The art and science of online shopping

Since a few months, I am looking for matt metallic lipstick. None of the shops have anything nearby even remotely. During that time, I learned how to make my own brand of metallic with a sparkling eyeshadow.

In the process of my search for alternatives not available to mortal Kenyans, because we are on the wrong side of the beauty divide, I also found there are edible glitter, glare , sparks and stuff that would create what my beauty instincts wanted and could not find.

When it comes to things, hair, beauty, skincare and cosmetics, the least before they flow to our market. The alternative, online shopping. This is done via Instagram, Amazon, Jumia, Alibaba, sometimes OLX stores and, yes, we always ask parents to bring some goodies when they come for Christmas.

For all those who adopt early, who prefer the trends or who are in advance, it is almost impossible to get the whole collection of products like Fenty Beauty, NYX, Milani, the joy of the care marks of the skin like SkinCeuticals, Drunk Elephant, The Ordinary or Mario Badescu, hair extensions popularized by YouTubers like Free Tress or, let's say, this gorgeous OnePlus 6 Red gorgeous or what the market sees as the best nail extensions and Kiss products. For this you will have to go online. Or find a niche provider by word of mouth.

This is where I learned to shop via online reviews. Amazon, in particular, has a breakdown of virtually every product on the planet. Hundreds of buyers who give very contradictory opinions that make you dizzy. Or, you can watch YouTube videos that, I must warn you, must be recent.

The metallic matte lipstick I was looking for, for example, has undergone a few iterations. The names have changed as well as the packaging from rectangular bottles to rounded bottles. And, we must check if it is the same formulation that was reviewed in 2015, 2016 and end of 2017, a limited edition, a rebrand or even a new management. It certainly happens quite often with scents that online reviews are very particular about these details.

We will become reality. Who has not seen the same on online shopping – what you order compared to what you get. With a greater number of us shopping without being seen, the only thing between what we want and what we get can sometimes be nothing more than lighting. I constantly cross my fingers when I see something I want online. But I also learned to take nothing for cash. And I do not even talk about delivery or refund policies.

Maybe that's my inner researcher, but I need to know if a product is worth waiting for the doorbell to ring. Often this means chatting with the online store before buying through their platform or calling them.

The challenge of our online stores is the lack of criticism. I'm not sure that Kenyans do not take this seriously enough, or once something has been delivered, that's about all for us, but it would be a good idea to encourage the feedback.

Rather than registering for an online troll or personal conversation with 100 people, it would help us if we matched with these stores. At the very least, it would improve the process. And, it would certainly help to increase the stock.

We must not be mean, as attractive as it may seem, but we could look at other online platforms and engage ourselves. How could brands know the performance of their products on the market? Pay for a product is a thing to add to the knowledge, but also the product experience.

I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with some online providers. They get products based on what is trendy, and we know what is trendy because of the critics, widely posted and shared across online platforms from Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

Pixi, for example, is rather a salesman, which interests me because so many Kenyan women were never really sure of the benefits of toning, but that, as they say that beauty speaks , has a cult.

Stunna, the real red liquid lipstick, and Trophy Wife, both from Fenty Beauty, are iconic. Flyliner, a deep dark eyeliner with a felt tip, is the latest beauty product "must have", also by Fenty. It's no longer an understatement, but our online shopping habits tell a story. And this story is best written by buyers. In the comments section.