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Put down the sample! New study reveals mould and fecal matter in department store make-up testers

Next time you reach to test a cosmetic store’s free sample, think again! A shocking new study has revealed what really goes into department store make-up samples, including bacteria and even fecal matter!

An undercover study to test the safety of store samples reveals that as thousands share the same testers of eye-shadow, lipstick and foundations, shoppers could also be sharing germs with strangers, which could potentially result in sickness.

Good Morning America conducted the study and found that one out of every five samples showed significant growth of mould, yeast or fecal matter.

Make-up experts have now urged consumers to only test items like foundation on the neck rather than the face and to test lipstick colours on the pad of fingers – and never actually on the lips. If you’re particularly worried about germ-infested samples, foundation, eyeshadow and eyeliner all shared the top spot for having the most bacteria.

Yuck! Would the results make you think twice about using store samples?