(WSVN) - A woman who claims she used to work at Ulta Beauty is now calling out the retailer for selling used makeup.
Twitter user @fatinamxo posted a series of tweets about what she says are unsanitary practices at some stores, where she said managers had employees “clean” and repackage used items that customers had returned in order to sell them again.
https://twitter.com/fatinamxo/status/950931112007741440
“They would resell EVERYTHING (makeup, hair care, skincare, fragrance, hair tools, etc.),” she said in another tweet.
The ex-employee then posted photos to illustrate her claim, showing new makeup next to used items that were repackaged and sold after being touched up to make them look new.
“For example this foundation ( even sticks) they would clean it with a q-tip to make it look new. I’ll attach a photo of a NEW foundation vs. the one they repackaged and put back on the shelf. ( NOT SANITIZED ),” she captioned the photo.
https://twitter.com/fatinamxo/status/950931125282705411
She said the “last straw” for her was when a manager put a used liquid lipstick back on the shelf after cleaning it with alcohol.
She decided to share the photos because she believed “makeup lovers should know what’s going on behind closed doors.”
Her tweets prompted a flood of comments on the social media site, with other current and former employees coming forward saying they too have witnessed the practice at their local Ulta stores.
https://twitter.com/fatinamxo/status/951154594129825792
“Can 100% confirm this is true. Shopping at any ULTA in Frisco, Mckinney, Denton, Sherman, Allen, basically the entire Dallas area and around they train every single employee to do this. All the stores in the area do this,” one wrote.
“This happened when I worked at Ulta too and I made sure to make a point of how hazardous it is to customers and how its shady and deceiving to sell ‘reused’ makeup at FULL price. One of the many reasons I left Ulta,” another said.
https://twitter.com/fatinamxo/status/951073941451309056
But other Ulta Beauty employees said their stores never cleaned and re-sold used makeup. The company itself released a statement disputing the claim, saying used products are supposed to be thrown away.
“We do not allow the resale of used or damaged products,” an Ulta Beauty spokesperson said in a statement to Today. “Our store associates are trained to catalogue and then properly dispose of any used or damaged items. If associates have concerns that this or any Ulta Beauty policy is not being followed, they can anonymously report it through our third-party hotline. Our policies, training and procedures are aimed at ensuring that only the highest-quality products are sold in our stores and online.”
“We take any concern of this nature very seriously and if we find that there is any deviation from our policies, we will take appropriate actions to ensure we continue providing a consistently high quality product,” the statement continued. “The health and safety of Ulta Beauty guests is a top priority and we strive to deliver an optimal experience every time they shop with us.”
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