Purchasing Makeup Online Vs Retail: Pros and Cons

The beauty and cosmetic industry has experienced more growth and choices for the customer in the last decade than any other time. Gone are the days where you could buy your makeup at two types of stores: drugstores and department stores. There was a firm line drawn between the two: drugstore brands were perceived to be focused on price; department stores carried what was thought to be high end, high quality products. Boutique stores such as Sephora entered the market as a middle ground between the two. The popularity of the Internet allowed customers to have even more choices with the onslaught of small, independent beauty and skin care companies. Is there a difference between all these companies?

There are pros and cons for just about every outlet. Drugstore brands and department store brands alike tend to carry products that appeal to the masses, but do not cater to niche markets. A customer will get no customer service and can rarely try a product first when purchasing from CVS, Walgreens, Target and the like. Conversely, when approaching a makeup counter at a department store such as Macy's, that same customer will get personalized service and recommendations from the store employees, who will be happy to let them touch, feel and try a product before buying it. BUT, generally speaking, department store cosmetic counters are leased space by the brand manufacturers, with the representative working with you being an employee of the brand, not of the department store. As a result, if you want to compare several brands, you'll need to visit several counters.

The emergence of boutiques such as Sephora provides a cross section of the two: several different types of brands housed under one roof with salespeople who will offer suggestions, demonstrations and answer your questions comparing several different companies. These types of stores will frequently carry more niche brands than both department stores or drugstores, increasing your chances of finding products to suit your particular needs rather than a "one size fits all" approach. Unfortunately, finding these types of stores are difficult for all but those who live in large, metropolitan cities.

But what about buying online? The convenience of being able to shop 24/7 is obvious, as is the wider range of products available to you. If you live in another country, it enables you to buy brands not otherwise available. If you know exactly what you want, Internet shopping can be a Godsend to many. However, if you're looking to try something new, there's nothing to touch, feel, or see before you buy, and you're dependent on the calibration of your monitor when it comes to color choices.

There are plenty of advantages to purchasing from smaller, independent Internet-only beauty and skincare companies. More often than not, these types of business are small, with 5 or fewer employees. More care and thought is usually put into the ingredients in the product than mass-produced brands, almost always yielding a higher quality product for a lower cost than a national brand. Each brand is usually extremely niche market targeted, and specialize in creating products to suit the needs of their clientele: be it heavily pigmented colors, all organic ingredients, or products for a particular age group or ethnicity. Any communications between the customer and the business most likely will be with either the person who formulated the product, or with someone very skilled about the different aspects of their products and ingredients, who can answer any questions and concerns you may have with much more in-depth knowledge than you will encounter in any retail store.

Online brands are painfully aware that the customer cannot see the products live and in person, and as a result, offer sample sizes for very little cost so that you can test their wares before purchasing to reduce the risk. When using testers in retail stores, you're applying a product to your skin that has been shared with countless fingers, no matter how hygienic the employees try to keep things. When purchasing samples online, you're receiving samples that have not been used by anyone else, eliminating the hygienic and bacterial risk associated with floor testers. You have the advantage of using them in your own home, in your own lighting rather than applied for you in an artificial light of a retail setting. Moreover, when you try a product in a store, you've tried one application from which to make your buying decision. You've not been able to see how it wears on you through the day, nor try it for several days to see if your initial reaction is the same days later.

How do you choose an online brand? There are literally thousands of small companies from which to choose; what makes one better for you than another? How do you know the quality and whether the company is reputable? Like any other buying decision, do your research. If you don't know where to even start, try using a search engine with a longer query to keep your search narrowed to your parameters, such as "makeup for women of color", "mineral makeup without bismuth" or "bright colored eye shadows". Read reviews written by beauty bloggers or makeup forums that discuss personal experiences with various companies, what worked for them and why. Once you have narrowed down your choices to a company or a few companies, search again, using the phrase "(company's name) reviews". Check out their website. Is there a way to contact them? Do they answer the telephone/return emails promptly?

Purchasing makeup is a personal thing. Choose a method that best meets your needs!