If it seems backed by a lot of money/investors/people with previous industry experience, then I don’t necessarily feel compelled to wait for reviews–say Rare Beauty–but for other brands that don’t have that kind of capital behind them, I tend to wait for reviews, which isn’t just about product quality but also customer service, shipping processes, communication abilities, etc.
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
With new brands I always try to be more careful with researching ingredients and how they are sources. Bonus points if the brands share more about their formulation. In an ideal world, it would be great to know the factories and formula labs they used. I would feel more confident to buy from a new brand that uses the same labs and factories as my favorite brands, rather than one that has it’s own facilities (which is rare) or use same labs like a brand I have a bad opinion on (like Morphe).
I usually wait for the hype about a new brand to come down, especially the usual initial flood of first impression reviews. By that time that brand might not be new anymore, but it’s new to me. 😅 I just want to see people using those products for months and still like them. And I want to hear from people that don’t have an internalized bias for the brand (friends or fans of the owner, people supporting the brand mission and pledges).
I try as much as I can to find reviews from regular people, as they can have a better gasp on shipping, customer service, etc. than a reviewer or influencer that receives PR.
When initially trying a new brand I tend to buy first a type of product I’m not so picky about or it’s not that essential in my routine, something that it’s not tragic if I don’t end up liking.
I literally ALWAYS wait for reviews, swatches, the whole nine yards before I dare try them for myself! That’s because I have a tight budget (especially lately), sensitive eyes and skin, hate to return things, and therefore need to make sure of something before diving in head first. Because, truth be told, there is a lot of junk mixed in with the gems.
I approach a new brand by waiting for reviews from you Christine – if it has your seal of approval by appearing here, then I know that everything with the brand is OK. If the product rates well, the shades suit and I can purchase said item from an international retailer like Beautylish or Beauty Bay, then I am fine.
I am not swayed by any hype or big promises/claims – just the quality of the product. Needless to say, I don’t want the brand’s owner to be involved in any contraversy.
I first see if I like the color scheme, then I check out your reviews, If I really want it (as in it’s going to be different from what I already own and the color is special to me), but you rate it anywhere in the “B” area, I’ll usually then pass on to my fav YouTube influencers’ opinions. However, if you rate it higher, then that does it, I will try it out. The ONLY thing that can stop if for there is my feeling liek the Holy Spirit says, don’t do it! OR, the shipping price is just toooo much. LOL!