Sample with Care

Have you ever walked into a major department store and noticed the cosmetic counters that are just filled with sample after sample of the latest and greatest brand? I'm sure you have, but what you probably didn't notice was the E.coli, herpes and maybe even conjunctivitis.

So, how many hands and fingers have been in those samples? and where have those hands and fingers been prior to sampling? It's possible you don't want to hear - or in this case read - this, but I feel you must know what you could be getting into.
Studies have been done that prove these germs exist in the department store samples, but there are solutions to avoiding coming into contact with contaminants.
First, try lotions you can squeeze into your hand instead of ones that come in a jar, that you have to get out with your fingers.
Second, use a tissue to clean off the surface of a sampler or a tissue dipped in alcohol.
Third, never, ever, use communal brushes! Use a clean cotton ball to try on cheek color or powder. Always use disposable applicators.

There was a study done by Dr. Elizabeth Brooks, a biological sciences professor at Jefferson Medical  College in Pennsylvania. She wrote an article for the Los Angeles Times regarding handling store samplers safely. She's quoted as saying, "Every makeup display that we tested, and we tested hundreds, always had disposable brushes and little pads to put on makeup, and they had all of that behind the counter, but it was for the asking - they didn't have it for the general public just to pick up at their leisure. And of course your Avon or Mary Kay lady had one-shot testers that have just enough to put on your lips or eyes and some of the bigger brands had one-shot testers of foundation, lipstick or eye shadow as well - but not every brand carries that."    

I'm not telling you to not go to the mall and have your makeup done; I've done it myself, several times. Just be careful with the testers and don't be afraid to ask for the one-time samples or for the disposable applicators. Women need to update their looks every so often and without a trained professional to help them find the colors suitable to their skin color and type or find the right eye shadow or lipstick, some women are stuck in the dark ages.