I don't know about you, but sometimes when it comes to beauty products, my eyes are bigger than my mouth (and certainly bigger than my wallet, but that's another story!). By this I mean that I get sucked into the vortex that is the beauty world (way more often than I would ever admit) and can't resist getting an over-hyped product, only to be disappointed later when I actually use it and it turns out to be a dud. Cue that little "The Scream" emoji. That's beauty shopper's remorse. It happens to the best of us (by "best" of us, I certainly don't mean me haha).
There is even a popular feature on YouTube called "disappointing products". If you look it up, you'll find hundreds of videos of the most experienced beauty gurus showing all the products they bought, only to be utterly disappointed by them afterwards. I guess you can't escape that reality, because the only way to actually know if a product works for you is to try it. HOWEVER, there are some ways in which to actually decrease the risk of suffering from buyer's remorse, and to learn to make the most of every product you buy even if it's not right for you. There's the obvious, of course, which is to go to the company's website and reading the description and reviews for the product you are looking to buy. But other than that, there are some other ways in which to lessen the risk of buyer's remorse:
1. Understand your specific traits: One of the most common mistakes when buying beauty products is not understanding your own face/hair/body. There are many factors to consider when estimating if a product will be good for you and your own characteristics or not. For example, when buying foundation, you will obviously need to know your skin tone to get one that matches. But you will also need to consider what skin type you have (is it oily, combination, dry?) and your skin undertone (pink? Yellow? Golden perhaps?) and some other factors in order to get the more accurate one for you. Take some time figuring out how you react to products targeted at specific types. For example, does your hair go limp and flat with products targeted at greasy hair? Figure it out, and you will know which products are right for that.
2. Don't always follow the rules: I know, I know. I just said that you need to understand yourself and then purchase a product accordingly, and know I'm telling you to break the rules? Well, if you never go crazy and try something that you are kind of on the fence about, you will most likely miss out on some amazing products. Of course I will never ever try something specifically targeted at dry skin, but I might just go crazy once in a while and get something for combination skin, or for "all skin types". Sometimes it has ended in catastrophe, but others it has introduced me to some truly awesome stuff. The best example I can think of is The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Butter. Just the word "butter" on the name would have put me off of this, but I gave it a shot regardless and now I can't live without it. Leaving the comfort zone is a good thing, and that applies to beauty too!
3. Read blogs and video reviews: I love finding beauty reviews on YouTube and on some of my favorite blogs. Sometimes I have been on the fence about a product, and after reading someone else's experience, I will be able to make a somewhat educated guess on whether it's worth getting. I love how you get to hear someone's personal views on a product, rather than a flat description on a website. I have even reviewed a couple of products myself on this blog, that hopefully will be useful for someone thinking of getting them. Or sometimes I will not have even considered a product until seeing it on a blog or video, and that's how I have found some of my favorite products to date. If you can determine which bloggers have some similar characteristics to you, then you will be able to assess more easily whether they might be work for you or not. The more research you do before getting something, the lesser the chances of being unpleasantly surprised by your purchase.
4. Specialty websites: Some websites (TotalBeauty, Beautylish, etc) specialize on having a huge archive of products reviewed by their own readers. The difference between this and the blogs and videos is that you can read multiple reviews by multiple people. The reviews aren't as in-depth, and reading many of them might actually leave you more confused than informed, but they are a great source of info nonetheless.
5. Getting samples: Most beauty counters will provide free samples of products, which is a great way to test them without the financial commitment. If you loved the miniature version, then you can always get the bigger one, and if it wasn't for you, then you didn't really lose much. If they don't offer them to you, ask for them!
6. Get creative and think outside the (beauty) box: Okay, so you went and spent some good cash on that fancy-looking mascara and it made your lashes look completely straight? Use it as eyeliner instead with the help of a little angled brush! If your hairspray isn't working for you why not use it as a stain remover? Don't just toss a product because it wasn't what you were expecting. Google some fun or handy alternative uses for it, and you won't feel like your purchase was a total waste.
7. Use them as gifts: Just because a product wasn't good for you, doesn't necessarily mean that someone else won't love it. My Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil Review really didn't work for my skin, but it does wonders for my mom's, which is drier than mine. You might have a family member or friend who would be a perfect fit for your product, so why not give it to them so they can get some use out of it? I'm sure they will appreciate it.
Bonus tip: whatever you do, never EVER tell your husband how much your beauty stash actually costs. Believe me, you'll never hear the end of it. So God help me if I ever hear mine say "How dare you spend (insert any amount here) on a cream!!??" one more time!
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