Beauty Testing

As a beauty blogger I like to try new products and test them to review for my blog. Although I feel that there are not a lot of beauty product reviews on my blog, I hope that over the summer I can do more. With that said, I do have a few products in mind for me to review...

Anyway, when reviewing products its good to test them out throughly and sometimes that means doing things out of the ordinary, such as going swimming with a new waterproof mascara on etc..

When clearing out my magazine collection (because I like to keep them all for that 'just in case' moment) I thought I would go through and tear anything out that looked interesting, or something that I might like to scrap book.

I think I found the article in an ancient 'Look' magazine and I re-read it and thought it was very useful. If you can't guess already, the article was all about testing out different beauty products before you buy them, so you know if they are worth it or not. Another great feature about the article is that it tells you how to test with and without samples.

As the article is very old and I doubt many people remember it and some never read it, I thought I would run through what the article talks about and then everyone can test out their new beauty buys! 

Here goes..

Lipstick

With sample: Rub the lipstick on the cushion of your finger to see how waxy it is - the waxier the lipstick the longer it will last

Without sample: Choose the finish that you want in the shade you want. Remember that matts have lots of pigment and gloss will give you a high shine.

Face Powder

With sample: Should be undetectable on the skin. Finely milled powders are suitable for all skin types. Oily skin types better suit loose powders compared to pressed.

Without sample: If you can't test the shade, go translucent as you tend to choose the shade you wan't to be, rather than the shade that suits your skin tone. Words such as 'sheer' and 'luminous' mean it won't make your makeup look dull and will enhance your overall look. Stay away from shimmer and glitter in face powders!

Eye/Lip Liners:

With sample: Look for pigment and long lasting formulas. Draw a line on your hand, wait a second and see if it smudges - a little smudge is okay as this will allow for blending and creating a smokey effect, if it smudges too much it won't stay put all day!

Without sample: When looking online, the colours shown in the swatch are usually a pretty good match so look in the description for words such as 'long lasting' to give an indication of how well they will stay.

Illuminator/Highlighter

With sample: BLEND! These are formulated to only be used in small amounts and then blended into the skin. Too much shimmer will make you look shiny and have the opposite effect to highlighting and lifting your face. Avoid silvery shades and go for nudes and champagnes.

Without sample: Terms such as 'light reflecting' are usually a good indication that the product will have slight shimmer.

Lipgloss:

With sample: The more the gloss shines, the fuller your lips will look. Dap onto the back of your hand, wait a moment and then run your finger through the formula, this will show if the consistency is sticky or not.

Without sample: Avoid large shimmer/glitter particles as these can look cheap and not set well on the lips.

Blush/Bronzer

With sample: Check they work in combination with your other face products. If you have sensitive skin look for non - comedogenic products as this won't irritate the skin. Run powder formulas along the back of your hand to check for pigmentation and blend creams to see consistency.

Without sample: Avoid glitter. Don't go for shades that are darker than you would naturally tan, or flush when you work out.

Mascara

With sample: Don't test samples on your eyelashes - you don't know where the wands have been and how many other people have tried them! Unless the sample is fresh from a counter give it a miss. Otherwise, run drugstore mascaras along the back of your hand and smudge to see its staying power.

Without sample: Determine what your looking for - lengthening, curling, thickening etc and then look for these words in the product name and descriptions.

Foundation/Concealer

With sample: Apply to your neck and jaw line. If your being colour swatched at a department store counter, ask them to remove some of your foundation and apply to a clean area, that way you will be able to compare what you already have on and the swatch. This should also show you how accurate the colour match is. Don't buy just from testing on the back of your hand as the skin tone varies. Always re-swatch yourself when repurchasing. 

Without sample: Try not to purchase online unless you have been using the brand for some time and you know what colour you are and what to expect from the formulation.


Six Quality Control Tips and Tricks

1. If it doesn't smell right it probably isn't. The same goes for if you don't like the smell, you probably won't use it.

2. Compare products against each other. Switch between brands and always revisit a brand you haven't enjoyed as formulations are always changing and improving.

3. Fragrances change over a period of time due to body temperature and conditions so when buying a new perfume its best to test it on your skin, wander around the store and then come back to purchase after the scent has had time to settle on your skin.

4. If you try out a new product and get a sudden break out, stop using the product. However, if its skin care, hang on in for a few days to see if the break out clears up - this is usually just due to a change in product or routine.

5. Don't change all of your skin care routine at once. Gradually change products so that your skin can get used to new formulas, and if you have any reactions such as irritation and break outs you know that its the new product!

6. A product can take a while to show improvements to your skin, whereas a bad reaction will show itself immediately. Persist with a beauty buy for a couple of weeks before you give up!

I hope that this testing 101 helps when buying new products and don't forget to try before you buy! There is nothing wrong than asking to be colour swatched to find you don't like the formulation, colour, appearance etc so choose not to buy a product!