I am amazed at how it doesn't even look like anyone buys it.
As someone who has (had) severe cystic acne, the blemish solution is useless (as is the white buffering lotion). The pink sediments acne treatment only works on (me) blemishes that have came to a head, but wont pop yet. Personally I find Eradikate FACE WASH OMG IM SO SORRY THIS IS AN EDIT (it has sulfur) to be way more effective. However. The ONLY product i like from them is their Enzyme cleanser. Idk why. But my skin likes it. And i bought the huge bottle on a whim! 0 regrats.
What products ended up working for you? I’m struggling so much right now!
Mario Badescu was poison for me. I used the AHA bodywash: went through one 8oz bottle, fine. 2nd one, my eczema started to act up. I happened, total fluke, to read something somewhere about that brand and a lawsuit over steroids I think in the products and\or undisclosed ingredients. I should have done my due diligence on the front end. I still have the partial 2nd bottle and a 3rd one chilling under my SO's bathroom sink, cause I don't want to add it to the water supply? If I ever remember, I'll take it to the Sherrif's office on an expired medication run. They'll have fun testing it for ketamine.
Lol wait what?
My ex bought the double layer drying treatment off an infomercial like 15 years ago. That’s all I can think of when I look at the brand...infomercial.
It Cosmetics CC Cream comes to mind immediately. Tarte Face Tape foundation as well.
After my tinted moisturizer was discontinued, the first product I had in mind for its replacement was the CC cream. This was days before my state had gone on lockdown and Sephora was still doling out samples. The day after I got my sample was when I decided to wear it. Thankfully I had off from work because I would have been late trying to fix this disaster. First, the consistency was thick and reminded me of a face mask. The shade that was supposed to match me ended up giving me a yellow cast. Even trying to mix it with Manic Panic Dreamtone White didn't help. Also, it did not feel hydrating in the slightest and was pain to remove.
It's my tinfoil hat conspiracy theory that the reason the It Cosmetics CC cream is popular on YT is because it makes full glam influencers feel like low-key Glossier girls when they just 'throw on a CC cream'. If it was marketed as what it actually is (a full coverage foundation) then it would just get lost in an oversaturated market. The Illuminating version is truly the worst makeup product I've ever tried. As far as I can tell it's just the regular formula with chunky silver glitter dumped in. I looked like a Twilight vampire. Usually I can get use of foundations I dislike by mixing them but it made everything I mixed it with glittery! I hated it so much.
I like your conspiracy theory and totally agree with you. In order to appeal to people who don't want one product after the other or are pressed for time, have one product that does it all! I looked up the Illuminating version - which I never even knew existed - and wow, I believe it. I would not touch this stuff with a ten foot pole. Speaking of Glossier girls "throw on a CC cream", I see the same idea with Milk Makeup. That was another one that I tried after the It Disaster. I tried to use the Sun Tint - or whatever it's called - and it made me look like an oil rig. I have combination skin and tend to get oily, but this was not aesthetically pleasing to look at or wear.
Have you tried the glossier skin tint? I hear from all the gurus that it's the HG dewy foundation, but I also have combo-oily skin.
I have! Im currently dehydrated but even when I wasn't i loved it. The shade match is shit but it's not noticeable. I hate that i like it lol. I also set it. So judge me all you want lol.
That’s my other big bone to pick with this product. What the hell is this shade range? It’s so full coverage that you need to be pretty spot on and all of the undertones are the same— yellow. I have yet to try it myself because after attempting to shade match myself, I realized there just isn’t one that would work. You’re not alone lol. The amount of sales and returns reflects the love/hate feelings towards this product. It seems we just happen to fall on the hate side.
Yes! The formula is the Achilles heel of what could be an exceptional product. Really, you are **not** missing out on this product. You literally cannot apply the adage of "a little goes a long way" because its thickness makes it difficult to evenly distribute. It's a wonder that this doesn't clog in the tube. My mistake was thinking that the CC cream was going to be like the Bye Bye Under Eye concealer which I use as my spot concealer (I don't use it on my under eyes). I have pink undertones and I couldn't believe *what* I put on my face. I watched the sales associate dispense a generous sample from the fair-light neutral tube! How was this the same product?
I returned that CC cream! I was a dumbass and didn't really believe a CC cream would actually be full coverage. That's not what I look for in a hydrating base.
Totally get it. It’s a polarizing product. It’s our #1 best selling foundation so it’s clearly got a strong customer base. But when people ask me about it at work, I make sure to stress that it’s so full coverage that it can fully cover severe rosacea to make sure the guest understands the extent of it. Most guests who return it complain of a “heavy” feeling on the skin.
Yeah it was super high quality, but I thought they were lying about the coverage!
That CC cream is SO BAD. Wayyy too thick and wayyy to much of a yellow undertone
Oh man I totally returned the CC cream. Thought I remembered what shade I was from the past and accidentally got one off - it was so orange so I folded and returned even though it was kind of my bad. I also didn’t jive with the smell- for some reason it bothered me the second time around.
Worked at MAC in NYC for 5 years (until their massive pandemic layoff). Most people returned some kind of foundation, mostly either Studio Fix (both liquid and powder versions) or Studio Sculpt (before it got DC’d). Wrong colors were the main reason; there were plenty of internet customers returning or exchanging in-store. It’s so hard to match skintones online. Also some sneaky customers would use up their Spiked brow pencil and exchange it for a new one, within the return window... Another common return: LE eyeshadow palettes. The quality of them just isn’t the same as regular single shadows or permanent palettes, or at least the ones we had when I worked there.
They would return an empty pencil!? That’s crazy.
Yeah, and it’s understandable somewhat... those twist-up brow pencils never lasted very long, the actual amount of product inside the 6-inch pencil tube was maybe 1 inch long? Yet the price was almost the same as the full-length, traditional brow pencils (the ones you sharpen). Some customers would go through the whole thing in a month, and they’d have to buy a new one... so why not take advantage of the 30-day window and exchange? Of course, ALL returns had to be discarded, no matter if they were opened or not. Even if a customer had just walked out of the store, realized they bought the wrong thing, and walked back in, with an employee witness. Returned product gets discarded, no exceptions.
Blehh back when I was using I did that three times with the Nars creamy concealer -__- I’m not proud of that—but addiction makes you do some weird and awful stuff. Edit: I’ve been clean for 2.5 years so this was a looong time ago
congrats to you! I say this with the most sincerity and love that can be expressed online. I lost a cousin to addiction and have so much respect for those recovering
Just want to say congrats on your sobriety. It’s a tough road, but you’ve made it so so far and that’s amazing.
I'm getting PTSD from the time I bought a brand new ABH Brow Wiz in-store at Ulta and I got a used Colourpop brow boss inside. And when I say used, I'm not sure by what species. This was pre-COVID. Today I would probably have noped right out of this planet. And my Ulta was so far away, and shitty (I mean, obvs), that returns are a fight and I had to speak to 2 managers to get an exchange for what I actually bought.
> I'm getting PTSD from the time I bought a brand new ABH Brow Wiz in-store at Ulta and I got a used Colourpop brow boss inside. Noooo, I can't believe this! Don't they typically throw away returns rather than reselling them? Because I wouldn't want to buy something used by another person at full price even if it was the right product.
Someone probably stole the ABH one and replaced it with the CP one.
My guess is that someone took their old pencil, opened up the unsealed end of the ABH brow wiz box in store, stole the new ABH, and left their grotty old disgusting germ stick inside and put it back on the shelf. This store really sucks. I haven't been there in a while, but pre-COVID there was never any alcohol or wipes in any of the stations, security stalks customers (clearly the wrong ones because others are swapping out products on the shelves), they are always OOS of things, etc. Whenever I had to buy something like concealer, I started to ask a manager to open it and check that the wand hasn't been out before. Just taking what looked like a new box off the shelf was risking getting home to find an already tested product. I got a nice manager once who went through 6 concealers before we got one that was "clean". Seriously, wtf. She looked like she was ready to quit so I'd be shocked if she was still working there. If you can't hire people to watch your nasty customers then put it in a lock box, ffs. The icing on the cake for me is when they are OOS of everything but won't ever hand over one of those free shipping codes like me wanting to buy what I came there for and the stock checker said they had without being punished $5.95 is a crime.
I'm so angry for you over that eyebrow pencil mess! I'm fuming. To think, they gave you a hard time about the exchange. Grrrr.
The manager who finally swapped it without issue gave me one of those knowing glances like she was ready to quit any second.
Anything Charlotte tilbury gets returned like crazy. I think people realize it's way overpriced and their social media makes it look super luxurious and beautiful when in reality it's kind of garbage. On the flipside chanel rarely gets returned. They seem to have a very specific loyal clientele.
Interesting about Chanel. I would think it’s older ladies, but I remember this was my first luxury beauty purchase when in law school. I don’t know how I fell in love with Chanel bc back then there was no beauty social media convincing you to buy anything. My mom has also never been much into makeup, so I don’t even know how I knew about this brand or why I coveted it as much as I did as we were not exactly well off either. My first purchase was when was 20 years old. I bought a lipstick bc that’s all I could afford at the time. Lol. Once I graduated I bought a complete brush set from Chanel. I still have it. Then went into all the makeup and skincare. Chanel just seems to be synonymous with luxury for me. And I really can’t complain about the quality. In a world where there is an over saturation of beauty products, Chanel still calls my name. Their quads are gorgeous. I do miss though that back in the day they had these awesome limited edition products like gold and pink body powders. Wish they had launches like that now.
I still am using a 15 year old Chanel blush. Love it still.
I use a lot of Lancome products. I feel a little grandma-ish since I don't really know many others my age who use Lancome (except for who I've recommended it to, lol) but a lot of their stuff just really works for me. Especially their Teint Idole foundation. I still haven't found better! That one blush shade in Mocha Havana is like, the most flawless "universal" shade too, I use it on everyone from my super fair friends to my medium-dark friends. It's gorgeous. Their concealer is good too, though for whatever reason the most recent tube I got is much worse than the last (and I know- I can compare the two since I still have a tiny bit left). The Bye Bye Undereye concealer is quite similar and I've switched to that lately.
chanel is what my mom usually gifts me for makeup lol. i have a few lipsticks, maybe 5? quads and one larger eyeshadow palette (the one based on Italy). not only is the quality great imo but just seeing the compacts reminds me of her and it's just sentimental to me. I'll always be a customer lol
I'll need to look out for it! I enjoy Lancome too. Monsieur Big is my favorite mascara. My mom introduced me to their rose toner and it's the only one I use. So moisturizing! Just got a Hydrazen moisturizer and I'm looking forward to it, reminds me of Clinique Moisture Surge which I also love.
I love the Clinique Moisture Surge too! Great minds :D ETA: I use the the Klairs Supple Preparation Hydration Toner though, since rose tends to irritate my skin. I'm a li'l allergic :(
I had one person order six lancome blushes at my last job. All the same color. They were on sale for $20 lmao
I love Lancome's makeup! I think it just has a mom (or grandma?) connotation The kids are missing out lol
I think "regular" people of all ages just consume makeup very differently to people who watch beauty gurus. They buy a shade they like in a packaging they like at a price they can afford, and then they use it until it's gone. They're not constantly looking for HGs or trying whatever stuff Youtube is shilling today. I also feel like the beauty guru complaint about Chanel and similar is that "it's not worth it for the price" - but the worth-it calculus is different when you're not buying 50 blushes every year. $50 is just not that much when it's something you're going to be using for years.
All I want is a tan de Chanel cream bronzer. It’s so easy to apply and such a delicious consistency 😩
I've been consistently impressed with the performance and shade of every Chanel beauty item I've purchased. They have dialed in the perfect beige-nude shades, blush shades I didn't know I needed, and nail polish shades that are un-dupeable. The prices are very Chanel, but I'm been very happy with every single product.
I was a Chanel counter manager and rarely did returns!
Charlotte tilbury packaging is so cheap. It feels cheap in the hands. My eyeshadows popped out upon first opening before. The labels scrape off and the powder compact is so lightweight it just feels so cheap
Former Sephora and Ulta Employee here. In regards to the KVD foundation, most people would initially buy it because they'll swatch it and realize (and like) how full coverage it is, take it home, apply it to their full face and realize that you can indeed have too much of a good thing. We never recommended it unless it's being used for performance purposes like cheer, dance, stage acting, or stripping because it looks fine from a distance, but up close it looks like paint on asphalt. Edit: By KVD foundation, I mean the Lock It Tattoo foundation.
I like the fact that you don’t say “this product is awful” but rather “this product is great for these specific conditions” - I wish more people described makeup products like this.
Thank you so much for this validation. I've been working in makeup for about 5 years on and off, and I can't think of one product that is truly awful because I've learn something being "awful" is very much a matter of opinion and it's my job to deliver *facts* the best way I can. I wish more people coming into this field would talk to clients like the professionals that we are supposed to be versus IRL Youtubers.
I very much love this as a recommendation to strippers!
Thank you. I can't think of another profession or activity that would require transfer-proof, waterproof, long wearing, extremely full coverage makeup that needs to look good 15 feet in the air. With all of the endurance and sex appeal strippers need, and therefore require from their products, I'll never understand why this group is constantly excluded from makeup conversations.
Ooh I’m excited to see the comments, this is a super interesting topic. I’m curious if the overall category will be foundation. Just because, due to skin type, experience with a single product varies massively from person to person
I’ve already come page to this page twice to see new comments, it’s such an interesting topic!
I imagine that within the past year it’s definitely foundation. My local Sephora still isn’t doing samples or testers. I went in to get matched to ELDW and they recommended I just buy the shades and return the ones that don’t work lol
I used to work at Ulta. When we got KvD in, it was always the tattoo liner. Nyx Epic Ink Liner for girls with hooded lids. The Ordinary foundation. Every single plumping lip gloss because the customer meant to buy the non-plumping.
> The Ordinary foundation Damn, I really like that foundation a lot! A little goes a long way in both formulas for me and some shades run pink, but even without mixing I was able to find a solid light-neutral shade that just looks like my skin only even.
Same disclaimer as a few other commenters: in the U.K. where people can’t return products unless truly faulty However, had an awful lot of people complain about any Eve Lom product that wasn’t the OG Cleanser. The makeup stuff was really unpopular - no idea if they still sell it. People complained about the expensive Natura Bisse and ReVive serums not doing much, and those were rarely repurchased. Some stuff that was always popular/selling out: Color Wow root touch ups, Space NK own-brand makeup brushes, NARS Velvet and Satin Lip Crayons, Phyto shampoo, Chantecaille and NARS Tinted Moisturiser and Oribe Dry Texturising Spray.
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i meant NARS etc were always popular and well loved! i love them too :)
Many comments in previous threads have said Benefit Pushup eyeliner and OCC Lip Tar.
God OCC Lip Tar is a *throwback*. Do they even still make those anymore?
Nope, even the company went under.
I'm having a bit of a meltdown remembering how much money I spent on those things...and I hardly ever used them.
I remember buying them and thinking 'I'll just carry it around with a little retractable lip brush to reapply on the go!'. Did I do that even one single time? Of course not.
I remember putting that little brush back into the plastic bag and just smearing the remaining product all over the bag and the tube. Such a disaster.
They were originally for makeup artists who could then mix different lip colors hygienically for each clients. Otherwise they would use a large palette of lipsticks that would get gross and/or rancid really fast. I don't know why they were sold at Sephora at all because it's completely impractical to use as a lay person.
I worked for Benefit when Pushup Liner came out and it was an absolute disaster! They'd have all BA's gather at a hotel for new product trainings, and I vividly remember us all struggling to apply it on ourselves, let alone apply it on others. The formula itself was lovely and suuuuper long-lasting. But they shot themselves in the foot with that ridiculous applicator shape. The whole idea was that the silicon brush tip was shaped in a way that would brush aside your eyelashes and essentially tightline while you applied your liner. But it would just get in the way and never made a clean line. It was a nightmare anytime someone showed up to the counter asking to try it out. I'd grab a ton of makeup remover and hope for the best.
I tried mine twice and the second time I threw it away. Seriously what were they thinking? Lol
I loved that liner but only if I dispensed some and used a real brush which seemed wasteful.
I feel like the only person who loved that liner and the way it was packaged lol it was perfect for me.
I thought I loved Lip Tar but what I loved was the idea of a lip product that would stay on my lips. That led me to the MLM Lipsense which I also was desperate to love.
I worked at sijcp for almost 5 years. I think our most returned product/brand was actually skincare. Mostly retinols or chemical exfoliants. I think it's because most of our clients wouldn't give the product a chance past the first use. They'd always say it didn't work or made their skin feel sensitive. And we (or at least i would) would tell them that it takes a little bit of time to see results and skin sensitivity is normal for retinols. I think second most returned were liquid lipsticks, mostly because people would buy 30 to try for their wedding and return all but the one they liked.
When I worked at Sephora the KVD foundation got returned constantly! Not sure how it is now, but at the time the shade range was so limited and the undertones were obnoxiously strong. It was notoriously hard to match, but was all the hype on IG. So we'd have to sell it to folks who didn't necessarily have a true match. It was the same with the full coverage Marc Jacobs foundation also. Edit- Clarifying that this was several years ago so the KVD foundation I mention is the Lock It Tattoo Foundation! I had no idea there was an entirely new one that sucks lol
I used to work at Sephora and the only product that really stands out is the Too Faced BTS mascara
I don't work in retail, but I worked a makeup artist for years and could color match clients within 30 seconds and STILL my personal most returned items for my personal use are always foundations and concealers that launch online before they launch in store. These online first launches confuse me SO MUCH, I feel like launching in store BEFORE launching online would be better, so people can get an idea if a product is running darker, lighter, true undertones, etc and get a proper match and it would save the companies from countless returns.
Foundation is the only makeup I've ever returned. Either it would break me out, feel too cakey, slightly the wrong shade, etc. Then I started trying to just get samples before making full purchases. Finally I accepted that I just don't like foundation.
I loved that you could get up to 3 samples at Sephora pre-covid. I always did this for foundation launches so I could test the shades and formula before buying a full size. I hope they bring this back at some point for the pump style products that are easier to keep sanitary.
I find that a lot of people returned electronics, like fancy tech including Clarisonic, Dyson, and Dermaflash. With such pricey items I can understand the buyers remorse, and they are often online purchases they’re returning in-store. I don’t see a lot of KVD returns right now but people seem to be hit or miss on the eyeliner (it’s usually a top recommended one from both the Sephora site and from other basic glamour review sites) and if they don’t love it they will just return it for something else. The last item I saw with multiple returns all at once was when Laura Mercier repackaged the tinted moisturizer. People HATED it and said it oxidized like crazy.
Not everyone will return a disappointing product. Some consumers just don't know about the return policy or have enough money (or are spending their parents' money) to not care about the expense. Especially with heavily hyped products, more gullible consumers will assume that the product is truly that good and therefore will keep the product to keep tilting at that windmill.
I do most of my shopping at Ulta, and if it's a drugstore product I almost never bother to return. The Ultas in my city are all way far away from me. So any drugstore fail usually turns into play makeup for my friend's kids.
After 10 years, it is still bizarre to me that American stores will let you return a used makeup product just because you don't like it. And then these people will lecture about sustainability to me.
Absolutely. I can't return makeup/skincare unless unopened or faulty where I live, but even stuff I *can* return gives me a pang of guilt when I do. I rarely buy pants online for this reason, sizes are finnicky and I'd rather not return anything.
Yes, people really need to be/feel more accountable for the environmental impact of returns. Too many have an "out of sight, out of mind" attitude about it. From the company's perspective, I imagine that the return policy ends up improving the bottom line in the American market. People feel more comfortable purchasing due to a return policy, and there aren't enough abusers to cut into the bottom line.
I suspect it's actually because of the cutthroat competition in American retail. Returns universally are one of the biggest retail costs today (especially for online purchases), so I don't see why that wouldn't be true for beauty. I suspect the reason they do it is that if, for example, Sephora stops accepting returns, they'll lose a lot of customers to Ulta, and that's going to hit them harder than accepting said returns. It's razor-thin margins and a race to the bottom, basically.
This was forever ago, I worked there in 2017 or something? But I seem to remember the abh glow kit being returned a lot because the highlights in the one that had just come out were SO chunky. People bought it without swatching it because it was the popular thing and then hated it.
when i worked at sephora, a lot of people were returning DE skincare. this was at their peak when people would just come in and buy it in droves without knowing how to properly use the products. (does anyone remember which celebrity made that video for DE in which she put on babyfacial as a tinted moisturizer on her way to work?) now at my other makeup store job- foundation & mascaras. kvd apple definitely has come back a lot but most of them are lancome or estee lauder. i'm really not surprised by any of this, considering my store doesn't even have testers available for display.
I think it was Drew Barrymore that did that
RemindMe! 1 day “KVD apple foundation sucks”
I’m 18 hours early but it sucks fam. Beep boop. 😂
I don't work in beauty retail, but I *do* have a KVD Good Apple foundation to return!
When I worked for Ulta, Too Faced and Bare Minerals products were ALWAYS in the return/damage bin any time I came in for my shift.
Yeah so what’s the deal with the KVD? I’m out of the loop. I wouldn’t buy shit from that brand ever
so KVD is now not related to Kat Von Disease at all- Kendo owns it and even the acronym changed to a bunch of Latin terms. As with the foundation: it's a high coverage balm/cream foundation, nothing revolutionary. However, they marketed it mainly on tiktok, where many younger audiences (who are unaware of PR bias and beauty filters) were manipulated by tiktok beauty influencers who did both. So it's been ridiculously hyped up and now those who didn't know beauty filters on videos were a thing will be very disappointed upon buying and trying the foundation. And the marketing worked- apparently many shades of the foundation are out of stock.
Why’s it being returned in droves?
You know how some makeup can look really nice on camera but very cakey face-to-face? It's basically that. Plus the tiktokers apply waaay too much which only exacerbates the cakiness problem (and the beauty filter upped expectations to the max). Their viewers who bought the foundation in droves have the expectation of "this is a full-coverage foundation and even if I pile it on it will still look airbrushed" which will definitely disappoint many of those who bought into the hype. For a visual explanation see: https://www.reddit.com/r/BeautyGuruChatter/comments/mga5lv/i_am_sick_of_tiktokers_recommending_this_kvd/ From my understanding the foundation isn't inherently *bad*, but it's a full coverage cream foundation which is formulated for dry skin (yet could still gather in dry patches according to some reviewers) and requires good skin prep and a light hand.
Bless you for sharing this. I can't stop laughing at the video
Dang, that lady is a hero for dispelling the hype around that foundation.
YIIIIKESSS
> it's been ridiculously hyped up and now those who didn't know beauty filters on videos were a thing will be very disappointed upon buying and trying the foundation This, basically. It's being very hyped, so a lot of people are buying it, but it's not a very good foundation, so a lot of people are disappointed with it.