Hi Girls-
I wanted to share some information I read over the weekend, though I'm sure many of you must already be aware of it. The article was in the Seattle Sunday paper and was about a study conducted by a college biology professor and her class of pre-med students. She, the professor, is from a collge in Stamford, Connecticut.
The class went to several cosmetics counters at various department stores in the area and took samples from the lipsticks, blushes, etc that were out for display for customers to try. Many of the display items were contaminated with bacteria and the most common one was E coli. Girls there is only one way that it is commonly spread, through fecal matter, sh*t in other words. It means people using the bathroom and not washing and then touching cosmetic samples with their nasty, icky, sh*tty fingers. Gross!
The best counters provide little disposable foam or cotton swabs and wipe off the surface of display items with alcohol pads. MAC was mentioned as one of the best as far as sanitary conditions. The usual disclaimer applies, I don't work for MAC or anything like that, but I do like their products. The article also said you should ask what the return policy is, so if you're concerned about trying an already open product on the counter and buy something and take it home but don't like it, you'll know beforehand if you can exchange it or whatever. Really good artists always wash their hands between customers or wear gloves and sanitize their brushes between customers, also.
Anyway, just wanted to pass it along. Personally I don't think I'll be trying out too many open counter samples anymore.
Hugs, Joni
"Be yourself, everyone else is already taken."
-Oscar Wilde