Cosmetics & Beauty Tools Buying Guide

Looking for advice and tips on buying makeup? Whether you need to update your routine or just want to explore a different brand of a beauty essential, this is where to start. Our comprehensive shopping guides talk you through the basic (and not so basic) facts about the plethora of different products on the market these days. Click on one of the topics below to find out more about lipstick, mascara, foundation, blush, and more.

Makeup Guides

  • Face: The most basic and least noticeable makeup is for your whole face. Most of these products are aimed at perfecting your complexion, evening out your skin tone, and concealing those tiny blemishes and dark spots that you could live without. It is vital that you choose makeup for your face that matches your skin tone to avoid an obvious line on your chin where the makeup stops. Check out one of these guides for more information:
  • Cheeks: Be careful with your cheeks! Good makeup will blend with your face and give you a warm, healthy glow; bad makeup will draw attention to your cheeks, making you look overly made-up and clown-ish. If you need some help choosing a product, try our cheek makeup shopping guides:
  • Eyes: This is where the real fun begins. Eye makeup can be very subtle and natural, making you look clean, refreshed, and youthful-perfect for the daytime. For evening, on the other hand, you can play with all sorts of colors and techniques to draw out your eye color, match an outfit, or just make a bold statement. These guides will give you the rundown on eye makeup strategies, products, and brands:
  • Lips: Perhaps the easiest makeup to apply, lip products can have a surprising effect on your appearance. Lip color can dress up a naked face, compliment the look you're going for, and even make a statement of its own. Use these guides to find exactly what you're looking for:
  • Nails: Though it's less essential than other makeup, nail care can really polish up your look (get it?! polish??). Nail care is less important but more permanent than most other beauty regimes, so you don't need to invest too much time or money. These guides will explain what's what:

Helpful Tips

  • Back to School Makeup: Whether you're a high schooler or a college girl, this guide gives you the basics on products and brands. Best of all? They're (mostly) affordable for a woman on a budget!
  • Health and Beauty Products Onboard: Travelling? You may want to check out what's permitted these days, or you may have to surrender some quality products while going through security-no way to start a vacation!
  • Makeup Bag Must-Haves: The items you can't live without. This quide identifies the beauty essentials - tools, cosmetics, and even specific "cant live without them" products.
  • Makeup Tips By Age: Wether you're 18 or 80, there is a product out there that will enhance your natural beauty. This guide  is a rundown of the best products for each age group (beginning with young adults) and separates the bargains and the splurge-worthy from the rest.
  • Makeup for Women of Color: Unfortunately, a good deal of beauty products are aimed at one type of gal. We've done our research, and put together a great guide for ethnic or exotic skin tones. We've got the lowdown on the best companies, product lines, and techniques to make your beautiful skin really glow!

Trends & Techniques

  • Holiday Makeup Trends: Aimed at the winter holidays, this article talks through the best ways to achieve the most up to date party-perfect look.
  • Fall Makeup Trends: It seems like fall is always right around the corner, doesn't it? Here are the best looks for this autumnal time of year.
  • Stained Lips: Bold, bright, and beautiful - stained lips make more than just a statement. They make your beauty regime much easier, with their incredible staying power! No more time wasted reapplying.
  • Beautiful Brows: It's a well kept secret, but your eyebrows can really make or break your look. Well groomed brows instantly make you look more polished and put together. Here, we'll show you how.
  • Smoky Eyes: This gorgeous look is here to stay! This guide will tell you what products to use and how to apply them, in order to achieve the smoldering eyes that we all crave.

Tools and Extras

Resources

Shop for Cosmetics by Brand

Here is a comprehesive brand directory for cosmetic brands, organized into two categories-budget and luxury-so you can easily find just want you're looking for. You can start shopping for your favorite brands right here, right now. Fragrance manufacturers are not listed here and neither are products for bath and body. However, you can see a full listing of those brands on the Fragrance and Bath and Body directories.

Budget Luxury

When Does Makeup Expire?

Are you wondering how long you should keep that eyeliner you splurged on? The shelf life of makeup depends on what type of product it is. Below is a basic list of when it is time to throw out products, but if any of your cosmetics have a bad odor or an abnormal consistency or tint, then discard them immediately! A girl needs the freshest makeup to look natural and fierce. Most cosmetics do not have an expiration date marked on their container, so here are some basic rules of thumb when debating whether or not to keep it or trash it.

External Links

  • Beauty Addict Mag: Makeup tips, new products, freebies... Products reviews, blogs, and much, much more.
  • Makeup 411: Learn how the stars do their makeup, step by step. Find the top products in each makeup category as well as the newest products on the cosmetics market.
  • Makeup Talk: A great Web site where you can get advice, chat on forums, read and write reviews, and more! Sign up is free, but you must register to take full advantage of the site.
  • iVillage: Many of you are probably aware of this site, but for those who don't know it, it's great for advice, beauty tips, and style suggestions.
  • Makeup Alley: Blogs, reviews, and message boards about beauty products.
  • Cosmetic Connection: One blog about beauty and cosmetics products.
  • Cosmetics Diary: Tips and advice about beauty and cosmetics.
  • About.com: Tips for doing prom makeup.
  • Beauty Riot: Copy any celebrity style.

International Resources

For this resource in your home country, please see:

FR: Guide Maquillage
DE: Schminke