Smart Beauty Shopping: 10 Rules to Save Time and Find Perfect Products

Smart Beauty Shopping: 10 Rules to Save Time and Find Perfect Products

Together with makeup artist Ekaterina Ageeva and experts from “Golden Apple,” we’ll explore 10 life hacks to make your shopping more conscious, beneficial, and ensure that every purchase truly works for you.

Online: Choose with Comfort

1. Revise Your Makeup Bag

With the onset of cold weather, it’s time to revisit your makeup bag. Lay out all your products and take a good look: you’ll immediately see what you use constantly and what’s been sitting idle. It’s helpful to take a photo of this layout to easily spot duplicates and identify what’s missing. Jot down 2-3 main beauty goals for the season: hydration, long-lasting foundation, hair care. As autumn arrives, skincare usually becomes more intensive: lighter summer textures give way to richer formulas and additional hydration. This revision helps you understand what products you genuinely need and what to buy to ensure your routine meets these goals.

2. Build Your Cart at Home

After revising your makeup bag, it’s convenient to build your cart online beforehand. According to “Golden Apple” analytics, this format is especially popular among millennials: 52% of them make beauty purchases online. It’s an opportunity to leisurely study the ingredients, reviews, and find the perfect product. Generation Z, on the other hand, maintains a balance—they buy cosmetics equally online and offline, choosing the method based on their mood. This approach helps you build a cart with what you truly need, and by the time you visit the store, you’ll have a clear understanding of what you want, making the selection process smoother.

3. Focus on Similar Experiences

Reviews are particularly valuable when they come from people with similar experiences. Read reviews from people with the same skin or hair type, look at “before and after” photos, and pay attention to detailed descriptions. It’s convenient when all this information is gathered in one place: you can quickly assess the rating, see how the product performs in real life, and determine if it’s suitable for you. Don’t rush to dismiss products with few reviews or average ratings—sometimes a product just didn’t suit people with different characteristics, but it might be perfect for you. This approach increases the chances of finding a product that truly works for you.

4. Prepare References

Save your favorite looks and makeup examples in collections or bookmarks, and note down the exact shades of your favorite products—brand, number, name. This is especially convenient online: you can quickly find similar products, compare them, or even upload a photo to an AI network to find similar options. In the store, you’ll only need to test the chosen shade under natural light and on your skin.

5. Choose the Format in Advance

Before purchasing, study the product formats—it’s easiest to do this online: mini or travel size, full size, or sets. A miniature is a convenient way to test a new product, a full size is for tried-and-true favorites, and a set is perfect for those who want to use everything up to the last drop. If you’re planning a store visit, check the availability of the product beforehand—this is another step that saves time. This way, you come with a specific goal and quickly find exactly what you’re looking for.

Offline: Key Rules at the Shelf

6. Enjoy the Morning Calm in the Store

A morning on a weekday in a beauty store is almost like a personal consultation: quiet, spacious, you can calmly test products and choose everything at your own pace. This kind of shopping is more like a small ritual for yourself than ordinary purchases. By the way, according to “Golden Apple” research, offline shopping remains especially popular among younger generations: 69% of Generation Alpha prefer to choose cosmetics in person—especially makeup and perfume. For them, offline shopping is not just a purchase, but a whole process, an opportunity to feel the texture, play with color, and enjoy the moment. It’s worth taking a cue from them and turning your store visit into a source of inspiration and pleasant emotions.

7. Share Details with the Consultant

You don’t need to know the ingredients by heart—that’s what consultants are for. They are well-versed in products and can quickly find what truly suits you. Just tell them about your skin or hair type, preferences, and expectations—whether it’s long-lasting foundation, sulfate-free shampoo, or a lightweight fragrance-free texture. Experienced specialists know the nuances of each category and can help you find the perfect products without unnecessary trial and error. It’s also important to mention any allergies you have and share your personal preferences: favorite textures, scents, shades.

8. Check the Shade in Person

A tester on your hand rarely tells the truth: the shade on your palm might look perfect, but on your face, it could be completely different. The most reliable way is to try the product where you’ll actually wear it. Apply foundation along your jawline, blush and bronzer on your cheek, and lipstick on your lips. Give it a couple of minutes for the formula to settle. Then, go near a window or step outside: natural light best shows the true color and finish. This way, the mirror won’t deceive you: you’ll immediately see the exact shade that will be with you every day when you apply your makeup.

9. Choose Products to Match Your Lifestyle

Every makeup bag has its own pace. If you spend a lot of time in the office, it’s better to opt for classic full sizes that sit neatly on the shelf and are always within reach. For those who are often on the go, mini versions or multifunctional products are suitable: a balm that works as both lipstick and blush, or a cream that replaces several products at once. And if you have a trip planned, pay attention to travel sizes and transformer palettes—they save space and solve several tasks at once. As a result, each product takes its place and solves the problem exactly where you need it.

10. Save Successful Finds

If a product turns out to be “yours,” write down its name and shade—this will eliminate unnecessary searches. Many people have probably found themselves in a situation where they wonder, “What was that shade—201, beige, or something else?” To avoid such doubts, it’s convenient to keep these notes along with a photo of the swatch. When it’s time to repurchase, just open your phone and the shade you need is right in front of you. This way, a personal beauty database is gradually formed, where each item is tested by you, and repeat purchases become easy and quick.

Shopping That Works for You

Beauty purchases bring joy when they are thoughtful—but there should still be room for spontaneity. Sometimes you just want to treat yourself to a new lipstick or try a trendy serum, and that’s absolutely normal. When all the essentials are already chosen, a small unplanned purchase won’t disrupt the balance, but rather add emotions and inspiration.

Emotions are also brought by the shopping format itself. According to “Golden Apple” data, the boundaries between online and offline purchases are becoming increasingly blurred: millennials more often choose digital services, Generation Z freely combines both formats, and Generation Alpha still comes to the store for the atmosphere and personal experience. So, beauty shopping becomes a part of the lifestyle, and everyone can choose the format that suits them, or better yet—combine them.

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