Anyone who's ever tried on lipstick knows that the way it looks once it's applied can be dramatically different from what the manufacturer's colour guide would suggest. With that in mind, BeautySwatch aims to give consumers a true-to-life view of lipstick shades by showing how they look on real people.

Much the way Stitsh highlights the outfits of real-life consumers in its street-style fashion blog, so BeautySwatch relies on uploaded photos from makeup fans to help uncover the true appearance of lipstick shades. A team of self-proclaimed "shopaholic bloggers" of varying skin colours and ethnicities are constantly adding new swatches to the site, featuring photos of themselves wearing various lipstick shades and brands. Readers of the blog are also invited to contribute their own photos, including not just product information but also a rating of their own lip pigmentation. The result is that BeautySwatch visitors can preview colours before they buy as well as participating in community discussions about lip products and related topics.

Akisa, the Australian site's founder, explains: "If you're like me, I always google the makeup product for swatch images before I purchase online. Most times I can't find the shade in high quality images, and other times a totally unrelated brand or shade appears in my search results on my favourite blogs!! Hence the idea sprung on me one day to start up BeautySwatch.com, and build a colour swatch library with high quality images."

With its focus on real-world consumers' experience of products—rather than manufacturers' descriptions—BeautySwatch is yet another testament to the power of twinsumers and web-enabled transparency in guiding consumers' purchase decisions. Next, we'd expect BeautySwatch to add e-commerce capabilities like those on Stitsh's site, partnering with lipstick retailers or brands to capitalize on visitors' buying intentions. One to team up with, in Australia or elsewhere, to help make that happen...?

Website: www.beautyswatch.com
Contact: akisalove@gmail.com

From fine automobiles to designer handbags, we've covered various companies that let consumers rent expensive objects instead of buying them. The latest to join the herd is New York-based Rent the Runway, which allows women to rent designer dresses.

Dress-seeking fashionistas browse RTR's collection and schedule a delivery date (next-day delivery is available, as well as same-day in New York City). RTR then sends them the dress, including a second, back-up size to make sure the fit is as good as the design. Rental costs are around 10% of a garment's retail price, and range from USD 50–200. Customers can rent for four or eight days, after which they return the dress in the USPS return envelope that RTR provides. The extra size—which RTR provides at no extra cost—must be returned unworn.

Further proof that its founders have thought through the concept from a consumer's point of view, RTR also lets members rent a second style for just USD 25. Which gives them a back-up option for last-minute decisions, or a second dress to wear at an elaborate wedding or a multi-day event. Brands currently on offer include Just Cavalli, Helmut Lang, Proenza Schouler and Hervé Leger.

Appealing both to consumers who are cutting back for economic reasons, and to those who value experiences over ownership (dubbed transumers by our sister-site trendwatching.com), there's plenty of room for concepts like Rent the Runway to grow, especially if they provide their clients with heightened convenience as well as heightened style. (Related: Free clothes rental for fashionistas — Clothing rental for size-changing dieters — Baby clothes rental service.)

Website: www.renttherunway.com
Contact: feedback@renttherunway.com

Spotted by: Mike Hudack

Rather than wait for customers to come to her, Wink Eyewear's Michele Bayle takes her entire eyewear 'store' to their workplace. Toting a collection of four hundred frames, Bayle offers personal consultations to find a flattering fit. The visits aren't just about convenience; they also allow customers to get feedback from friends and coworkers, helping them pick a pair of glasses that everyone will approve of.

Much like the mobile restaurants and small food delivery companies we've been featuring, Wink Eyewear offers its founder a clear advantage: the opportunity to start a business without investing in a retail location. By keeping things mobile, fledgling entrepreneurs can avoid overhead costs that can make a new business hard to sustain. Traveling salespeople are hardly new, of course, but were generally part of larger organizations. By contrast, the current entrants are small independents making the most of a new infrastructure: portable payment solutions, mobile broadband, shared workspaces and the low-cost marketing power of social media.

Whether it's to keep costs low, try out a business for size or work around jobs and families, there's no doubt that this model can work for other aspiring entrepreneurs, especially if the outcome offers customers added convenience and personal service. One to consider! (Related: Doctor 2.0 uses IM and sticks to house calls.)

Website: www.wink-eyewear.com
Contact: 206-676-2624

Spotted by: Andrea Ballard

With social networking dominated by colossal sites like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, it might seem that there's not much room left for smaller fish. But the web thrives on the long tail of consumer needs. Case in point: UnevenFeet. As the name suggests, this recently-launched Australian site is for anyone with two feet of different sizes. Until now, these people may have had to buy two pairs of shoes to get a perfect fit, but no longer. Uneven Feet records people's shoe sizes and finds their 'opposite matches', enabling them to arrange shoe swaps or joint purchases and continue life unimpeded by sloppy-fitting footwear.

The way for Uneven Feet has been paved by the growth in social shopping and swap marketplaces. Founder Jonathan Lee—whose own shoe shopping pains inspired the site's creation—sees revenue potential in affiliate sales once the community grows. On a global scale, if even a tiny percentage of people feels their 'uneven' feet are a big enough issue to act on through the website, that could become a sizable audience. Any more anthropometric niches out there to capitalize on?

Website: www.unevenfeet.com
Contact: www.unevenfeet.com/contact.php

Spotted by: Jonathan Lee

Hard on the heels—so to speak—of our story about Hipstery comes news of a like-minded contender in the world of shoes. Where Hipstery relieves consumers of the burden of choice and picks its t-shirts for them, ShoeDazzle does much the same for shoes, but on a recurring, monthly basis.

Users of Los Angeles-based ShoeDazzle begin by taking a fashion survey, the results of which are used to guide the company's personalized shoe selections. Each month, ShoeDazzle's personal stylists then send the user an email with five new shoe choices, handpicked to suit her personality and fashion preferences. The user simply logs into the site to select the pair she wants, and it gets shipped out for free. Monthly membership costs USD 39, which covers the shoes and shipping. Members can skip a month's selections, in which case they won't be charged; they can also return or exchange shoes they don't like.

ShoeDazzle currently ships only within the United States and Canada, but it's a safe bet that fashion-minded consumers in other parts of the world would also appreciate some monthly shopping guidance, for shoes, clothes or accessories. (Related: Clothes swapping meets Netflix — T-shirt subscription based on news stories.)

Website: www.shoedazzle.com
Contact: customersupport@shoedazzle.com

Spotted by: Judy McRae