Shopping: Impulse or Word of Mouth?

Anyone who knows me knows I am an avid shopper. I shop for various reasons, but my favorite excuse is what I like to call "retail therapy." My best friend even got my a little wall hanging that says "It's not shopping, it's retail therapy." Love it.

For me though, I do some serious research before I buy something. I look up information about new makeup I want to try (recently the Naked 2 pallet, not that I actually know how to use it), I look up reviews about a new coat I am thinking of buying, a new pair of shoes, I am shocked my mother survived prom dress shopping with me, new handbags (my biggest weakness), even covers for my laptop. And these are not even large commitment purchases. You should have seen me when I needed a new car: I had graphs, I had statistics, I had reviews and when I finally settled on my Toyota Corolla (great car by the way) I was convinced I had made the right choice. Looking up this information makes me feel better about my purchases. It gives me satisfaction that I have made the best choice possible for me.

At this point, I have become pretty good at finding the reviews I need. Most of the time, I can find reviews on he product right under the product I am looking for. Other times I look at their Facebook, or Amazon, or even do a simple Google search.  

But I am curious...How many other people do as much research before they commit to buying something? And where do you look?