What's The Most Wanted In The World Of Online Beauty

How do you click, swipe, shop, and find inspiration? In our 2014 reader survey, more than 20,000 of you told us what—and who—runs the beauty world

online beauty
(Image credit: Archives)

BEST BEAUTY APP: Makeup Genius

A third of your votes went to L'Oréal Paris' supercool app that applies virtual makeup to any face appearing in your phone's camera, a trick that lets you try out looks as you talk, turn your head, and pose (again and again) for selfies. "I love that it's free and works instantly, so you can try on different makeup without a hassle. I even learned how to do a smoky eye with the app's how-to videos." —Emily Kremens, 21, Wynnewood, PA

FAVORITE NAIL BLOG: Nailed ItTwenty-six-year-old Boulder, Colorado, blogger Katy Parsons won your approval (and 31 percent of your votes) with her cheery mix of nail-art tutorials, incredibly accurate polish swatches, and manicure tips. "There are so many blogs that have great photos, but no guide for replicating the looks. With Nailed It, you can't go wrong because there are how-tos and step-by-step guides." —Elaine Looper, 29, Boise, ID

MUST-READ BEAUTY SITE: PopSugar BeautyThirty-four percent of you get beauty news from bellasugar.com, which features hundreds of product reviews and how-to videos—and always manages to publish pictures of celebrities with their new haircuts before anyone else. "The tips on this site are so helpful. Based on a suggestion in one of their posts, I finally found a sunscreen that doesn't make me break out." —Patricia Cobb, 32, Chariton, IA

IN-DEMAND VIDEO PERSONALITY: Fleur De Force

With her "haul" videos and popular how-tos (a clip-in hair extensions tutorial has 2.6 million views and counting), adorable British vlogger Fleur De Force racked up 37 percent of your votes. "She knows so much about products, and her suggestions are always on point. Plus, she has such a positive personality, and her excitement is contagious." —Akemi Kurokawa, 29, Boston

MOST AMAZING E-COMMERCE EXPERIENCE: Sephora

Can you say landslide? Superbly stocked, easily searchable sephora.com dominated its category with more than 12,000 votes. "Even though they have tons of options, the site is laid out so it never seems overwhelming. And their membership card has great perks." —Sara Shapiro, 22, New York City

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