For me, I think about whether it’s a product that I think readers will want to know about/see swatches or reviews for, and then I consider how long it’ll take me to review when weighed against the other items I have to test or that I am considering testing.
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!
I usually check all the reviews I can find and make sure they are at least favorable. And seeing as I don’t get to wear makeup all that often I have to take into account that is this a product I just “Want” or one I will actually use more than once.
First, I make a decision as to whether it’s something I like, want or need (this has become more and more important in the past year or two, as I really have come to the realization that I have way more makeup than I need and that overabundance actually diminishes my enjoyment much of the time). I always try to check out your reviews, Christine, if possible. If it’s something available at Sephora, I will check reviews there too (though it’s becoming less and less reliable since all those “incentivized” reviews started turning up) and also Makeupalley. And for me, it’s really important to be able to see the item for myself, in person, and even swatch it if possible.
1.) Can I afford this at this time?
2.) Is there something about it that is unique to my collection?
3.) How often would I actually use it
And most importantly:
4.) Do I 💯 love it? The shades? Quality? All of it, if it’s a palette?
Assuming something caught my eye for real….
1 – Ingredients – can I use it on my skin? If I can, does the listing look too full of junk ass filler and garbage?
2 – Does it fill a hole in my collection?
3 – Is it on sale? Is it a good sale?
4 – Annnd done!
Most often, though, I end up passing even if something catches my eye and I can use it. I’m sick of our consumerism culture. Makeup makes me happy, but not at the expense of so much else. Having said that, I buy what I want as long as I feel morally ok about who my money just supported.
That’s a good point about the desired product being on sale….I forgot to mention that in my laundry list of thinking processes….being on sale is an added incentive for me to get something I am loving.
My questions are:
Do I have room for it?
What is the packaging like?
Is it any different than what I already have?
Sometimes that helps filter, sometimes I get it anyway.
Nowadays most of my purchases are actually repurchases; in some rare occasions they are products I heard good things again and again, and noted them down.
So the process is to add them in the cart 1-2 months before I need them and just wait for a sale. 😅
If I like it, I head right to you. I need swatches and comparables. Just today I decided to move out of my mauve lipstick mode back to a sheer berry vibe. I head right to you. Hunt and hunt. BTW I don’t know how you do it…have comps for every product almost. I’m not a huge buyer of makeup, so I know when I want something and make sure I don’t already have a dupe *im looking at you, alll my cool toned bronzers*. And that’s how I do it.
My thinking process regarding a beauty purchase goes like this:
Is it an eye palette or lipstick shade that the colours/shades/finishes appeal to me? Are they my kind of shades?
Has it been favourably reviewed by you Christine?
Is it reasonably priced?
Is it accessible to purchase by me, without spending lots of $$$ on international shipping?
Does it overlap anything I already have? Complement it?
So I decide then and there whether or not I will purchase. If it is close to Mother’s Day, my birthday or Christmas I get one of my son’s to purchase it for said celebration present.
LOL Girl I usually check with you first!