Ask Fashion Girl

Dear Safiya,

Rather than buy a Maybelline or any other brand of lipstick or lipgloss off the display rack without trying it on -- and I wouldn't be able to tell you which one on that rack would look right on you -- you might be better off going to a beauty supply store or department store where you can try on the lipsticks and glosses before you buy them.

Beauty supply stores, if they have them in your area, are great! They're much less expensive than department stores and generally you can try on the stock. The trade-off with beauty supply stores is that the packaging is that the brands are unadvertised and the packaging isn't fancy, but the products are just as good. If you do end up going to a department store, you might pay more but at least you can be more certain that you're buying the right color by trying it before you buy.

Wherever you go, price the different lines of makeup until you find a line that is within your price range. Then try on the glosses and lipsticks until you find the right color to suit your style and complexion. It's a good idea to do this in the daytime so that you can go outside and look at the color in daylight in a mirror before making your final decision.

Don't pay more for a lipstick just because the label or packaging is fancier. They're all the same inside! A bargain lipstick is just as good -- IF it's the right color. If you have a drugstore near you that has testers, and you can try the lipstick on, then that's just as good a place to buy a lipstick.

Sincerely, Fashion Girl