I use Vinted to buy brand new beauty bargains including make-up and L’Oreal face cream at an 80% discount

BEAUTY fan Sarah Jayne Burkee uses Vinted to buy unwanted make-up and skincare at a huge 80% discount. 

The 33 year old, who lives in Newcastle, has snapped up brand-new items including Charlotte Tilbury make-up and L’Oreal face cream and unbelievable discount. 

“It wasn’t until this year that I realised you could also shop beauty on Vinted,” says Burkee, a full-time content creator.

“I took the plunge and ordered a bundle from one seller for £15, which included a brand new ROEN eyeshadow palette, which alone is worth £45, a L’Oréal face cream (worth around £15) and an Iconic London setting spray (worth around £25). 

“I was very happy and saved an absolute fortune. I’d never tried ROEN before, but I’ve had my eye on their palettes so it was a great way of being introduced to the brand and trying it without committing to spending a full £45.”

She has since made some extra cash for herself by selling on beauty products that have sat unopened in the back of her cupboard, such as a fake tan that she accidentally bought in the wrong shade.

“I always pop them on for a low price. It helps me clear some space and helps someone else grab a bargain. I’d rather see stuff go to a good home.” 

Vinted works by sellers uploading photos of the goods they want to sell, at a price they set.

You can either choose to click buy at that price, or make an offer and see if you can haggle it down.

Buyers are responsible for paying for postage, which varies depending on the size of parcel and the service you use such as InPost lockers or Evri delivery.

It is usually between £2 to £4.

There is also a “buyer’s protection fee” added on top, which depends on the price of the item you are buying, but for anything under £500 it is between 30p and 80p, plus between 3 and 8% of the price agreed between you and the seller.

How much you will end up paying is calculated at the checkout page.

The bargains available vary minute by minute because prices are set by sellers.

Some will go low to make a quick sale, others try to make a larger profit.

But there are usually huge discounts available.

Currently listed for example, is unopened Estee Lauder double wear foundation for £11, totalling £14.54 with a £1.25 buyer protection fee and £2.29 postage.

It costs £39.50 new.

Someone else is selling Drunk Elephant Bronzi Drops for £17, totalling £20.84 with £1.55 buyer protection fee and postage of £2.29, usually £34.

As the popularity of beauty subscription boxes and advent calenders grows many people use Vinted to sell off the gifts they don’t like, so you can pick up a great deal.

A seller has listed the star of last year’s Liberty Advent Calendar, the Augustinus Bader The Richar Cream sample size of 15ml, for £25 (plus £1.95 buyer protection fee and £2.29 postage) as an “unwanted calendar gift, priced to sell fast”.

It costs £74 to buy new.

In one survey beauty site Tajmeeli found more than 210,000 beauty items listed on Vinted, with Avon the most listed brand, followed by L’Oreal and MAC Cosmetics.

The most popular brands, judged by how many sellers opt to be notified when a new item is listed, include Urban Decay, Benefit, Nars and Bobbi Brown. 

Vinted has strict rules on what can be sold on its site, stating it is strictly prohibited to sell cosmetic items that have been used or tried, even once, or that are expired or not in their original packaging.

It recommends sellers upload pictures showing packaging information, back information, barcode, and any expiration date.

If any sellers violate these rules they may have their profiles blocked or be banned from Vinted altogether. 

Some shoppers are however sharing stories on online forums such as Reddit warning about fake products they have come across.

One writes: “After purchasing what I thought were genuine beauty products, I took them to beauty counters for verification, and they confirmed the items were fake.

“Upon further investigation, I found that identical items are being sold on a website that sells from Chinese small businesses.

“Our skin is the largest organ, and using counterfeit products poses serious risks since we don’t know what harmful ingredients might be included.”

Billie Pingault is a make up artist working in Kent and London, whose clients include Laura Whitmore and Grace Beverley.

She says she has bought skincare tools on Vinted for a huge discount, such as a Sarah Chapman face massager for £5 that usually sells for £30.

“These can be such good value and really easy to sanitise and make sure it is safe for use.”

But she says she is wary of other makeup and skincare as “it can be dangerous if you are not 100% sure products are real”.

“Often products that look like exact dupes, aren’t. No one should be risking their health for a cheap comestic. Great ways to check legitimacy of products are looking at serial or batch numbers and checking for any misspellings or font changes on packaging.”

It is not always clear who sellers are and what their motivation is for listing products.

With the rise of beauty vloggers, many suggest that there are plenty of influencers making money from unwanted freebies.

Some suggest others are selling items they have found in TK Maxx to make a profit.

Vinted does not allow such commercial selling.

Burkee believes that most of the beauty products she comes across are unwanted presents or items that people haven’t got round to using and would rather get something for them than throw away. 

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories