Oh-no…say it isn’t so! I absolutely love the free samples and makeup testers at the mall. You hate to buy a new product and not like it once you get home Having the chance to try it out first, see if the shade of lipstick looks as good on you as it does in the tube is so very helpful! But now….I wonder if I will ever be able to take advantage of the free samples at a makeup counter ever again! Good Morning America recently went undercover to test the safety of shared make-up testers at beauty counters in department stores across the country. The results of this was pretty scary and downright GROSS…

They took samples, gathered and tested the evidence and much like the handles of supermarket trolleys, bathroom doorknobs, staircase handrails and computer keyboards, the majority of samples and applicators available at makeup vendors are caked with mold and bacteria. One out of every five samples showed significant growth of mold, yeast, or fecal matter.

FECAL MATTER??? How gross! Incredibly gross to think that a makeup sample at the mall may contain ‘fecal matter!’ And guess what else? These beauty counters replace the testers, on average, just once a year. That in itself makes these samples a prime target for bacterial growth!

Will you still use the ‘free samples’ and ‘testers’ at the makeup counter where you shop?