It really was a dark and stormy night. I was craving a new lipstick to lift my sagging spirits, but I did not want to fight for elbowroom with the throngs of shoppers at the department store. So I indulged in what's emerging as a hot trend in beauty today: I went online and ordered a lipstick with my exact color and texture specifications; six days later it was delivered to my door. Going the customized route is the ultimate way to express your individuality. Lipsticks, fragrances, eye shadows, even shampoos can now be tailor-made and are available online or at a beauty counter near you.

You dreamed it...
Now these new beauty websites can whip it up and deliver it to your door.

• www.cosmetics.com
  Click on Custom Blend Lip Gloss and choose your ideal color, level of frost, scent, and flavor (cherries jubilee-flavored garnet gloss, anyone?). Then find a matte foundation with a matching concealer and loose powder.
  (Cost: $45 for two tubes of lipstick, or $20 for one tube of gloss; $35 for one bottle of foundation; $18 for one pot of concealer; $21 for one jar of powder.)
• www.lovethyhair.com
  Design your own shampoo or conditioner by selecting different scents and special effects. Mix together two fragrant oils (such as peach and mint) or add in an aromatherapy blend ("Energy" is a lively mixture of lime, eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary, and spearmint oils); then give your hair texture a boost with ingredients that deliver more moisture, more shine, or more volume.
  (Cost: $22 for 12 ounces of shampoo; $27 for 12 ounces of conditioner.)
• www.alwaysinstyle.com
  This site works in reverse, directing you to already existing beauty brands and products (skin care, hair care, fragrance, and cosmetics) based on your answers to a detailed quiz about your skin and hair.
  (The service is free.)