Swatching is simply trying a small amount of product on your hand, lips, eyes, etc. This way, you can see how the color actually looks on you and feel out the texture of the product. This may seem like common sense to some, but often times we are so hyper and desperate for new makeup (i'm GUILTY) that we'll just buy something based on how it looks in the package or tube.
The color of the packaging itself can alter how the product looks in the tube. Then, probably the most awful thing that can happen, you get your new pink lipgloss home and try it out...and it's all WRONG. "Oh...I thought it would be pinker, sheerer, less glittery..." Below are some of my favorite pretty pink treats, and what they look like on paper.
Clockwise from top left:
*Dior Addict - Ultra Gloss Reflect 257
*Lip Fusion - Glow
*Lancome Juicy Tubes - Ultra Brilliant
*Too Faced - Girls Dig Pearls in Shell
*Revlon - Super Lustrous Gloss in Pink Afterglow
*MAC - Dazzleglass in Bare Necessity
*Urban Decay - Pocket Rocket in Doug
*Tarina Tarantino - Disco Nap
As you can see, some glosses have more glitter, more pigment and so on. Next time you are on the market for a new gloss, try a few colors next to each other on your hand or arm and compare them. What looks better on your skin tone? Which one is silkier, stickier, darker, etc. As my mother always says "If you're not in love with it, leave it."
