Have you ever gotten trapped into the never-ending loop of watching beauty videos on Instagram and YouTube? Speak to any beauty enthusiast and you will know how easy it is to get trapped into that loop of videos where women are dropping highlighters and facial oil all over their face. I know I’ve ended up purchasing irrationally expensive makeup because I saw it on YouTube or on Instagram.
All of us have ended up buying makeup online at some point or the other in our lives. But what I have learnt over the years is that you should NOT buy everything you see on Instagram or YouTube. Instagram makeup and ‘real life’ makeup are two completely different realities. The Instagram and YouTube version of reality is often warped around fake lights and a perception of perfect skin.
1. Lights, Camera, Flashes!
Makeup works with lighting. Everything looks completely different under artificial lights than it does under natural light. That flawless, airbrushed, glowing complexion you see on your screen is a result of the lighting. There are entire makeup lines designed for 4K photography. Now I’m not saying all of this makeup will look terrible IRL, but a lot of it is going to look pretty cakey and hence unflattering. My advice? Pick and choose wisely. With products like foundations, you can make them work. When it comes to stuff like highlighters – steer clear of those unless you try and buy. What may give someone an “Instagram” glow may give you “glitter”. Always remember, everything looks good under artificial lighting.
2. Kardashian Contour In Real Life?
Some makeup techniques are best used for photography. I’m talking about strong contouring, baking and a lot highlighting. Some kinds of makeup like liquid highlighters, contour kits are better off used with a light hand if you’re not planning to get your photo taken.
3. Consider Where You Live
Now before you decide to buy that 24K gold facial oil or those unicorn priming drops, think about the kind of weather in our country. If you live in India, chances are it’s hot and humid majority of the year. That will entirely limit your practical application of certain types of makeup products.
4. They May Not Suit Your Skin Type
Everybody has a different skin type, it’s not necessary that what works for one person will work for you. If you have sensitive skin or you have acne prone skin, be careful what you decide to put on your face.
Now I don’t think I need to tell you this but another problem when you buy makeup online is that you often end up with the wrong shade. This again has a lot to do with lighting, the swatches you saw on the website are not always going to be true to colour. Try to stay away from ordering products like foundation and concealer online. And if you absolutely MUST use a website like findation to find your closest shade match!
5. All that glitters is NOT gold
Last, but not the least – don’t believe everything you hear or see. A lot of brands pay influencers hefty sums of money to speak well about their products. Now, not every influencer is going to lie to you, but a lot of them will give you the ‘brands approved version’ of the product. Do your own research!
And if you’re looking to buy some international makeup online, here are some great tips on online makeup shopping!
Featured Image: Shutterstock
