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Makeup on the cheap

May 20th, 2008 by moosh in indy.

So last week we discussed trying out more expensive beauty products and trusting in the return policy if they weren’t exactly what we were looking for. And with thousands and thousands of beauty products available to us shouldn’t we end up with exactly what we want?

I say unto you, YES.

So let’s say you’ve found it. The endless search for the perfect beauty product has ended. For example, my eye cream search stopped at Philosophy’s "Hope in a Tube". Now I like this stuff and believe in it enough to pay the full $33 every six months when I run out. But what if I could get it cheaper? (I could, and I would and I do!) Say hello to eBay.

The last tube of eye cream I bought off eBay was $12 with shipping. Generally women will get a product in a gift set and not want it so they turn around and sell it. This is where you benefit. Now, don’t just go buying whatever suits your fancy. While I’ve never had a bad eBay purchase when it comes to cosmetics, I know what to look for. Before you start be absolutely sure you know the exact product name, shade, maker, size and retail price. Got it? Good, let’s go.

First-Check the sellers rating. The great thing about eBay is that buyers and sellers get to rate each other on all transactions. Make sure that their rating is satisfactory to the number of items they have bought or sold. If you’re still leery of purchasing from someone with a less that 100% feedback, read their ratings, find out why someone rated them negatively and what the seller did about it.

Second- So you’ve found a seller who’s got what you want and has a satisfactory rating? Now it’s time to check for some key words. With cosmetics I only buy new. New, factory sealed, never been opened, never tested, new, new products. If it doesn’t promise you new, Look elsewhere.

Third-This one can be a little trickier. Check the packaging in the photo. Does it look like the product you could go in and buy off the shelf today? Some companies change up their packaging periodically and so you want to make sure you’re getting the most recent edition of whatever you’re buying. Not something that’s been shoved in the back of someone’s dark closet for years and years.

Fourth-Check the product size. An awful lot of sample sizes look just like the full size version and you may be misled if you rely solely on the photo. Make sure in the description it has the size you actually want. (For example, a full size eye cream tube is 1.0 fl. oz., but some people use the full size picture for a 0.1 fl. oz. sample. Sneaky, sneaky.)

Fifth-Check the sellers return policy. Look for a money back guarantee. Check how long you have to return the product. Generally returns are only offered on cosmetics if the product was grossly misrepresented. In other words, read the fine print, and all the fine print.

Sixth-Shipping. So what if you found your $33 eye cream for $10 if the shipping is $24.99? Factor the shipping into the final cost of the item, or you could end up paying a whole lot more. eBay doesn’t monitor or control shipping costs, so pay attention.

And Last- Are you buying from a seller that deals in cosmetics? Check to see if they combine shipping and poke around their store. Last time I bought my eye cream I found a $28 eyeshadow for $8 and it was only and additional $1 to have it added to the shipment. Sweet.

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