Wholesalers and Discounters: Do or Don't?

I've been lurking around various cosmetics discount and wholesale stores that sell to the general public.  I've done my research and read blogs and reviews of sites.  I've taken into consideration that most of the time, products are dead stock or testers.  Sometimes the products may be sold because they are "scratch and dent" products or they may have the wrong label, be not quite the color they should be, there are any number of reasons products end up in the hands of these discount sites.  Does this mean they are not usable?  No.  Does this mean they are beyond their shelf-life?  Maybe.

I took a chance and ordered from AllCosmeticsWholesale.com.  I came across their site and they have an incredible selection of stuff on clearance, there are like 47 pages of it!  (I always check sale stuff first.)     Some brands you may have heard of like Stila, Lola, Pop Beauty, Pixi and MAC.  Other ones, like Gaultier's Le Male line (I am guessing it's make-up for men?), you may not have ever seen before.  But with the great prices they have to offer, it's worth it (to me) to try something out.  Nothing I ordered was over $6.99!!

I read some reviews about AllCosmeticsWholesale.com and the thing that worried me the most is that if you have any problems and need to deal with customer service, apparently it is a huge hassle and their customer service is sub-par.  And if any of you are regular followers of my blog, then you know I am a magnet for problems when I place orders!  So, I hoped Murphy's Law may kick in and I placed a small order.  That way if there were any problems, I wouldn't be out a lot of money. 

Now, to the good stuff.  I placed my order on the 12th and it arrived on the 14th.  Two days from Washington State to North Carolina is pretty darn good!  It was packaged well, in a USPS Priority box which was inside a USPS Priority envelope.  Once I opened the box, I found all the products securely wrapped in bubble wrap.  It was great.  Now, one gripe I have is that the shipping is EXPENSIVE.  I paid over $10 in shipping and the small flat rate box mails for $5.25.  And since they used USPS packaging, the only separate shipping expense they had was the bubble wrap, gas and time to take it to the post office.  So, when you think about it, it's not THAT bad.

  I got two mini Pixi eyeshadow palettes, a Pixi blush, three pots of Stila Barbie stuff, two Pop Beauty eyeliners and the Tokidoki eyeshadow Smashbox put out.  Everything was pristine.  The Pixi blush was labeled "tester", so it did not come with a brush in the little tray that slides out underneath.  That bummed me out a little, but it's no biggie, it's not like I don't have any brushes of my own!

Overall, I had no issues with AllCosmeticsWholesale.com.  The shipping was fast and packed well.  The items were pristine.  I think as long as you stick to powder products and some pencils, you really won't have to worry that they are going to expire.  I would worry a little more about lipsticks and lip glosses.  When they go rancid, you will know it and it won't be usable.   When looking at these sites and reading reviews, I'd say go with your gut.  I know ACW was very clear about if something was damaged or mislabeled, not all sites may be like that.  If you feel like it's too much of a gamble, don't do it.  But I tend to be adventurous when looking for deals. 

Have you purchased from any discount site before?  What sorts of experiences did you have?  Please comment below.