Beauty Gurus are Dumpster Diving for Make-Up, And Why You Must Never Do it

*Excerpt from Youtube

I got it.

Beauty is sometimes painful in the ass, and also in our pocket (or our boyfriend’s credit card) and no matter how hard we resist for those newest limited-edition Anastasia Beverly Hills palette, or those Naked Urban Decay or LORAC, we still want it and we will do everything in our power to get those.
We save a certain percentage of our hard-earned salary, and even strapped-tied even more quitting all those junk foods and sodas, to save money for that newest palette.

And while waiting, you will visit our nearest beauty store and enjoy those free swatches available, and even snapping some selfie and swatches.

Yeah I did that sometimes.

But did you know that they is another way to get all your favorite make-up for FREE?

Yes ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the dark world of beauty community – Dumpster Diving.

The popular saying “one woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure” and this takes on a whole new level when it comes to dumpster diving for makeup.

If you haven’t heard this term then I assumed that you’ve been in your cave for quite some time.



Dumpster diving was started two years ago, were many beauty gurus in the western part of the continent, literally checking those dumpster at the back of the famous beauty stores, and hunt those thrown make-up and yes even skincare!

Eeeewwww!!!

Last week, I just stumbled this growing beauty trend on Youtube, and I couldn’t help but watch the few video clips. These beauty gurus or they called themselves Dumpster Diving Divas, are hoarding make-up with accumulating worth of $2,000 and even $10,000 worth of make-up and skincare, all they’ve got from various dumpsters near their city.

I honestly couldn’t helped feeling scandalous, and I couldn’t believe that these women and so-called beauty gurus will do everything (even its disgusting!) just to get those make-up.

You can watch some video clips here, here and here and prepare yourself to feel cringed.

Everyday, many beauty stores throw their make-up in the trash bins. These make-up are either returns from the customers, or some samples that needs replacements. In the United States and other western countries, there are certain laws on proper cosmetic disposal, and yes that kind of disposal costs them money. So in order to save some cost and also time, some beauty stores let them employees do the disposal by literally destroying make-up and pouring with some soaps or liquid detergents and throw it out in the dumpster.

But not all are getting destroyed because it also takes time to do that. I could imagine it is also kind of lame job. Others just throw it out without destroying it fully.

And here comes the dumpster divers.

Most of the divers do it during night time, searching all the beauty stores’ dumpsters to find some “beauty treasures”. Every make-up they could find, they get it.

And these vlogger dumpster divers are even recording scores just like they do would do from their beauty hauls.

These beauty scavengers are always geared up with gloves and rubbing alcohol, getting inside the huge bins and getting those treasures and avoiding those items that are mixed with liquids and can’t be cleansed.

Back then, this trend is done underground but not anymore as many beauty gurus online are flaunting their dumpster hauls.

And some even make it worst…

They even sell their scavenged makeup online!

Check your Facebook and you can see many secret group account, that sells dumpster diving makeups.

Okay I understand that there are times a woman will do everything to save some cash in order to buy something, and maybe that includes digging someone else’s trash bin for make-ups, but this might makes sense if you use all your dumpster hauls for personal use. Well at least you alone will take care of the sanitation (and possible disease you might acquire too). But selling those dumpster diving online is way too disgusting.

You see, no matter how much you tell other that you’ve sanitized it properly with alcohol, still some DNA will not die in there. The only way to properly sanitized make-up is to put in in high temperature (the way cosmetic companies do it) and that would disrupting the physical form and quality of the make-up.

Wiping the surfaces with rubbing alcohol, will never sanitized your make-up.

You are only contributing to spread possible disease in the community. If you love dumpster diving, then just spare the others from future hospitalization.

Eeewwwww!!!!

Well I’m not the only one who feel disgusted.

I’ve doubled check Youtube if I could find an Asian beauty guru that does dumpster diving, and so far I haven’t found one (if you do please let me know!). Most Asians are notoriously very stingy and knows how to save, however you rare see Asians dumpster diving for make-up because of pride. That attitude is a huge deal for Asians.

And if there are many make-up products that needs to be disposed, many beauty stores in Asia opt to dispose it not in the trash, but their employees segregated them properly and bring home for personal consumption.

I couldn’t blame if some beauty stores are pouring bleach on discarded make-up just to deter these dumpster divers.

There are many ways on how to save and get those make-up for FREE and that doesn’t include the trash bins.

1). Politely ask your favorite beauty store assistants for free samples.

2). Subscribe to for some FREE Sample sites available online. In the Philippines, you can try Sampleroom, EverydayMe and others.

3). Ask your favorite beauty gurus / beauty blogger and local vloggers for FREE samples. These people are receiving make-ups 2-3 times in a week (or more!) from various make-up brands hoping for a feature or even a mention from their social media tribes. Some gurus are generous enough to giveaway their free stuffs in order to save spaces at home.

4). Or you may choose to visit various Bloggers’ Bazaar in your community. Some bloggers are chose to cash-in and sells their free stuffs or their pre-loved items to their fans who wants them in a much lower price (some sells it up to 80% lower than the actual SRP). Just be careful about those pre-loved and “just swatched” makeups. Buy at your own risk.

5). Write a blog exclusive for beauty reviews. When you are good on what you are doing, eventually you can request for samples for review. Patience baby, Patience. And never ever slap your number of followers, without a proven proof of how good you are at work.

6). Have another part-time job to sustain your expenses for your make-up addiction.

Have you tried dumpster diving? Are you tempted to do it?

xoxo, Blair

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