How to Buy Makeup Online
Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash
Buying any makeup online can daunting because you don’t know what the actual color of the product looks like. You also don’t know what that product is going to look like on you.
But maybe the town or city you live in doesn’t have a makeup store like sephora or ulta. Maybe you want to try a brand that you can’t get in-store. In cases like these, you have to buy online.
I shop online quite often. Even when I lived in big cities, I still shop online because sometimes certain products are not available in-store or there is a sale that is only available online. Here are 6 tips I’ve used that will help you when you’re buying makeup online.
Understand Your Skin Shade & Skin Type
This is the most important part, in my opinion, when you want to buy makeup online. When you understand your shade, you will have a better understanding of what a certain color will look like on you. You will also understand what shade range you fall into. It’s important to know your skin shade because a coral pink blush shade is going to look different on someone with a fair skin tone than someone with a deep skin tone.
A lot of online stores also have photos available depicting their products on different skintones. Take advantage of these photos and use them to guide your decision.
Understanding your skin type is also important. Someone with oily skin may not want to buy the same foundation as someone with dry skin. If you have acne-prone skin, that may also play into what type of foundation you want to buy.
Read the “details” on a product to see if the product is good for your skin type.
Read Reviews on the Site
Most beauty brand websites have online reviews. Take advantage of these reviews—read them! The reviewers typically will include their skin tone shade, age, and skin type. Knowing these details will really help because you can use that as a guide. Plus, the reviews are real people saying real things.
A few things I look at: the ratings of the product, the best review, the worst review
Watch Reviews on YouTube
If reading online reviews is not enough, or you’re not a reader, head over to YouTube. I can assure you—someone somewhere reviewed what you want to purchase. I think YouTube reviews are extremely helpful because you get to see what the person looks like. The reviewer will also tell you their skin type and even compare the product to other brands you may be more familiar with and say whether they recommend the product and why.
Purchase Sample or Mini Versions (if available)
Sometimes online beauty stores offer samples or mini version for purchase. Take full advantage of these mini versions. This is especially useful for any foundation-type product and skincare products that you have never used before. I like samples and mini versions because they’re more affordable, and I’m able to use the product to decide if I want to get the full size.
This is also helpful if the product you want to get is a high-end or luxury makeup product.
Buy Other Things First, Get Free Samples
Most beauty online stores offer free samples for every purchase or when you purchase an X amount of product. If I see that there are free samples for products I want to try (but have never used before), I’d buy other things I want or I know I don’t need to test then I add the free samples into my cart.
This option is great if you already have a list of things you were looking to buy. (I highly recommend the shopping list method for beauty products! It helps you not to overspend and helps you to be intentional about what you’re buying).
Read about their return/exchange policies
A lot of beauty brands will allow for an exchange if you buy a foundation that is not the right shade. It’s important to read their return and exchange policies because if you’re allowed to return or exchange an expensive product that didn’t work out—that will ease your purchase. If the brand doesn’t allow returning or exchanging, you’re going to have to be more intentional about what you do buy.
This will help you’re buying experience, and it really doesn’t take that much more effort to just read 2 paragraphs to know your rights as a customer.
Those are my 6 how to buy makeup online tips! I use these tips ALL THE TIME. I hope you find them helpful.
Now you can utilize these tips to help your online shopping experience. If you’re wondering where to buy skincare or makeup online, are some clean beauty brands you should check out! 7 Clean Beauty Brands Post and 6 Affordable Clean Beauty Brands Post.
What are some of your tips you use when you’re shopping for makeup online? Share them below!
~ Sincerely, Mainou
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