Sephora is a magical playground filled with very expensive substances that grown-ups can slather on themselves. Yet what if that $29 mascara or $45 foundation just doesn’t look right on you? The cosmetics retailer has a famously generous return policy, even for items that have been opened and used, and there are certain items that end up returned more often than others. Which are they?

Stylecaster discussed this fascinating question with real Sephora employees, and the items that tend to come back fall into two broad categories: items that are difficult to use, and items that just don’t work for everyone.

Hard to use: One notable example is a facial contouring set from the brand Smashbox that doesn’t work very well on fair-skinned makeup wearers. “I feel like not many people know how to work with them so they get frustrated and give up,” one Sephora person explained.

Similarly, the Lock-It foundation from the company’s Kat Von D line doesn’t wear very well without primer, which makes it difficult to use. One employee blames this on how the color changes over time.

Not for everyone: A primer from BBECCA is advertised as “mattifying” and pore-minimizing, but doesn’t have magical powers. “When people return it and say ‘my skin is still oily’ then that probably means if you have that much excess oil you can’t depend on the makeup to fix it,” explains one employee. Never send makeup in to do a dermatologist’s job.

NARS All-Day Luminous Foundation “doesn’t sit well on 99% of people,” according to one worker. The foundation is supposed to improve as the day goes on, but isn’t perfect when first applied.

Beauty Insider: The 6 Most Returned Products at Sephora [Stylecaster]

http://www.racked.com/2015/5/12/8595045/sephora-most-returned-items (via Racked)

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