Virtual reality takes guesswork out of online shopping

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Anyone who's had a haircut they hated, or bought a flashy outfit, but couldn't quite pull it off, knows the pain of buyer's remorse.

App developers are now cashing in on making sure you never feel that guilt again. 

Consumers do everything with their devices, especially shopping.

We took some 'try before you buy' apps for a test drive to find out if they really help make choosing items easier. 

"With a few punches of buttons you can create a virtual experience of a product [or] service you'd like to purchase," USF Economics professor Christopher Jones explained.

Some new apps let you try new hairstyles, cuts, and colors. Others help you check out an outfit and how it might fit on your frame.

An app called DangleAR is like Snapchat for earrings. It's a free app that lets you try on earrings just by looking into your device's front-facing camera. 

Just tap your choices and they'll line right up with your ear. They even have a little bit of motion so you can see how they would swing.

The key for this company is - as soon as you find a pair that you like - you can buy them through the app.

DangleAR's creator said came up with the idea when her busy sister only had time to shop online.

"Sometimes you order and you think, 'Wow, bigger than I thought.' They say three inches. What does that mean?" says Linda Smith, CEO and founder of FaceCake Marketing Technologies, Inc., and inventor of DangleAR.

Modiface does the same thing for makeup and there’s a similar app for hair. Once again, your camera is your mirror and the app places makeup right over your features, moving as you move. From eye color to eyebrow shape, you can raise your brows or pucker your lips to change your look.

For some, trying on clothes is the ultimate test of patience, not to mention time-consuming. That's where Virtual Dressing Room comes in. Choose clothing items from multiple stores to place on a full-body photo of yourself. 

Checking out products virtually may take the guesswork out of shopping online.