- 42.4% of shade-match opinions in buyer discussion are positive, compared with 72.5% in buyer reviews.
- The groups contain different buyers and products; the comparison is not a controlled test.
- A positive shade opinion describes an experience, not the likelihood that a new buyer will find a match.
Shade-match opinions differ across the evidence sets in Relvo’s India cosmetics research: 42.4% are positive in buyer discussion (n=118), compared with 72.5% in buyer reviews (n=51), snapshot dated 3 October 2026. The research observes the difference but does not establish its cause.
How to read the numbers: Shares describe selected buying decisions or opinions, with the base shown. Positive-opinion charts include positive and negative opinions only. Separate evidence sets may share underlying accounts and differ in buyer and product mix. Small bases are indicative; bases below 10 are reported directionally.
The groups are not the same people trying the same shade under the same conditions. Buyer discussion includes questions and comparisons around choosing makeup, while reviews describe selected products after an experience. The product mix and the people who contribute can affect what is visible in each set.
The India cosmetics market research therefore treats the two sets separately. The positive share uses only opinions coded positive or negative; mixed and neutral opinions are excluded. The figures cannot be read as success rates for an online shade-selection tool.
For a brand, the useful next question is what information helped the person choose. Did they describe the shade they bought, their previous reference or the appearance they wanted? A review without that context may be favourable but difficult for another buyer to apply.
Relvo’s consumer behavior research shows why a single average can conceal different buying situations. Product teams can examine whether shade information answers a specific buyer question, then test the selection process with a defined group. These figures alone cannot tell them which shade guide performs best.
Questions about the research
Does 72.5% mean online shade selection works that often? No. It is the positive share within sampled review opinions about shade matching. The research does not follow all buyers through a shade-selection process.
Is this based on sales data? No. It uses coded buyer accounts and opinions. It is not purchase data and not a representative survey.
Related research: The India Cosmetics Market Report, 2026 on NBW Brain examines buyer decisions, product experiences and behavioural patterns, with evidence available through its Market Brain.
Methodology
Source: Relvo cosmetics research, snapshot dated 3 October 2026. Selected India-focused makeup discussions and recent product reviews cover October 2025–October 2026. Records were checked for category and geography, coded to a fixed codebook and reviewed for coding reliability. The discussion evidence is heavily English-language and concentrated in a few sources. Reviews cover selected products and recent experiences; they are not a random sample of purchases. Positive-opinion shares exclude mixed and neutral opinions. Each percentage refers to the event or opinion set named alongside it. Evidence layers may share accounts and are not independent samples. Bases of 10–29 are indicative; bases below 10 are reported directionally. Findings are self-reported, not sales data or a representative survey.
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