Buying Make Up in America.

Vivagora

Hi all,

I am refusing to buy any makeup here as I am going to New York in August but just wondering what beauty counters are like over there? Are they Brown Thomas style and where would the best store to buy MAC/Dior/Lancome be?

Valentina

I was in NY in January and found the girls in at the MAC counter in Macy's on Broadway to be super helpful. There were a couple of items I wanted but they weren't in stock but they gave me cards with the product info so I could get them elsewhere.
They were also great at advising me for mascara which is something I know nothing about and helping with picking out foundation but they weren't pushy trying to get me to buy stuff.

I bought a MAC 5 piece brush set for $50 at their Flat Iron store but the sales people weren't particularly helpful and there were no prices on anything! There are MAC store all over NY so if you don't like the first one you go into there will be others.

Most department stores like Macy's, Bloomingdales, Lord & Taylor or Saks Fifth Ave will have make up counters like in Brown Thomas.

Sephora is a great store for make up and beauty products. They stock Lancome, Dior, NARS, Urban Decay and lots more, as well as there own range of makeup which is very good quality. They also sell all kinds of brushes and brush sets and pretty much any tool you could need for applying or removing makeup!

That's all I can think of right now. Am sure others will remember more!

EDIT: if you're shopping in Macy's go to the visitor centre with your passport to get a discount card for 10% off purchases. It doesn't work on cosmetics but works for many other products.
http://www.visitmacysusa.com/visitors/savings.cfm

lainey316

I find the best stores to buy MAC are their own stores, and the pro stores have additional stuff - but the store I went to in NYC was 148 Columbus (based on the site, I didn't remember teh address) they were nice enough. Generally most Macys will have a counter, and I think Bloomingdales

Lancome isn't massively cheaper there, found it comparable to Dublin airport prices. The American brands - anything by Estee Lauder (MAC/BB etc), benefit, laura mercier - and Shiseido were all good bargains. Sephora wil have everything except MAC. Not sure if there is Ulta in NY but it's simialr (tho not as good) to Sephora. Bloomingdales will have pretty much everything you need, and you can get a tax back refund.

LizT

So I'm going to America for a month and obviously shopping is on the list! I'm going to stock up on Bobbi Brown and Mac but my question is - is there any beauty wonders that can only be bought in America that I should buy? I've been to sephora before but it's a bit overwhelming!

alie

I know you can buy smashbox here but its far cheaper in the states

Asphyxia

Head to Ulta and pick up NYX Jumbo eye pencils or Target for all your drugstore cosmetic needs

LizT

alie wrote: »

I know you can buy smashbox here but its far cheaper in the states

Seems to be the case for most make up! Really makes you realise how much we are being ripped off over here.

LizT

Asphyxia wrote: »

Head to Ulta and pick up NYX Jumbo eye pencils or Target for all your drugstore cosmetic needs

Is ulta like sephora, never heard of it or seen it

alie

lizt wrote: »

Seems to be the case for most make up! Really makes you realise how much we are being ripped off over here.

House of fraiser wanted 40 euro for foundation and its only 25 dollars in the states, have a good holiday:)

Twee.

Threads merged.

WeSoExcited

lizt wrote: »

is there any beauty wonders that can only be bought in America that I should buy? I've been to sephora before but it's a bit overwhelming!

Hi lizt. I got a good tip on another website before I went to America the last time. I don't know if you are familiar the the InStyle Best Beauty Buys list that is released each year. We get the UK list here, but InStyle have a US version too. You can get the US edition of InStyle magazine in certain places, like Eason's on O'Connell St, but the lists are on the magazine's website too

http://www.instyle.com/instyle/best-beauty-buys/0,,,00.html

Some of the items (as far as I know) are only available in America. I got the Cetaphil (which has since become more widely available here, though at a price) and CeraVe cleansers and find them quite good but basic. Also Aveeno has a wider range of stock in the US than it does here and I got a good moisturiser with SPF 30. I would say go into a drug store like CVS or Walgreens and just have a good long look around. I stock up on CVS own brand blotting papers for my oily T-zone. They have a plastic texture rather than the paper type that you only seem to be able to get here. Hope this helps.

LizT

Twee. wrote: »

Threads merged.

Sorry about that Twee, didn't see the other thread.

Twee.

lizt wrote: »

Sorry about that Twee, didn't see the other thread.

No worries!

Definitely hit up Walgreens/CVS/Duane Reade. You can get Essie, OPI and Sally Hansen nail polishes for about €6.

RosyLily

I love reading the In Style Best Buys Guide! Gives me some ideas on new products and I love how products are organised by skin tone...nice one!

I remember reading one on MSN and it had inexpensive products you can get in WalMart, K-Mart etc. I took a list of some stuff mentioned...might see if I still have it!

Seriously cheap for NARS and MAC!! Wish I was going to the States!:(

Twee.

Yeah looking through that list, there are A LOT of Nars products. I'm definitely going to try some out.

Larianne

check out Physicians Formula which is stocked usually in Walgreens and CVS drugstores. The bronzers are great. [URL="vhttp://www.physiciansformula.com/en-us/productdetail/03869.html"]http://www.physiciansformula.com/en-us/productdetail/03869.html[/URL]

Also, if you're into false eyelashes, DUO adhesive is really cheap over there.

Plankton1

Sephora is amazing...they also give you little samples and gifts. Their staff really know their stuff and they test foundation out on you so you can see if it suits. I'm in love with Sephora

FueledByAisling

My sister is currently living in San Francisco for the summer (lucky girl!) and I thought it'd be a good time to invest/stock up in some make up since it would be quite cheaper over there! I'm mainly thinking of Lipsticks/nail polishes/make up brushes could you recommend which brands I should be looking out for?

I might get a few MAC lipsticks (what are your views on them?) but I'll be going into the Dublin store first before I order them online. Also what are some nice shades you'd recommend for ivory skinned girl with strawberry blonde hair?

Thanks guys

lainey316

MAC, Benefit, Bobbi Brown, Estee Lauder, NARS - all miles cheaper.

I love MAC lipsticks, but I only have a few. They have good pigmentation and last well. Shades are a personal thing but I like Creme Cup... think a lot of the other ones I have are limited edition or bright pink (might not work for you).

Maybelline and Revlon are supercheap, well worth picking up.

Pythia

Go for Clinique skincare too! Sooo much cheaper.

amdublin

Victoria's Secret does amazing makeup, surprisingly

FueledByAisling

Oh wow completely forgot about Revlon!I love their colorstay so hopefully I can buy online with them and stock up! I see NARS and Bobbi Brown everywhere but never heard any reviews etc, what would you recommend by them?

Twee.

Threads merged. Please remember to do a search to see if the topic was discussed recently.


Cheers

lainey316

I'd recommend NARS blush and Bobbi Brown eye palettes in particular.

Nail varnish - OPI.

Corruptedmorals

Sephora own-brand stuff is great and quite cheap. Great selsection of brands too, and I was in quite a small one. I bought Nars Orgasm, Sephora mineral loose powder, Sephora grey eyeliner, Sephora blue eyeshadow trio and Sephora mini-brush set..€50 total

Victoria's Secret do amazing eyeshadows- can't vouch for the rest of their products but my friend loved the foundation she bought there. The eyeshadows are very highly pigmented and are $10...€7.

cordni

If you are planning a trip to woodbury common, there is a shop there called the cosmetic company store (CCO) It's an outlet for Estee Lauder owned brands. They stock a selection of Mac, Bobbi Brown, Estee Lauder, clinique (plus some other brands, can't remember). Typically their stock is 30% off retail. They usually have some of those "free with gift packs" for dirt cheap - I picked up an estee lauder one which contained a variety of creams plus two lipsticks for $13. The two lipsticks alone were a great bargain at that price. Also picked up one of the holiday packs of five mac lipglosses for $20. Bobbi Brown artists lip palette for $140 (sadly not for me but a gift for somebody) Bought much much more but won't go into that.

Roll on next february when I can raid the CCO again