Chances are you’re managing much of your life online. You’re looking up restaurant reviews, getting tickets to shows, shopping for clothes and keeping up with your friends—all on your smartphone. If you have yet to consider getting your makeup that way too, it’s very doable—if you know how to buy makeup online safely. Yes, there are a number of things to take into consideration, but here’s how to make sure you get what you need in the safest way possible.

1. Stick with Proven Brands (at First)

Chances are, you’re already buying your lipstick from one maker, your eye shadow from another company and your moisturizers from yet another manufacturer. Stick with those brands and try buying online instead going into stores. Staying with a proven commodity makes it easier for you to predict how products and colors will work on your skin. It also makes it easier to spot fakes because you know exactly what the real deal is supposed to look, smell and feel like. Once you get comfortable buying this way, you can branch out.

Featured Photo from The Coveteur

2. Try It Before You Buy It

People selling makeup online are well aware of the fact you need to try makeup before you’re ready to commit to it. This is why they offer samples of new product for free with purchases. You can also get free testers, if you’re willing to cover the cost of shipping them to you. In many cases, this will cost less than driving to your local mall. Plus, you have the advantage of trying it out at home, instead of inside a crowded store with onlookers. Additionally, you won’t have a commissioned salesperson encouraging you to buy something you might not need because they get paid to move product.

3. Shop Only with Sellers Who Accept Returns

Independent makeup merchants who sell cosmetics from home know they are at a decided disadvantage compared to physical cosmetics stores and bigger sites. To compensate, they will usually offer generous return polices. That way, if a product doesn’t work for you, it can be exchanged for something with the potential to be more effective—or refunded. Before buying makeup from an online store, read its return policy to make sure you can send back anything you don’t like.

4. Look for Sites with Tutorials and Professional Tips

Yes, you can go to the makeup counter in your local department store and get a full makeover from a makeup artist. But that’s time consuming and there’s no guarantee you’ll want to walk around for the rest of the day wearing the end result. If you follow a video tutorial at home, you can play around in private and choose whether to let the rest of the world see your new look. Plus, you can learn how to do it yourself, step-by-step. That way, you can repeat the process on your own, without spending another hour in the chair—after going out of your way to get there.

5. Buy Only New, Never Opened

Buying used makeup is a bad idea for a number of reasons. Best case, it could be past its expiration date. Worst case, it could be teeming with bacteria and/or viruses. This is particularly true for mascara, eyeliner and eye shadow, as the eyes are highly susceptible to infection. Similarly, used lipstick could be infected with the cold sore virus. Always insist upon new, unopened product and check the expiration date to be sure it is fresh. If it looks like it has been used, resealed, or repackaged when it arrives, send it back, get a refund and find a new seller.

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