Issue Date: November 30, 2003
Pretty savvy
Makeup sites give info, save $.
We all want to look good (OK, gorgeous) but, if you're like me, you spend a small fortune on makeup only to end up with a sink top strewn with products you hardly use. That's money down the drain. Next time you're tempted to buy the hottest cosmetics, first head to the Net to get the scoop from women who've actually tried them.
Makeupalley.com is a massive collection of reviews of beauty supplies and online stores (registration is free). At "Productville," search by product type or name to research everything from eye shadow to foot cream; products are ranked on a 1-to-5 scale. Other features: Use the site's "diary" to log your purchases, or swap "gently used" products with other members for just the cost of postage.
I'd had my eye on Fresh's Fig Apricot perfume, but almost half of its reviewers at MakeupAlley turned up their noses, saying it smelled "like old rotten fruit at the bottom of a garbage bin," so that's $60 saved. (Thanks, ladies.) Then, in the eternal search for long-lasting lip color, I combed the site and discovered Nars has gotten good reviews. I went to beauty.com and bought some in Dolce Vita, a raved-about sheer raspberry.
Sephora.com, a site with a large selection of brands, has ideas for harmonizing fragrances for you and your significant other (click on "Tips & Trends"). And at makeupdiva.com or maq.com, you can search the archives for advice or submit a burning question of your own. Looking for a good, inexpensive mascara? The Makeup Diva has nine suggestions, including L'Oreal Voluminous and Maybelline Volum' Express.
My new Nars lipstick doesn't last as long as I'd hoped, but at least it doesn't look cakey as it wears off. And I like the color, which is darker than my usual shade. So I'll definitely consult "the experts" again. Maybe I'll even write a review of my own.
-- Jill Golden
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