The Ed.
Well-Known Member
New York based journalist PJ Gach is one brave beauty hunter. Sick of the sky-high prices for beauty products, she conducted an experiment trawling the dumpsters outside national retailers and drug stores and found some serious beauty treasures. Among others, Gach collected products from high-end brands such as Creme de la Mer, Estee Lauder and Dior.
Surprisingly, this isn't an activity exclusive to the schedule of journalists on the hunt for a story. One quick hunt around the internet reveals a bevy of bargain-conscious females digging for treasure in department store dumpsters. PJ Gach though, is the first one to really bring this phenomenon to the public eye. After having her phone stolen she found herself walking home along the back of Bloomingdales to discover beauty products strewn on the floor around her 'like loose gemstones.'
Speaking to the Daily Mail she recalled, "I just stood there screaming. Luckily, it was late at night and nobody heard because they probably would have thought it was something else."
And it's not only beauty products that Gach has walked away with. Other booty includes hangers, tote bags, headphones and mannequins (why you would take a mannequin home is a question I'm not prepared to ask). She's keen to point out that this is just a hobby and not something she does every night.
"It is a harmless bit of fun,' she said. 'I mean if I can get La Mer face wash I am going to do it."
Of course, if you're planning on taking this hobby up yourself there are dangers. Hanging around the back of department stores in cities late at night is never a good idea and let's not even mention other furry little critters that also love a dark dumpster.
There are of course other issues regarding the safety of the products that you discover in the bin. Gach explained that, in the USA, returned products have a distinct sticker on them and she stays away from those. Without a sticker, it's likely that the discarded items are old samples and she is happy to take those and use them. As Gach explains it, the employees were most likely taking the lotion out with a little scooper, putting it on people's hands and saying, "Look! It's lovely! Buy the $200 thing."
I'm not sure it's up my alley (see what I did there) but never say never!
Until then...geek on!
The Ed.
Surprisingly, this isn't an activity exclusive to the schedule of journalists on the hunt for a story. One quick hunt around the internet reveals a bevy of bargain-conscious females digging for treasure in department store dumpsters. PJ Gach though, is the first one to really bring this phenomenon to the public eye. After having her phone stolen she found herself walking home along the back of Bloomingdales to discover beauty products strewn on the floor around her 'like loose gemstones.'
Speaking to the Daily Mail she recalled, "I just stood there screaming. Luckily, it was late at night and nobody heard because they probably would have thought it was something else."
And it's not only beauty products that Gach has walked away with. Other booty includes hangers, tote bags, headphones and mannequins (why you would take a mannequin home is a question I'm not prepared to ask). She's keen to point out that this is just a hobby and not something she does every night.
"It is a harmless bit of fun,' she said. 'I mean if I can get La Mer face wash I am going to do it."
Of course, if you're planning on taking this hobby up yourself there are dangers. Hanging around the back of department stores in cities late at night is never a good idea and let's not even mention other furry little critters that also love a dark dumpster.
There are of course other issues regarding the safety of the products that you discover in the bin. Gach explained that, in the USA, returned products have a distinct sticker on them and she stays away from those. Without a sticker, it's likely that the discarded items are old samples and she is happy to take those and use them. As Gach explains it, the employees were most likely taking the lotion out with a little scooper, putting it on people's hands and saying, "Look! It's lovely! Buy the $200 thing."
I'm not sure it's up my alley (see what I did there) but never say never!
Until then...geek on!
The Ed.
