Secondhand makeup vs secondhand clothes: Why frown at one but not the other?
Japanese consumers create billion-yen industry for used cosmetics
I have never stepped inside of a secondhand store. Ironically, I donate clothing to the Salvation Army, Goodwill and clothing bins all of the time. I do it so much that at one point I decided to be a marketing writer with a for-profit reusable apparel company.
When Kohl’s stopped selling Jennifer Lopez’s JLO jeans, I was so frustrated that I finally gave in and opened a Poshmark account. Besides Apple Bottoms and Baby Phat jeans, which I’m far too old to be wearing nowadays, those are the only jeans that fit me correctly. I logged into Poshmark and bought every single pair of JLO jeans that I found in my size in one big sweep. For those jeans alone, I started understanding secondhand shoppers.
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As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a percentage from purchases with my referral links. I know some consumers are choosing to boycott Amazon for its DEI removal. However, after thinking about this thoroughly, I want to continue promoting cool products from small businesses, women-owned businesses and (specifically) Black-owned businesses who still feature their items on Amazon. As of the first date of Black History Month 2025, each new post will ALWAYS include a MINIMUM of one product sold by a Black-owned business. (I have visited the seller’s official site to verify that Amazon Black-owned logo.) I am (slowly) doing this with older, popular posts too. If you still choose to boycott, I 100% respect that decision.
And as much as I like finding cool items on Craigslist and Freecycle, used cosmetics is the one area I have never even humored. So when I read news from Business of Fashion that Japanese millennials are buying used makeup, I cringed. Pre-COVID, I couldn’t imagine doing it. Post-COVID, definitely not. And then I quickly had to admit I’m a hypocrite — because I sure did buy a pair of JLO jeans in the middle of the pandemic.
So what’s my gripe with secondhand makeup?