Testers in cosmetics stores make the buying process much easier, but they pose one danger: they are tried by a huge number of people. Testers become ideal habitats for bacteria, mold, and fungus. Here are a few rules for safe testing of cosmetics in public places.
Mascara and liquid eyeliner
Disease-causing bacteria are happy to stay in them at the earliest opportunity. That is why we try not to test these products on the eyelashes and carefully protect the area around the eyes, even if the store offers disposable brushes.
The fact is that while you are busy painting your eyelashes, the brush collects a lot of bacteria. Upon returning to the tube, they enter the ideal breeding environment. If you imagine how many people manage to use testers per day, the desire to test it on your own eyelashes will immediately disappear.
Mascara can be applied to the ends of the hair, and liquid eyeliner can be applied to the back of the hand. In order to assess its quality, you need to wait about 10 seconds, and then rub it a little: if the drawing has become a little smeared, everything is fine. If it is completely smeared, feel free to move on to the next sample.
Powder products
These include eyeshadow, blush, and powder. In the form of testers, these cosmetic products are not so dangerous. For reproduction, bacteria need moisture: in a dry environment, this process is much slower. However, this does not mean that you can test them completely fearlessly. For greater safety, ask your consultant for a special napkin in order to remove the topmost layer of the product.
The back of the hand is the best spot for testing powdered products. It is best to apply the eyeshadow with a cotton swab; the grease on your fingertips can discolor it. In the case of blush, consider such a factor as the foundation: on it, the blush will look different than on clean skin. In order to determine the right shade and texture of the powder, you just need to apply the product in large quantities. If there is no contrast to your skin tone, this is your shade.
Lipsticks and products with a creamy texture
Testing lipstick is always enjoyable, but applying it directly to the lips is not the best solution: a lot of bacteria accumulate on its surface. Therefore, the first thing to do is to flip the lipstick horizontally and distribute its substance on the side.
Testing any product with a creamy texture requires prior disinfection, so do not hesitate to ask a consultant for a special cleanser. The best area to test lipstick is on your fingertips, which will look almost the same as on your lips.
Foundation & concealers
This item is an exception to the “not on the face” rule. Otherwise, it is impossible to determine how much the product suits you in tone. If this is a tube, first squeeze a little of the product onto a napkin: the top layer is most susceptible to bacteria. If the product is presented in a stick, we advise you to perform the same ritual as with lipstick.
For quality testing of the foundation product, apply it close to the cheekbones, and best of all on the skin of the neck. Its tone is smoother than your skin tone, so it will be much easier to determine whether a product is right for you or not.
We test the foundation on the back of the wrist: start with products that are one tone lighter or darker than your natural skin tone.
Pencils and brushes
We keep the eyeliner as far as possible from the eyes and, as a rule, use the skin of the hand for a test. This is unlikely to work with brushes: it will be difficult to determine the required elasticity, hardness or softness of the bristles without contact with the skin of the face (and again: do not forget about preliminary disinfection).
However, one unsuccessful trip to a cosmetics store is unlikely to turn into a tragedy. After all, you can always ask for a new tester when in doubt about the one on the shelf. However, the ability to test cosmetics, as real professionals do, will definitely come in handy (and will be a nice bonus to your beauty skills).
