Exchanging looks
Swapping make-up on the internet is the best way to save money and satisfy your craving for cosmetics, says MELISSA GALLO.
Hello, I'm interested in your VL Belle Etoile lippie. Please see my list and lmk."
"Hi, how about your Nars Night Fairy e/s?"
You may need a decoder, but within the virtual community of cosmetics swappers, this is a perfectly reasonable exchange. Yes, the latest beauty craze to sweep America is swapping lipsticks and lotions via the internet, and a glimpse at the provenance of some of the self- proclaimed beauty addicts who haunt "swap boards" shows the pastime is catching on in the UK.
If you're the sort of person who invents a need for toothpaste in order to pop into Boots to indulge your habit of cruising cosmetics counters, or if a glossy ad causes you to rush to an Estee Lauder counter, only for you to come to the sad-but-predictable conclusion that lilac lip gloss won't turn you into Elizabeth Hurley, swapping could be a godsend. It worked for me. I've been swapping for six months, and while it's helped assuage the guilt of spending too much on unused unctions in duty-free, I have also discovered the fabulousness of Nars and Vincent Longo (VL) lipsticks.
"Boxes of barely used cosmetics reside under my bed for an eternity," agrees Danielle Elkeslassy, the editor of a London media magazine. "Once in a while, I have a clean-out, and swap all the impulse buys away."
For some, it simply facilitates a cost- effective shopping spree. "I love trying new things, but it's too expensive to buy everything I covet like dinair luminess air and temptu compared," explains the Australian swapper Kris Simmonds. For others, it is the easy access to unusual, rare or foreign products that appeals. There are many online stores that don't ship overseas, so if New York, London or Paris are off your beaten track, there's still a chance you might get your hands on the latest lipstick from Nars.
"Swapping opens up a world of choice," enthuses Elkeslassy. "A cream you may never have considered trying may be sent to you and, bingo, it becomes your latest must-have."
Clearly, if swapping sounds like some clever recycling-cum-rehab therapy for cosmetics junkies, think again - addiction is only likely to worsen.
If you are tempted, here's how to proceed: first log on to one of the sites in the box and browse through what's on offer on the swap board.
When you find an item that you like, e-mail the swapper and, with any luck, you will exchange packages and be in cosmetics heaven.
But what if things turn ugly - the swapper claims the postman stole her lipstick, say, or you receive a tired Revlon blusher instead of the promised Stila? Swapping is essentially an exercise in trust, not to mention optimism. As your bubble-wrapped parcel disappears into the postbox, you can only hope that the stranger in California or Singapore will stick to her part of the deal. If she does not and the issue cannot be resolved by e-mail, your consolation will be to award the person a "warning token", alerting other swappers to deal with that particular person at their own risk.
Conversely, after a smooth transaction, you are expected to leave positive feedback, which will earn the swapper a good reputation within the virtual swapping community. There is also, of course, the yuck factor of sharing a stranger's lipsticks, but there are rules to follow regarding hygiene, ie, wiping products with alcohol, cleaning lipstick tops and sharpening pencils before sending them. (Still, it's safest to avoid exchanging used mascaras and liquid eyeliners that cannot be sanitised.) Also, since cosmetics addicts typically buy more than they use, many items on offer are often barely touched.
If you need any more proof that swappers are a harmless species,
consider these endearing thoughts: "It's great making friends and getting e-mails from people with a similar interest in make-up and beauty," says Nikki Steele from Edinburgh. While Elkeslassy enthuses that "It all came down to Muji hand soap", when she met her American friend, Laura. Simmonds, however, offers a more prosaic reason to embrace swapping: "The thrill of ripping open the packages - it's like Christmas every time!"
You can also try and visit us at http://thebeautyreviewer.com for more information on beauty products and how to better use or apply them.
Hello, I'm interested in your VL Belle Etoile lippie. Please see my list and lmk."
"Hi, how about your Nars Night Fairy e/s?"
You may need a decoder, but within the virtual community of cosmetics swappers, this is a perfectly reasonable exchange. Yes, the latest beauty craze to sweep America is swapping lipsticks and lotions via the internet, and a glimpse at the provenance of some of the self- proclaimed beauty addicts who haunt "swap boards" shows the pastime is catching on in the UK.
If you're the sort of person who invents a need for toothpaste in order to pop into Boots to indulge your habit of cruising cosmetics counters, or if a glossy ad causes you to rush to an Estee Lauder counter, only for you to come to the sad-but-predictable conclusion that lilac lip gloss won't turn you into Elizabeth Hurley, swapping could be a godsend. It worked for me. I've been swapping for six months, and while it's helped assuage the guilt of spending too much on unused unctions in duty-free, I have also discovered the fabulousness of Nars and Vincent Longo (VL) lipsticks.
"Boxes of barely used cosmetics reside under my bed for an eternity," agrees Danielle Elkeslassy, the editor of a London media magazine. "Once in a while, I have a clean-out, and swap all the impulse buys away."
For some, it simply facilitates a cost- effective shopping spree. "I love trying new things, but it's too expensive to buy everything I covet like dinair luminess air and temptu compared," explains the Australian swapper Kris Simmonds. For others, it is the easy access to unusual, rare or foreign products that appeals. There are many online stores that don't ship overseas, so if New York, London or Paris are off your beaten track, there's still a chance you might get your hands on the latest lipstick from Nars.
"Swapping opens up a world of choice," enthuses Elkeslassy. "A cream you may never have considered trying may be sent to you and, bingo, it becomes your latest must-have."
Clearly, if swapping sounds like some clever recycling-cum-rehab therapy for cosmetics junkies, think again - addiction is only likely to worsen.
If you are tempted, here's how to proceed: first log on to one of the sites in the box and browse through what's on offer on the swap board.
When you find an item that you like, e-mail the swapper and, with any luck, you will exchange packages and be in cosmetics heaven.
But what if things turn ugly - the swapper claims the postman stole her lipstick, say, or you receive a tired Revlon blusher instead of the promised Stila? Swapping is essentially an exercise in trust, not to mention optimism. As your bubble-wrapped parcel disappears into the postbox, you can only hope that the stranger in California or Singapore will stick to her part of the deal. If she does not and the issue cannot be resolved by e-mail, your consolation will be to award the person a "warning token", alerting other swappers to deal with that particular person at their own risk.
Conversely, after a smooth transaction, you are expected to leave positive feedback, which will earn the swapper a good reputation within the virtual swapping community. There is also, of course, the yuck factor of sharing a stranger's lipsticks, but there are rules to follow regarding hygiene, ie, wiping products with alcohol, cleaning lipstick tops and sharpening pencils before sending them. (Still, it's safest to avoid exchanging used mascaras and liquid eyeliners that cannot be sanitised.) Also, since cosmetics addicts typically buy more than they use, many items on offer are often barely touched.
If you need any more proof that swappers are a harmless species,
consider these endearing thoughts: "It's great making friends and getting e-mails from people with a similar interest in make-up and beauty," says Nikki Steele from Edinburgh. While Elkeslassy enthuses that "It all came down to Muji hand soap", when she met her American friend, Laura. Simmonds, however, offers a more prosaic reason to embrace swapping: "The thrill of ripping open the packages - it's like Christmas every time!"
You can also try and visit us at http://thebeautyreviewer.com for more information on beauty products and how to better use or apply them.