Facebook probably isn't the first place you go to shop for beauty products, but that hasn't stopped anyone's feed from filling up with flash-sale announcements, secret group invites, and posts that go something like "Please come sit in my living room, drink Barefoot wine, and buy my inventory of skin care products that you've never heard of." We're all aware of socially sold brands—that's what they're called, by the way—but that doesn't mean we're banging down our high school chem lab partners' doors to stock up. (We've got expiring VIB points to consider.)

Still, there's got to be something behind the hype, right? The answer is a resounding -ish. Some of these brands are legit, others are pyramid-scheme-y, and it can be hard to know the difference. That's where we come in. We tested all the brands we've spotted on our feeds lately (think lines like Rodan + Fields and Beautycounter) and came up with some really great stuff. The next time your great aunt or old sorority sister hits you up, here's what's worth whipping out your card for—even if you have to sit in their living rooms to get them. And we promise, no one paid us to say that.