~~~SEPHORA.COM~~~NOW JUST WHERE HAVE I BEEN????
Written: Jun 17 '04 (Updated Jun 23 '04)
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Just last month, I had the opportunity to go shopping with a group of girlfriends in a large Southern mall and walked into a brick & mortar Sephora store for the very first time! Yeah, I've apparently led a very sheltered life until now as my girlie side was totally AMAZED at just how awesome this store actually is (hearing about it just isn't the same). I could stay in there all day! Who knew you could go play with practically any brand of Beauty product you wanted to ON YOUR OWN to your heart's content? Anyway, of the many items I purchased that day were some trendy Urban Decay eye shadows in three different shades. Too bad they were out of the Midnight Cowboy Rides Again shade (not to be confused with Big & Rich's "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy'...er, wait! That's a SONG and not an eye shadow. Silly me) as that's they one I REALLY wanted! Never fear though as I found it online at Sephora.com not long after and placed my first order with this online store. Read on to find out more about my new favorite shopping site in which to browse (and purchase!) make-up and other Beauty items.
~~~The Online Store~~~
For me, shopping at Sephora.com is like being a kid in a toy store as there's a seemingly endless supply of Beauty items to choose from! A very long list of brands available (hundreds, they claim!) are in alphabetical order in their pull down menu, so chances are if you can't find what you are looking for here, you probably won't find it anywhere else either. Looking for the new Dessert Beauty edible body shakes, foams, and fragrances that feature Jessica Simpson in their advertising? Then look no further than this humongous online shopping site! For they offer tons of make-up, fragrances, bath & body, hair care, and even cosmetic tools like make-up brushes, etc. Request a catalog or order directly only by browsing the many brands featured at this easy to navigate website. Popular brands like Stila, Urban Decay, Benefit, Nars, Hard Candy, Philosophy, and even Smashbox are just a few die hard Beauty shoppers can choose from here. They list their top selling products as well as the newest products as they come out for those keeping track. Purchase a gift card online here or have selected items gift wrapped for that special someone. And best of all, you'll receive Free Shipping (Standard--2 to 7 business days) on orders of $75 or more currently at Sephora.com and you actually get to choose up to three samples of some of the hottest Beauty stuff around at the same time.
~~~Shipping and Customer Service~~~
Standard shipping via either UPS or USPS Priority Mail on orders less than $75 at Sephora.com runs around $5.75 while FedEx 2 Day and FedEx Standard Overnight will cost $9.95 and $19.95 respectively. Accepted credit cards include Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and the Discover Card when ordering at this secure online site. Returns are accepted up to 60 days after the purchase date, although original shipping charges aren't refunded, which is a common policy most online sites practice. Or take your purchase to any brick and mortar Sephora store (include the packing slip) for refunds as well. For even though all the items pictured at the website look almost identical to the actual product, color shades sometimes don't match exactly (which is why playing in the actual store is definitely preferred!). Sales tax is charged to consumers living in certain states (see website for more details), although my home state is Tennessee is not one of them listed. Ordering is both easy and secure when shopping online at Sephora.com, so rest assured that your private financial information is safe here.
~~~My Experience~~~
Using a free shipping code for orders of $25 or more (see below), I made my very first purchase at Sephora.com just a few weeks ago. Along with the Urban Decay eye shadow listed above that I really wanted priced at $15, I also ordered some of the new Philosophy Pina Colada shampoo, conditioner, and body wash (the 16 ounce size) three-in-one bath and body product for $16 at the same time. I was given the choice of having my purchases wrapped in either an elegant black and red Sephora gift box or the black fabric bag with a red tie string, so my pick was the bag. Just a few minutes after my order was complete (it only took a short time to register my shipping and credit card information), I received an email confirmation with tracking number so that I could track my order with UPS if desired. And just a few days later, the UPS man was stopping at my door once again with my package of Beauty stuff, including three cool samples as well. So since I received free shipping and had to pay no sales tax at all, I feel I really got my money's worth by shopping online at Sephora.com verses many other places I could have ordered from instead.
~~~Overall Recommendation~~~
Expand your horizons a bit beyond the basic drugstore cosmetic brands and see for yourself just what all Sephora.com has to offer. Yeah, some of their stuff is overpriced and far from affordable for those on a budget, but a girl has got to splurge every now and then! Since I'd already shopped and played around at the brick and mortar store and knew exactly what I wanted prior to ordering, there were no surprises when my merchandise arrived in perfect condition in a timely manner. And now that I've accidentally got myself hopelessly hooked on Urban Decay eye shadows (sorry, ya'll, but I've hardly TOUCHED my M*A*C stuff at all!), I'll definitely be back in the near future: Especially when the holidays roll around and I'm looking for great gift ideas for family and friends. So begin shopping today at and get a taste for Beauty at Sephora.com. Good luck and happy online shopping :-)
***What are you waiting for? Hurry and get free shipping with your very first order of $25 or more! Just enter the promotional code WWWSHIP2 (expires 8-31-04 and limit to one per customer):
www.sephora.com
Questions or comments?
-877-SEPHORA (1-877-737-4672)
Sephora USA LLC
First Market Tower
525 Market Street, 11th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105-2708
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Urban Decay Eyeshadow/Philosophy Pina Colada
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