For what kind of products do you find swatches to usually be enough information?
This can only be true if I feel confident that the swatches are done in a way that they’re not trying to just look “good” but more trying to be accurate. With that being accurate, then eyeshadow and lip products are usually enough for me – from there, then I cross-reference with my past experiences with the brand/type of formula. Like if it’s a brand that has never missed on a lip product, I don’t necessarily need an in-depth formula review to try it.
— Christine
I think that a lip swatch also tells me alot about texture and application color. A least a good lip swatch does.
Jen Phelp’s swatches are the most reliable for me. She has it figured out.
I was going to say tinted lip balms and lip glosses, but that’s actually not true now I think about it.
My first reaction was to say that knowing what the colour looks like and seeing if it emphasizes lip texture or not is enough, but there’s also the consistency and the slip and the wear time. Is it thin and oily? Is it thick and goopy? Is it waxy? Is it sticky? They all matter to me, so I don’t think there will ever be a time when swatches are enough info.
Cheek products including bronzer when swatches are done live on camera on someone who is in my own skin depth range.
Lip products, again done live on camera and yet again on someone with similar skin depth.
Live eyeshadow demos, tutorials with primer or even set concealer generally give me a very good idea of how well (or not) they behave and apply in action.
All of the above apply to YouTube and IG. As for a written platform, I look here or on Musings Of A Muse by Isabella for accurate swatches of eye, lip and cheek products.
Eyeshadow and blush swatches on someone’s arm, with proper lighting, can usually tell me quite a bit about the color and texture. With lip products, I need to see them both on the arm and on the lips — the color and texture can change dramatically. Foundation swatches aren’t as helpful unless I can compare them to a swatch of something I already have, since different skin tones can shift the color cooler or warmer.
If the swatches are accurate… Not the brands’ swatches. I trust swatches from Temptalia and a few other bloggers and YouTubers.
If I’m familiar with a brand’s products, usually any color cosmetic swatches. Usually not foundation, unless the swatches are from Phyrra Nyx.
If I’m not familiar with a brand, usually lip and cheek products are pretty safe.
Agreed, provided it is a good quality, actual photo, not a computar generated obvi way too perfect swatch..switch… I have chose many an eyeshadow from a swatch. Blush, but not bronzer (don’t ask). Also quite a few liners. Occasionally a lip stick. Never a gloss. I go by descriptive reviews & colors. I prefer seeing the color on models similar my skin tone.
I find that now (thanks to this excellent and accurate blog site) I am able to tell a lot about an eyeshadow or a lip product from the swatches with a reasonable degree of accuracy.
I definitely don’t go by the promo pics because they are often edited in such a way that it blurs the accuracy line. That’s why I rely on you Christine – your photos and swatches are so accurate.
I can usually tell how pigmented the swatch is, what the finish looks like and how it would end up looking on me.
The accuracy of your descriptions allows me to buy eye and lip products online, sight unseen, with complete confidence. This is the way I have bought many of my CP lipsticks and numerous eyeshadow palettes from Lorac, PMG, ND and ABH in the past.
Lipsticks and eyeshadow, usually! I feel like blush/foundation/highlight looks and wears so differently on every person so it’s kind of hard to judge on pictures alone.
None if I’m being honest? Unless it’s a formula and brand I’ve tried, I don’t think swatches are enough in the absence of other info
Same here. Longevity is crucial for me and I was very disappointed a few times that a product which swatched really well almost disappeared after 2-3 hours (or was all over the place for that matter)
What I’ve learned from your site is that swatches can be deceiving, so there are any products that I could only trust swatches.
are=aren’t, sorry!