We generally get confuse when it comes to which shade is going to match my skin tone i will tell you how to pick-up your best shade in compact...
First check your skin tone... once you know your skin tone it become easy to select the right shade for you... now that you know your skin tone decide the amount of brightness or glow you want and then pick up the shade you want... it is generally preferable to select one shade lighter to you skin tone so that it blends well with your skin tone.[URL="http://whitestayuvzone.com/shade-selector.html"][/URL]

Would that be effective? I prefer shopping personally and trying the shades first on my skin before buying one. Some products can be expensive so I want to buy one that is suited for me.

Me too snw, I prefer buying my cosmetics in person since I want to see exactly how the particular color or shade looks. Even when I hold it in my hands, sometimes it is difficult to decide. While online stores have photos, I don't think the colors are always rendered exactly as they are.