What’s Your Favorite Place to Buy Makeup?: Makeup and Beauty Blog: Makeup Reviews, Beauty Tips and Drugstore Beauty Finds

So far, 41 people have commented on this post. How cool is that?

1. Almira said, on October 19th, 2008:

For me, it’s not really the items they carry or even the price. Sure, I’ll hunt online for stuff I can’t find anywhere else, but for me, nothing beats going into a store to be greeted by friendly staff that love to make women beautiful =3

Almira´s last blog post..BOO! You’ve Been Boo’d!
2. Fie said, on October 19th, 2008:

Lol. Totally random, but the picture you used in this post is a shopping mall in Malaysia called The Curve.

T_T I miss home now. I used to hang out there alot cos my boyfriend’s house in just across the street from there.
3. sarahPUFFY! said, on October 19th, 2008:

Walgreens has a bitchin return and exchange policy for cosmetics. It surprised even me. As long as you have a reciept, there will be no questions asked.

sarahPUFFY!´s last blog post..Why hay there….
4. Georgia said, on October 19th, 2008:

I usually go to this small Korean brand called Missha because of how cheap the prices are but how good they are. Also the foundations, concealers, powders, etc are all made for asian skin tones so I can actually find something that I can use. But I’m on a makeup ban for a year so….-shrug-
5. Karen B said, on October 19th, 2008:

Ici Paris XL. They have all the high end brands (Chanel, YSL, etc.) and since recently Smashbox. There are like three here in Ghent but I prefer the smallest one as the staff is really nice
I just bought Blush 4 Eclats from Guerlain in Rosée du printemps last week. The MUA let me try all the pink blushes they had… lol

Karen B´s last blog post..Top 200 my ass
6. Karen said, on October 19th, 2008:

Hi Almira,

Yeah, I feel ya. I really enjoy going into the stores and talking to the sales people and makeup artists, especially when they are helpful and friendly.

Hope you’re having a lovely Sunday!
7. Karen said, on October 19th, 2008:

Hi Fie,

Good eye! If I ever end up visiting Malaysia you’ll have to tell me where all the good shops are in that mall.

How are you faring in your new digs? Are you enjoying life in the UK? I hope school is going well for you!
8. Karen said, on October 19th, 2008:

Hi SarahPUFFY,

That’s true! When I worked in downtown SF I went to Walgreens every day, and that’s the only place I’d buy drugstore makeup because the excellent return policy.
9. Karen said, on October 19th, 2008:

Hi Karen B.,

OH!!! Your blush sounds *beautiful*!

I’m like you — I’ll shop at a smaller store if the staff is helpful and nice.

Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend! How is school/work/life going for you? The last few days were rough for me, but I’m looking forward to a new week…
10. NurseExec said, on October 19th, 2008:

I *prefer* buying at Sephora, but the closest one to me is an hour away, so by necessity I do my *actual* buying mostly at drugstores. I’ve been known to hit Sephora online, but it’s not nearly as much fun as actually eyeballing the products for real.

NurseExec´s last blog post..Awwwww
11. Heidi said, on October 19th, 2008:

i go to sephora for benefit products. i usually go to target because they have everything i need and want. i haven’t bought new makeup in months!!
12. Glosslizard said, on October 19th, 2008:

I love them all!

If I have to choose, though, I love Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus for super-friendly counter people! I also especially love saving up for a beauty splurge at seasonal events where I can score super high-end gift bags at places like Neimans, Saks or Barneys! Yay GWPs!
13. Fie said, on October 19th, 2008:

Hey Karen!

Haha if you end up in Malaysia, I won’t take you to The Curve to go shopping. I’ll take you to The Gardens or KLCC! We only go to The Curve to eat. Shopping’s not that great there.

I’m doing okay. It’s really cold here. So much different from home. I’m enjoying it but since I’m a direct entrant to Final Year I have to work harder x3!
14. Daya said, on October 19th, 2008:

My new favorite will be Sephora since we are finally getting a store in the spring! Most times though, I’m either going to the MAC counter or Target.

Btw, the Stila palettes that you posted rock! I want all of them!
15. Tami said, on October 19th, 2008:

Hey Ms. Karen,

I love them all! I go to Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom, Macy’s, etc. It doesn’t matter as long as the people I encounter are friendly and helpful. I actually made my first of perhaps many purchases at beautycrunch.com this past Thursday. They had the Pop Smokey Rose palette I passed on foolishly during the summer. But now it’s on the way at very substantial savings. Yay!! You did however list a few other sites that I will check out. As always, you are very helpful. Well tata for now, the hubby and I are waiting in line to see a play.

Happy Sunday!
16. Marisol said, on October 19th, 2008:

I prefer to go to the actual store. I like shopping at Sephora and going to the MAC stores if possible.

Marisol´s last blog post..Damn, that muther chucker!
17. Angel said, on October 19th, 2008:

I love Sephora to death, but the closest one is over an hour away! Also, I like seeing products before I buy them (samples are the exception), so I end up doing almost all of my non-mineral makeup shopping at drugstores.

Angel´s last blog post..
18. Karen said, on October 19th, 2008:

Hi NurseExec,

Yeah, I hear ya. It’s much more satisfying to actually see, touch and smell the product. Plus, sometimes I want instant gratification, rather than waiting on stuff to be shipped.
19. Karen said, on October 19th, 2008:

Hi Heidi,

Target has a fab beauty section. I was just there yesterday. El Hub had to practically drag me out.
20. Karen said, on October 19th, 2008:

Hi Glosslizard,

GWPs are the best, especially if it’s for stuff you like. I always get sucked in by Clinique ones. I can’t tell you how many tubes of Bamboo Pink lipstick I have from those GWPs!
21. Karen said, on October 19th, 2008:

Hi Fie,

I am *totally down* with eating mall food!

Yeah, I would have a hard time adjusting to the weather, too. Overcast and cold is not my thing. I’m sure you’re super busy with school! Even though you’re working hard I hope that you like it, and that you’re making friends and enjoying it.
22. Karen said, on October 19th, 2008:

Hi Daya,

Nice! Is it going to be close by?

I highly recommend those Stila palettes; you can get ‘em for a total steal on Beauty Crunch!
23. Karen said, on October 19th, 2008:

Hi Tami,

I saw that on the site, too! I was really tempted, but I just got a few Stila palettes from there.

What play did you guys watch?
24. Karen said, on October 19th, 2008:

Hi Marisol,

Yeah, me too. Although online I won’t hesitate if I can get a better price and if I’ve previously tried it before.
25. Karen said, on October 19th, 2008:

Hi Angel,

Yeah, the closest Sephora to me is about a half hour away. It’s just enough distance to keep me at bay, LOL. If it were closer then I’d be in big trubs!
26. Indian Girl said, on October 19th, 2008:

If I could, I would love to go to Sephora but its very very far from where I live. So my next best choice would be Ulta. I love CVS for my drugstore makeup cravings

Indian Girl´s last blog post..Awesome Nude Lip Look from the Drugstore
27. Indian Girl said, on October 19th, 2008:

The staff at my nearest Macy’s ( 10 mins from home) are terrible. I could hang around and have said Excuse me a hundred times, but they will finish their chatter and only then attend to you. And even when they do, they have almost no clue when it comes to new products and collections Almost always I know much more than they, so I never go there…

Indian Girl´s last blog post..Awesome Nude Lip Look from the Drugstore
28. Justine said, on October 19th, 2008:

Okay, so my favourite place to buy makeup actually IS a drug store in Canada. But, Shoppers Drug Mart is awesome, and they carry a lot of high-end brands like Dior, Guerlain, Benefit, Smashbox, Clinique, and Lancome. They over lots of points programs, so usually I can build up 150$ worth of free merchandise – which I spend on makeup! If I can find something at Shoppers, I am way more likely to get it from there as opposed to Sephora, solely because of the rewards program!

Justine´s last blog post..Dr. Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog
29. Erica said, on October 19th, 2008:

I like Sephora, but I have just recently become obsessed with shopping for stuff online. Then I can shop for the cheapest, and can usually find everything I want. The only problem is that I dont know if the colors really are exactly what will look good on me.
30. Jannie said, on October 19th, 2008:

Walgreens. Revlon foundation, Maybelline mascara and eyeliner. Silver City Pink lipstick, Revlon too.

Yep, been using those same things for like, 15 years.

Hey, Why mess wit a gud ting!

Jannie´s last blog post..Unsubscribed, Baby!
31. Holly said, on October 20th, 2008:

When im in America I love visiting Sephora but at home my all tie fave place to beauty shop has to be Boots! I love how it has such a wide range of brands from things like Natural Collection and Barry M which have products for like $4 all the way to Chanel and YSL!
They also have a great rewards points card which gives you points for every pound you spend which can be redeemed for producs in the future! It is a little frightening how many points I seem to add up though – i bought all my clarins stuff on it a couple of weeks ago!- it shows that I spend far too much there!!!
32. Ellery said, on October 20th, 2008:

In my town, they only sell drugstore make up, so I either go with Bourjois which is available from both (yeah, there’s only two. I’m so deprived) stores, or I buy online from the brand website or hqhair.com, or asos.com.

I can’t believe I haven’t been on your blog for like a whole week, but I just got better yesterday. I hope you had a good week.
33. Megan said, on October 20th, 2008:

I went with Ulta…but it was a tough decision. Bloomingdales is probably my second fave because they have great GWP’s and typically better service than Nordstrom…at least by me. But Nordstrom and Sephora are faves too…

I see Blue Mercury has 0 votes. They don’t really have enough make up brands etc. to be to my liking. I know they are supposed to be high end etc. but to me they need more brands to even come close to competing in this question.
34. lexi said, on October 20th, 2008:

coincidentally i was at Sephora on Saturday and yes bought Nars lipstick and gloss – well actually it’s not a coincidence – i’m there at least twice a month! i made my girlfriend drop even more money – she needed blush, lipstick and my advice. She bought all Nars stuff and said, “i spent more than my shoes!” Yeah didn’t help that we hit the Macy’s shoe sale prior to this visit…good thing I’m going back to work in 2 wks! =(
35. Karen B said, on October 20th, 2008:

It is *gorgeous*, like for real.
Life’s a bit sucky these days. Yesterday was the first anniversary of my great-aunt’s death so I’m rather emotional.
And then my classmates have been giving me hell last Tuesday and this morning they voted of the song I wanted to do for musical project.
I bawled like a baby, can you imagine? Made my Crayon Kohl run all over my face (not in class of course, I waited until I got home). Not a pretty sight. Ah well.

Karen B´s last blog post..Top 200 my ass
36. p. potter said, on October 20th, 2008:

I have to say that Sephora is my #1. Mostly because they don’t have pushy sales people trying to sell you this-or-that, when you’ve already got it in five other colors! I’m such a pushover with sales people, so I almost always regret going to a counter/MAC store. I spend way too much! (For a while my Sephora even carried Chanel, and it was nice to be able to browse among $50 eyeshadow pallets without feeling pressured to purchase them!)

Ulta is pretty good too, because their high-end makeup is laid out much like Sephora–only their selection isn’t as wide.

p. potter´s last blog post..If I were a rich man
37. Sarah said, on October 20th, 2008:

I love Sephora, but I wish it was closer. I mostly buy my makeup at Target, just because it’s about two blocks from my place.

Sarah´s last blog post..Dear Alexander,
38. Tami said, on October 20th, 2008:

Hi Karen,

We went to see The Marriage Counselor, a Tyler Perry play. It was very funny and entertaining.
39. Tiffany said, on October 21st, 2008:

For me, it was a tough choice between Sephora and MAC, but I choose Sephora, since they have so many different brands and products there.
40. Music_Is_Freedom said, on October 21st, 2008:

Because they haven’t opened up a Sephora near where I live yet, I’d say MAC. (I’d have probably said that anyway.) But the drugstores here have some pretty good makeup lines. They’ve just imported a Danish brand called GOSH that looks pretty good, and the colours are gorgeous!
41. AppleDiva said, on October 21st, 2008:

Hey K,

I love the CCO for makeup purchases. I feel like I am saving money, even though I am spending lol.

AppleDiva´s last blog post..Pink Eye Shadow Swatches