Hey:

Any thoughts on what each of these beauty product vendors are best for WHAT?

I have an ULTA card but when I go there to use my coupons I never seem to find anything that great. However, they do have lots of fragrance choices which may be their strength? All the professional hair care products are STILL overpriced.

At Sephora I am never sure how knowledegable the assistants are though I like the fact that you can go in there and not be tied down to assistants promoting only one line as they do at the cosmetic counters at the dep't stores.

To purchase foundation where you need someone who can do a color match would you suggest dep't stores (if you know the brand you want) or Sephora?

Thanks.

<!--quoteo(post=1031:date=Aug 11 2007, 06:20 AM:name=judY)--><div class="quotetop">QUOTE(judY @ Aug 11 2007, 06:20 AM) [snapback]1031[/snapback]</div>

Hey:

Any thoughts on what each of these beauty product vendors are best for WHAT?

I have an ULTA card but when I go there to use my coupons I never seem to find anything that great. However, they do have lots of fragrance choices which may be their strength? All the professional hair care products are STILL overpriced.

At Sephora I am never sure how knowledegable the assistants are though I like the fact that you can go in there and not be tied down to assistants promoting only one line as they do at the cosmetic counters at the dep't stores.

To purchase foundation where you need someone who can do a color match would you suggest dep't stores (if you know the brand you want) or Sephora?

Thanks.

My thoughts:

Ulta: One of its strenghts is its Beauty Club programme; they send a magalog
with a front cover coupon ($3.50 off $10, 20% off, etc.) in the mail about
every 6 weeks. They also have a "Rewards" programme, but the list of
rewards is limited--I'd rather get a gift card that I can use any way I want.
That said, if you're going there anyway, it's a freebie. They have sales on
mass-market cosmetics (Revlon, L'Oreal, and the like); again, if you're
buying anyway, might as well have value added.

Sephora: The Big Choice of Makeup! Lots of variety and no-pressure enviornment.
When I'm looking for a foundation, I read up online 1st, drop by the store,
and actively seek out an assistant with a similar skintone. Sephora can
draw samples of products as well. Their "no-hassle" return policy
(receipt = full refund, no receipt = exchange, time limit = ??) is a *huge* plus.
Even if it's crowded, I've never had a problem getting help from an assistant, unlike…

Department stores: I tend not to shop at department stores for makeup unless it's a brand
I can't get at Sephora. (In downtown Chicago, both Water Tower Place
and Northbridge malls have Nordstrom/Macys and Sephorae). Unless
I'm a "regular" (MAC, and sometimes even then), I either get the
"hard sell" or the "crickets chirping while I'm waiting" treatment. Let's
not even talk about the number of times I've had bad formula/colour
matches at counters, then attitude when I tried to return with receipt.

Ulta gives out 3.50 off your purchase of 10.00 or more to card holders. The coupon is great for saving on drugstore and non prestige brands, however, you cannot use the coupons for prestige.

Sephora has a wide range of cosmetics and you can vitually try on anything in the store.

I don't like shopping the beauty section of department stores tooo much. The sales ladies usually bother you and try to sell you something right away.

Thanks for the input ladies!!

the best place to buy beauty products if your in los angeles area is KRISTY THE BEAUTY STORE - they have a store in BEVERLY CENTER AND CENTURY CITY MALL. they have all the latest products and they have great prices

<!--quoteo(post=1031:date=Aug 11 2007, 06:20 AM:name=judY)--><div class="quotetop">QUOTE(judY @ Aug 11 2007, 06:20 AM) [snapback]1031[/snapback]</div>

To purchase foundation where you need someone who can do a color match would you suggest dep't stores (if you know the brand you want) or Sephora?

Thanks.

For me I like Sephora the best!!!! They can do color match or try a full make-up depending on what you're looking for.
Although sometimes there are new sales associates who seems uncertain about what they are saying however they will
try their best to help you or ask someone else who can really help you with what you need. And they are more affordable
than department stores. ANd if you join their beauty insider you can also have free a free sample
of what they are promoting that month. Have you tried Bare Escentuals? they also have a stand alone store.

2nd is Macy's or Lord and Taylor just because I think they are knowledgeable and tehy really take their time and explain
to you everything but this is if you know what brand you want.
I love Lancome, Bobbi Brown and of course they will always try to sales talk you. I like that you can get free gifts if you purchase something heeheehee

For me the last one would be Ulta because I don't think their sales associates have a lot of knowledge about their products and
I think some of them need to show that they are happy to work there—BUT! this is just based on my experience.
I only go to Ulta when I already know what to buy. And they are really cheaper than others.

Hope this helps! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif

I love sephora because you have cult beauty brands that you may not find in dept. stores and the prestige brands such as lancome, estee lauder, clinique all together… but I don't like the fact that they don't have similar types of giveaways like dept stores....

I like dept stores for the give aways and the fact that you can do clothes shopping, shoe shopping and makeup shopping all in one....

But ulta is great for the fact, that they have all drugstore brands to prestige creme de la creme brands… I love ulta for that…

I really love sephora and dept stores for that.... Just go outside in the sunlight before purchasing your foundation and if it works than it is the right one… Ask for samples at the counters…

I shopped in Ulta for the first time yesterday. They do have an impressive fragrance/haircare/skincare selection. I picked up some Ahava lotion, which I love and it was on sale. I was not impressed with the sales staff. Sephora is still my fave for makeup and they have Bliss products (I didn’t see any at Ulta).

Personally, I like ulta for there really inexpensive sets.
Like their smashbox kit is uber-cheap considering the cost of the items that went into it. The PhotoFinish Primer with Dermaxyl, mascara + eye and cheek palette are full sized, the illume lipgloss is about half-size… But that I can live with. The cost = 47 buckaroos. The PhotoFinish Primer’s with Dermaxyl, which is more expensive than the regular one costs 42 dollars. The eye and cheek palette was 34 if I remember correctly and the mascara was 18! Not including the lipgloss the overall value of the set was 94! The cost per item, including lipgloss is 10 dollars. For a massive palette for 2 shadow trios and highlighter/blush, and for the photofinish with dermaxyl!
The lipgloss was a sheer shimmery pink that didn’t have too strong of a tint to influence the lipstick that might be underneath, making it a great gloss!
It was not overloaded with too many products, and that is one thing I need from sets I buy.
The stila set has full sizes of everything, with bestsellers such as their Illuminating TM, Dual Lip and Cheek Cream in Peony, Convertible Eye Color in Onyx, Stila Major Lash Mascara in Black, Stila Lip Glaze in Brown Sugar and Eye Shadow in Kitten.
The eyecolors seem to work for most complexions, and Peony is a lively nude pink :)
The set is six-piece and forty bucks. If you see the cost per item, it’s about 6.67.
The sephora set is five-piece and sixty bucks for the same TM, a mascara, a lip glaze, and two eyeshadows. The tinted moisturizer is the same one, they both have mascara, they both have a lip glaze, they both have eyeshadow in kitten. The only notable exception is the other eyeshadow. The other notable exception is that of the Dual Lip and Cheek cream, which is one of the most expensive stila things.

I’m sorry for my long post, but I love ulta for their sets that are nothing short of lovely.