It really just depends on who is going to have the best deal – whether that’s through discount, free shipping, samples, and/or return policy. I usually go to a major beauty retailer, because I’m often buying more than one brand at a time, so it’s easier.
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For non-nail polish, I prefer to shop at the major retailer website because I know and trust their policies. For nail polish, I like to hit up the creator’s website if possible. You save a few bucks and it can be easier to obtain than it can on wholesaler sites like Llarowe.
Thank you for the reference to Llarowe. I have been trying to find somewhere to buy the Color Club Holographic Nail Colors reviewed on this website. For some reason their website doesn’t seem to work in the browsers that I have tired it on and I don’t trust Amazon’s third party retailers anymore. I just picked up the two colors that they had left. I realize that not being able to find a nail color is not the worst thing in the world by a long shot but you really made my day. Thanks!
I prefer to shop at a brand’s website.
Major beauty retailer for sure. I tend to make several “big” beauty purchases a year to stock up on and try new products from a multitude of brands. I also like it when beauty retailers offer rewards or reward points which is something you don’t often see from brand sites. Some brand sites, like Urban Decay, do have really great sales though that are definitely worth making exceptions for.
Whichever’s cheapest 🙂
It actually depends on the deal available for me. But when there are none, of course I must do all the hard work. Although, I need the help of those experts and professional sometimes so that I could have these things.
Typically I shop from a beauty retailer’s site.. but not all the time.
Major retailer. Most individual brands ship from the US and any cost savings are eaten up by shipping costs to Canada.
For most of my makeup, I shop at drugstore.com and beauty.com because they’re connected but for other things and better deals, I’ll shop at ulta. I buy my mac through my friend who has a macpro card and anything else I get from sephora/Bloomies. I love allcosmeticswholesale.com
I don’t really have a preference, for me i’ll go to whichever one is giving me the better overall deal on what i’m wanting that day. I always keep an eye out for free shipping offers, if someone is offering me free gift with purchase, if there is a 10% off offer coming up on a site, if the offer sort of a loyality card scheme etc.
I usually stick with a major retailer, mostly because of the samples, bonuses from the loyalty program and easy returns if it comes to that.
The only time I go to the brand site is if I’m looking for a specific color or item that isn’t offered at the major retailer.
I also usually go to a major retailer, especially like Sephora or Nordstrom, because they both have awesome return policies. I like Sephora because I like the points program they have and I feel the cosmetics and skincare is really accessible.
However, if the brand’s site is having a sale, its a no brainer, I will shop there.
It depends on the return policy and discounts for me. I gravitate towards the major retailers because I can depend on their return policy, but if the brand’s website offers huge discount (their F&F sale comes at a time when I need a specific product from them), I would guy there as well.
What a good question. When it comes to buying a color that I’ve never tried before, I prefer to stick with a major beauty retailer or department store. They have generous return policies. When it comes to repurchasing something I already have or buying something I already have tried in person, I’d rather go to the brand’s website (provided the shipping is free). The brand’s website usually has better samples and offers.
I like shopping at a major beauty retailer’s website, since I usually buy items from multiple brands. Also, I like being able to accumulate reward points through these retailers.
I will typically shop off of a major retailer. I like to shop from Sephora because of their rewards and great return policy. Nordstrom and Macy’s is great because you can get free shipping w/any beauty purchase.
I like to shop at places that will give me something in return, i.e a rewards, free samples, etc.
I will buy from a brand website if there is something on there that is limited edition or web exclusive. 🙂
I research the product on blogs,magazines,internet. Then I check the website and retailer for the best perks. Free shipping, free returns, bonus rewards etc. whoever has the best deal gets my bucks. Lately I’ve been loving Nordstrom a lot!
Neither; I prefer to go to a store/counter. Waiting around for a delivery just doesn’t fit into my lifestyle, and if I’m not home to receive said delivery, I have to trek down to the post office, which takes extra time out of my schedule. I go to a mall pretty much once a week for one thing or another, so while I’m there, I’ll see if there’s something I want to pick up. My time is more important to me than “saving” a few bucks, which ends up *not* being a real savings if I have to pay shipping, o buy somehing I really don’t need to just to make a minimum; also, having to go out of my way to pick up a package from the post office is another expense.
I really like to shop at Sephora to get point rewards, samples and enter a code in for a freebie to maximize the amount of goodies I get per transaction, always spend enough to get free shipping and I feel very pleased with myself but if a brand I love is having a sweet sale I will take advantage of that, gotta love a good sale, plus there are certain brands like MAC etc. that play into that even though they really don’t ever go on sale.
If it’s a mainstream brand, I almost always buy through Sephora because of their rewards program. I sometimes buy at Ulta, but even after 2 years of trying to get them to fix my account, I sitll never get rewards properly through them. If it’s indie, I buy through their individual sites. Amazon is also becoming a place that I go to check for beauty products.