If you buy makeup online...

[Mendi]

then how do you know about the colours? I want to buy some elf makeup but it's so hard to tell what the shades would really be like and as far as I know it's not available in any 'real' shops to go and look at.

So do you just take a punt and hope for the best?

I try to test it in a real shop, but if that's not possible I google the brand and shade name. There's so many beauty bloggers now that you should be able to find lots of photos and descriptions.

what is you are buying? just asking as i recently bought some of the elf matt lipsticks, i watched review vids on you tube which helped me choose which colours to get.

Ooh good idea about the blogs, I didn't think of that. It's a lip stain I was looking at, in 'Mysterious'. Will Google for a blog/vid