Second-hand makeup, yes or no?

The phenomenon of buying and selling second-hand makeup is a fact on both sides of the Atlantic. Business figures support portals such as Glambot, the world's leading benchmark, with sales exceeding one million euros and increasing each year since 2015. At the same time, others such as Muabs and generalist online stores such as eBay are becoming more and more open to these products.

Here in Europe, just as much of the same. An example we have in Spain. Although the second-hand makeup market is not as widespread as in North America, the Beautiers portal, our country's most important portal, exceeded 5,000 transactions in 2018, "with continuous growth since its creation in 2015, both in number of users and in sales," explains Marta Frutos, its founder.

When it comes to selling, every portal has its rules. Glambot, for example, accepts small lots of up to 30 products. It only allows original products from a list of 82 specific brands and the packaging must be in perfect condition. In addition, they do not support products that can be reusable or refillable. Contrasts with others like Muabs or Reddit's Makeup exchange, where you can sell any type of product in any state as long as the photos are true to reality. This is also essential in Beautiers: "the only way we have to control is by asking for and demanding quality photos where the state and veracity of the product can be corroborated."

There are also rules on the amount of product to be left on packaging. If used previously, they should not normally be below half of their original content.

It is precisely the quality and health of the products that make the makeup of the main firms suspicious. "we have to be very careful when using second-hand products because, from the moment they open and come into contact with the air, their decomposition begins. This happens especially in liquid or creamy products that, by containing water, can be breeding grounds for bacteria," explains Paulo Almeida, Director of Training for Europe of the firm M ·A ·C. "it is important to disinfect products for hygiene and health. There are some that are easier to clean, such as pallets or pulveras, but even more complicated ones such as masks or lipals can also be made, "explains Marta Frutos.

Before using them, "you have to look at the smell and texture, because they will tell us if it's in good shape," says Eliecer Prince, National make up artist of Guerlain. "the smell of a lipstick, when it's decomposed, is very unpleasant. If we use it, we run the risk of having herpes. The coloring costs a lot more to break down. Although it is often said that 12 months, they stand well for up to two years. The same is not the case with eyelash masks, which are especially quick to expire, "he continues.

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Powdered products are the only ones that 'indulge' makeup makers. "if I had to buy second-hand makeup, they would only be powdered because I know they'll be free of bacteria," says Almeida. "I would only choose reputable brands as far as skin care is concerned, and I wouldn't put them in my face without having tried them on my arm before," Eliecer adds.

As online business, second-hand makeup buyers usually Don't see the product until they get home and the transaction is paid for. Thus, providing maximum protection is essential. They get this through PayPal, which is the common payment platform for all of them. "if the product arrives defective to its buyer, it will be necessary to assess whether it was for the transport or if it did not really match the description. If that is the case, PayPal always gives in favor of the buyer and returns the money," Marta explains. Another way is that the store first buys the products, and thus supervises them before putting them for sale to the public, in the case of Glambot.

The customer profile of these shops are, above all, young girls who love to try all kinds of products. "big makeup consumers, especially when it comes to limited editions or news. We realize that it's been a year since we haven't used a palette or that we have a lipstick that we only use once and we want to give them a way out, getting financial aid that we will often 'sin' by buying last releases, "Marta explains.

Buyers do not understand these acquisitions in the medium term. By paying much less than for the original, these makeup will have an ephemeral life in their case, as it won't hurt to throw them away after a few uses. The 24 / 7 Glide-on profiler of Urban decline, for example, can be purchased little used in Glambot for 10 €(the new price is 20.90 €). Kylie Jenner's lipals are semi-new at €15.80 in Muabs, €8 less than in shops.

In addition, these platforms have become the preferred ones for those looking to find limited edition products already withdrawn in stores. For example, an illuminator from the 2016 vibe Tribe collection from M ·A ·C can be obtained at Beautiers for €19. On the same website, the illuminator of the Man Ray collection of Nars (Christmas 2017) is for new sale for 30 €. Whether or not to use them three years after their release will be each one's decision.