Sanitation at Sephora

onezumi · 06-10-2008, 03:19 PM #1 (**permalink**)

How does trying stuff on at Sephora work? Am I the only person grossed out by some aspects of Sephora? I went to shop for a lip gloss and the sales person wanted me to try lip gloss on with a disposable wand, but the original wand was still attached so who knows how many people tried the gloss and double-dipped the wand?

I don't believe you can sanitize gloss, right?

iluffyew769769 · 06-10-2008, 04:06 PM #2 (**permalink**)

Yeah I don't really try stuff on, unless it is on my hand.

Ikara · 06-10-2008, 04:58 PM #3 (**permalink**)

if you are worried about sanitizing then better not try anything on at sephora, at least for what I've seen in the one I usually go...

SparklyDiamonds · 06-10-2008, 05:14 PM #4 (**permalink**)

I doubt there is anyway to sanitize it, I would just test it on the back of my hand.. Ive seen people at Sephora try on Mascaras with the original wand..yuck.

Stephie Baby · 06-10-2008, 05:20 PM #5 (**permalink**)

Ewwww! I normally only swatch things at MAC, but one day I went to Sephora for lipgloss. I opened it to look at the color and OMG!! It smelled sooooo freakin' bad. It make me sick. I thought it was just that one, so I tried another one. Well they all smelled nasty. I hardly ever go into Sephora now.

patty0411 · 06-10-2008, 05:32 PM #6 (**permalink**)

Yeah... I NEVER try any cosmetics products at Sephora. It's gross. Personally, I think Sephora doesn't make sanitation their number one priority, maybe it's because they carry a large amount of different products and things. If I were you, I'd stick to testing things on your hand. haha...

The only thing I test are the perfumes and lotions. hahah... ;D

kokometro · 06-10-2008, 05:37 PM #7 (**permalink**)

At our Sephora, there is always a shortage of the Nars testers. For some reason many of them are just missing. If you've ever seen the Nars display you know that's a little confusing since they are stuck in the display.
I was searching for a color and a SA was doing a Make over near the nars display. She had the woman in the chair about 5 feet from the display but she went over used a pocket knife to pry out several of the testers. She put all of them in her front pants pocket and went back to her makeover. Yes..she then would pull them out one at a time to use them and put them back in her pocket. I was grossed out.

First off.. If I ever get any flack from Sephora for returning anything I will let them have it. That is completely unsanitary and after seeing that, I'd be a moron to touch any of those testers. I don't want to put something on my eyes that has been in someone's front pants pocket!

Secondly.. no wonder they are always missing testers.

damsel · 06-10-2008, 05:44 PM #8 (**permalink**)

i'm very wary of trying anything out at sephora. since the customers aren't supervised & the wands are still attached to the products you never know where it has been. i've seen people actually (foolishly) using the tester on their face. not cool.

mae13 · 06-10-2008, 05:47 PM #9 (**permalink**)

I don't know if the practices are the same across the board between countries, but the staff at our Sephoras are trained to be extremely conscientious about sanitary practices - to the point where they are not allowed to dip a brush directly into a product, no matter if it's just been cleaned. Everything gets sampled out onto a secondary palette (for example, a tissue is rubbed onto a powder to lift up the product, and the clean brush picks up from that - if you need more product, you do the same process with a fresh tissue).

That said, you can't really control what customers will do with testers, though I know that products that a staff member has seen be contaminated are to be replaced with fresh ones. To Patty and Damsel's point, with the huge amount of product available to test, it's impossible to catch all of those instances. It would be ideal to cut off the wands from mascara and lip glosses so customers wouldn't be tempted to use them, but then you wouldn't be able to see the entirety of the product.

For those who are sketched out at the thought of using the testers, keep in mind that most things can still be sanitized after someone has touched them, and the sanitary standards require the MA assisting you to do so before applying anything to your face. I would avoid testing things that can't - like mascaras and lipglosses - if you're wary.

As to that SA who was putting product in her pockets...eww, most definitely. That's a training issue someone should be taking care of. (But I'm confused as to what pockets she was putting them in - the uniform doesn't have any.)

joshnicath@gmai · 06-10-2008, 06:05 PM #10 (**permalink**)

I was very scared when a Sephora guy tried to put lip gloss on me when I was perfume shopping, he was insistant but let him know how disgusted I was, bleghh.

I stick with samples that are sealed and swatches on my hand.

I have to say that the Sephora I go to is pleasing to the eye and well kept, but I will never use their liquids on my skin or keep swatches on me for long.

onezumi · 06-10-2008, 07:01 PM #11 (**permalink**)

I actually emailed Sephora asking what their policy for sanitation was, as the one near me was in great disrepair. It was for a post on my blog. This was months ago..they did not even gratify me with a response!

I don't know, but at least a "we received your email" would be nice. I'll just have to write the post us saying they never responded, I guess.

So I'm not crazy...I THOUGHT glosses could not be sanitized!

I do love the selection of Sephora, but I swear once I purchased a Nars lip gloss from them and it was almost empty..as if used already! It was the last box in the store., too.

@_@ I returned it, went across the hall into Lord and Taylor and bought from the Nars counter.

PMBG83 · 06-10-2008, 09:34 PM #12 (**permalink**)

Im not all about the tester stuff.........for ANY department store. Just use the hand or wrist, thats close enough in color to the eyelids or lips.....bleck!

-moonflower- · 06-11-2008, 10:26 AM #13 (**permalink**)

Quote:

Originally Posted by PMBG83

Im not all about the tester stuff.........for ANY department store. Just use the hand or wrist, thats close enough in color to the eyelids or lips.....bleck!

Me neither. I'd never test anything on my face, except foundation in a squeezy tube that no one can stick their fingers in. Other than that I just buy and hope for the best.

GlossyAbby · 06-11-2008, 10:36 AM #14 (**permalink**)

I test at sephora but they have a lot of associates at my store watching people ... I would hope they would throw away anything a customer used and didnt use a sample wand.... yuck

RaynelleM · 06-11-2008, 12:06 PM #15 (**permalink**)

I was at Sephora the other day and I saw a girl clip & then file her nails and then she put everything back into the display. Someone else is going to buy those items and not even know someone not only touched them but used them!! I really don't like how they have all the brushes and other beauty tools right out in the open so that everyone can touch them, sneeze on them, use them, etc ... most do not even come packaged! Gross!!

Brittni · 06-11-2008, 12:15 PM #16 (**permalink**)

Just think of all the things you haven't seen.