Sephora

About 15 days ago I stayed with my friend Iris to go around and gossip makeup brands, novelties, try products, ... a thorough review of the entire perfumery and cosmetics plant. Come on, something we like to do to many! = D
As also agreed that in those days Sephora had a discount of 20%, because we wanted to take advantage. At this moment comes my little protest ... Many of you have received the letter or the email with that discount, right? You think you have a 20% in all Sephora ... until you go to pay and they say no, that is only in Sephora brand and in high cosmetic brands, but not in exclusive brands.
Let's face it, let's face it. I go to Sephora mainly to buy Too Faced, Make Up For Ever, Marc Jacobs ... which result are their exclusive brands. I buy some products of brand Sephora, yes, but the great majority is of those brands ... I do not know, like that you have a face of "they are deceiving me" ...
Okay, then you look at the advertisement and in a small asterisk says that the exclusive brands are exempt from the discount ... Still, I think it's a great discount, you want me to tell you ...
In short, after my moment of protest, I show you the things I bought, which evidently are brand Sephora = D
I wanted to taste the make-up oil of the brand. I had already used the biphasic eye make-up remover and I really like it, so I wanted to try the oil. And since I had finished the MAC ... I took it.
It surprised me for good. It is a dense oil, more than MAC for example, which cleans very well.
Very soft and practically odorless, leaves the skin clean of makeup and does not irritate. Even if you put something in your eyes, there is no cloud.
Massage well all over the face and rinse with water. Just when I clear it, I notice a soft feeling on the skin as if there were still traces of oil, but once I dry myself with the towel, the face is perfect.
I then use my cleansing soap and clean skin!
Another thing I wanted was a lip that Iris had taught me and that I had loved. This is the Outrageous Rouge in tone # 5.
It is a beautiful color, it lasts life, it is easily applied, it is creamy, ... I really like it!
I bought Lip Stain a long time ago also from Sephora for the fame that they have of good duration. Well the Outrougeous lasts me longer!
I had never tasted the Sephora blends, and I liked this tone a lot. It's No. 20 Orange Neon.
Paint quite well, it has to be applied little by little. In addition, the skin is very juicy, hydrated.
It diffuses easily and has a very high duration. Your price, € 10.20
The clerk showed us a product that had been launched very recently and was becoming a success. This is the Ultimate Oil-in-Gel Lipstick Remover.
It is a makeup oil with gel texture specially designed for the lips. Do not you think there are some lips that are impossible to remove? Well with this product does not resist even one!
Just put a small amount on the lips and it is distributed well. Remove with a cotton disc and go!
Your price, 6.90 €
We now turn to this preciousness ....
It's the Shourouk for Sephora blush. Belongs to a collection created in collaboration with the designer of jewels and accessories Shourouk Rhaiem.
Yes, I admit, it was a craving! We liked both so much that we bought it. It can be used as a rouge and even as an illuminator. I like it more like rouge, since it has a more raised choral tone than as an illuminator does not convince me so much.
So as a rouge ... looks great! And that perlitas-cubitos format I like a lot. Your Price: € 14.90
Already to take advantage of the discount and as I needed a double pencil sharpener, I caught this one. Your price, 3.60 €
And here my purchases!

This place is a piece of heaven on earth for me (right after puppies) and I couldn't imagine a better way to spend an afternoon at the mall than here and just get lost in all the new product that is constantly coming in during the week and through the month(s).
Like any place there are pros and cons to their store and I have listed them below:
Pros:
They have in stock almost all major cosmetic & parfumé brands, plus beauty tools, bath & hair products, etc. For most, it can easily meet a 'one stop shop' preference. I LOVE LOVE LOVE that they carry the higher end makeup (Dior, Marc Jacobs, etc) because those are just as much my go-to brands as my high end brands (NARS, Benefit, Tarte, etc.)
You're able to try before you buy as Sephora has samples available for everything (as far as I know). If you have second thoughts about one shade, remove it & try another. Their return policy is flexible and understanding, I love it!
They have knowledgeable sales people. Generally speaking, Sephora's sales people are supremely knowledgeable in a variety of products & brands. If the one you're interacting with hasn't tried something, there's a good chance a colleague has & she'll have them give you thorough info about the product or brand of your choice.

Cons:
Depending on the day &/or location, circumstances, Sephora will be complete and utmost chaos. On one hand, it's no surprise because they have everything, thus, why wouldn't there be a crowd of makeup hungry girls
On the other, when Sephora is busy, it's insanely busy. Usually during weekends in a free-standing store, holiday hours, VIB & VIB Rouge sales or big beauty events. Absolutely chaotic, let me tell ya.
Then there's the pushy sales people. While many are helpful, Sephora (actually, most makeup stores/counters?) has some extremely pushy sales people. If I'm there, I'm planning to buy, however, when the store is practically running a slow day there will be constant sales floor staff who will ask if help is needed every 5 minutes or want to suggest a product I do not necessarily have an interest for.
I am a VIB Rouge member for 2 years now, I can not believe that there are team members of Sephora who do not know much about applying makeup or know any skills for different eyeshadow looks. I am exclusive to getting free custom makeovers and I was interested to see someone else do a cut crease on me. She was so confident until I told her that is what I wanted on my eyelids. She frowned and said to me all she knew how to do is a simple smoky eye. I was very disappointed, luckily I was allowed to apply myself and went about my day.

Neither Pro/Con:
No 'unknown' or small name brands. It would be nice if they took time to get variety of smaller makeup brands since there are brands that have the effort and great products without any of the recognition.

Sephora is that store you love to hate. Love because they have virtually everything my beauty-obsessed heart desires; hate because I always spend more than I intend!

In all seriousness, let's take a look at the great, and occasionally, not-so-great things about Sephora.

Great:
*They carry almost all major cosmetic & parfumé brands, plus beauty tools, bath & hair products, etc. For most, it can easily meet a 'one stop shop' preference.
*You're able to try before you buy as Sephora has testers galore. If you have second thoughts about one shade, remove it & try another.
*Knowledgable sales people. Generally speaking, Sephora's sales people are supremely knowledable in a variety of products & brands. If the one you're interacting with hasn't tried something, there's a good chance a colleague has & she'll have them give you through information.

Not-So-Great:
*Depending on the day &/or location, Sephora may be complete chaos. On one hand, it's no surprise because hey, there's a reason: they have everything, thus, why wouldn't there be a crowd?
On the other, when Sephora is busy, it's insanely busy. As a person who has a TBI & is extremely sensitive to stimulation, I plan my visits accordingly.
*Pushy sales people. While many are helpful, Sephora (actually, most makeup stores/counters?) has some extremely pushy sales people. If I'm there, I'm planning to buy, however, i also like to look around without 'The Hover'... you know, The thing where one sales person follows you everywhere & randomly interjects their opinion?
**Part two of the issue: the sales people who tell you something looks great, when it's plainly obvious to you & anyone near you that bright yellow eye shadow really isn't working for you. At all. They'll earn more business with sincereity.

Not Good, Not Bad:
*No 'unknown' or 'word of mouth' brands. My personal preference for fragrances come from two brands that have managed to fly under the radar save for handfuls of a certain crowd in very specific cities.

This is not something that makes or breaks Sephora for me. That being said, if your taste tends to lean very 'fashion hipster' or just plain 'super hipster', just keep that in mind. You're not at say, Le Labo, but that's obvious. Don't expect it to be something it's not.

All in all, I highly recommend Sephora for beauty/hair/skin care lovers. You can't not love having everything in one place, & the fact that they carry most major brands means it's easy to re-stock or try new things without searching everywhere.

A girl can never have enough lipsticks right? Thanks to Sephora, I have way more make up I can ever use up in my life, but I LOVE IT!

Sephora offers a variety of brands of make up at a one stop shop, making it convenient for people to gather all their must-haves at one location.

Their rewards program is OK. People complain about their point system ($1 for 1 point), but personally, it's not as bad as it sounds. For example, there are times during the year when you can get 2x or 3x the amount of points on purchases. Also, if you have the Play! Box, every month, you get a free 50 points added to your account if you make a purchase in store.

Their other perks are great in my opinion. Their hand-picked gifts are my favorite. Once in a while, you will receive an email stating you can get 1 small deluxe sample with a $25 purchase or 3 deluxe gift samples with a $35 purchase (VIB and VIBR only). In the past, the $25 deluxe samples have included NARS Orgasm, GlamGlow moisturizers, Benefit brow products, and so many more. My favorite $35 deluxe sample gift was a Fresh trio.

In the Spring, Beauty Insiders get 10% off ALL purchases. VIB and VIBR get 15%. In the Winter (around November), they have their annual sale: 15% for Beauty Insiders and 20% off for VIB and VIBR. But wait for it... shortly after their Winter Sale, Sephora sends out a "gift card" to everyone registered in their system. Beauty Insiders get $15 off a purchase of $50+, VIB gets $20, and VIBR gets $25. I limited my VIBR purchase to $50 and got basically a 50% off discount, which is unheard of!

Lastly, VIBR gets free Flash 2-day shipping and free custom makeovers at Sephora stores. They also get a welcome gift - this past year (2016), it was a NARS deluxe blush. VIB gets a one-time-use 15% off code + 1 free make over. Everyone gets free birthday gifts (past years have included NARS lip duo, Benefit duo, Fresh duo, and Marc Jacobs duo). This year, you can choose from a skincare Caudalie set or a Tarte blush/lippie set!

Overall, my experience with Sephora has been great. Not too many negatives and many positives.

Thank goodness for Sephora for fulfilling my make up obsessions!

Whenever I go into a Sephora store, they fail to greet me, while greeting others. I'm hardly ever approached, while they gladly approach other customers on their own. I never look like a homeless person; in fact, I try to look my best whenever I go to a Sephora. But it seems to be useless. I've been a Sephora customer for many years. When I asked for a sample, the employee claimed she was busy and said she'll get someone else to help. And no one came. Then I asked another employee, and she rudely said she was busy. And then I asked another one - same thing. It was like a repeated slap in the face. And then I saw the same employees gladly and immediately making samples for others customers - who were worse-dressed/groomed than I was. Sephora is a lookist, racist place.

I've attended a few of their classes, where I was ignored, spoken to condescendingly, made to feel less valued than others, and assumed to know nothing about makeup when I'm very knowledgeable about it. I'm actually passionate about makeup, and have lots of the products Sephora sells. But shockingly, I'm assumed to know nothing about makeup. It's fine to order online, but the stores are extremely discriminatory, judgmental, hurtful, and unfair. They really love and appreciate some customers while degrading and rejecting others.

It's a terrible place to shop if you're not **, fairly attractive, look very expensive, and have that clubby Sephora vibe. Extremely exclusionary place. Do not spend any of your money there! Boycott Sephora for their severe discrimination and overt racism. By the way - I live in one of the most "progressive" cities in America, one that prides itself on "diversity." For Sephoras in my city to treat me this bad is absolutely shocking and hypocritical.

Sephora is absolutely my favorite place to shop for make-up for several reasons. Firstly, I love many of the brands that they carry - Sephora alone carries Kat Von D which is my favorite makeup brand along with items/brands like Beauty Blender which I love and can only be purchased here. Aside from their exclusives, if you're under tight spending restraints like myself, Sephora is the way to go. You can try on all of the products in the store for as long as you want to, trying on as many as you want to. You can also ask for samples of items you're curious about trying out at home while doing your actual makeup and they will send you home with a small sample of said items since they realize you can't tell all you need to just from swatching a product on your arm. If after all of this you purchase a product you're not satisfied with -- they have an insanely great return policy in-store and allow you to return items that are (up to 40%!!) used already if you decide you don't actually like the item. I don't know about you, but that's my kinda store. There's so many expensive makeup products I've bought in the past that weren't everything I'd hope they'd be and I never ended up using them; it is so relieving to know I can shop at Sephora and return items like this so I'm not wasting my money. It makes the whole makeup shopping process much less stressful and and relieving if you're unsatisfied with your purchase. Lastly, I honestly just enjoy Sephora better than the other available options... mostly for the reasons above but also because I like the layout of the stores better and find the employees are more helpful there.

I purchased the Versace Bright Crystal Absolu from Sephora with zero regrets! Let me first start out by saying that this product actually caught my attention with just the bottle alone. The actual bottle that holds the eau de parfum is a smooth, vibrant pink, rectangular shape that actually reflects the look of a jewel. There are hints of silver found throughout the design such as the silver spray nozzle, the silver wording of the product, and of course the silver Versace logo. The silver crest or logo if you will has been placed on the center of the top or cap of the bottle. The cap is oval in shape and it is chiseled to look like.....well an actual bright Crystal!

As if the bottle alone is not enough to covet this product, then the scent will certainly win you over. I would describe this scent as a crisp, clean floral scent with hints of sweetness. This is a product that can be used on a daily basis or on those special outings. The scent is really light and subtle unlike other over powering parfums that i have tried in the past. All in all this well versatile Versace Bright Crystal Absolu can be used in any type of weather and can be enjoyed by all ages. I would recommend this product and repurchase it again and again. It is very affordable for such a quality product. This has been an elegant addition to my perfume collection and one of my go to scents. I am so glad I found it and sure you will be too!

Sephora is a great place to get make-up. Whether it's a quick go-to, or trying out new products and brands, this high-end store is perfect. I've never not been able to test out a product, and have been told by the kind workers and consultants that you're able to swatch/test every product in the store. This is wonderful because you're able to test out the product before buying (it can be very expensive).

The return/exchange policy is awesome. No worries if you've used the product, they will take it in gently used condition. The customer service is great, and every worker I've come across are very kind and patient, even when the store is very busy. They accommodate their customers and listen to them, even offering great beauty tips that have helped me a long way!

The Sephora brand is a good alternate to other brands they sell in the store. It's cheaper, but still offers great quality, really close to the expensive brands sold in the store. As for the rewards program, this allows me to earn points that I can use for future purchases. It's nice to know I'm also getting more than the make-up I'm spending on.

The only downside that I can think of is how busy and crowded the store can be. Especially during the holiday season, the line can be super long, and understaffed. Of course this is understandable due to the popularity of Sephora, and they make it up for great workers that keep a positive attitude.

You would never know I spend so much on make up since I usually go with a very natural, almost 'no-makeup' look. But I seriously spend waaaay too much money here. I have extremely difficult skin..like the worst combination skin ever. So, I'm always searching for and buying new/different products to try and give moisture, while taming my excessively oily face. I've yet to find my holy grail :( Anyways, I get the $10 flash shipping (pay $10 for 2-day shipping for 1 year) because I much prefer to buy things online. It's more convenient, you don't have to deal with the massive crowds in the freakishly small aisles, and you get 3 free samples (and you can use a code for a deluxe sample with $25 or $35 sample). You don't get samples with purchase in the store.
I love the variety and selection of high end make up, although it would be nice if they had more 'cheap' options for when you need to buy one more thing to get a deal or something. That's where Ulta has the upper hand.

The stores tend to remind me of Apple. Freakishly busy/crowded. But the aisles are really skinny so it's impossible to walk by others and their large purses that turn them into like two people..ugh. The samples out for you to try are also super gross..because people are gross and just can't keep anything nice. It's nice if they have what you want to try so you can see the texture, feel, if it matches your skintone, etc. though.

Every girl who is in to beauty will love Sephora. Some people are intimidated because of how big the store is or the amount of products, but I can say each time I have visited the store the workers have help me so I didn't feel uncomfortable. I love the foundation testing they have were they do the swatch on your face and it tell you all the foundation brands in the store that have a product that matches your skin color. I love that they will test the products for you and give you samples of the foundation. I took a make up class at one location it taught us how to apply foundation and I really enjoyed this, it gave me a chance to test out different products while also getting some training on how to apply it. I do like the fact that you can return an item if you are not happy with it, however my last return I don't like the fact that although I bought the product online and I showed the cashier packing slip Sephora provided she stated that because it didn't have the price I would have to return it without a receipt. The only problem I have with this, is that they track the amount of purchase you return without a receipt and can deny you in the future once you hit a certain amount. So in the case when I really don't have a receipt this could be a problem. Other than that I love the store.