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It’s hard to escape the attention resale apps likePoshmark,Depop, andthredUPhave garnered in recent months.
Allure/Channing Smith
For those unfamiliar, a quick primer on the resale space might be helpful.
There are fundamentally two kinds of resale apps: consignment and peer-to-peer.
The business takes photos, gathers measurements, creates the listing, and sets the price.
When the item sells, the seller receives a percentage of the revenue from the sold piece.
When you purchase from a consignment app, you’re purchasing from the business, not an individual seller.
Who buys beauty resale?
I realized buying a $90eyeshadowquad was ridiculous, she tellsAllure.
I got super into the brand Tom Ford and I’ve bought multiple quads on resale apps.
“As a consumer, I’m trying to be greener.
It seems like a better, more ethical decision.”
And then there are the beauty-fashion hybrid items that make more sense to buy, like hair accessories.
Carradine McAlpine, a 37-year-old product operations manager based in Denver, feels the same.
Scrunchies, that’s less questionable… and I might consider [purchasing] perfume.
Something that I would put on my eyes, absolutely not.
And that’s not even including the separate section dedicated tokids’bath, skin care, and hair care.
What beauty resale fans willneverbuy.
Not everyone is eager to jump on the beauty resale train.
“I kind ofstay awayfrom beauty products in the resale market.”
If there aren’t close-up photos, I’m not comfortable bidding on it."
For example, “NIB” is shorthand for “new in box.”
“VGUC” stands for “very good used condition.”
Who is actually selling all this stuff?
But what motivates sellers?
“I hate clutter,” says Behnaz B.
“A few years ago I bought theDysonhairdryer for $500.
I have the [Dyson] Airwrap now, so I’m getting rid of the hairdryer.
I’m also getting rid of hair tools that feel like they’re redundant for me at this point.
I have two or three platforms where I’ll post and see where I get the highest offer.”
“Later, I decided that some products are just not my thing.”
What does it mean to not use a product “too much”?
That energy only seem worth it if she can walk away with a good sale.
“I don’t sell used liquid products,” she adds.
“I wouldn’t purchase those used, so I dont sell those used.”
Do experts recommend beauty resale?
“[Resale sellers] are not licensed professionals,” Roche says.
(In case you were wondering, there arehundredsof Skinceuticals listings on Poshmark and Depop alone.)
In other words: buyer beware.
That prestige moisturizer on Poshmark?
As Roche puts it, you have “no idea whose finger was in there.”
Trying out someone else’s bond builder on Depop?
“You don’t know that the product is stable, or that it’s not contaminated.”
Many beauty listings across both peer-to-peer and consignment resale apps claim to be new, unopened, or sealed.
Great, no concern, right?
OK, but how do I resale responsibly?
Roche stresses the importance of checking expiration datesandmaking sure the item is not opened.
“A lot of products have around a six-month shelf-life once the seal is cracked,” she says.
Along with checking expiration dates, look for aPAO(period after opening) date.
Both buyers and sellers can look up this code online to confirm the age of the product.
For the beauty lovers among us, sensible reminders on how to shop and sell safely are paramount.
“Be very careful with things like nail products, cuticle cutters, files, manicure sets.
You’re better off buying a cheap, new manicure set than something that looks appealing thats used.”
So, what beauty productisfair game in the resale economy?
Time to go zhuzh up responsibly.
