Last week just wasn't my week to purchase beauty products. Firstly I bought an expensive foundation and after applying it I found to my horror that I had bought the wrong shade which was my fault entirely. This shade gave my face a slight tanned look which doesn't work well at the moment as we are in the middle of winter. My second faux paux was buying a hair spray at a hair salon which I don't normally go to. The first time I used it I nearly gagged on the scent. Again an expensive mistake, and again I can only blame myself as I didn't feel like walking to the other side of the mall to buy my usual brand. The foundation I definitely couldn't use and had to replace it with the correct shade which meant giving out more money. The hair spray however, I will have to finish even though I hate the smell. I just couldn't bring myself to spend yet more money to replace it. Would you replace products incorrectly bought or just bite the bullet and use it till was finished?
Excellent question! I was asking myself a similar question the other day as I was given a gift that was a beauty product but did not contain ingredients that were 'right' for me...strong scent etc, that did not suit me but I just could not bring myself to use it. I gave it to a friend, explaining the situation. But, as in your case, with the hairspray - I would possibly just use it, but only if it never affected my health. Then 'biting the bullet' in that case, will kill me (sooner rather than later). Hope I made sense with this reply?
What were the return policies for those items? I would've returned them if at all possible and gotten the product I really wanted. As for the dark foundation, I would've bought another bottle of a shade too light and mixed them to meet my skin tone. That way the first one wasn't completely wasted.
I never used to take back my "mistakes" either. One day I looked in my cabinet and all I saw was Dollar signs. I paid for all that crap and never used it, couldn't use it and was never going to use it. I put it all i a bag and went to cvs and returned it. I didn't have receipts for everything, so I got a store gift card, but still it was over $100. Now, if I buy the wrong thing, or it isn't what I was expecting, I go right back and return it with my receipt and get my money back.
I always go right to the store and return it to get my money back. If the store doesn't return it, call the customer satisfaction phone number and tell them your problem (in the case of the hair spray because you said the foundation was your wrong doing lol) I'm sure that company would have given you your money back. Most have satisfaction guarantees on the side of their products.
I think it would be more appropriate to just work with the products or simply just throw it away instead of going back to the store and replacing it since it's a beauty product that's been previously opened. But I also think that it depends upon the return policy of the stores. I agree with Jessi that one way of using the dark foundation is to mix it with a lighter shade to come up with a particular shade that matches your skin tone.
In general the only products I buy happen to be products that can be used in some other capacity. Once I bought the wrong kind of hair conditioner, so I did a google search to see what I could do with all that unused hair conditioner. Turns out I could use it as fabric softener, so I did. Incorrect shampoo can double as hand soap. I still haven't found a good use for wrong-shade lipstick, though.
I would definitely stop using it if it's wrong for me. I wouldn't risk it especially if it involves the skin. I would also advice to not just buy those products because they're known or expensive. Not all expensive products can be good for you. It's a must to consult your dermatologist or keep it with the basics if they are already working for you.
I think it just all depends on what the product is. Like you, I bought the wrong foundation, the shade at least. I adore Lancome foundations and splurged $70 on this foundation. I was so excited, until I got home and tried it on. It was 3 times darker then my skin color. 3 times! I could not even try to pass it off as I looked like I was half way through putting on my clown make-up. Anyway, I couldn't return it, so I gave it away. :-( If it was anything else and if I had not opened the box, I would have totally returned it. What's the point of spending money on products you can't use?
If you purchased the wrong product, doesn't matter if it's expensive, take it back or throw it away. No point risking your skin on a bad product just because it's pricey.
Makeup, even those products bought at RiteAid, is too expensive not to take back if I don't like how it looks on me. I've never had a problem with returning makeup at stores either. Just as long as I have the receipt.
I don't buy make-up, of course. However if I were to buy something expensive and found that it was not what I wanted to buy in the first place, I would go back to have it replaced immediately. I definitely wouldn't use it. I don't think I would have any problem getting it replaced because when I buy something expensive it's always from somewhere reliable and most reliable shops have a good policy for returns and replacements.
I think that I will just use the wrong product that I bought instead of returning to the store to have it exchanged, because in the case of make-up, they're not that expensive anyway, so I don't think that it's worth the hassle. In the case of electronic products, then that's a different story, I will exchange it for sure if I see that it's defective.
Yeah, I always mix and match foundations since I never get the right shade. I have had problems with some lipsticks bought from Avon. The colors are not what you see on the brochure. The country to country policy differs and most of the time these products cannot be returned. I hate it when I have to pay so much for my mistakes.. I have decided that I will only buy products which cannot be mistaken on the basis of shades either online or from brochures.
I used to have a friend who fancied herself a model. She used to buy two shades of foundation and blend them. Part of her reasoning was that you tend to be darker in the summer and lighter in the winter, but also it was the way for her to get the exact shade she wanted in the product line she preferred. I haven't worn foundation in over 20 years, but if I'd been in your situation I'd have either tried to sell the wrong one, or get another to blend with it so as not to lose the money already spent.
