10 Major Mistakes to Avoid When You Buy Makeup

So many of us buy makeup and skincare products on a whim. The result: a graveyard of hardly used cosmetics. Instead of adding to your oft-ignored purchases, read on to find out which buying blunders are the most common and how to find items you’ll actually want to use again and again.

It’s winter and you ran out of bronzer, so you buy the same one you’ve used all summer. Whoops! It’s likely too dark for your skin now. Even if you wear sunscreen, “you might need a lighter or darker shade of foundation or bronzer depending on the time of year,” says Kimberly Soane, director of Global Artistry at Bobbi Brown Cosmetics. Wearing the wrong hue can make your earlobes, neck and chest look completely different than your face. And don’t forget to account for dry winter skin and oilier summer skin; save heavier creams for wintertime.

The first whiff of fragrance isn’t always the most accurate because it’s not representative of how it’d smell on your body later. When you’re searching for the perfect scent, let the perfume air out for a few minutes to get a sense of the entire range of notes as they evaporate. “A scent goes through a few stages as it dries on the body,” explains Patti Kapla, vice president of business development for FragranceNet.com, an online beauty site. “Let the scent linger; then, re-smell before you purchase.”

Rather than depending on store lighting, which isn’t as bright as daylight, be sure to “see your skin in natural light before you take the plunge,” urges Annie Ford Danielson, a brand spokesperson for Benefit Cosmetics. It gives you a better idea of how well the shade matches your skin. If you don’t test it out in natural light, you may bring home a color that doesn’t work with your tone and undertones.

Consider more than just what a lip gloss or stick looks like on your lips before you buy, advises Karen Behnke, founder of Juice Beauty, a skincare and cosmetics company. After letting the color linger, look for how well it stays on your lips, whether it creases and even how it smells and tastes, suggests Behnke. Also factor in how easy it is to apply, and then “walk around the store and do the rest of your shopping before making a decision,” she says.

Swiping a foundation, eyeshadow or lipstick on your hand can give you a glimpse of the color and texture, but it’s not an accurate way to size up how it will look on your face, says Behnke. “Wrists and arms are never the same shade as your face,” she says. To find a fitting lipstick, for instance, use your natural lip color as a guide, says Soane. “The most flattering shade either matches or is slightly darker than your lips,” she explains.

True, one big bottle may cost less than a bunch of smaller tubes, but that mega-size product is only a good value if you use it all. So for new-to-you items, start “with a smaller size to make sure you like it,” Soane says. Likewise with kits, unless you know and love every item in the package, stick to single-product purchases. Otherwise, some kit components may go unused after you’ve paid a higher price than you would have.

While the ingredient labels on makeup products can be unbearably long, it’s worth your time to check them for items that can harm your health, says Behnke. “Avoid petroleum, butylene and propylene glycols, silicones, artificial dyes and fragrances and formaldehyde-forming chemicals such as hydantoin,” she says. Studying the back of the box is especially important for skincare products which get easily absorbed because, unlike makeup, they’re applied directly to a lot of skin, she adds.

Especially when you’re investing in pricey products, like curling irons and blow dryers, it’s important to read the online reviews, says Sephora makeup artist Julianna Sanchez, who’s based in Bakersfield, CA. “Seek out different people's experiences and opinions about gadgets,” she says, to address concerns ahead of time. That way, you don’t have to wait until you’ve bought the item to find out about downsides—and end up returning the product.

Before your next purchase, look at your makeup stash to see “products you love, products you dislike, colors you gravitate toward and what’s missing or needs to be updated in your collection,” says Sanchez. Pay special attention to which products or brands you purchased months ago, but have rarely touched, so you know not to get more. Whether it’s uncovering a dozen red lipsticks or four tubes of mascara, taking inventory can help you be more strategic about future buys.