• Get the Makeup Essentials

• Complement Your Complexion

• Keep Makeup Fresh

• Use the Right Cosmetic Tools

• How to Find Makeup on eBay Australia

• Buy with Confidence

• Need More Help?

• Legal Disclaimer

Get the Makeup Essentials

Get the Makeup Essentials

Whether you are going for a natural look or dramatic flair, there is certain makeup or cosmetic products every woman should have in her makeup bag.

• Foundation: Create a smooth, even surface on which to apply makeup. Popular brands on eBay Australia include Revlon, Clinique, Mary Kay and Nutrimetics.

• Concealer: Cover dark circles under the eyes or blemishes on the face. Lancome and Revlon both offer a great range.

• Powder: Keep your makeup looking finished and keep shine to a minimum. Try popular face powders by Clinique, Estee Lauder, and Mary Kay.

• Blush: Accentuate bone structure and brighten up any complexion with blush. Popular brands on eBay Australia include Clinique, Estee Lauder, Mary Kay, Chanel, MAC, and Nars.

• Bronzer: Give a sun-kissed glow by using bronzer without exposure to harmful sun rays. Try bronzer powders by Nutrimetics and Lancome.

• Lip liner: Prime your lips to keep lipstick on longer. Find bulk lots of lip liners by Napoleon and Avon on eBay Australia.

• Lipstick: Brighten and freshen up lips throughout the day. Find great shades of lipsticks by Clinique, Estee Lauder, Avon, Max Factor, Nutrimetics, Revlon, L’Oreal, Mary Kay and MAC.

• Eyeliner: Define and enlarge the appearance of your eyes using an eyeliner pencil. Use liquid eyeliner for a more dramatic effect—day or night. Try brands like Lancome, Revlon and MAC.

• Eyeshadow: Create different looks for night and day with different eyeshadow colours and shades. Popular brands on eBay Australia include MAC, Clinique, Estee Lauder, Mary Kay, Lancome and J’Adore.

• Mascara: Combine mascara with other eye makeup for striking effect, or to wear alone for more subtle results. Try lash curling and waterproof mascara by Estee Lauder, L’Oreal, Lancome, and Clinique.

Complement Your Complexion

Complement Your Complexion

Choosing the right makeup for you has everything to do with your age, skin type, and complexion. And while the choices can be daunting, there are a few simple guidelines you can follow.

• Teen: The best teen look is fresh, pretty, and clean. Pinpoint your best feature—your skin, lips, or eyes—and use makeup to emphasise it. The rule of thumb for teens is that you should stand out, not your makeup.

• Dark Brown: Darker skin has many complex undertones. That’s why you should get to know your skin and its specific undertones and choose shades that complement your natural colour.

• Olive: Yellow-based foundations and powders work especially well for olive skin. Avoid pink-based foundations and powders to prevent a harsh, unnatural look.

• Pale: Avoid bright shades that may clash with your colouring. Use soft and natural shades of blusher, with deeper tones to shade and contour your face

• Mature: While many women tend to wear more makeup as they get older, that strategy can backfire. Simplifying your makeup and coordinating with your natural tones will give you a healthier, younger appearance.

Keep Makeup Fresh

Keep Makeup Fresh

Believe it or not, your makeup has a shelf life. Makeup that has gone bad lets you know it: the colour, consistency, and, most importantly, the smell changes. Using cosmetics that have expired can irritate your skin, even causing breakouts or infections. An expired product won't perform as when you first bought it.

Learn how to know when it’s time for something new:

• Foundation: Liquid formulations typically last three to six months. Powders should last a year. Not sure of when you bought your liquid foundation? One indicator that it's gone bad is an offensive smell. You’ll also see an uneven or chunky consistency.

• Concealer: Because it's exposed to the air and bacteria, replace concealer every three to six months.

• Blush: Powders last longer than creams. Washing your blush brush often will keep the powder fresh longer. But always check for unpleasant smells or unusual consistency.

• Lipstick: Like foundation, even your favourite tube of lipstick will begin to smell when its time has come.

• Lip gloss: If you use your fingertips to apply it, toss it after six months. A lip gloss that’s applied with a wand, however, can last upwards of a year.

• Lip liner: Every time you sharpen a lip liner pencil, you’re cleaning it. So if you’re sharpening it often, a lip liner can last indefinitely.

• Mascara: You should replace your mascara most often—every three months. Why? Of all makeup products, mascara is the most prone to microbial growth. Not only can expired mascara lead to an eye infection, it also can dry out your lashes.

• Eyeshadow: If it starts to break up, it's time for a replacement. But no matter what, you should toss eyeshadow after six months because eyes are more vulnerable to bacteria.

• Eyeliner: Replace liquid eyeliners every three to four months. If your liner is a pencil, sharpen and replace it every six months to a year.

• Eyebrow pencils: Sharpen eyebrow pencils frequently and follow the same guidelines as with a lip liner pencil.

Use the Right Cosmetic Tools

Use the Right Cosmetic Tools

Good-quality makeup is a worthwhile investment. To make the most of it, you’ll need a basic set of cosmetic tools and accessories to help you apply and remove your makeup.

• Blush brush: Choose a large, fluffy brush for blush and powder. Be sure to wash it often to extend the life of your blush and brush alike.

• Eyeshadow brush: Used for applying colour to lids and brows, you can also use it to apply a little extra colour to the lash line. Look for a brush with stiff bristles.

• Eye crease brush: Choose a narrow brush for best results. If you have heavy lids, this brush will give the illusion of larger eyes.

• Lip brush: Most makeup artists agree that this is the best way to apply lipstick. Not only does the lip brush pick up less colour than if applying lipstick straight from the tube, it also makes the colour last longer.

• Eyelash curler: Before you apply mascara, use an eyelash curler to define and curl your lashes.

• Makeup mirror: A good makeup mirror can help you see details you’ve never seen before. Look for one that has high-strength magnification (7X) to enable you to apply makeup and tweeze brows with ease. Some mirrors are also lighted, or have adjustable light settings.

• Makeup remover: A regular skin cleanser is not appropriate for removing makeup. Instead, choose a makeup remover that lifts face makeup, eye makeup, and oil right off your skin, but without irritating or drying it out.

• Aluminum makeup case: To keep your new makeup and brushes orderly, consider a make-up case or bag.

How to Find Makeup on eBay Australia

How to Find Makeup on eBay Australia

Once you know what type of makeup you want, go to the Beauty & Health portal, click Makeup, and start searching for item listings on eBay Australia.

• Categories: The Categories list on the left side of each page will help you narrow down your listings by item type. You'll find links for Foundation, Blush, Eyeshadow, Mascara, Lipstick, and more. As you dig deeper into the site, you'll also be able to narrow down your choice by brand.

• Keyword search: Search eBay Australia title listings for specific words. For example, if you want to find lip liner pencil, type "lip liner pencil" (without the quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay Australia's Search Tips page for more tips on searching with keywords.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping at an eBay Store, tell the eBay Australia Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay Australia will email you when a match becomes available.

Buy with Confidence

Buy with Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay Australia and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.

• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay Australia (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay Australia are not covered by eBay protection programs.

• Never pay for your eBay Australia item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Most top eBay Australia sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay Australia and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorised payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to $1,500.

eBay Australia Security & Resolution Centre: Visit the Security & Resolution Centre to learn how to protect your account and use eBay Australia's quick and efficient resolution tools.

Need More Help?

Need More Help?

Visit our help pages or start a thread on one of our Community Discussion Boards - If you have a quick question that needs answering, try posting it on our community Answer Centre - there's bound to be a seasoned eBay Australia veteran with just the information you're looking for!

Legal Disclaimer

Legal Disclaimer

Buying Guides are intended merely as a guide or review for members when considering what products or services they may be interested in bidding on or purchasing. eBay does not make, and nothing in these Buying Guides is intended to constitute, any warranties, guarantees, representations or assurances about the accuracy of the information or content contained in these Buying Guides. Furthermore, eBay does not make, and nothing in these Buying Guides is intended to constitute, any warranties, guarantees, representations or assurances about the nature or performance of the products or services appearing in the Buying Guides. eBay is not affiliated with nor does it endorse the use of any particular product or service.