Do you seek out new beauty products when on vacation? Share!
YES! Most definitely. I look for brands or shops that aren’t normally accessible to me! Recently, I visited Barney’s and bought Surratt Beauty products as I don’t live anywhere near one!
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Sometimes. Finding new beauty products while on vacation is not top priority for me. Only if I have some gap of time I’m not sure what to do with.
I used to, but now that I live in Chicagoland I can get pretty much anything downtown, so if I find something while on vacation it’s cool but I don’t really seek it out.
Before I got way to pregnant to travel, I would seek out a Sephora or Ulta by where I was teaching my cooking classes. I would grab myself something as my ‘treat’/’souvenir’. My last was in Albany where I grabbed Aurora OCC Lip Tar Stained Gloss which was sold out in Phoenix. It was a way to grab a few things off my list while having a cool reminder of my trip.
Absolutely! We don’t have nearly the range of brands and products in New Zealand that is available elsewhere – my city only just got a MAC counter last year. Brands like Guerlain and NARS are only available in very select locations and are HELLA expensive (over $50NZD for a NARS lipstick, while in Australia, they are less than $40), so I always take any opportunity to scout out beauty products while I’m travelling.
Plus, after scoring Guerlain Cruel Gardenia at Melbourne airport a few months ago, I always scope out gift sets and palettes at the duty free beauty counters.
I sure do! When I’m in Paris, I’m all over les pharmacies, but it seems in the past month that Target and the like are starting to carry Vichy, La Roche-Posay, etc.
Yes,almost all of them are lipsticks thought LOL sometime, eyeshadows that don’t sell in my living area etc.
I think make up is the best souvenir! Since Sephora is no longer in the Netherlands, all beautylovers must visit a Sephora store while abroad. But Germany and eastern Europe also have a lot of new drugstore brands. Very cheap cosmetics 🙂
Definitely! Inaccessible brands and duty free prices… Sometimes I wonder if I should allocate special “beauty purchase” budget in my vacation funds. ._.
Always! I just went to Canada and I loved how easily accessible (and affordable) cleansing water is there, so I bought a huge bottle to last me for awhile.
I seek out new beauty products for vacation before I’ve even left. There aren’t a lot of beauty products available in Pakistan, and they’re too expensive anyway, so I maintain a constant wishlist of items that I either order online when someone visits New York, or buy myself when I go (which isn’t often). I may try some Makeup Geek, Bite, and new(ish) Urban Decay products this time.
Definitely! Before I go to Korea, I always check out blogs about the latest and greatest Korean cosmetics. They’re so cheap there that if a makeup product works, you can get it in several different colours, or pick up several bottles of a skin care product. I just wish I knew enough Korean to be able to read the Korean blogs for more info!
I’m quite the same. 🙂 Tomorrow I’ll go to Barcelona for the first time and I know that there is a Sephora. (My poor wallet, lol.) Currently you can’t buy Urban Decay or Too Faced in Austrian stores, so I’m quite excited that I’ll be able to try a few things there. 😉
My last vacation was about 10 years ago…so I don’t remember :))
I try to find products and brands that I don’t have access to at home, yes 🙂
YES. I live in New York, but I’m in Rhode Island right now, at my aunt’s house. The CVS near her home, there’s a MUA section! Here I thought MUA was only sold in the UK! I’m also going to the 3-story mall they have here too… Sephora, LUSH, CVS, here I come! 🙂
Do I ever!!!! It’s one of my favorite things to do!! I’m in Canada and there are some brands and stores we don’t have here so when I go to the US (or Europe) I love checking out new stuff! Going to Orlando in September and I can’t wait! I’m already making a list!
Oooooh yes! I have been in Montenegro on vacation and aldo I have used most of skin care products that I had with me – at the end I had 3 kg more in my case! 😀
OMG I’m doing the same exact thing today. Heading to NYC and surratt is at the top of my list
Oh yes! KIKO was a holiday discovery and a grand one at that!
It’s the highlight of my holidays! As well as designer shoe shopping and antiquing. No matter where in the world I visit I come home with all three. I plan financially in advance though.
I don’t! I usually only travel to Mexico to visit family. They only have the good makeup in the capitol more than two hours away and it’s a dangerous drive. Plus, they only have a few makeup brands like Lancôme and Urban Decay, and it’s so much more costly (with a 15%+ tax!).
Yep – when in mainland europe, I’m finally able to visit Sephora! No idea why the UK doesn’t get one. Also airports often have brands that are difficult to track down for me like Givenchy and Burberry, so I swatch stuff while I have the chance.
We use to have a Sephora in the Uk many years ago. Of course, the brands they stocked wasn’t as well known as they are today as this was long before beauty blogs and YouTube makeup tutorials had gained the popularity as they do now. Shame really.
Of course! I live in Mexico and travel frequently to the US on vacations, so I try to shop while I’m there. For clothes and makeup.
I just came back from South Padre Island last week, and I hit the MAC, Christian Dior and Clarins counters at Dillard’s. These are brands we do have here, but they are much cheaper in the US! I also try to look for things not available to me. I will be going to NYC next month, and I’m already planning on looking for Lipstick Queen lipsticks, and maybe some high end brushes, which we don’t have here.
Last year on my visit to Canada I was like a child at Christmas when I was in Sephora. too many new brands to me to count. I also discovered Kiehls, which has ironically just opened in Belfast, N.Ireland.
Absolutely!
Before travelling to Japan I did a lot of research as to which brands were popular, and which specific items performed well within those brands. In Greece, I stocked up on Korres products that I love and bought some new ones that I had never seen in Canada (at least not where I live). When I travel to the US, I’m always on the hunt for certain products Christine recommends, which again aren’t easily found here in Canada. It’s almost like a fun scavenger hunt! 🙂
My next travels are taking me to Australia, so you best believe I’ll be doing research to see if there are Australian products which can only be found there! 🙂
Well, yes, I can see that’s an occupational necessity for you, Christine. But for me a real vacation is when I try to “leave behind” interests like makeup, clothes, even books. Unless I am going somewhere just for those things!
i would if i went anywhere! when i went to tucson my sister in law took me to the la encantada shopping center and i was excited to just look at all of the high end stores and she took me to bluemercury which was fun. too bad i wasn’t into makeup this much last time i went to london! i’m very interested in trying some drugstore brands from across the pond. i’m going to the bahamas in november but i don’t know how much shopping i will get to do haha
Definitely! If I’m going on a trip within the US that has stuff I can get at home, I may skip it. But, if I go somewhere outside of the US, I’ll definitely be on the lookout for stuff that I can’t normally find.
Absolutely! I usually don’t buy higher end products because most of those are brands I can find in my bigger city, but this July I travelled and the supermarkets were packed with brands that aren’t sold in my local supermarkets. I picked up 2 NYX butter glosses, 4 Zoya nail polishes, 1 Revlon matte balm, and 2 Elf brushes. I have Revlon but hey, since I was picking the other stuff up, I went for it 😉 Those other brands are surprisingly very difficult for me to find at home, and if I do come across them, they only have a bit of the line and aren’t well stocked. So pleased to be taking a few new things home with me!
I usually do. I like picking up products I won’t normally find at home. I need to plan a trip overseas soon. There’s a lot Asian and UK beauty brands I’m dying to try!
Makeup shopping is one of my favorite hinga to do in vacation. I love going to Vegas because I can play at the Inglot store!!
Absolutely! Living in Canada means most products are more expensive or simply not available. When I’m in the US or Europe, I always have a list of things to buy!
Yes I do! I love finding new lipsticks, etc and being on vacation doesn’t stop my daily searches! It’s so much fun : ) (Zite is a wonderful app you can customize to find new products)
YES! In France and Canada especially!
Uh…no. When I’m on vacation, I’m on vacation, not shopping.
Yes completely agree. I just want to be on vacation. Makeup I can get anytime. And I’m lucky to have just about every brand I want close to me.
Heck yeah! Like Ceebee I too live in NZ and can totally confirm how expensive cosmetics are here, especially the higher end brands . When we’ve gone to the U.S in the past I usually end up spending up large over there on cosmetics and next year we hope to go to Europe so a list will be compiled before we go!! Yup, there is definitely more choice at less cost overseas.
It depends on where I’m going and time limitations. Sure can be fun!
Yes I do too. I love browsing new beauty shops for brands that I don’t normally see at home. In Australia we have such limited access to lots of brands and when we do, they are usually more than double the cost.
Depends on what kind of vacation. If I go to a city, I like to stroll around in both department stores and supermarkets, I find it interesting to see what’s available in all kinds of departments, like what are used for cleaning in different countries. I know sounds crazy, and especially as I dislike cleaning. i always stpop at the makeup rows or departments to see if there are any brands sold there that aren’t available at home.
I also like going to drugstores and if I can find them any makeup store.
I really regrett not reading up on Japanese brands before visiting Japan some years ago. When I stood there, in front of row after row of makeup I had almost no idea what could be a good buy.
I will certainly never go unprepared again.
I live in a pretty big city where I can get a lot of stuff. If I’m visiting family who live in the country, obviously not. But when I go to the States I might pick a few things up. Most of the higher end brands I can get where I live, but I like to get things like NYX, Elf, Julie G and Bonita polishes.
Yes absolutely! Airport tax-free shopping is always a great fun. They normally accept different methods of payment so no currency issues will occur. (most cases). Needless to say there are so many exclusive cosmetic palettes only available in airport.
My most recent “steal” was at Vancouver airport, Canada. It’s almost like everything has a 10-15% off on their price tag after converted back to US dollars. I got Clarins and Kiehl’s skincare and travel kits for friends and family. Even liquors are cheaper. I just wished I could have saved all my budget to shop there.
Bahahaha 😀 You’ve seen my haul of new (to me) brands from Dubai, right?! It’s one of the major things I look for If I’m going to go retail shopping when I travel! Partly that’s due to the dearth of brands available here in NZ (compared to say the US), but partly it’s because I like seeing which brands they’re using locally, and trying them out!
I visited the Canary Islands and the only brand I see that we didn’t have back at home were Essence.
If I were to holiday in the US, without a doubt, as there are a few brands not available in the UK which I’d love to try. I holiday in Europe all the time, and there’s practically no difference in availability, so not so much. God help my credit card if I end up in a large department store in the US!!!
It depends. Currently, I am in Reykjavik and, while I’ve picked up some cool beauty items, I realize how lucky I am to have Chicago’s beauty selection and items readily available. Other items such as native stones and wool seem be better finds here.
Oh, definitely. I wnt to see if there’s something I can’t get at home and beauty products make great souvineers of my trip. Every time I use one, I remember where and when I bought it.
Big fat yes! I search the web and write a long list on the places and the items i want to buy and i still explore other products. Makeup is my passion <3
I try to, but honestly, in my country, there is no big variety, so I usually just see if they have different products in the bargain bin. I rarely go abroad – and last time I went all the beauty shops were closed…