Frequently Asked Questions
What is a swatch?
A swatch is a sample of makeup applied to the skin to show off its color, texture, and finish.
Why does this problem exist when beauty stores carry tester products?
Not everyone shops in person at brick-and-mortar makeup retailers or is comfortable using their public testers. Also, many brands and products aren’t necessarily available at all stores or have the means to distribute samples in an inexpensive or sustainable way. Now that COVID-19 is forcing the beauty industry to prioritize no-touch shopping experiences, our solution is as relevant as ever.
What makes a shade of lipstick appear differently online versus on one’s lips?
Skin tone, lighting, screen resolution, lip primer, and even your lips’ natural pH levels can affect how a lip product appears after it’s applied.
Do you only swatch lip products?
Yes, currently, we only swatch colored lip products such as cream lipsticks, liquid lipsticks, lip glosses, tinted lip balms, etc.
Why don’t you swatch lip products on arms?
While it may be acceptable to swatch eyeshadow on one’s hand or arm, we felt like the only way to truly represent how lipsticks appear is to apply them to actual lips.
Where do you get the swatch photos?
Each swatch in our database is photographed by our team and each lipstick shade is modeled/swatched by one of our brand ambassadors.
How do you edit your photos?
We white balance our photos to ensure that they show color as accurately as possible and retouch them as needed.
Can I submit a lip swatch photo to your database?
We don’t accept crowdsourced images because we take all swatch photos ourselves to ensure consistent quality, application, and lighting.
Who built your apps?
We did.
How much does your iOS app cost?
It’s totally free.
Where can I download your iOS app?
Where can I try your web app?
Do you have an Android app?
We’re working on it!
Who is your target customer?
Although our solution can benefit anyone who shops for makeup, our target demographic is consumers between the ages of 18-34 who shop online for tinted lip products at least once a month.
Do you match foundation to my skin?
No. The only thing we compare is your complexion to the complexion of a model depicted in a lip swatch photo. This enables us to show you swatches in order of relevance to models who have a skin tone similar to yours.
How does your skin tone match algorithm work?
We use color theory, photo editing software, and statistics to classify your skin tone and undertone, which we then compare with those of our models.
What makes you different from Cocoaswatches and Temptalia?
swatchcandy showcases lip products on all complexions, whereas each of these pages feature photos, reviews, and sponsored content by just one person with one particular complexion.
What makes you different from YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest?
We only include standardized lip swatch photos, making our content easily searchable, with fewer unrelated things to sift through and no ads.
Will you swatch my brand’s lip products?
Absolutely! Email us at partnerships@swatchcandy.com.
How big is your team?
There’s just two of us.
Where are you located?
We are split between Philadelphia, PA and Atlanta, GA.
Who is funding you?
We are 100% bootstrapped.
How can I support you?
Shop through the affiliate links on our merchants page or web app, download our iOS app, leave us a rating on the App Store, follow us on Instagram, subscribe to our newsletter, introduce us to someone we should know, etc.
How can I get in touch?
Email us at hello@swatchcandy.com.