Makeup

AmericaRX has the most extensive online selection of drugstore brand cosmetics and accessories like brushes, tweezers and nail supplies. Although it is not easy to navigate the site by brand, you can narrow your search to a specific area of the face (even leg makeup is available) and browse all brands' products in that category. The site ships nationwide and also has a good selection of other drugstore products similar to what you would find on sites like Drugstore.com.

Beauty.com is a satellite division of Drugstore.com and features luxury makeup brands like LORAC, Kevyn Aucoin, Urban Decay, and others. This partnership allows you to do your makeup shopping along with your regular product shopping at Drugstore.com. You'll find an extensive selection of beauty supplies and tools here, along with regular cosmetic products featured by the partner site. Products are rated by customers and individual product pages feature ingredients, application instructions, company contact information, and often an FAQ section about the products offered.

Beautyofasite.com is an online retailer selling hundreds of top makeup and beauty brands, including up-and-coming names, brands you'll find in specialty chains like Sephora, and international brands. The wide selection of products includes all-natural, organic, top-of-the-line, and mid-range. The average prices on the site are comparable to those at Sephora, but you'll benefit from additional features like trend updates and articles that can inform and supplement your shopping experience.

Avon is a celebrity-endorsed brand that bridges the price point between high-end cosmetic lines and drugstore brands like CoverGirl or Neutrogena. While it used to be sold only through Avon representatives, you can now shop for Avon's products on their Web site (or alternatively, locate a rep through the site). 

Bare Escentuals is a San Francisco-based, all-natural cosmetic company that sells its products through its own Web site as well as through retailers like Sephora. On this site you'll find makeup basics like foundations and powders, eye shadows, lipsticks, makeup tools, and the company's skincare line, md formulations. You can also order Bare Escentuals products over the phone. Finally, visit their "about bare escentuals" section to learn what makes the products "natural."

Saffron Rouge is an American company selling organic cosmetics, beauty products and aromatherapy products. The company ships internationally to 30 destinations and features multiple makers of organic cosmetics including Dr. Hauschka, Jurlique, and Primavera. Many of the product pages include a "Kirstin's Comments" section, where an organic beauty expert gives her opinion on the product.

Pretty by Nature is a blog that reviews organic and natural cosmetics and other beauty products, providing photos, detailed descriptions, and places to buy the products online. The author of the blog is a mother with years of experience writing about makeup and creating her own sites to do so. For recommendations on how to shop for natural cosmetics, this blog is unbiased and helpful.

The Body Shop is a longstanding, affordable retailer of cosmetic products made without testing on animals. If you can't make it to one of their many stores, you can shop on their Web site where you'll find an array of products in their makeup line. Visit the "About Us" section to learn about the company's upstanding philosophy.

Aveda is a globally conscious supplier of makeup, hair and other beauty products. Like the Body Shop, Aveda is conscious about energy use, promoting sustainable environments in the countries that supply the ingredients, using organics whenever possible, and not testing on animals. Shop their Web site for makeup for all skin types, or use the site to locate a brick-and-mortar store (Aveda shops are often found in malls and department stores). Visit the "Our Mission" page to learn more about the philosophy behind the company.

Allure.com , a beauty specialist magazine, features a "Best of Beauty" rundown of top cosmetics on its Web site. This will guide you through the familiar and new products that have impressed the editors. These featured products include lotions and accessories as well as makeup.

DeLush is a neatly designed cosmetics review site crafted somewhat like a blog. Search by brand or product type on the top right-hand corner of the page to get a synopsis of what the product is like, its price, and a link to purchase it online. The site also has a "Features" section with special articles on trends, product searches, Q&A, and letters from readers. Click on "Our Rating System" to learn about rating criteria (scroll down the right side of the page to find it).

Palacinka reviews high-end cosmetics and calls itself "the cosmetics resource for women of color." Brands reviewed include those that cater specifically to ethnic skin, as well as widely known product lines, such as CARGO and Laura Mercier. Reviews are based on tests and evaluations. The site also reviews grooming and hair products for men and other beauty supplies for women.

Emakeup.com is a product review site that relies on user contributions. You can join the site for free to add your own product reviews, or simply browse the "Flower Report" section and sort by brand for reviews and ratings of the latest products. The emphasis is on makeup, including high-end and drugstore brands, but you will also find hair care products and accessories here.

Brain Spam

Allure 's article "Master List: Tools" provides a list of makeup brushes and other tools recommended by professionals and experienced magazine staff.

Smart Beauty & Makeup Tips has a good article on the "essential eight" makeup brushes, including how to choose the best brush for each task.

Shu Uemura is a leading high-end makeup and makeup accessories company that carries a large stock of items through their Web site. They also sell their products at a handful of brick-and-mortar locations and at department stores like Sephora. The company specializes in makeup brushes, an award-winning eyelash curler, and an array of makeup cases to fit all your items.

Alcone Company supplies makeup, tools, accessories, prosthetics for actors and performers, as well as storage devices and more for your cosmetics. Popular with makeup artists, this site has an array of affordable products, including stackable containers and other storage tools that can be used for homemade makeup and beauty products.

The Container Store caters to neat freaks of all varieties, and has an entire section on its site devoted to cosmetic organizers.

Paula's Choice is a popular page for makeup and beauty products by makeup artist and author Paula Begoun. You'll also find tips and tricks, like the article "Makeup Application Step-by-Step," a thorough rundown of the cleansing, preparation, and application process as established by Begoun, who has decades of experience in the industry. Without pitching her own products, Begoun simply shares her knowledge with readers in a friendly, no-pressure way.

Style.com , the online home of Vogue and W magazines, sheds some light on runway makeup trends. Head to the site's "Beauty" section for slideshows and articles on the current season's hair and makeup trends (and how to achieve the looks yourself). 

LifeTips has a thorough section on beauty and cosmetics where you'll find short snippets of advice on lipstick color, eyebrow plucking, eye shadow application, and other topics. The tips are rated by users of the site and each has its own comments section. Because writers are paid to contribute tips, you can be assured they are valued and vetted by LifeTips' editorial staff.

BeautyStaffs.com is an online directory of makeup and beauty professionals that includes listings of bridal makeup artists, permanent makeup specialists, and others in over 40 major cities around the U.S. The listings provide contact information, specialty, and the artists' own Web sites, where applicable.

Skin Deep is run by researchers at the nonprofit Environmental Working Group. The site features reports and news about cosmetic and personal care product safety. You can report your own experiences with a product by signing up with the site for free, or simply browse the reports available on the site. This is a good way to keep informed about the ingredients, allergies, risks and dangers associated with certain products.

The Personal Care Products Council is the trade association for companies that make perfumes, cosmetics and other such products. Read about different types of products, such as shaving cream or bubble baths, and the ingredients commonly found in them. The "Frequently Asked Questions" section deals with how cosmetics are regulated, their history, and rumors. This site also has a glossary. 

SheKnows is a women's site with articles on beauty, health, and lifestyle topics. Scroll down this beauty and style page for the latest makeup articles. Another interesting article is called "Allergic to makeup? How to handle allergies to cosmetics," that answers many common questions on cosmetic allergies, such as the definition of the term AHA (alpha hydroxy acids, used in many products to reduce the appearance of wrinkles), whether to use tester products in department stores or drugstores and more.