So if I don't have a counter near me I shouldn't order nude products at all?
What brands like MAC, or in fact any other, should do to avoid most returns? Offer samples or mini sizes, in stores and especially online. There are lots of people who don't have a counter near them or can't go to one for whatever reason. And it's not the customers fault that LEs sell out in minutes, or that some collections are rediciously exclusive, so a lot of the times there isn't really much time to think your purchase through. And not everyone knows about collections weeks ahead like us Specktrettes who invest a lot of time in this.
Swatches and descriptions on websites that are off adding to all of that, or repromotes that don't even look like the original.
Plus, german MAC prices are a lot higher (I know other countries have it even worse). I won't keep a $27+ lipstick that is drying, patchy, etc. I did in the past and I'm a little tired of the hassle of selling it on ebay or trying to swap it. When I think about it, the brand I've returned most is MAC. I can only think of two high end brand returns (and some because the item was broken/faulty). For me personally, sometimes the quality that I expect is just not there. The only thing I can do is spend hours trying to find swatches and reviews. But still a product might not work for me even though a lot of people recommend it, or it might even turn out the other way, that a lot of products work wonderfully on me where people said they absolutely do not on NW skintones...
If the product doesn't work for me, back it goes, and I don't feel bad about it.