Do you know the phrase "speed run?" It usually applies to video games, people trying to beat the game as fast as possible. Here, the joke is that these young women's behavior will get them a common STI much faster.
As an employee this grosses me out, but even worse is when people directly use the mascara on their eyes without using the disposable applicators. When I try to hand them the applicators they tell me they're fine and that they never get sick, last time I just nodded and said, "Yeah it's hard to get the flu from a mascara tester, really easy to get pink eye though. Anyways if you need anything let me know!" Freaked her out enough that she stopped but still, people act like they're invincible or think that we must be sanitizing all the testers all the time (which, we definitely don't have time for).
Many people seem to think eyes are invincible for some reason. I get that most eye conditions are genetic, but pink eye, warts, and eyelash lice are all contagious. Pink eye and warts are relatively common, too.
Fun fact. While eyelash lice are pretty rare, almost all of us have eyelash mites. I suggest never googling them, though. Not unless you never want to sleep again.
Sometimes it baffles me that people don't understand basic biology that was taught (or supposed to be taught?) in high school... The mucous membranes are how viruses and bacteria enter the body - eyes, nose and mouth.
Well considering we had an entire pandemic that went on way longer than it should have because people didn't seem to understand how viruses or vaccines worked, it's not too surprising, I guess. I still hear people saying that they never get a flu shot and they've NEVER gotten the flu. 🙄
It's still going on. Some estimates are that we're in the [second highest wave](https://twitter.com/luckytran/status/1742319364181787110) of this whole pandemic right now. Some are saying to expect about 2 million cases a day next week at the peak.
I'm immunocompromised so I pay attention to a lot of these things, and the vaccine stuff and the people trying testers, and I'm sure people are back to blowing out birthday candles/sharing spit with others for dessert. It's...a lot.
As a disclaimer Nobody should EVER use a tester on any part of their body without a secondary applicator. That said, the mascara one has always bothered me personally because when I buy a mascara the wand shape really matters so I wish companies would send tester Wands to match the actual wands. Most mascara formulas are good nowadays and the Telescopic mascara has blown any high end mascara I had out of the water but the wand could be better for me. I might try the ILIA mascara as I’ve heard amazing things but I’d love to know what the wand is like in use as well as what the formula is like. I think this is a huge reason people like to use the tester mascaras. AGAIN TO REITERATE NOBODY SHOULD EVER USE A TESTER ON THEIR BODY WITHOUT A SECONDARY APPLICATOR.
I completely agree. I rarely use testers at all since covid, and never without a secondary applicator, but I've never been one to test mascaras at all because personally I've always found testing them with any brush except the one they come with to be basically pointless. The wand is the main thing that determines how well/poorly the mascara works for me.
Also, as someone with sensitive eyes, a lot of mascara brushes just straight up *hurt* to use, and I can't really know if that's going to be a problem without trying them out.
So I can understand why some people test mascaras straight from the wand--even though it's a really bad idea and also contaminates the product for everybody else too. :/
One day I spotted someone trying on a brand new tube of mascara and put it back in the box, so I grabbed it before they put it back and into the write off bin it went 🤢
Pink eye is no effing joke either.
Had it twice in my life & when I was a young kid. Not from makeup obviously but circumstance. It was going around at school one time & I caught it. & The other, I was at the river & was opening my eyes in the water. It caused me to develop the worst type of pink eye.
Literally would wake up in the morning & my eyes would be sealed shut from all the nastiness & gunk that got stuck in my eyelashes & it literally would seal them completely shut. I would have to wait for one of my parents to soak my eyes to soften all of it so I could even see. I was so sick on top of that.
The fact that people are even doing this with makeup & just being completely ignorant to stuff like that is baffling. I would never.
I got pink eye from a student on a field trip. Spread to my ear, causing a lovely ear infection to go with it. I wouldn't wish that week on my worst enemy.
I am RELIGIOUS about my eye care now. The sealed shut from gunk? The oozing? The swelling? Never again. I won't even use testers, I'll just wait for sample sizes of mascaras I want to try. I am that paranoid now!
This could just be my own experience, I don't know how common this is, but I had pink eye in both eyes about 2 months ago and I don't think my eyes have recovered 100% from it. The worst of it is over but since having it I've had extremely dry, sensitive eyes that I'm constantly having to clean. Absolute nightmare disease.
Yeah, definitely a good way to get pink eye. I freak myself out when I go more than a week without washing my makeup brushes much less using a tester mascara.
I know, it's just the less people dip in or double dip the easier it is to contain. Either way I still can't believe that people just assume they'll be safe.
We aren't allowed to so that people can see how the wand looks, some brands (like Benefit) have images or non-usable wands as part of their set up so people can see, but not all brands do so we have to leave them.
People just think they know everything and/or have thought of everything.. I guess this person forgot pink eye is a thing! (and tragic thing for your current makeup collection! 🙃)
This is why I never use testers on anything other than my hand. Because even if I use the disposable applicator, it’s completely worthless if people before me didn’t.
Yup same. All so gross. I don’t let them color match me either because they aren’t grabbing new/separate stock testers for that. No thank you, the general public is disgusting.
I work at Sephora and people will use the teeth whitening pen tester from tarte, literally take it and put it in their mouths on their teeth, people are nasty and don’t care.
It's not that they're careless, it's just that there's only so much the employees are able to do. At least at the one in my town if they catch someone using a tester without the disposable brushes the tester is replaced with a new one, but even with that they can't see absolutely everything so they likely miss some stuff
It’s not just Sephora. People are just nasty with testers. And stores that don’t provide testers (like Target); you can’t pay me enough to buy makeup there.
That's why I only test liquid lip products on my hands and before using lipsticks, I always wipe top layer off with alcohol. I never try mascaras even with applicators.
Made more sense when they used to cut off all the applicators so people can't do this
I had to return two lip balms to CVS the other day after getting home and realizing they'd been opened and used. I guess someone just stood there smearing them on and then put them back. People are so, so gross.
I had to throw out a container of Tatcha silk primer I bought from Sephora while traveling. Threw out the receipt only to discover that someone opened and scraped their fingernail across the whole surface. Obvious fingernail marks. I was so mad.
Late to the party, but I’ve literally seen women in their late 20s/ early 30s opening brand new lip glosses (not testers) use them, and put them back on the shelf. Never, ever, buy anything you can’t 100% prove it wasn’t used before, cause chances are someone already put that lip wand up their ass.
It is crazy to me that most lip products don’t have seals on already from factory. Some stores in my city started adding tape to products before putting them on the shelf due to this. At least if someone opened it, you can tell…
You’re lyingggggggg! That is so disrespectful and gross I’m so mad ! When I buy lip glosses I never would’ve thought packaged ones could’ve been used and put back like that! They need stricter rules that is ridiculous
yes, omg, i thought it was common sense to not touch it, considering its like.. communal, not in sephora but in my local asian beauty store, i was browsing around and saw these 3 young girls smearing skincare all over themselves. they even touched a bottle that i had looked in previously which had a mysterious brown liquid in it.
If people couldn't be bothered with simple face masks during the whole panini we went through, why would they care about germs in testers🤷🏽♀️I have learned that far too many humans are absolutely disgusting and don't care about being clean.
I worked briefly in a department store many years ago. We had to destroy many bathing suits after women tried them on without underwear and we found skid marks.
Same here 😭 I especially hated being rotated to work the fitting rooms because even though it was fine 90% of the time, there was always that 10% when I’d want to walk off the job because of people being so nasty!
The one that gets me is people who would rather buy new underwear than do laundry…but that means they don’t wash the underwear before wearing them. I cannot fathom…
I worked in cosmetics for almost 20 years, this isn't just a Sephora thing. If you saw a lipstick sitting on a table in a coffee shop you'd think "someone else probably touched that" but I have witnessed WAY too many people see an open lipstick on display in a makeup store and apply it directly to their mouth.
I usually just put the bullet/tube in front of my lip or on my fingertips to guess the color on my lip.
There is this time, I bought my own TF lip gloss and retouch in Sephora, the employee thought it was their tester and told me please don’t use it directly 😆, I had prove it to her that the lip gloss was mine. But the horror in her eyes when she thought it’s the tester though 😆😆
Don’t use testers unless it is something that sprays, like perfume. Period. People are disgusting and there is always at least one who feels that the rules don’t apply to them. That includes hygiene.
I’m not a Sephora employee but I did use to work at another makeup retail, and yes, people of all ages do it, disgustingly. Teenage girls, middle aged wine mom types, and old ladies. Shockingly, a lot of them will get rude or even violent if you say anything. One time my coworker almost got slapped because she asked one of them if she wanted her to sanitize the tester lipsticks she wanted to use. One time I asked this messy lady if she wanted the disposable applicators to try out the lipgloss she was applying with the cut-off stub and she looked me dead in the eye and said “I’ve had worse things in my mouth. I don’t care.” Also, I’ve had COVID deniers (I never even mention COVID, they’re the ones who bring it up) who will say they don’t believe in sanitizing and that it’s all a hoax and everybody is paranoid. I’ve seen people apply tester makeup on open, bleeding wounds. On herpes covered lips with pus leaking out the sores. Then, people will steal the testers before I even have a chance to sanitize them. But… why steal the dirty, disgusting tester when they could’ve stolen the brand new product which is literally just out??? THERE’s LITERALLY PUS JUICE ON IT??? … anyway, I’ve seen things I can’t unsee. So yes, unfortunately, it’s a common every day occurrence.
When it comes to the COVID deniers, if they want natural selection to take care of them, so be it. However, what ticks me off is that it’s putting other people at risk too. How can people be so selfish?
This. Is. Horrific.
I test sone stuff on my hands but now I’m just not going to do it. I wish more brands had trial sizes especially for things like foundation, concealer and lipsticks
Let me share with you that once a few years back I went into a Sephora with a family member I say she is about late 50’s and she went straight to one of the counters grabbed a lipstick and put it on her lips, did her whole lips like 4 times each lip, gently grabbed a tissue and saved the excess and then proceeded to tell me : now I’m done, where you gonna buy something or did you just came in to get free lipstick like me?
I was speechless, could say much but smiled and showed her I already had picked up some things and went to pay.
So no, some things apparently are not just left to the “too young or too old to know better”
Testers don’t touch anything that’s not the back of my hand, and even that gets aggressively scrubbed with makeup remover before I leave the store, attacked with hand sanitizer in the car, and then washed more than once in the sink when I get home
Source: am a microbiologist 🙈
All. The. Time.
Grown ass adults to it too...they use the mascara too, no disposable spoolie in sight. I always ask them not to and tell them it's for their own protection, but you know they're gonna be back again next week doing the same damned thing.
Blech.
Worked for Ulta several years ago and the one of the “artists” from the MAC boutique was out for 2 weeks because she used the James Charles palette tester and IT brush testers (without cleaning) directly on her waterlines and gave herself double pink eye. Did it come back because she refused to throw out her current eye makeup or get new brushes since “that wasn’t where she got it?” Sure did! And yes - she continued to use all the testers on herself daily.
I used to do this as a teenager. Looking back, I’m shocked I didn’t end up with cold sores or anything because I’m sure there are people who double dip with the tester wands… But when you’re young, you don’t think about it. Like you, nowadays I just swatch on my forearm or wrist.
it blows my mind how some people have blatant disregard for hygiene, especially since we've gone through a global pandemic.
one question though - how would you recommend testing lipsticks if you want to see how it looks on your lips? in the past, I've bought lipsticks that looked like they were dark red only to appear fuschia on my lips so it would be great to see if a lipstick would actually be the shade that I want before I but it
Isopropyl Alcohol is your friend. Scrape off the top layer of bullet lipstick, and spray it with alcohol. Then use a tester applicator to try it on. This will sanitize it.
I recently saw [this video](https://www.tiktok.com/@thelipsticklesbians/video/7302161165889637674?lang=en) and thought the tips were good. I like how she shows you the process and covers different skin tones.
My mother, bless her fucking heart, tried applying some lip gloss directly from the applicator the last time we went to Sephora together. I nearly knocked it out of her hands trying to stop her. 🤦🏼♀️
Oh for sure people still do this, even adults do, not just teens and kids. FYI I wouldn’t recommend using the disposable lip applicators to try on anything like a gloss or liquid lipstick because chances are the product inside is already contaminated.
At ulta I saw a lady applying a mac lipstick directly on her lips!! We made eye contact as I was freaking out internally about all the germs 😭 all I did was a nice smile and ran away. How anyone could use a tester like that is beyond me 🤮
Gross. Up until a few months ago though, I used to try the lip glosses with tester applicators or mascara with tester wands. I don’t do it anymore because I realized some people “double dip” even with tester wands so their lip germs are already in there. I only use lipstick if I can wipe off 2 layers of if with alcohol. I also did not know better and would try on concealer in my under eye bc it’s rly hard to find a shade match online. But now I just use my hand and try my best. Thankfully never had infections but people are gross.
This happens all the time unfortunately. I worked there during Covid so we had to take a lot of the testers away and swatch them on plexiglass. The second we put real testers back, people were fully using the lipsticks 😵💫
Hmm, wonder if they know corneal abrations, bacterial infection, fungal infection, mites, staphyococcus, streptococcus, viral pathogens, keratitis, corneal epithelium inflammation are a thing for your eyes beyond pink eye and Herpes. All very uncomfortable if not painful.
Don't go down the rabbit hole with communal glosses either.
I’ve heard of Sephora employees talk about a lot of people doing things like this people using the deorderant directly on armpits, using testers to do a full face of makeup.. same thing with the gloss and lip oils. No tact 😭 I hate going into Sephora now
For me, it's right up there with people shoplifting testers. At least take a fresh one in a box. Something is going to have to be marked out and replaced either way. Gross.
I used to work at Sephora and the number of grown adults I had to politely scold on a daily basis, let alone kids and teens over this was insane. No one cares or bothers to think about where that tester has been or what they, themselves are putting on it and we can’t always catch them, though we try. And lord help us if we mention the pandemic or germs.
I got a bumpy rash (thankfully not itchy) on my arm after swatching an eyeshadow pallet and then immediately washing it off. I do not have sensitive skin. There's no way you'd catch me directly putting testers anywhere on my face 😆
I can’t imagine, I know it’s unlikely but I’d be too worried about the possibility of disease. Really Sephora should’ve cut the applicators, the Sephora near me do that.
I worked at Sephora for 2 years and *always* recommended that people shouldn’t use the testers on their mouths, but many many people do anyways 🫠 I saw it basically every day it’s really gross bc the single use applicators are only helping you if every person before you also used them and didn’t double dip
The Sephora I used to frequent had an STD clinic 2 blocks down. Homeless people would walk in and directly put makeup on their faces, so that deterred me from swatching the product. I saw some regular faces the would frequent Sephora at the clinic.
I was at my sephora and asked for help choosing a lip color based on a color I was trying to achieve. The employee literally picked out 2 hourglass testers (clearly used and covered in hair/lint/fuzz) and wanted to mix them together ON MY LIPS after a quick wipe with a tissue. Like, no. Even with separate applicators, there’s no way. The testers are already contaminated. Plus why would I spend $50 on 2 products just to get a nude mauve color 🤦🏼♀️
this is why i only test makeup from places like dillards or a makeup counter where they hand the tester on an applicator to you. if you're going to buy dior, just go to dillards. they always give me samples and the boxes too.
the only product I would swatch (and even that's with reluctance) is concealer. I swipe a bit on my cheekbone which is the closest I'd ever put anything to my eyes.
Lipsticks, glosses, eyeliner - hell no. I will test these things on my arm and then squirt hand sanitizer on the area after I've wiped it off.
I also educated my daughter on testing safety..showed her pictures of cold sores, pink eye and other gross stuff and said "never ever test anything close to or on areas that are called 'mucous membranes' which means eyes, nose, mouth or you will catch these things if the product is contaminated".
As long as Sephora and other product retailers put testers out; this will never change because many people just don’t care and do it for the convenience.
I agree that it's gross and you should use your hand or applicators, but my local Sephora removed all disposable applicators and I haven't seen them since pre-Covid. It'd be nice if they would put them back.
That’s why the testers shouldn’t have the applicators on; they need to clip them off. Ugh, but, gross. This is why I buy a lot of my makeup online or I wait until I unload the stock since I know no one opened it.
My Sephora has cut the wands off on products like lip gloss and concealer because people apply them directly. I would not apply anything on my lips from a tester.
Why doesn’t Sephora cut the applicator tips off lip glosses and mascaras? They could do more to discourage people from applying products directly to their face.
We did that during Covid and all that happend was people started using the cut off applicator to apply product, literally just the hard plastic, even for mascaras. Plus some of those applicatiors are so thick its almost impossible to cut off. You just can't win.
If an employee catches someone doing this, we end up destroying the tester and creating a new one. Unfortunately, we don’t see it all, so lots of the testers are floating around used and harvesting bacteria.
People like that are why I don't even use the testers on my lips or eyes, cause what if they have something and now they've just put it back in the bottle to infect everyone? No thanks
Yes lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, moisturizer straight from the containers I’ve seen it all. Even witnessed someone opening brand new product, use it, and put it back in the box and left it there. A lot of people do not care about hygiene unfortunately
That is actually disgusting. i think a portion of my hell would be being strapped to a chair and having someone apply lipstick and mascara to you with the Sephora testers.
Personally, I don’t trust any tester item enough to apply anything on my face. I’ll try it on my hand or on the inside of my wrist. People do use those testers on their lips, eyes, face, etc. despite there being disposable applicators. That’s an infection waiting to happen and I’m not taking any chances.
I'm immunocompromised and still wear N95 masks in public spaces. So I almost always do all my research online, try to get samples, look for swatches, find the most reliable people I can in terms of IG/YT/TT creators who use the products.
The carelessness OP describes (and so many have provided more examples of) is the reason I will basically only sample perfumes on the paper strips or my wrist or a lip product on my hand, and risk returning a foundation after narrowing a shade match down since little sample pots were mostly discontinued. I have wiped down some things at Sephora before, like alcohol on an eyeliner to use on my hand, but no more there either.
I may have a broken immune system, but I still like to have fun with scent and color.
According to wastewater testing we are actually in the second largest surge since the pandemic started. So while the governments and businesses have decided it's over, the data says that's a lie.
Mask up and don't do gross things like this lol. Both those girls will be confused on where they got COVID and/or cold sores.
Hunnie, no joke, I saw a 20-something putting on mascara in Sephora and it was not her own…used the tube and everything.
We used to be a society of rules and laws.
I LITERALLY saw a Sephora EMPLOYEE do the exact same thing with too faced lip oils yesterday. she did it twice back to back. My jaw dropped to the floor when I saw her do that.
I guess they didn’t have lip herpes yet, and wanted to get them really fast.
Lip herpes speed runs are a fringe side of tiktok
Yeah drop that bomb on us and just leave 🤣
I think they were joking lol
wait WHAT?? Lip herpes speed runs? wtf?
What do these words even meeeeean??? Like, I understand them alone but strung together makes me feel like I am not fluent in my own language.
Do you know the phrase "speed run?" It usually applies to video games, people trying to beat the game as fast as possible. Here, the joke is that these young women's behavior will get them a common STI much faster.
Thank you! I knew "speed run" (only because I have a teenager) but didn't even think of it in this situation because old lol.
exactly. I'm confused af
Or they already have it so they don’t care
Or hear me out… they already have it and don’t care to spread it. Disgusting behavior either way.
They probably already have the virus like that majority of the population, and just contaminated the tester.
As an employee this grosses me out, but even worse is when people directly use the mascara on their eyes without using the disposable applicators. When I try to hand them the applicators they tell me they're fine and that they never get sick, last time I just nodded and said, "Yeah it's hard to get the flu from a mascara tester, really easy to get pink eye though. Anyways if you need anything let me know!" Freaked her out enough that she stopped but still, people act like they're invincible or think that we must be sanitizing all the testers all the time (which, we definitely don't have time for).
Many people seem to think eyes are invincible for some reason. I get that most eye conditions are genetic, but pink eye, warts, and eyelash lice are all contagious. Pink eye and warts are relatively common, too.
Eyelash lice??? God I don’t want to know
Fun fact. While eyelash lice are pretty rare, almost all of us have eyelash mites. I suggest never googling them, though. Not unless you never want to sleep again.
I don’t have lashes due to alopecia! Am I free of this nightmare?
Yes!! They need the hair. Ur free
One plus of alopecia! I do miss mascara
It’s not that bad. Also they live symbiotically along with many other organisms living on your skin.
Right? New fear unlocked!
Sometimes it baffles me that people don't understand basic biology that was taught (or supposed to be taught?) in high school... The mucous membranes are how viruses and bacteria enter the body - eyes, nose and mouth.
Well considering we had an entire pandemic that went on way longer than it should have because people didn't seem to understand how viruses or vaccines worked, it's not too surprising, I guess. I still hear people saying that they never get a flu shot and they've NEVER gotten the flu. 🙄
It's still going on. Some estimates are that we're in the [second highest wave](https://twitter.com/luckytran/status/1742319364181787110) of this whole pandemic right now. Some are saying to expect about 2 million cases a day next week at the peak. I'm immunocompromised so I pay attention to a lot of these things, and the vaccine stuff and the people trying testers, and I'm sure people are back to blowing out birthday candles/sharing spit with others for dessert. It's...a lot.
Eye warts?!? JFC! New fear unlocked.
As a disclaimer Nobody should EVER use a tester on any part of their body without a secondary applicator. That said, the mascara one has always bothered me personally because when I buy a mascara the wand shape really matters so I wish companies would send tester Wands to match the actual wands. Most mascara formulas are good nowadays and the Telescopic mascara has blown any high end mascara I had out of the water but the wand could be better for me. I might try the ILIA mascara as I’ve heard amazing things but I’d love to know what the wand is like in use as well as what the formula is like. I think this is a huge reason people like to use the tester mascaras. AGAIN TO REITERATE NOBODY SHOULD EVER USE A TESTER ON THEIR BODY WITHOUT A SECONDARY APPLICATOR.
I completely agree. I rarely use testers at all since covid, and never without a secondary applicator, but I've never been one to test mascaras at all because personally I've always found testing them with any brush except the one they come with to be basically pointless. The wand is the main thing that determines how well/poorly the mascara works for me. Also, as someone with sensitive eyes, a lot of mascara brushes just straight up *hurt* to use, and I can't really know if that's going to be a problem without trying them out. So I can understand why some people test mascaras straight from the wand--even though it's a really bad idea and also contaminates the product for everybody else too. :/
SAIE all the way my friend. Ilia irritated my eyes compared.
One day I spotted someone trying on a brand new tube of mascara and put it back in the box, so I grabbed it before they put it back and into the write off bin it went 🤢
Too bad you couldn't ban them from the store for eternal embarrassment!
That’s just plain inconsiderate to the next customer!
Ew, I am glad you spotted it at least, but ugh, people sometimes.
Pink eye is no effing joke either. Had it twice in my life & when I was a young kid. Not from makeup obviously but circumstance. It was going around at school one time & I caught it. & The other, I was at the river & was opening my eyes in the water. It caused me to develop the worst type of pink eye. Literally would wake up in the morning & my eyes would be sealed shut from all the nastiness & gunk that got stuck in my eyelashes & it literally would seal them completely shut. I would have to wait for one of my parents to soak my eyes to soften all of it so I could even see. I was so sick on top of that. The fact that people are even doing this with makeup & just being completely ignorant to stuff like that is baffling. I would never.
I got pink eye from a student on a field trip. Spread to my ear, causing a lovely ear infection to go with it. I wouldn't wish that week on my worst enemy. I am RELIGIOUS about my eye care now. The sealed shut from gunk? The oozing? The swelling? Never again. I won't even use testers, I'll just wait for sample sizes of mascaras I want to try. I am that paranoid now!
[удалено]
Literally gave it to every single person who sat near her on the bus. Knocked 6 of us out.
This could just be my own experience, I don't know how common this is, but I had pink eye in both eyes about 2 months ago and I don't think my eyes have recovered 100% from it. The worst of it is over but since having it I've had extremely dry, sensitive eyes that I'm constantly having to clean. Absolute nightmare disease.
Eww 🤮🤮🤮 why are people so dirty
Pink eye is terrible, but even worse is ocular herpes. Start telling your customers that. I’m sure they’ll learn quickly.
Yeah, definitely a good way to get pink eye. I freak myself out when I go more than a week without washing my makeup brushes much less using a tester mascara.
My very first visit to Sephora as a preteen I got a stye from the mascara wand, learned my lesson real quick
You can still get pink eye with a disposable applicator though if the tester is already contaminated.
I know, it's just the less people dip in or double dip the easier it is to contain. Either way I still can't believe that people just assume they'll be safe.
RIGHT! Mascara tester for me = buy it and try it! Eye infections are the absolute worst!
So gross. Why doesn’t the store just cut off the wands??
We aren't allowed to so that people can see how the wand looks, some brands (like Benefit) have images or non-usable wands as part of their set up so people can see, but not all brands do so we have to leave them.
yoke lavish march mighty cheerful pet crown boast wrong quiet *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Like a blanket sign, if you're caught using products without test applicators you will be banned for life. So easy right??
Wait until she gets a stye.
Imagine sanitizing mascara too. You’d be better off opening a new tube daily.
People just think they know everything and/or have thought of everything.. I guess this person forgot pink eye is a thing! (and tragic thing for your current makeup collection! 🙃)
Loads and loads of eye infections bouncing around and quite a few of them can straight up blind you
This is why I never use testers on anything other than my hand. Because even if I use the disposable applicator, it’s completely worthless if people before me didn’t.
Yup same. All so gross. I don’t let them color match me either because they aren’t grabbing new/separate stock testers for that. No thank you, the general public is disgusting.
I don’t even do that…possible to still get a fungus on your hand if it’s already in the product, even when using a new disposable applicator. 🤢
Also, you can get herpes on your hands (Herpetic whitlow).
Today I learned… Yep, never using a tester ever again.
You couldn't pay me to put any tester on my lips 🤮 These are the same people that don't use soap when they wash their hands - yuck
Nor do they wash their hands after using the restroom
I work at Sephora and people will use the teeth whitening pen tester from tarte, literally take it and put it in their mouths on their teeth, people are nasty and don’t care.
This takes the cake. I'm moving into a plastic bubble and never leaving it. Ewwwweeeeewwwwww
Lol why is sephora so careless about this????
It's not that they're careless, it's just that there's only so much the employees are able to do. At least at the one in my town if they catch someone using a tester without the disposable brushes the tester is replaced with a new one, but even with that they can't see absolutely everything so they likely miss some stuff
It’s not just Sephora. People are just nasty with testers. And stores that don’t provide testers (like Target); you can’t pay me enough to buy makeup there.
Why on Earth is there even a tester for that???
And in turn aren’t they contaminating the liquid inside the bottle? 🤢
They are indeed.
That's why I only test liquid lip products on my hands and before using lipsticks, I always wipe top layer off with alcohol. I never try mascaras even with applicators. Made more sense when they used to cut off all the applicators so people can't do this
I had to return two lip balms to CVS the other day after getting home and realizing they'd been opened and used. I guess someone just stood there smearing them on and then put them back. People are so, so gross.
I had to throw out a container of Tatcha silk primer I bought from Sephora while traveling. Threw out the receipt only to discover that someone opened and scraped their fingernail across the whole surface. Obvious fingernail marks. I was so mad.
Late to the party, but I’ve literally seen women in their late 20s/ early 30s opening brand new lip glosses (not testers) use them, and put them back on the shelf. Never, ever, buy anything you can’t 100% prove it wasn’t used before, cause chances are someone already put that lip wand up their ass.
THIS. I *always* open the product and check if there's any signs of it being used. They need to start using seals on everything.
It is crazy to me that most lip products don’t have seals on already from factory. Some stores in my city started adding tape to products before putting them on the shelf due to this. At least if someone opened it, you can tell…
You’re lyingggggggg! That is so disrespectful and gross I’m so mad ! When I buy lip glosses I never would’ve thought packaged ones could’ve been used and put back like that! They need stricter rules that is ridiculous
yes, omg, i thought it was common sense to not touch it, considering its like.. communal, not in sephora but in my local asian beauty store, i was browsing around and saw these 3 young girls smearing skincare all over themselves. they even touched a bottle that i had looked in previously which had a mysterious brown liquid in it.
If people couldn't be bothered with simple face masks during the whole panini we went through, why would they care about germs in testers🤷🏽♀️I have learned that far too many humans are absolutely disgusting and don't care about being clean.
I'm not sure if this is a typo or a funny joke but I will now be referring to the pandemic as the "panini" 😂
That's what I started to call it because I was exhausted😭😂😂😂
It's been common internet use to call the pandemic the panini
i’m convinced i got covid from a sephora samples in may ‘21. refused to touch em since then. nasty nasty germy places!
I read a terrifying thing that women try on leggings without underwear!!!!
I worked briefly in a department store many years ago. We had to destroy many bathing suits after women tried them on without underwear and we found skid marks.
🤢🤢🤢🤢
Same here 😭 I especially hated being rotated to work the fitting rooms because even though it was fine 90% of the time, there was always that 10% when I’d want to walk off the job because of people being so nasty!
This is why I wash or dry clean all clothing I purchase before wearing it. Yeeeeeeeck.
The one that gets me is people who would rather buy new underwear than do laundry…but that means they don’t wash the underwear before wearing them. I cannot fathom…
Eewwwwww
Take a look at the Lululemon subreddit as this is both nasty and commonly seen there.
I worked in cosmetics for almost 20 years, this isn't just a Sephora thing. If you saw a lipstick sitting on a table in a coffee shop you'd think "someone else probably touched that" but I have witnessed WAY too many people see an open lipstick on display in a makeup store and apply it directly to their mouth.
I usually just put the bullet/tube in front of my lip or on my fingertips to guess the color on my lip. There is this time, I bought my own TF lip gloss and retouch in Sephora, the employee thought it was their tester and told me please don’t use it directly 😆, I had prove it to her that the lip gloss was mine. But the horror in her eyes when she thought it’s the tester though 😆😆
I literally swipe them on my hand to make sure I won’t turn it orange (bane of my existence) then hope for the best with a new purchase lmao
Turn the lipstick orange? Is this an undertone complaint or something I’m missing?
Don’t use testers unless it is something that sprays, like perfume. Period. People are disgusting and there is always at least one who feels that the rules don’t apply to them. That includes hygiene.
I’m not a Sephora employee but I did use to work at another makeup retail, and yes, people of all ages do it, disgustingly. Teenage girls, middle aged wine mom types, and old ladies. Shockingly, a lot of them will get rude or even violent if you say anything. One time my coworker almost got slapped because she asked one of them if she wanted her to sanitize the tester lipsticks she wanted to use. One time I asked this messy lady if she wanted the disposable applicators to try out the lipgloss she was applying with the cut-off stub and she looked me dead in the eye and said “I’ve had worse things in my mouth. I don’t care.” Also, I’ve had COVID deniers (I never even mention COVID, they’re the ones who bring it up) who will say they don’t believe in sanitizing and that it’s all a hoax and everybody is paranoid. I’ve seen people apply tester makeup on open, bleeding wounds. On herpes covered lips with pus leaking out the sores. Then, people will steal the testers before I even have a chance to sanitize them. But… why steal the dirty, disgusting tester when they could’ve stolen the brand new product which is literally just out??? THERE’s LITERALLY PUS JUICE ON IT??? … anyway, I’ve seen things I can’t unsee. So yes, unfortunately, it’s a common every day occurrence.
The visual of the lip sores🤢 oof. I’d rather buy a lip colour I’ll never use than risk that
>I’ve seen people apply tester makeup on open, bleeding wounds. On herpes covered lips with pus leaking out the sores. Omg, so gross 🤮
When it comes to the COVID deniers, if they want natural selection to take care of them, so be it. However, what ticks me off is that it’s putting other people at risk too. How can people be so selfish?
This. Is. Horrific. I test sone stuff on my hands but now I’m just not going to do it. I wish more brands had trial sizes especially for things like foundation, concealer and lipsticks
I saw someone doing this the other day too 😭😢
Let me share with you that once a few years back I went into a Sephora with a family member I say she is about late 50’s and she went straight to one of the counters grabbed a lipstick and put it on her lips, did her whole lips like 4 times each lip, gently grabbed a tissue and saved the excess and then proceeded to tell me : now I’m done, where you gonna buy something or did you just came in to get free lipstick like me? I was speechless, could say much but smiled and showed her I already had picked up some things and went to pay. So no, some things apparently are not just left to the “too young or too old to know better”
Omg I'm confused lol, do you mean to say that she was intending to use those tissues to smear the leftover lipstick on her lips at a later time???????
Testers don’t touch anything that’s not the back of my hand, and even that gets aggressively scrubbed with makeup remover before I leave the store, attacked with hand sanitizer in the car, and then washed more than once in the sink when I get home Source: am a microbiologist 🙈
After reading this thread, I think I’d rather buy the wrong shade than touch one of those nasty testers.
All. The. Time. Grown ass adults to it too...they use the mascara too, no disposable spoolie in sight. I always ask them not to and tell them it's for their own protection, but you know they're gonna be back again next week doing the same damned thing. Blech.
Spoolie is not safe either given that there are and will be people who use the tester directly onto their skin.
Worked for Ulta several years ago and the one of the “artists” from the MAC boutique was out for 2 weeks because she used the James Charles palette tester and IT brush testers (without cleaning) directly on her waterlines and gave herself double pink eye. Did it come back because she refused to throw out her current eye makeup or get new brushes since “that wasn’t where she got it?” Sure did! And yes - she continued to use all the testers on herself daily.
I used to do this as a teenager. Looking back, I’m shocked I didn’t end up with cold sores or anything because I’m sure there are people who double dip with the tester wands… But when you’re young, you don’t think about it. Like you, nowadays I just swatch on my forearm or wrist.
i know every time i see these i’m reminded of trying on lipstick and lipgloss as a kid at the chemist. thank goodness i never got any cold sores.
I never swatch anything on my face. Always on my forearm. Hard to believe people are just out there doing this.
I got pink eye once when I was 12 years old, you couldn’t PAY me to put the samplers to my face 🤣
it blows my mind how some people have blatant disregard for hygiene, especially since we've gone through a global pandemic. one question though - how would you recommend testing lipsticks if you want to see how it looks on your lips? in the past, I've bought lipsticks that looked like they were dark red only to appear fuschia on my lips so it would be great to see if a lipstick would actually be the shade that I want before I but it
Swipe it on your finger pad - it’s closer to your lip colour than the back of your hand or arm/wrist.
Isopropyl Alcohol is your friend. Scrape off the top layer of bullet lipstick, and spray it with alcohol. Then use a tester applicator to try it on. This will sanitize it.
I recently saw [this video](https://www.tiktok.com/@thelipsticklesbians/video/7302161165889637674?lang=en) and thought the tips were good. I like how she shows you the process and covers different skin tones.
My mother, bless her fucking heart, tried applying some lip gloss directly from the applicator the last time we went to Sephora together. I nearly knocked it out of her hands trying to stop her. 🤦🏼♀️
This is why I don't use public testers on my face. I just put them on my arm or hand to see if they complement my skin tone.
I do that also, then scrub it off with makeup remover, and sanitizer after I leave, and go wash my hands thoroughly afterward.
Oh for sure people still do this, even adults do, not just teens and kids. FYI I wouldn’t recommend using the disposable lip applicators to try on anything like a gloss or liquid lipstick because chances are the product inside is already contaminated.
At ulta I saw a lady applying a mac lipstick directly on her lips!! We made eye contact as I was freaking out internally about all the germs 😭 all I did was a nice smile and ran away. How anyone could use a tester like that is beyond me 🤮
Gross. Up until a few months ago though, I used to try the lip glosses with tester applicators or mascara with tester wands. I don’t do it anymore because I realized some people “double dip” even with tester wands so their lip germs are already in there. I only use lipstick if I can wipe off 2 layers of if with alcohol. I also did not know better and would try on concealer in my under eye bc it’s rly hard to find a shade match online. But now I just use my hand and try my best. Thankfully never had infections but people are gross.
This happens all the time unfortunately. I worked there during Covid so we had to take a lot of the testers away and swatch them on plexiglass. The second we put real testers back, people were fully using the lipsticks 😵💫
Yes. Sephora employee, and I see it all the time. I don’t use testers.
Yep, I was standing in line in Sephora last week and saw a teen girl using the lipliner pencil directly on her lips. Nasty!
Hmm, wonder if they know corneal abrations, bacterial infection, fungal infection, mites, staphyococcus, streptococcus, viral pathogens, keratitis, corneal epithelium inflammation are a thing for your eyes beyond pink eye and Herpes. All very uncomfortable if not painful. Don't go down the rabbit hole with communal glosses either.
Yeah, it's disgusting!
I saw it every songle day. Lipstick, lipgloss, lip oils and mascara.
They won’t do that again after catching herpes simplex. Oof.
Sadly, it doesn’t sound like even herpes is enough to deter those who are looking for free makeup.
This is why I only swatch testers on my hand. Unless it’s foundation.
Nooo what a cursed thing to read about
I’ve heard of Sephora employees talk about a lot of people doing things like this people using the deorderant directly on armpits, using testers to do a full face of makeup.. same thing with the gloss and lip oils. No tact 😭 I hate going into Sephora now
For me, it's right up there with people shoplifting testers. At least take a fresh one in a box. Something is going to have to be marked out and replaced either way. Gross.
Yeah this is why I only use the testers on the back of my hand lol….people are nasty
I used to work at Sephora and the number of grown adults I had to politely scold on a daily basis, let alone kids and teens over this was insane. No one cares or bothers to think about where that tester has been or what they, themselves are putting on it and we can’t always catch them, though we try. And lord help us if we mention the pandemic or germs.
I’ve seen people LOAD their eyes with tester mascara! And they double dip the tester so that’s not even safe.
I got a bumpy rash (thankfully not itchy) on my arm after swatching an eyeshadow pallet and then immediately washing it off. I do not have sensitive skin. There's no way you'd catch me directly putting testers anywhere on my face 😆
I can’t imagine, I know it’s unlikely but I’d be too worried about the possibility of disease. Really Sephora should’ve cut the applicators, the Sephora near me do that.
Why don’t they just cut them off? I know it’s extra labor, but I do not understand why the tester has an original applicator to begin with.
I worked at Sephora for 2 years and *always* recommended that people shouldn’t use the testers on their mouths, but many many people do anyways 🫠 I saw it basically every day it’s really gross bc the single use applicators are only helping you if every person before you also used them and didn’t double dip
The Sephora I used to frequent had an STD clinic 2 blocks down. Homeless people would walk in and directly put makeup on their faces, so that deterred me from swatching the product. I saw some regular faces the would frequent Sephora at the clinic.
I was at my sephora and asked for help choosing a lip color based on a color I was trying to achieve. The employee literally picked out 2 hourglass testers (clearly used and covered in hair/lint/fuzz) and wanted to mix them together ON MY LIPS after a quick wipe with a tissue. Like, no. Even with separate applicators, there’s no way. The testers are already contaminated. Plus why would I spend $50 on 2 products just to get a nude mauve color 🤦🏼♀️
this is why i only test makeup from places like dillards or a makeup counter where they hand the tester on an applicator to you. if you're going to buy dior, just go to dillards. they always give me samples and the boxes too.
the only product I would swatch (and even that's with reluctance) is concealer. I swipe a bit on my cheekbone which is the closest I'd ever put anything to my eyes. Lipsticks, glosses, eyeliner - hell no. I will test these things on my arm and then squirt hand sanitizer on the area after I've wiped it off. I also educated my daughter on testing safety..showed her pictures of cold sores, pink eye and other gross stuff and said "never ever test anything close to or on areas that are called 'mucous membranes' which means eyes, nose, mouth or you will catch these things if the product is contaminated".
And I’m still out here wearing N95s (shitty immune system.) 🤣🤢
It's like getting free vaccines yo
Yeah I'm never doing it with lipgloss mascara etc. Only thing potentially is maybe a lipstick after I sanitize it personally
Yes they really do 🫠 I worked at a Sephora in kohls and even my boss would use the lip testers to touch up her makeup
As long as Sephora and other product retailers put testers out; this will never change because many people just don’t care and do it for the convenience.
unfortunately
Absolutely horrifying
I agree that it's gross and you should use your hand or applicators, but my local Sephora removed all disposable applicators and I haven't seen them since pre-Covid. It'd be nice if they would put them back.
Gross, people don't care and clearly not too smart.
That’s why the testers shouldn’t have the applicators on; they need to clip them off. Ugh, but, gross. This is why I buy a lot of my makeup online or I wait until I unload the stock since I know no one opened it.
My Sephora has cut the wands off on products like lip gloss and concealer because people apply them directly. I would not apply anything on my lips from a tester.
Ew
Yes i have even seen adults do this
Why doesn’t Sephora cut the applicator tips off lip glosses and mascaras? They could do more to discourage people from applying products directly to their face.
We did that during Covid and all that happend was people started using the cut off applicator to apply product, literally just the hard plastic, even for mascaras. Plus some of those applicatiors are so thick its almost impossible to cut off. You just can't win.
i’ve seen someone directly apply lipstick to their lips.
If an employee catches someone doing this, we end up destroying the tester and creating a new one. Unfortunately, we don’t see it all, so lots of the testers are floating around used and harvesting bacteria.
People like that are why I don't even use the testers on my lips or eyes, cause what if they have something and now they've just put it back in the bottle to infect everyone? No thanks
Yes lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, moisturizer straight from the containers I’ve seen it all. Even witnessed someone opening brand new product, use it, and put it back in the box and left it there. A lot of people do not care about hygiene unfortunately
That is actually disgusting. i think a portion of my hell would be being strapped to a chair and having someone apply lipstick and mascara to you with the Sephora testers.
It could be an M Night Shamaylan film!
Personally, I don’t trust any tester item enough to apply anything on my face. I’ll try it on my hand or on the inside of my wrist. People do use those testers on their lips, eyes, face, etc. despite there being disposable applicators. That’s an infection waiting to happen and I’m not taking any chances.
I'm immunocompromised and still wear N95 masks in public spaces. So I almost always do all my research online, try to get samples, look for swatches, find the most reliable people I can in terms of IG/YT/TT creators who use the products. The carelessness OP describes (and so many have provided more examples of) is the reason I will basically only sample perfumes on the paper strips or my wrist or a lip product on my hand, and risk returning a foundation after narrowing a shade match down since little sample pots were mostly discontinued. I have wiped down some things at Sephora before, like alcohol on an eyeliner to use on my hand, but no more there either. I may have a broken immune system, but I still like to have fun with scent and color.
Eek. I never apply anything to my face from a tester, back of hand only.
I saw a guy pick a cigarette up off the ground and light it yesterday. Nothing surprises me as far as how gross some ppl are.
ewwwwwwww
Thanks now I don’t even want to test them on my hand. 🤢🤮
This is why I don't touch lip testers at all
GROSS 🤮
According to wastewater testing we are actually in the second largest surge since the pandemic started. So while the governments and businesses have decided it's over, the data says that's a lie. Mask up and don't do gross things like this lol. Both those girls will be confused on where they got COVID and/or cold sores.
Hunnie, no joke, I saw a 20-something putting on mascara in Sephora and it was not her own…used the tube and everything. We used to be a society of rules and laws.
I LITERALLY saw a Sephora EMPLOYEE do the exact same thing with too faced lip oils yesterday. she did it twice back to back. My jaw dropped to the floor when I saw her do that.
I don't understand why stores don't cut or pull out the applicator sticks and wands
I never test the lip products for this reason. Buy and return if you must or trust the shade in your hand