Hi Tracey,
Thank you for your post. The function of the Send 'Test' email is show the user the basic formatting of their email (merge fields, images, bullets, etc.), not the edited or finalized message. You are correct that sending an email to a contact record is the best way to view the message as your customers would. We recommend creating a contact record with your email address and use that record to send emails to, prior to officially sending out a message to your base.
Please know that I will relay your feedback to the team.
Thank you!