Buying makeup online can be an overwhelming process. There’s a gazillion brands out there with one hundred million gazillion products. How does a girl know what to get? And what’s with those weird digital color swatches—how are you supposed to tell which one represents your shade?

Fear not, for I knew one day all my internet shopping would do some good (aside from filling the pockets of everyone but mine *smh*). I’ve put together some tips to take out some of the anxiety.

General shopping tips:
1. Buy from a well-known retailer with a clearly defined return and/or exchange policy. You don’t want to get stuck with that too-light foundation or dead-wrong-what-was-I-thinking lipstick.
2. Always google for coupon codes before you hit submit. One of the greatest things about the internet is that there’s so much info out there. You can find anything—like a secret free shipping or 15% off code.
3. Be prepared to buy more than one shade when you can’t pin down which shade is your best bet.
4. Google image is your friend. So is Makeup Alley. Just type in the product you have your eye on and see if a swatch of it comes up.

Makeup specific tips:

Foundation
1. Check out my Foundation 101 post to help you understand your undertones and which formulas work best for you. Then also check out the genius Foundation Matrix created by Temptalia. If you know your MAC shade, you can find your match in other brands with a quick scroll through.
2. Not all brands follow a uniform color guide (some brands use numbers others use names). Warm undertones are also called yellow, peach, orange, and sometimes red. Cool undertones are also called pink, blue, and sometimes red. Confusing, right? Like I mentioned, since there is no uniform color guide for makeup, brands have their own interpretation of colors. When in doubt, buy both shades and return the one that doesn’t work.

Lipstick/Lipgloss
1. Understand lipstick finishes courtesy of MAC
CREME: High impact and high color with lots of shine for a dramatic look.
FROST: Shimmery frosted finish. High shine glamour.
GLAZE: A shiny finish tinted with colour. Gives lips a sexy sheen.
LUSTRE: Slightly sheer, with an ultra shiny finish. Gives lips a high impact, wet, lustre look.
MATTE: Intense colour, matte finish.
METALLIC FROST: Frosted colour with a metallic, high-shine finish
SATIN: Semi-matte finish with lots of colour for soft, smooth lips.
SHEER: Just a tint of colour in this barely there, natural sheer colour treatment.
2. You can find some color recommendations in these past posts: Makeup for Fair Skin Girls, Makeup for Light Skin Girls, Makeup for Asian Girls, Makeup for Olive Tone Skin, Makeup for Dark Skin Girls

Blush
1. The general rule for blush is the darker your skin, the brighter you can go in blush color. Be sure to also check out NARS Blush Guide for All Skin Tones and Blush 101.

Eyeshadow
1. I created a quick guide here based on MAC Eyeshadows—check it out: MAC Eyeshadow Guide and MAC Eyeshadow Highlighters.

I recently revamped the site’s search engine to make it much easier to search for just about anything. This is where you’ll find it:

See it? Hope you find everything you’re looking for!

Why so much MAC? While my kit is filled with brands across the spectrum, I often mention MAC because it’s likely one of the most swatched brands on the internet. So if I say get a blue-based red like MAC Ruby Woo, you’ll be able to find tons of images of it on real people and know what I mean about a blue-based red!

And of course, if you need help, feel free to contact me. I’ll help as much as I can.

While many runway makeup and hair looks are best left for the runway, there are some totally wearable trends for non-runway walkers like us. Check out a preview of some of fall’s hottest beauty trends. Be sure to check in for updates on how to get the look no matter your age, color, or budget.

Pink-red lips at Dolce & Gabbana

40s-inspired curls at Oscar de la Renta

Deep blue-red lips at Donna Karan

Deep berry lips at Christian Dior

Messy Up-dos at Fendi

Strong brow and liner at Gucci

Curls at Ralph Lauren

Black lips at Missoni

Sharp bangs at Lanvin

Geometric smoky eye and red lip at DSquared

Up-dos and patent leather headbands at Karl Lagerfeld

Smoky blue eyes at Diane von Furstenberg

Wanna get a head start on your fall makeup wish list? Get it with these:

More Christian Dior…

Stay tuned for more Fall 2010 coverage!

If you’re looking for a great, bold red look for under $2, RUN to your nearest Walmart and grab a Black Radiance Lipstick. Although this line is marketed towards women of color, most of the shades are workable on all skin tones. You will get a smooth, creamy lipstick packed with color for less than what it costs to ride the NYC Subway. I looked at some of the reds on display at my Walmart and put up this quick guide for you based on undertone. Need a refresher on undertones? Check out Foundation 101.

If you have warm undertones, check out the orange-reds like:
#5013
#5015

If you have cool undertones, check out the blue-reds like:
#5031
#5008A
#5055A
#5005

They also have some hot pinks and berries as well as other gorgeous shades so be sure to check ‘em out.

P.S. Check out the images below for red lip inspiration from the red carpet. Click images to enlarge.

I kept trying to think of a witty way to start this post and kept deleting and rewriting, rewriting and deleting. *sigh*

Well, let’s just get to it then.

I was on the hunt for a deep blue-based red lipstick this past weekend. Sure I own at least 6 or 7 reds, but we all know not every red is the same. I did some pre-shopping work via the net and decided I needed to check out Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte in #18 Red/Rouge Taboo. It’s just the red I’ve been looking for. Surprisingly I’ve never really looked at it the gazillion times I’ve been at the YSL counter. But it’s beautiful! A gorgeous deep blue red that’s super creamy and bold. Smells really nice, too.

Then I headed over to the Clinique counter to get a refill on their Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer SPF 20. It’s my fave moisturizer of the moment because it doesn’t make my skin get super oily (even in NYC humidity) and it has SPF in it. I’m still on the fence about it’s skin tone correcting abilities, but it’s still a great moisturizer. I also picked up my second bottle of Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector. I saw a slight difference in my skin the first time I used it, but it’s a slow process. I went to see a dermatologist in the beginning of the summer to prescribe something that would work faster, but wound up getting Even Better Clinical again…lol.

P.S. The really nice counter rep at Clinique told me that when you spend $200 at Clinique on your Macy’s card, they send you a coupon for a free full-size Clinique product. Whaaat? I’ve spent so much more than $200 on Clinique, but then realized I did most of it on a debit card…lol. Grrr.

Then I moseyed on down to Walmart trying to get some cheap cereal, but decided to check out the beauty aisle. I wound up getting Black Radiance Lipstick in #5013, a pretty smooth orange red (only $1.74!)

and Black Radiance Sheer Blush in Ruby Treasure, a shocking yet sheer red that looks soooo good on dark skin. It was also a steal at $4.14 but then I looked closer and saw an instant $1 off coupon. Yay! *does the Cabbage Patch*. So the total for the blush was $3.14–such a steal for such a pigmented blush that comes in a pretty sizable container.

And last but not least, I picked up MAC Dollymix Blush—a super pretty bright pink with shimmer. I swore I had already owned this blush…lol. Then when I realized it wasn’t in any of my makeup cases I realized I never bought it. Odd. But glad I did because it will definitely be in my blush rotation. I LOVE BLUSH…lol.

More Clinique…

Well, that did it for me! How was your weekend?

O-M-G. When I say don’t walk, but run to your drugstores and check out the new Cover Girl Liquiline Blast Eyeliner Pencils right now—I mean it, folks! Go!

With liquiline blast, you’ll get all the intensity and staying power of a liquid with the ease and blendability of a waterproof pencil. Use the liner as-is for intense definition or smoke-it-out with the built-in smudger end for a subtle, smoky look.

They come in six gorgeous shades including a shocking cobalt blue and a cool gold-green. I use them to kick up my bottom waterline area and since they’re waterproof they barely budge. Upon seeing swatches, I immediately contacted my homey Lipstick Fashion Mascara who joined in my delight and politely went and picked up three liners for herself…lol.

I picked up Green Glow (my favorite) and Silver Spark (grey sheen with shimmer), both pictured above in a pic that does NOT do them justice. Hey, I’m no photographer…lol.

I also had Blue Boom in my hand, but when the cashier at Walgreens told me they were $9.49 each, I put it back…lol. It’s not easy finding these in my local drugstores (not surprising) but I’m going to check my Walmart for them this weekend and also pick up Blue Boom and Violet Voltage. They should be at least $2 cheaper at Walmart.

They work well for all skin tones, too.

Check out more swatches at Temptalia.