Does This Start-Up Stack Up? Luvocracy — Like Pinterest, But Shoppable

There are few things as powerful as a recommendation from someone you trust, and Luvocracy is putting that little factoid to work. A new marketplace built around social sharing, Luvocracy — where luv trumps all, get it? – is looking to change the way people make purchasing decisions by encouraging them to "live the recommended life."

Combining the worlds of sharing and shopping, Luvocracy functions in a manner similar to Pinterest, but separates itself by making all recommended items easily acquirable. The company's co-founders, including Beauty.com founder Roger Barnett, want to make sure that anything available online is available through Luvocracy.

Here's how it works: Users register for free, and begin following trusted tastemakers. These can be celebrities — former Harper's Bazaar EIC Kate Betts is already hooked — or complete strangers whose recs you want to keep up with. Share your favorite items by making your own collections. Shop others' recommendations, and Luvocracy will handle the transactional dirty work for you. A shopping assistant will find the item at a competitive price from a reputable online retailer (the listed price is supposed to be the maximum amount you will have to pay), place the order, and take care of returns if necessary. Sounds super simple, and that's not even it! For every item a fellow Luvocracy user purchases from your list of recommendations, you get a cash reward. So, the incentive to make suggestions is high. In theory, you could list an item you desire and — after enough people purchase from your recommendation — snag it for free.

In a world where pinning, sharing, and re-sharing have become second nature, making such highly coveted objects attainable feels like a clever next step. But will this start-up stack up? Will the shopping assistants' search time delay delivery time? Will you actually end up paying less than you ever expected for beautiful products? You tell us. Let us know what you predict or about your experience with Luvocracy below.