Survey Says... May 8th, 2019
Happy Wednesday! Here's this week's survey, which you can copy and paste and share as a comment.
- Your skin tone/coloring:
- Brand with the best deals?
- Brand with the best GWPs?
- Brand with the most helpful associates?
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Your skin tone/coloring: Light neutral, green eyes, salt & pepper hair
Brand with the best deals? This may not be exactly what you meant by this question, but I’d have to go with Colourpop. Their prices are always fantastic.
Brand with the best GWPs? Estée Lauder. The last time I bought my foundation, I got a cute zipper bag with a bunch of great things, including TWO full-size Pure Color Envy lipsticks, one of which I happen to be wearing today.
Brand with the most helpful associates? I’ve had good and bad sales associates in every brand I’ve shopped, so I don’t think any one brand has the best associates. But the single best brand-specific sales associate I’ve met was a woman at the Laura Mercier counter in Saks Fifth Avenue, who I’ve gone back to on many occasions over the past few years.
Your skin tone/coloring: Medium – Yellow-Neutral
Brand with the best deals? Filorga has one right now at Marionnaud in France -40% on the Famous Time-Filler Absolute Wrinkle Correction Cream
Brand with the best GWPs? Not sure what you mean, but if it’s Global Warming Potential (least green house effect impact and the like), I don’t know who has the best, but I like BoHo’s products in the “green”/organic category.
Brand with the most helpful associates? Here, that’s a hard one, but I’d say Sephora (only because I’m there the most).
GWP – means Gift with Purchase – for example, some brands will offer an extra gift if you spend over a certain amount of money on their products. Some of the ‘gifts’ can be skincare items (minis) or lipsticks/mascara etc. At other times the brand will provide you with the opportunity to purchase a huge set of products at a much reduced rate after you have spent xxx amount of dollars. Estee Lauder often does this.
Very interested in reading these comments. I never shop through brand sites or stores (with the exception of MAC) since 95% of my beauty purchases are either through Ulta, Sephora, or Nordstrom.
Your skin tone/coloring: Light-medium, yellow warm undertone, dark brown eyes and hair
Note: My opinions bellow are influenced by the fact that I buy from a limited number of stores, I don’t have many brand to compare.
Brand with the best deals?
While they don’t have deals / sales as often as other brands, I can count on MAC to have seasonal 20% discounts (when I usually buy re-stock for lipstick and eye shadow colors I know I’ll finish/toss in ~2-3 months, and get my brushes).
I see Ulta having great deals most times, but I rarely shop at Ulta; but if I’m buying, I have the `permanent` $3.50 OFF coupon saved on my phone.
Brand with the best GWPs?
Paula’s Choice has some amazing gift with purchases, they periodically have mini sets with 3 items, sometimes full sized items. From the shopping I’ve done during late last year I still have stocks of mini BHAs/AHAs and eye cream to last me all year.
I’m personally also quite satisfied with Sephora gifts with purchase, they often have mini Drunk Elephant products (I can easily recreate the mini set or something similar in a year) and good mini mascara (I nowadays ever need to buy a mascara). There were some times during sales when I didn’t used to code, just because the 15% on a ~$25 purchase is not as a great deal as a mini Drunk Elephant product.
*I had to research 5 minutes online to find out this mean `gift with purchase`. 😆
Brand with the most helpful associates?
I always had a good experience with MAC stores in both US and Europe. I learned tons of personalized information and tips from MAC artists, I had some amazing conversations. I’m not saying all are great, but comparing to experiences I personally had at Sephora, Ulta or similar stores, MAC associates/artists were the most helpful. Next inline would be Benefit Brow Bars.
Skin tone: Very fair with neutral undertones, grey hair and dark brown eyes.
1. Brand with the best deals: ColourPop hands down!
2. Brand with best GWP: None. I have yet to actually get a gift with purchase that was anything to write home about. Usually a mascara and usually one I have already tried and hate. I actually prefer scent GWP. I get to try a scent without forking out a small fortune to try it for awhile.
3. Brand with most helpful associates: This is going to be my rant answer but most sales associates fall into one of two categories. They either bug the daylights out of you or can’t be found anywhere. A good sales associate acknowledges you when you arrive at the counter, asks if you need help and then leaves you alone until you ask for help. Some follow you around like they think you are going to steal the samples or something. If you pick up a product then you get the, “That is just the best “whatever” you will ever find or that is our newest blah, blah, blah.” I will probably be in the minority here but overall, I would say MAC associates. Of course, that could just be at my MAC counter. I am not there enough, since it is 3 hours away, for them to really know me although there is one associate that clearly remembers me as she asks me where my daughter is every time I go there alone. I usually get a general acknowledgment and then they leave me alone until I ask, which is perfect for me.
Your skin tone/coloring: fair, cool
Brand with the best deals? any brand carried at SDM since I can get 20% off every Thursday AND pay with my Optimum Points!
Brand with the best GWPs? GWPs aren’t a big deal for me any more and most of the brand I buy are only at Sephora but Clarins at the Bay has a really good offer twice a year – great sizes of skin care and you can choose from 4 different “groupings”
Brand with the most helpful associates? the Shiseido lady at my local Bay is really helpful.
Your skin tone/coloring: light, MAC NC 15-20, med brown hair and eyes
Brand with the best deals?
I don’t buy directly from brands so I cannot compare. I have been happy with MAC. Not only do they have B2M where you can get a free lipstick, they have 25% sale a few times a year and their birthday gift is a free full size product
Brand with the best GWPs? I am not sure. MAC is good but it is one of the few brands I have bought from directly. Colourpop, Too Faced and ABH don’t give GWP
Brand with the most helpful associates?
I have had good experience with MAC and ABH but I don’t shop too much online so my experience is minimal tbh
Your skin tone/coloring: fair/pink undertones, brown highlighted hair, hazel eyes.
Brand with the best deals? Sephora when they have their 20% off sales
Brand with the best GWPs? Shopper’s Drug Mart has awesome gifts, the last time I purchased a product there I was given a whole bag of make up, eye shadows, eye shadow palettes, eye liners it just went on and on, I couldn’t believe it, I was very impressed.
Brand with the most helpful associates? I pretty well only shop at Sephora. The sales associate that helped my find a new foundation last week was so good, she spent a lot of time with me, it was really busy there, and it took me a while to find someone that was free. She made sure I got what I wanted. I’ve always had good results with them there.
Your skin tone/coloring: Under my name
Brand with the best deals? Juvia’s Place, BH Cosmetics, and Revolution Makeup
Brand with the best GWPs? Makeup Revolution, BH Cosmetics, and e.l.f. (Estee Lauder used to be THE best, but it’s been so long since I’ve bought from them, I don’t know if that’s still true.)
Brand with the most helpful associates? In person: Urban Decay’s have always been knowledgeable, nice, helpful, and not too pushy. Online: MAC’s CS associates has always been aces.
Your skin tone/colouring: Porcelain, with pink undertones
Brand with the best deals? I think Colour Pop has the best deals around and their products are generally pretty good.
Brand with the best GWPs? Here is Aus. Clinique probably has the best gifts with purchase, as do Estee Lauder (and so they should because their products are hideously expensive here) and Elizabeth Arden.
Brand with the most helpful associates? I don’t shop generally at department stores for makeup as the brands there are far too expensive. For most of my staples I shop at Priceline or Chemist Warehouse, where you do get an overview of what different brands are like from the staff – most of which are helpful. Sephora and Mecca Cosmetica’s staff are a bit up and down, it just depends on who you get.
Lancôme has the best GWP!! As a teenager, my mom used to give me her Lancôme GWP and that is how I stocked my makeup bag. Literally nothing but deluxe sized Lancôme makeup from GWPs!!
Your skin tone/coloring: Medium-tan, neutral
Brand with the best deals?
Hard to say, feels like you can find a decent deal for almost every drugstore/mid-range brand at least a few times a year
Brand with the best GWPs?
Clinique and Lancome. Ofc the best GWPs are the ones that you get with products that you were planning to buy anyways. Not really worth it if you make a purchase you weren’t planning on, imo
Brand with the most helpful associates?
Lately, Sephora. I’ve gotten some really helpful tips and color matches from them
Your skin tone/coloring: Fair with neutral undertones
Brand with the best deals? ColourPop or Maybelline/Rimmel/London always have deals on!
Brand with the best GWPs? Clarins
Brand with the most helpful associates? MAC