Do's & Don'ts Of Buying Lipstick Online

It seems like everything these days is available online, including your favorite lipstick. Follow these do's and don'ts from Runway Rogue to make the most out of your next online beauty purchase.

What you should do

Buy from a reputable, trusted source. If you're looking to buy another tube of your favorite lipstick, the best place to order online is directly from the company's website. Shopping directly on a company's site, such as https://runwayroguebeauty.com/, will give you the widest color selection and is great for taking advantage of shopping rewards and discount codes.

Trusted sellers like Sephora, Ulta or even Amazon, which sources directly from many top makeup brands, are also good choices.

Read online reviews. With online reviews available at the touch of a screen, gone are the days when you relied on a TV ad or word of mouth to judge that new lipstick brand. Now, you can take in the collective wisdom of hundreds, if not thousands, of others who have tried the exact product you're thinking about purchasing.

Remember to read a mix of both critical and glowing reviews from multiple sites to get the whole picture.

Carefully read product descriptions. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it's still an important point. Important details can be hidden in the fine print of the product description, such as exact color and quantity. Some retailers do not use unique images for all their products, making product descriptions even more critical.

Pay attention to shipping and return policies. Online shopping definitely has its perks, like being able to buy your favorite lipstick while still in your PJs. The only things online shopping really has going against it is the cost of shipping and the inability to try the item before you buy.

Especially when looking for a new lip color, make sure you check the shipping and return policy. While some sites have free shipping and awesome return policies, others are not so generous. You may get dinged on shipping both ways, and that's if you're even able to return an opened product.

What you shouldn't do

Buy from resellers. You may be tempted by reseller sites like eBay or Poshmark with their killer deals, but don't be fooled. Just like these sites have trouble with knock-off designer brands, many luxury beauty products on these sites are fakes and even potentially dangerous, depending on the ingredients used.

Fall for products that are dupes or contain harmful chemicals. Although it can be tough to decipher without getting your hands on the product first, don't fall for knock-offs of popular brands. The easiest way we've found to tell whether a product is a fake is through its packaging.

Compare packaging (manufacturing label, barcode) to the real thing if you have it on hand or from pictures on the company's website. It's also a good idea to check the ingredient information if available.

Even popular brands can contain toxic chemicals like butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), which are often used as preservatives.

Buy outside of your country of origin. Perhaps the best way not to get scammed by a knock-off or a product that contains harmful chemicals is not buying anything outside your country of origin.

Unlike faux designer handbags, there's a real danger to buying faux beauty products - some foreign knockoffs have been shown to contain harmful chemicals like mercury and arsenic. Source your beauty products from trusted sellers based in your country.

With these tips from Runway Rogue, you can make your next online beauty purchase with confidence.