We do the homework so you don't have to guess

Most beauty writing online is either a press release with the serial numbers filed off or a list of 40 products picked at random. We wanted the thing we'd text a friend: what's in it, who it's for, and whether the cheap one is close enough.

Why so much Amazon

Because that's where most of us shop for beauty now, and it's where the dupes live. It's also full of products with 40,000 five-star reviews that turn out to be fine at best. Sorting the good ones from the noise is the job.

We still write about expensive things when they earn it. A lot of our dupe posts end with "buy the original", and we're fine with that.

How we choose

• We start with the ingredient list and the claims, and check whether the formula can back them up.
• For dupes, we compare the product with the one it copies: ingredients, finish, shade range and price.
• We read buyer reviews in bulk, looking for patterns after weeks of use, not first-day reactions.
• We say who a product is for, and who should skip it, because skin, hair and shade all matter.
• We update posts when a formula changes, a product gets worse, or we change our minds.

Every post says at the top how it was put together. Most are research roundups. When we've used something ourselves, the post is labeled hands-on tested.

What we won't do

We don't take money to cover a product, and we don't let brands see posts before they go up. We don't print prices, because Amazon prices change by the hour and we'd rather send you to the real number. And if something isn't for you, we'll tell you that too.

How the site makes money

When you buy through our links, Amazon pays us a small commission. It costs you nothing extra and it never decides what we recommend. The full explanation is on our disclosure page.

Say hi

Questions, corrections, or a product you think we should try? Get in touch. We read everything.