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It’s a scenario as old as the beauty business itself: You purchase a product, try it out, realize it’s not for you, and then it sits in product purgatory (under the sink or in a drawer) for the foreseeable future (or at least until your next beauty cabinet purge). Wouldn’t it be nice if you could re-home your rejects into the hands of someone who could actually use them while simultaneously recouping some of your spent cash?
Well, yes, it would. And yes, you can. If you’re into the idea of selling off your too-pale palettes and barely-touched brushes, here are four ways to go about it ASAP.
Glambot
An online destination for beauty products at a discount, Glambot lets you shop for and sell your own unused or barely used products. Once you’ve met the accepted brands requirement (a set list that excludes drugstore labels), you’re ready to send in your “sell package,” which must include at least 20 sellable items.
What exactly is “sellable?” New and pre-owned makeup (and makeup tools) that are not expired, still contain at least 50 percent of the original product, and are clean and contaminant-free; samples are encouraged, but lip gloss, nail polish, and fragrances are not accepted. Shipping your package to Glambot is free, and once your haul is reviewed, you’ll receive an offer that you can accept either in cash (via PayPal) or Glambucks store credit.
Poshmark
Beauty is a relatively new category for the social selling destination, which takes a 20 percent commission. For health and safety reasons, only brand new, never-used (nor swatched) products are permitted, and all liquids are prohibited, including nail polish and fragrance.
The app allows you to list items for free and communicate with potential buyers via the the comments, and it features a private offer tool for negotiating price. Shipping is included in the final cost to the buyer, and once purchase is complete, a printable mailing label is emailed to you instantly for easy send-off.
MUABS
Similar in format to Poshmark, MUABS (Makeup Addict Blog Sales) has you set up an Instagram-style account where you post photos of your new or gently used makeup for sale, along with the condition and price.
When a buyer is interested, an email is sent directly to you, and once purchased, the money goes straight to your PayPal, with MUABS taking a 10 percent cut. There are no restrictions on brands, so everything from drugstore to luxury labels is fair game.
Unsurprisingly, Facebook has become a selling destination for pretty much anything — a status solidified with the introduction of the Marketplace feature last year. Closed beauty sale and swap groups abound on the platform, full of people obsessed with products. Most require an admin to grant access, and some even screen with a few basic intro questions regarding your intentions.
Each group has its own specific list of rules, including PayPal requirements, conduct guidelines, and, in some cases, “bad seller” blacklists, to keep everyone on their best behavior.
