What do you do with expensive make up 'mistakes'?

[PistachioTiramisu]

I'm talking about Dior/Chanel type make up - things I have bought and tried once, then realised they don't suit me. I know I can't sell them on Ebay or Vinted but I have tried practically giving them away on Gumtree and FB Marketplace but no interest at all. You can't even tell that I have just brushed the surface of the blushers once! What can I do with them?

I give them to my daughters or goddaughters. I have sold some things on Vinted that are still new in the box but only got very low prices.

I dont know but I have the same problem with some Chanel no 5!

I keep them for 20 years, hoping somehow that they will suit me one day. Then I throw them away before almost immediately replacing them with something equally unsuitable. I hope this is helpful.

I had no trouble selling a new, unopened Chanel No. 5 Eau de Parfum on Ebay recently. Didn't get full price for it though!

Me too

Depends where you live, might be worth trying small local women’s refuge type charities? The one near us makes up Christmas hampers and things.

I would never buy used makeup, even if it was just once. If my friend offered me something she had used once and didn't want for free I maybe accept it but I would not pay for used makeup.

I volunteer in a charity shop and we would be able to take that to sell if it’s barely used.

I suck it up to experience and give them away to mum, friends, or colleagues when I worked - I would either given them to someone in particular or leave them in the communal kitchen with a note. My organisation was big and things would disappear immediately.

If you can't give them away, you could try emptying them and putting them through the Boots Recycle scheme which gives you 500 Advantage Card points for each five items (if they are on their list of things they will take, eg, no aerosols), if you then spend £10 instore that day. My 500 points build up quite quickly even though you can only do it once per day - I tend to buy staple things to make up the £10 spend, like toothpaste/tissues/etc.

I leave in my drawer ‘just in case’ for years, admonishing myself every time I open it.

I put items like this on Olio and they get snapped up very quickly

also agree the boots recycle thing is ace - I’ve clocked up almost £70 of points this year from that alone. Obviously it’s not “free” to do but excellent when I’d be shopping in store anyway

The thing is I opened it! It was a gift and I wanted to like it but all 3 times I tried it it gave me a thumping headache.

Put them in a drawer for years, and years, like 10+ and then throw them away...

I was just going to say doesn’t everyone have a drawer for this? The drawer of shame. Only to be opened to add another expensive dud purchase… 🤭

I try and palm them off to my teenage daughter + her pals. Got rid of 2 things recently that way.