How many times have you bought a lipstick, foundation or other cosmetic that just wasn't right? The guesswork involved in how the color will look on your skin by simply looking at the bottle is frustrating and annoying, especially when the gamble doesn't work out. Some stores have reasonable return policies for makeup, but some are less forgiving. And when you've dropped a lot of cash on a high-end brand, it can be really heartbreaking to buy the wrong color with no recourse. When buying online, things get even worse. Those little circles that supposedly represent the color of the product can vary based on your computer monitor, and sometimes they're not even close. What a pain having to ship it all back! If you are able to sample the product in the store, then those little pots of color shouldn't come anywhere near your face - there have been too many fingers and too many germs in there. You may try them on your wrist, but your wrist isn't your face.
It's better than not being able to try it at all, but there are a few other ingenious ways to try before you buy. If you tend to go for high-end makeup, then check out KarlaSugar.net before you buy. Karla tests myriad products and posts pictures of her marked-up arms so that you can see the color represented on skin before you buy. You'll find MAC, Stila, Nars, Chanel, OPI and so many more brands on the site, which is searchable by brand or type of product. Some companies will actually mail you a swatch of their product so you can check it out before committing. Zoya nail polish, a favorite of the stars, has created their "spoons" just for that purpose. A nail-shaped piece is attached to a clear stick and painted with the polish of your choice so that you can hold it up to your fingertip to see how it looks. Each spoon costs 50 cents, and that money is applied to any future orders you place. So if you buy six spoons, then you'll have a $3 credit to spend on the nail polish you choose. Visiting Web sites that sell cosmetics and other products and getting on their mailing lists can enable you to get samples and coupons as well, and when you order from Sephora.com, you can choose three free samples from dozens of choices.