I came. I saw. I shopped. Here’s my Sephora haul

I did a little internet sleuthing and it looks like jobs (make-up consultant) pay around $12 – $15 an hour. But — and it’s a huge but! — we don’t yet have universal health insurance. If you get it through your employer it’s a few hundred dollars a month. If you have no insurance at all, you might have to end up in what we call “A doc in a box,” in other words, a small business where they diagnose minor ailments like colds or flu, and charge $100 for a visit. Of course medications are on top of that. Forget about it if you have to have anything more complicated than that. So you have to take that into account — the cosmetics might be cheaper here, but medical insurance makes all the difference.

I love Sephora! My latest purchase is one of the make-up sponges, the BeautyBlender. They are seriously good when applying foundation. I would like the new YSL Touche Eclat foundation too – much cheaper in the US. For delivery I’ve been using a delivery service (Qannu), the shipping prices are pretty good and they don’t charge any fees to buy the goods on your behalf

Oh Lordy yes have I shopped Sephora! And I’m someone who rarely wears more makeup than a bit of concealer… But I go nuts in these shops. For me, the thrill is buying face creams, eye shadows etc that I use for a while – and every time I get them out it reminds me of where I bought it.

I was in the Sephora in central Paris a few years ago with my mum, between us we had an enormous haul of products and after I’d handed over my credit card, the French lady asked me to wait and walked off. I started freaking that I’d maxed out my credit card – but no, she came back with a smile and an armful of free product bags for mum and I. I still use some of the bags in my bathroom cupboard.

I absolutely love Sephora. I frequently visit their store in the OC.
Even their own Sephora range is pretty good and very reasonably priced.
My latest purchase: instant moisturizer and eye make up remover
and flashy liner in moss. Actually, when I go thru my makeup bag
about 90% of my makeup was bought at Sephora.
And if you own their loyaty card you receive a birthday present.
I saved up heaps of points and received The porefessional balm and mascara
by benefit as a free gift last time I shopped.
I’m like a little kid at a lolly shop – I ❤ Sephora.

We travel to Cape Town each Christmas (hubby is SA) and I buy all my cosmetics, French underwear, haircare etc there, It is so much cheaper and we can’t figure out why. Surely the shipping to Sth Africa would be approx the same as to Australia so that is no excuse? We can only attribute it to our Government Tax so with a female PM shouldn’t we appeal to her (after all her skin and make up always looks immaculate (perhaps she grabs suitcases full of product when she’s o/seas on government business)???????

Between Sephora and Duane Reade chemists( for just Revlon and bits and bobs) in New York and Macy’s for NYDJ and RL for the hubster…unreal. I just don’t get it, prices I mean. We are soooo ripped off. I’ve said this before but the service in Sephora and Macy’s, second to none, no judgy judgy your not slim or young or hip enough to shop here type staff. The staff esp in Sephora on 5th Ave were gorgeous, highly made up and beautifully outfitted girls and guys of every shape and size and colour, that impressed me and then I went wild buying…the prices are unbelievable, beats duty free!

Sephora is so wonderful, and the prices never fail to surprise me. How can it possibly be HALF the cost to buy the same product in the US! My parents travel to Mississippi every 6 months and I always have a list of things for my Mum when they stopover in Hawaii. It’s worth the wait, I get double what I can here.

There’s a Sephora at my local mall but I never shop there — it’s too expensive! I buy most of my beauty supplies at the drug store, which is much cheaper. I found that Garnier BB Cream at my drugstore chain’s website, how does this compare with the price in Australia? http://www.cvs.com/search/_/N-0?searchTerm=garnier+bb+cream&pt=global

Yes I shopped at that exact same Sophora, It was a magnificent experience! We went in after Disneyland closed which was after midnight when we went in the holiday season, and also did the disney store in the mall too, so as not to waste Disneyland time. But it’s best to go in at the end so you don’t have to trug your haul around all through Disneyland. My must buy would be the Clarisonic. I didn’t buy it while I was there as I was terrified of the voltage bit, but have since bought one from the USA after discovering they have multi voltage and you just put an Aussie adapter on the plug! After that I shopped up big on the OJON hair care range- the price differences are absolutely devastating! Then nail polish and all sorts of gear. What we pay here in this country is just so unfair. And I believe most of it is to do with the Government’s tax system. Of course you have to be rich and wellheeled to buy a face cream! Lots of families probably have to make a choice of new makeup for mum or dinner for ALL!!!! Beauty really could be only for the wealthy here! I do believe a lot of pensioners would probably not bother with trying to look made up or smooth skinned as it is so darn expensive. Even take for example the Garnier BB cream, did you get to see the price diff in the states? I’ll bet it was at least half of what we pay! Thank goodness we have you Nikki to lead us in the right direction of sourcing the best gear in all sorts of price points!