What Online-Only Beauty Brands Do You Love?
There are so many brands now that don't seem to exist in the main stores but are huge driving forces because of social media — so what online-only beauty brands have you tried based on social media ads? What do you love, what was a waste of money? Some notes from me…
Glossier – I forget which product I kept seeing online that made me try Glossier, but a lot of the ones I've tried are in my regular rotation, including their Milky Jelly cleanser, their highlighter (Haloscope) and their lash tint (even I can wear it and mascara often bugs me). I've also tried their scent (like but don't love), Boy Brow (not the best for my sparse eyebrows), and the Generation G lip gloss (too dry for me). I still have a good liquid blush but I'd try their CloudPaint next.
Thrive Causemetics – I finally bit the bullet because I wanted to try their mascara; about a month ago I wound up ordering that as well as a lip gloss, a lip liner, and a navy eyeliner. I'm still figuring out how I feel about all of them, to be honest — the mascara seemed a bit gloppy on first applications but it's definitely more volumizing than the Glossier mascara.
The lip liner seems more moisturizing than my MAC one and is unnoticeable. At first I really liked the glossy lip but now I wonder if it's too “wet” for daily life (my coffee cup gets totally covered in it).
Native Deodorant – I think Target just started carrying this. A friend of the family is really into animal rights and has been trying a lot of cruelty-free brands; I tried Native based on her recommendation and ordered a sampler pack. I like them faaaaar better than Tom's, which is the only other natural deodorant I tried, and in general I'm wearing them instead of my 15+ year preferred brand, Mitchum.
Come summertime we'll see whether I still use my Native deodorant, but for non-sweaty weather it's fine. My favorite scents thus far are seasonal Cotton & Powder, Lavendar & Rose, and Vanilla & Coconut — I really hope they make the Cotton & Powder a permanent scent.
Phlur – I wrote before about my love for my new date-night scent, Hepcat…
Hanacure – I wrote before about my experience with the Hanacure mask — to be honest I haven't bought it again though. (Although, hmmn, I have a bachelorette party coming up in a few months…) It's now available at a ton more spots, including Barney’s, Neiman Marcus and Amazon.
ColorPop – Who among us hasn't randomly ordered $50 worth of stuff? To be honest I ordered a bunch of stuff many moons ago — two years — and none of it wound up in regular rotation.
The Ordinary – I hesitate to include this brand in the list because a) I mostly heard about it from readers here more than social media, b) it's now sold at Sephora, and c) there seems to be drama going on behind the scenes – but I use their Caffeine Solution on my eyes, particularly when they're a bit puffy…
Others that keep popping up in my social media that I haven't tried yet:
- Mented – nude lipsticks for women of color (probably not for me, but they do look really well done!)
- Prose – custom hair care
- Madison Reed – DIY hair color
How about you guys — what beauty products have you ordered from online-only stores based on stuff you saw or heard about on social media? What online-only beauty products do you love — and what bad experiences have you had?
I recognize that your blog is about beauty/fashion, but honestly, I can’t just buy-buy-buy everything that intrigues me, whether online or in a store – not because I can’t afford to, but because it complicates my life. I do best with an approach of – find a product / line that I like, and stick with that. I do fine with skin-care brands like Caudalie and makeup brands like NARS and Laura Mercier – I am not just going to bop here, there and everywhere for new brands – it’s exhausting and most likely a long run for a short slide. I feel kind of Marie Kondo-ish about beauty products – find what works, stick to it, simplify.
I’m similar to this (though I can’t afford to buy-buy-buy). Another big reason I don’t buy makeup online is because I want to try it on first to make sure it works with my coloring. How do people that buy makeup online ensure the colors work for them? Same with perfumes- I’ve read wonderful reviews of certain scents online but then when I go to try them in a store they just don’t work for me.
I will say that I got into Paula’s Choice from the readers here. I’m not much of a skincare experimenter due to my sensitive skin, so I stick with what works.
I generally don’t like clothes shopping and order almost all of my clothes and shoes online, but beauty products are an area where I really prefer to stick to brick-and-mortar.
I actually really like these posts because I don’t use many products, and really hate trying new things that don’t work… so appreciate new things that people HAVE tried out and worked for them– like for glossier boy-brow below. I’ve thought about buying it for years, but finally tried it based on people here’s comments. I think there are some really neat new companies that have ethos I agree with (ex- billie shaving & their pro-hair pro-different body type ads) and I would love to support them (& would even pay a premium for it), but would first want to hear someone vouch for their actual products.
I tried Billie and love it. The razors and the soap block last a really long time. I was using the venus razors before and the soap block went faster than the razor. I highly recommend Billie.
I love the Billie, too. I don’t need as many razors as they send even on the lowest frequency, but I will cancel when I have too big of a backlog.
Another +1 for Billie.
OP- awesome, ordered it! I only shave like 1x a month, so can’t imagine even needing 3 blades every 3 months… but will just cancel after the 1st refill shipment. :)
The Ordinary is definitely not online only. DECIEM has stores all over.
I was just thinking about this today… fb must have changed their algorithm and instead of sending me adds for baby weight loss/getting pregnant stuff (I’m in that phase of my life, but no thank you fb), they have started targeting really interesting online only brands to me (like a travel back that is theft resistant & can be worn multiple ways, or beta brand pants) & I would love a post on what people have bought & liked.
I posted asking about glossier last week and pulled the trigger on ordering boy brow for my thick & unruly brows. A few people with thinner brows said it was too goopy for them. If found the color to be A+ (I got brown for my dark brown/black hair), but it didn’t really keep my brows in place which is my main concern normally… I’m glad I tried it, but not sure I’ll order it again (also felt the brush was too tiny).
Have you tried Benefit cosmetics brow line? They carry it at Sephora so you can try it before you buy. I don’t have a specific product recommendation within their line, but I feel like all of them are solid for different types of brows.
Cool! I’ll try it out when the boy-brow runs out.
Here are a few online brands I have tried and really like. I am in marketing so you think I wouldn’t be such an easy sell, but I am.
Billie Razors
Ordinary products ( although now widely available)
SummerSalt swim suit (VERY high quality for the price. I got a 14 in the plunge and it fits my new size 12 post-partum body and nursing top portion well)
Bapron (baby bib)
ezpz (bowl and cup)
The Greats shoes ( these were for husband and he loves them and bought a second pair)
I think there are more but these are the ones that came to mind that I really feel were well worth the money spent.
Oh the Megababe deodorant did not work for me at all. I like the thigh stick though
+1 for SummerSalt! I have the Sidestroke after seeing a million ads for it on Instagram. Agree that it’s super high quality. I followed their fit guide and ordered a 6 rather than my usual 4 and it fits great.
Anther vote for SummerSalt, the Sidestroke worked so well for me I ordered a second one in another color. As I’m starting to see swimsuits in catalogs and advertisements, it feels great to know that I’m already all set for this summer.
I have switched almost all of my skin care (and lots of makeup) over to Beauty Pie over the last 18 months. You have to buy a subscription, but the overall price is very reasonable for the quality of products.
Love Native deodorant.
Ok, it’s almost my birthday and willing to try out a few other new things-
Any thoughts or experiences on the following online products/brands?
Quip toothbrush
wevibe (for gardening)
Arden Cove bags
Beta brand pants
The flex (which seems to be an alt diva cup type thing)
Elvie- pelvic floor support
Products I’m pretty sold on, but haven’t tried because I don’t need them quite yet, but will probably try eventually: Rothys, thynx,
Products that were interesting, but not for me: 3rd love- the size didn’t fit, but they just rolled out new ones & their customer service was excellent, so I’d probably try them again in the future. Lo & Sons- just wasn’t the exact right thing that I was looking for. Ava- got pregnant before ordering.
For anyone else interested like I was- you can see which adds you are being targeted on fb, which is how I was able to make this list of things that really seemed interesting to me.
I have a wevibe and LOVE it. I use it solo and for partnered activity. Couldn’t recommend more.
No comments on any other items you list, but give that one an A+
I finally caved to the Quip ads after my bff got one and recommended it. It’s nice that 1) they’re soft bristles, which dentists recommended but can be hard to find for other electric toothbrushes; 2) they automatically send you cheap replacement heads and 3) it’s so much smaller than a regular electric toothbrush.
Flex is awesome! You can buy a similar product, softcup at cvs. I can’t do meanstrual cups and used to use tampons but switched to softcup/flex several years ago. I don’t go to cvs often, so I prefer flex since they send product to me on a schedule. I love only having to change the product every 12 hours, and it is very comfortable.
The wevibe touch is my all time favorite…. gardening tool.
I actually didn’t like the quip, but use it as my travel toothbrush now for which I love it’s compact size. Im back to my oralb electric toothbrush for everyday use.
Ooh, finally a topic on which I can contribute intel! I have tried several of the brands mentioned.
Quip toothbrush – used this for a while and loved it. My dental hygienist even commented that she noticed a difference. I like that the subscription service prompts you to change heads every 3 months. However, I eventually switched to the Oral-B Pro 1000, which is much more powerful. I found it annoying at first, but I could also tell my teeth were super clean. I still use the Quip for travel, though.
Thinx – I love these — no more breakthrough bleeding! Well, almost none … the few times I’ve had accidents have been overnight. I typically use a cup (Mooncup; I found Divacup’s stem too short for easy extraction), with the Thinx as backup on heavier days, then just Thinx for the last couple days of light flow. (As someone who’s not trying to get pregnant, I also really like the app Clue.)
Rothys – I questioned several women about these on the street. My friend who’s a doctor says all the doctor moms wear them (in the Bay Area). Finally got my own pair (the Point). Verdict: they *are* comfortable, but not like, heaven for your feet or anything. I’ve worn them to work, and they were fine, but I wouldn’t wear them to tromp all over Paris (which I had kind of hoped to do).
Glossier – I have the face tint, which is very sheer… I feel like it’s great if you’re 20-something and already have great skin. For me, it’s ok layered with mineral powder. I love the cloud paint, though — I love a liquid or gel type blush. I’ve also read good things about the milky jelly.
I’m super curious about Mented as well, and I am a woman of color, but I just don’t tend to wear nude lipsticks. I’m kind of fascinated by women who can pull it off (Kerry Washington) but I have never felt it worked on me.
Social media products that I love:
Rothys. I know they don’t work for everyone but holy cow, these are my favorite shoes ever.
Ink and Volt planners
Thinx
Dissent earrings
Wicked clothing (for sweatshirts)
Overtone
Social media products that were an okay buy, but not that much better than the store options:
Betabrand pants
Third Love bra (better than VS but not as good as Aerie)
Lo & Sons bag
FaceSocks (good gag gift but the socks are meh)
CupShe (not the best quality, but cute and cheap)
MM LaFleur
Le Tote
Senita Athletics
BaubleBar
Away
Social media products I regret buying:
Anything from Zulilly
Stichfix
Noom
Have bookmarked to try:
Folio Society (books)
Encircled (clothes)
HabitNest (planner)
Meowingtons Co (cat toys)
Molekule Air (air purifier)
Up Bra (strapless bra)
Poche Posh (clothes with pockets)
Fancy Sprinkles (sprinkles)
My Fur Baby (cat toys)
Have you tried Curology? It helped me with acne!! And they have a great cleanser and moisturizer