To someone visiting Europe, what brands/products would you recommend? Share your must-haves!
I’ve never been, so I couldn’t say, but I’d definitely want to stop by an Illamasqua counter!
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If you’re in France, go to the pharmacies and get Embryolisse and Bioderma Crealine H20. The former is an amazing moisturizer and the latter is a micellar solution that works great as a makeup remover that doesn’t leave a scent or residue.
this is such a great thread! i am going to be doing a study abroad in europe this spring! please, all suggestions!
Bourjois. You can find it in drug stores (ie Boots).
Bioderma make up remover/cleanser, Bourjois
I forgot about my sunscreen: La Roche-Posay Anthelios AC. I’ve seen other Anthelios sunscreens at Walgreens, but never this same one (which I bought in Colombia, after my dermatologist recommended it and there was no way for me to go to France for sunscreen lol), which is especially formulated for oily/acne-prone skin. It is AMAZING!!! Many face sunscreens claim to be oil-free, but after using this, they all seem like their main ingredient is oil! This is perfect for anyone suffering from oily skin.
I also loved Monoprix and Galeries Lafayette when I was living in France. Although most cosmetics that are also sold in the US are way more expensive (16 Euro for a Revlon eye shadow quad that I had bought at Walmart for $5), everything has a tester, something htat I truly missed when I was studying in the US.
To whomever said MUFE was cheaper and had a wider range of products at Sephora in France than in the US, I definitely did not see that. As I remember it, everything was the same number but different currencies ($26 vs. 26Euro) which would make things more expensive in France.
Somthing interesting to note is that Sephoras in France also carry drugstore brands, like L’oreal and Maybelline, though everything is priced over 10Euro.
If you only buy one thing, make it the Bioderma Solution Micellaire, which is very inexpensive (I think it was about 5Euro for a 500mL bottle) and I completely regret not buying when I had the chance since the same exact bottle is about 26Euro in Colombia ;(
Where in Colombia do you get all this products? La riviera?
I stumbled across a Kiko store when I was in Paris this year. It’s a Nyx-like brand in a MAC-like environment, and for the price the products are pretty good, I especially liked the nail polishes: the colors may have not been super unique, but they’re nicely pigmented, flow well and at something like 3 Euro, a great deal.
Hi , just wondering where can i find KIKO in Paris, will be there next week, just love their products, their skin tone primer is fab.
Can anyone help/
Thks
Nina
If you’re going to Spain, Italy, or France, definitely stop by a Sephora and see if you can pick up some Fred Farruggia eyeshadow duos and blushes – they are of absolutely incredible quality. Most European Sephoras also have a wider range of Makeup For Ever products, including the sculpting blushes, which are great. They tend to be more expensive, but there are often sales, especially if you go during the summer months.
Also see if you can find Yves Rocher, which makes really nice skincare stuff in addition to makeup (really nice eyeshadows). Kiko, which is an Italian brand, has some really nice eyeshadows and eye pencils (which again are often on sale).
If you’re in the UK (esp London), you can definitely pick up some of the EU-exclusive Illamasqua shades
I would definitely be looking for some Sleek makeup products if I were in the UK – I have heard amazing things about them!! Also, just as I was reading through the comments on this thread – I’m not sure about in the US or anywhere else, but you can purchase Yves Rocher and Bourjois products in Canada! Bourjois is sold in some Shopper’s Drug Mart stores, and Yves Rocher can be ordered online, or purchased in certain malls, where they have a stand-alone store. 🙂
YES!
Buy every Sleek eyeshadow palette going – absolutely incredible value. As long as you use a primer, these shadows will enable you to create amazing looks, only £6.99 for something like 12 colours which last so long. Amazing!
Also, in my Shopper’s, they sell Bioderma as well, because I use the blue Solution Micellaire as a makeup remover. 🙂
You can mail order Yves Rocher in the U.S.! My mom has been a customer ever since we lived in France (it’s mail order there too), has been getting products from them in the U.S. for the past decade. They often have gifts with purchase and discounts too!
In Germany, I would say P2, Astor,which are both cosmetics brands found in drug stores very affordable and great quality. I love the P2 line especially the lipsticks and lipglosses! Catrice is another brand I have heard great things about here but I have never been lucky enough to stumble onto it in the drug stores, I suppose maybe in some of the department store make-up sections where they sell the same above mentioned brands as well as others possibly but I hardly ever venture into the gallerias here since I don’t really have a need to lol..Catrice I have heard makes great eye shadows available in singles and quads.
I agree! P2 is really great. And very affordable. Catrice is absolutely worth trying.
As far as I know they stock Catrice in lots of Mueller drugstores. I bought a few nailpolishes from them a few months ago and they wear like IRON. No base/topcoat and they don’t chip at all!
Another thing great about European drugstore shopping is that eyeshadows ect have samples, so you can really see if they’re any good, and which ones from the range stand out or not. I remember swatching some Catrice eyeshadows and some were so-so where others were insanely awesome (they have this nuts glittery black single eyeshadow).
In Germany and Switzerland, you can also find “Essence” cosmetics. It is a nice drugstore brand. The quality is pretty good for the price.
In France, I would of course recommend Sephora, but also Monoprix (a high quality drugstore), and if in a big city Galeries Lafayette or Printemps for luxury brands.
Where do you go to buy makeup, though? I moved to Berlin a couple of months ago, and the only place I’ve found makeup counters is Rossmann – well, and all the organic brands in LPG and the Bio Drogerie. Are there any pharmacies that carry makeup? Or supermarkets?
For visitors, I’d definitely recommend checking out all the organic brands – both makeup and skin care. Germany is really, really good at organic, and the selection is good. Many brands are quite cheap, too. In Denmark, go to Matas or a department store like Magasin. I think Nilens Jord (perfume- and paraben-free makeup) makes GREAT mascaras and shadows. GOSH is Danish, but the prices are the same or higher, and the selection smaller than elsewhere.
Check out dm, they also have an organic line called Alverde. IhrPlatz also carries make up, Karstadt too.
yves rocher!
If you visit Sweden I would check out Make up Store for some great makeup in every color you can imagine and also I would check out FACE Stockholm.
yeah we have MS in Denmark as well. though more expensive than in Sweden, as everything is
Kiko Milano for sure!!
If you’re in Italy, absolutely Kiko! Great quality at low price (in Europe drugstore branda are more expensive than in the USA, Kiko is a bit lower than those prices)! 🙂
(off topic, but please ask this question for Asia! — especially what to get in a drugstore!)
You can also find Inglot in Poland of course, but they have several shops in Finland, Ireland, Italy, and Netherlands, and some other European countries. Inglot is also in London, UK.
Some of the Northern European brands are Face Stockholm and Make Up Store from Sweden (like Kiko, cheaper Mac), and Lumene from Finland (makeup and natural cosmetics). They can be found in several countries.
To my experience (resent trips), London has the largest variety of brands in general, then comes Berlin, and then Paris.
Visit the Limoni Perfumeria stores in Italy, they have loads of makeup and the greatest paper bags. My favourite brands there are Pupa and Collistar. Great packaging and pigmentation.
I second the Sleek comment above. Amazing prices and product.
I’m from the Netherlands, and we have drugstores called Kruidvat en Etos.
Kruidvat have Catrice and Essence, cheap brands, with nice make up.
Etos have MNY, another cheap brand with nice make up.
Kiko is already mentioned, but unfortunately (still) not available here, but Germany have Kiko shops.
If you love perfumes and you are in Paris, try to visit the Serge Lutens boutique at the Palais Royale (entrance from the garden side). It´s stunning and only there you can try the whole range.
The maison Guerlain (68, avenue des Champs Elysees, 75008 Paris) is just beautiful and there are a few fragances exclusive to this store.
Also the french parapharmacy is a must, Embryolisse has a very nice range of affordable products, most of them are parabene and silicone free.
Totally of topic: If you are in Maastricht,visit Selexyz Dominicanen (Dominicanerkerkstraat 1, 6211 Maastricht), it is a bookstore located in an secularized Gothic Church.
I-d recommend Boujois and Kiko on the makeup department and also recommend to try some skincare like La Roche Posay and Avene. Cheaper than the US and with a wider range o products. Also, of course, the already mentioned Crealine H2O de Bioderma.
if you are in Germany, Holland or Belgium, check out the nailpolishes of Catrice. Cheap ‘n good 🙂
i’d totally recommend them to try out rimmel london colour show off lipsticks, they’re drug store lipsticks but one of the best!
Thing is, Europe isn’t one big country, Illamasqua isn’t sold everywhere ;(
For Holland, visit Kruidvat for Essence and Catrice and Gosh.
Totally agreed!
If you’re in Holland (especially Amsterdam) go to Make Up Store. They have some nice products out there.
i’m going to be in rotterdam this spring, i’ll keep an eye out!
hi guys! essence, she, miss porty, catrice, artdeco, p2, kiko, inglot (poland!), sleek, collection2000, pupa, make up factory, lush, alverde, vichy, la roche, eucerin, bioderma, biola, yves rocher, oriflame, body shop, sisley, L’Occitane, collistar, moyra, bőszecset, and many many more.
enjoy (;
To anyone visiting Paris, I’ll recommand to go shopping at a kiko store ! Excellent value and good products await them !
I also recommand the brand Lollipops, which you’ll find in some stores in Paris. I also recommand to get Eyecare day cream in a pharmacy. It’s an amazing moisturizer and is quite cheap !
If you get to the UK, go to House of Fraser ! Illamasqua, Butter London and Barry M are a must. If you go to Boots do not forget to purchase creams from the No7 brands as well as make up. Good value.
If you are in Spain, I recommand the Agatha Ruiz de la Prada perfume and most of all… Skicare from Instituto español de la piel !
I know what you mean about Boots. I’ve seen them in the US in Target and in Ulta, and I love their creams. Rich, creamy, non-greasy and very moisturizing. Best of all, they don’t break me out. I’d been using Clarins creams, but they are so expensive, that I was on the lookout for a more affordable moisturizer. I’d heard great things about Boots for years, and finally got around to trying it and I *love* it. The one I’m using (I can’t remember which one at the moment) makes my skin look so nice. My skin is so sensitive that even after one day, if I’m going to break out, I break out then. I’ve been using Boots for almost a week and my skin looks great.
In the UK you will find great brands like Sleek, Gosh, 17 (Boots’s own brand), Models Own (nail polishes), those are the ones I would definitely recommend myself.
Rituals is also a great brand and the stores are very nice.
For Germany:
Catrice – great nailpolishes, great eyeshadows (some of both are dupes for Chanel and Mac), to be found at IhrPlatz
Kiko – so far not in every city, but they are expanding, i.e. in Berlin they have 3 stores now
Artdeco – in every Karstadt
If you are into nailpolish and in the north, check out the polishes at Aldi (nord). (google for Biocura Fliederzauber, it’s their holo and costs 2 €)
and if you are in Greece you can always buy Korres. You’ll find it in pharmacies everywhere and in big department stores…!and it’s significantly cheaper than in other countries….
-Bioderma Crealine makeup remover water (in pharmacies)
-Inoxa eye drops, blue drops that make your eye look whiter (in pharmacies)
-Helena Rubinstein mascaras (not available in France or UK), Lash Queen Feline Black is my favorite (in parfumeries and department stores)
-Chanel eyeshadows quartets are baked here v/s pressed in the USA. Depending on the palette, sometimes the US version is better, sometimes the European.
-Yves Rocher stores for cheap thrills (they have their own shops)
-La Roche Posay Anthelios XL Fluide Extrême SPF 50, the formula is different in the USA. In Europe we use meroxyl wich is the best protection against UVA as well as UVB (other products are usually better against one or the other). Plus the texture is very fluid/watery/lightweight.
-Pharmacies for cheaper Avene, Caudalie, Nuxe, Bioderma, Vichy and La Roche Posay.
-Roger & Gallet soaps and shower gels (pharmacies)
Don’t forget that many stores, most chains and department stores offer to non-european citizens tax refunds (that’s up to -21% on perfumes and cosmetics!), so always ask if it’s available before you pay.
Allow plenty of time at the airport for duty free shopping. Larger and better selections than at US airports.
Artdeco – it’s a German brand, but pretty widely available throughout Europe (I’ve also seen it in Switzerland, Greece…); the eyeshadows and lipsticks are great! Their All In One mascara is a staple of mine.
Pupa – Italian makeup in fun packaging – especially the gift sets.
Essence – another very affordable German brand similar to Catrice which Alisa mentioned. Their gel eyeliners are great quality and only cost a few euros.
As for skincare, check out French and Swiss skincare, especially if you have sensitive skin. It is usually sold in pharmacies over here. For higher end, there’s Nuxe, Decleor, Lierac and Delarom (to name just a few). If you prefer organic, go with Weleda (a wonderful Swiss brand).
Hope this helps!
In Italy, Kiko and Pupa.
If you are in France go to the pharmacies! LRP, Vichy, Bioderma,Uriage, Embriolisse… are cheap! Laboratories SVR is a less known French brand that I love. Skinceuticals is sold in French pharmacies.I never tried LRP color makeup (they do nail polish too) but I heard good things about it (I am not sure if you can find those outside Europe). I love Klorane mango hair care line and their hand cream is good too…
Spanish pharmacy brands are good too. I think I prefer those to the French. Sesderma (*love*), ISDIN, Heliocare (it costs like 16 euros for a sunscreen NOT 50$USD outside of Spain), Martiderm, Singuladerm, Cumlaude. Tensoderm has a clay mask for acne-prone skin that I loved to use in my teens.
If you are from North America or Australia get European sunscreens. There is a higher number of sunscreen filters approved here (and stricter regulations). Bioderma, LRP and SVR have sunscreens with very high PPD (UVA protection Index)-but I am not crazy about their finish…
My favorites are Galénic fluid spf 30 and ISDIN Fusion Fluid.
I am a bit of a pharmacy junkie:D.
Forgot to mention this site: http://www.beaute-test.com
It’s a French website with product reviews(skincare,make up, tools, body,hair, baby and sun care). Even if you don’t understand French you can still look to the product score.
Sleek in the UK, absolutely lovely! 🙂
In and from Sweden:
Face Stockholm and Make up Store!
Greate shades, loose glitters, eyelashes, brushes and make up storage bags.
http://facestockholm.com/
http://www.makeupstore.se/
And perfume:
Check out fantastic, unique and swedish perfume house Byredo. The scents are truly unique! And the candles are to die for.
http://byredo.com/
In Italy you should check out Kiko, Collistar and Pupa. You can also find Essence, which is a German brand.
Essence is ultra cheap and has some funky nail polishes, Some of the eyeshadows are pretty good too (use the tester though, and only with a primer) I really like the brushes they have, too.
Alessandro has nice nail treatment stuff, the colours are not very unique. Mavala is pretty pricey but their nailcare has amazing quality.
In the UK? Sleek make up and Barry M has a great selection of cheap loose shadows:)
And KIKO (I had a Kiko polish on my toes for a month without chipping, and I was on a beach holiday!)
Not Europe, but if I were to go to England, I’d want to get some Louise Young brushes and her neutral eye shadow palette, and also some Sleek eye shadow palettes. Boujois is in drugstores here in Canada, as is Bioderma!
I dont mean to be offensive but England clearly is in Europe and the European Union! Well, the United Kingdom (which includes England) is in the EU if you want to be 100% correct. 😉 The fact that their currency is pounds, not euros does not change that.
If you’re in France, I’d say pick up Bioderma Crealine H2O micellar solution. It’s great to remove make-up, it’s formulated for sensitive skin, and you don’t need to rinse it off afterwards. It’s a favorite.
Nuxe also is a good brand. I can’t live without their lipbalm (Baume à lèvres Rêve de Miel), that I apply religiously every night. They also make a dry oil that is simply awesome.
I alos like Bourjois nail polishes. Great quality.
Boots 17 Blushes (Amazing), Barry M Nail Polish,
Hello from Germany! 🙂 Definitively check out Catrice and P2, you can find it in any Drugstore, DM, Mueller, Budnikovski.
Also Kiko is nice and with a huge range of colours and a low price.
Douglas stores have the Italian brand “Flormar”. They have nice nail polishes and e/s palettes.
Greetings,
E.
In case someone goes to Eastern Europe, f.e. in Romania or Hungary you can buy a lot of nice stuff from Jordan or Arab brands in the huge malls they have in bigger cities.
Also Pupa is famous in Hungary.
Come on, Christine, you must visit Italy!!!
I’m italian, I can suggest Kiko: it’s a low cost brand, but lipsticks, nail polishes, pencils and eyeshadows are gorgeous! In Italy you can also find Nevemakeup (bio-mineral makeup),Pupa, Madina (both offer a wide set of cosmetics) and Layla (everything for a professional nailcare, and makeup), and in Italy, Swisse and Germany you can find Essence and Catrice (very very low cost brands, but the quality is very appreciable).
In England there are many drugstore with low cost brands: you can find Sleek, MUA and Barry M.
Anyway, Sephora in everywhere!!!
Korres is one of the best, almost completely natural, and is greek, as well as Apivita, their face and hair masks are… (have no words to describe it)
http://www.apivita.com/catalog/category/view/id/111/?limit=all
For France: Embryolisse moisturizer and Bioderma cleansing water
For the UK: Illamasqua, MUA, Barry M, Sleek, Lush (Lush is British so they have the biggest and best selection – I was VERY surprised to see Lush recommended in the US-version), Boots stores in general – they have fantastic travel size items (I always stock up on mini Batiste sprays)
For Germany: Catrice, Essence and ArtDeco
For Hungary: go get a Omorvicza facial!
I recently found out that Korres is actually Greek so I wonder if there are some Greece-exclusive items?
As for a piece of Europe that you can check out around the globe, I HIGHLY recommend Asos (online clothing store w/ designer outlet, they make their own clothes too which are of great quality and design)
Oh!!! And Rouge Bunny Rouge – they’re Russian I think, and a high end luxury brand with the by far nicest packaging I’ve ever seen! I remember picking up some of their (excellent btw – 6 years and still going strong, and I’ve travelled around the world with them and been less then kind) brushes in a Sephora-like store in Germany a few years ago, but I don’t remember where and I haven’t seen them in stores anywhere else. They are definitely sold online however and from a reputable online cosmetics store (they have lots of tutorial videos with the products as well). You should absolutely check them out and review some items Christine, their highlighters and eyeshadows are to DIE for. And that packaging… omg! I’m really not one to be intrigued by packaging but theirs is it’s own league – NOTHING compares to it! And their official website is absolutely beautiful. (Did I convince you yet??? hahaha)
German brand CATRICE – is available in most european countries – it’s from the same companie that brought ESSENCE a while ago to US but it has a older traget group and packaging like Shu Uemura. The eyeshadows, nail polishes, cream eyeshadows and so on are really good.
In the uk, there are soooo many in the uk
Sleek- The brand with the infamous ipalletes, and has the best products for women of colour,
MeMeMe – They regularly dupe high brand cult products, and they do an amazing job with it to.
Barry M – Th best for nail polish in my opinion, and there jumbo eye pencils, are a great dupe for mac shadesticks. they are so pigmented and creamy!
Collection 2000 – they have two dupes of limited edition mac lipstick, Pink friday is exactly the same as bubblegum, and one shade is the same as candy yum yum.
Models Own – They have lip gloss similar to Occ Lip tars
No17 & No7. While no17 reaches out to the younger generation, they have great lipsticks, and single eyeshadows. and i no7 reaches out to the more older generation, i loveee there pore serum!
There are so many more brands that you can find in the uk, like Gosh, accesorize, You will find hidden gems everywhere.
This is such a hard question, since there is not the same brands all over Europe, so it depends a lot on where in Europe your going. I’m from Sweden and for those visiting here I would recommend the brands Isadora, Make up store and the nailpolish brand Depend. Also if anyone would visit Ukrain I must mention a fanastic mascara bought to me by a friend who went there. It’s called faberlic and I was told it’s a russian brand, so I guess it could be found elsewhere as well.
If you’re visiting The Netherlands or Germany (I’m not sure about other country’s) you should check out Catrice, especially their nail polishes and lipsticks. Make Up Store also has amazing products, wich is a Swedish brand (correct me if I’m wrong), but also has a store in Amsterdam, I’m sure there are stores in other country’s as well.
In the Netherlands and Germany you can visit Essence and Catrice. I would def recommend Catrice! It’s a low budget brand with high quality. I have 20-something eyeshadows and they are super smooth and pigmented. I also have foundation and lipsticks from that brand and I love them!
In Belgium (and France) you can get a lot of very nice skin care products from the pharmacy, like Caudalie, Eucerin, Nuxe and so on with a much lower price. I guess MUFE would also be one of the “local” brands that you can look at, but I haven’t personally been to the store here so I can’t compare the prices.
unfortunately, romania doesn’t have any make-up companies…they only have some cosmetics lines like gerovital, elmiplant, ivatherm but yeah, nothing interesting
As well as Sleek eyeshadow palettes, I would definitely say to anyone coming to the UK to go to Boots Pharmacy and check out a brand new range of make-up out this week, called Soap and Glory. It’s really affordable and in a similar style packaging to Benefit – but 1/3 of the price.
Oh I just thought of another one!
Barry M cosmetics, specifically their nail polishes – absolutely amazing brand, again you can find it at Boots in the UK, every colour you can think of, only £2.95 per polish. They do a wide range of cosmetics which are really nice for teenagers too, like colourful mascara, glitter, bright lipsticks.
Another good brand is Collection 2000, Boots (or Superdrug) which does an awesome array of glitter eyeliners, again very cheap, only £4 or so for a generous amount of glitter which is so easy to apply and a lot of fun!
PUPA – an italian Brand
For the UK:
Sleek: found in Superdrug, it has amazing eyeshadow palettes for under £7. Their blushers are also fantastic.
GOSH: also found in Superdrug. I think you can get it in Canada but not sure about the US – it’s not British so I assume it’s available in other European countries too. Their eyeliners are as good as Urban Decay and also come in bright colours.
Bourjois: a French brand, check out their Healthy Mix foundation.
If you happen to go to Scandinavia, I would recommend nail polish from the Swedish brand Isadora, which are actually quite good. The color range is somewhat season based, but if the store is well stocked, you can find some nice colors. Typically sold at H&m-type stores.
I dont know if there is any Erre due in USA if not, it is worth a look, its on the cheap side, with good quality. And the eyeshadow base of ArtDeco. By the way bourjois sucks for me.
I agree on Bioderma and Bourjois. Two other great dugstore brands are Catrice and Essence. Catrice nail polishes are FANTASTIC. I’ve tried everything from Chanel, OPI to L’Oreal and Catrice has pretty much blown them out of the water. Great formula, color range, drying time and they don’t chip for up to a week! (I’m looking at you, Chanel!) – all for about 2€!
Bourjois, especially their eye makeup products. IMO, their eyeliners/pencils are better than Urban Decay. Extremely soft and pigmented, you can get at least 8 hrs of wear WITHOUT primers. Although the colour selection is not as wide as UD, they are 7-8$ a pop so you can’t go wrong with that!
Definitely Illamasqua! They have a lot of shades that are EU only. Also, go to an Inglot store. Soap and Glory in the UK is a good brand to check out, too. Then, I would check out drug stores, as they usually have local brands that are only available in that country (No 7 at Boots stores in the UK, for example). Sephora is a good one, too as they have brands in other countries that they don’t stock in the US. If you’re going to the UK, though, note that they don’t have any Sephora stores 🙁 It was a very long year without them.
Rouge Bunny Rouge!
Frankly, I’d do minimal makeup shopping if you’re travelling from the US to Europe. I’ve been to several European countries, and I live in Norway, and let me tell you that the makeup here is way more expensive. If I’d get something it would be something very special and unique.
For the UK at least – definitely pop into Boots and Superdrug and check out brands like Barry M and Sleek. Sleek have fantastic products for an amazinly small amount of cash. Sleek’s eyeshadow palettes (they don’t do singles unfortunately) have 12 shadows in them, all incredibly pigmented (I own 13 sleek palettes and have NEVER found an eyeshadow lacking in pigmentation)for around £6-7!
Their blushers are about £4 and are GORGEOUS. Again stupidly pigmented, a ridiculous amount of product for the price (8g, 0.27oz). Sleek’s Rose Gold blush is a dead ringer for Nars Orgasm and their Pixie Pink blush is a dead ringer for Nars Desire.
Ooh, check out the Pout Paints too! A cheaper version of OCC Lip Tars. Again, all about £4 each, 11 shades available, you only need the tiiiiiinyest amount to cover your lips, and there’s a blue and white shade for mixing too!
If you get the chance to, definitely head to either London, Manchester or Birmingham and pop in Selfriges to the Illamasqua counters. THE most polite, nicest people I’ve ever come across working on a makeup counter. And it’s so nice to step away from “generic” makeup and explore something a little more artsy and dramatic.
As for Barry M, they have an absolute TON, of pigments. I think there’s almost 80 of them. Not as much product as say Mac pigments, but they’re cheap (£4, though I can’t find out how much product is in each pot) and the colour range is phenomenal. They also carry a massive range of lipsticks and nail lacquers that are DEFINITELY worth checking out.
And as others have said, totally check out Bourjois too. Their Healthy Mix Foundation is brilliant.
The only others I would suggest would be Rimmel and Maybelline, but the states have those already, although products do differ.
Ooh, if your a skincare fan or you just love rubbing things onto your body, check out Soap and Glory in Boots. The packaging is cute and the products are amazing.
I think I should probably stop now haha!
This was definitely the most helpful comment out of all of them! I’m going to London in about a month, and so this was a great list of brands to check out as I am so excited to see some English beauty brands!
In belgium, Germany and the Netherlands I would get some Catrice make-up! great budget brand!!! Naillacquers are there speciality! (voor only €2,50 thats like $3,-) Sleek is also a brand that I love! There Rose gold blush is a realy good dupe for NARS orgasm. Rituals is a brand that sells great bath an shower products. I love there showerfoams! There a bit expansive, but realy worth it! (and the parfumed candels are also very nice!)
In UK definitely Illamasqua. In Greece Korres (well known) and Apivita which is also sold in pharmacies and has great face masks and skin products!!
If you’re in Italy, better, if you’re in Milan I suggest you to stop at Madina Milano, Kiko cosmetics, and looking for Pupa counters in Sephora and other perfumeries such as Douglas or Limoni.
In Germany there are great natural brands such as Alverde, Alterra and Lavera.
In the UK…there are too many things there, but I strongly advise the Superdrug chain 🙂
Oh and another thing, if you’re visiting London in particular, go to Penhaligon’s in Covent Garden or Regent’s Street for the ultimate perfumes.
I know you can get them in the USA, but nothing beats the original store established 140 years ago for the experience of fragrance shopping. So luxurious and the scents are phenomenal, packaging gorgeous, the staff absolutely love their jobs and the whole experience is historical and magical, smelling like a Victorian aristocrat in 2011, love love love.
You can get Bioderma and Bourjois in Canada no problem. Saves a trip to Europe 🙂
Ohhh….There are loads of brands to look at…Catrice, Essence, Artdeco, P2 cosmetics, Aveeno, Anne Marie Borlind, Alva, Alverde, Isadora, Astor !!! 😀 😀 😀
Love this thread. What about Makeup Atelier?
Kiko!!!!!
I live in Spain and I’d recommend stop at KIKO Cosmetics (it’s a MAC alike brand but much cheaper and with loads of products). The nail polishes are amazing, and also they have a wide range of lipsticks, lipliners…all you could ask for.
I also recommend Catrice eyeshadows and limited editions, Sleek and Illamasqua if you go to England, Kryolan if you go to Germany and here in Spain we have a professional line called Martora (the eyeshadows are all matte but they’re extremely pigmented and quite cheap), Peggy Sage in France, as well as Bioderma…Make Up Store in Sweden…and so on…
One I’m sure isn’t on here, cuz I just seen a snippet of it today, not sure if it’s in stores, but it’s a line based out of Italy the line is Layla, and I came across them looking at the magnetic nail polishes from sephora I think, but for sephora only having 2 or 3 shades of it, Layla has 12, so if anyone is into unusual nail polish, look it up 🙂
actually, I’ll do the leg work for you http://www.laylacosmetics.it/home.html
I just went to Europe this October and checked out some makeup counters. They definitely have the traditional MAC, Bobbi Brown, Lancome etc…but if you do decide to purchase from these big companies, I would through duty free while you’re waiting for your flight! It was so much fun looking around the shops in London Heathrow Airport. It’s like a mall! PLUS…it’s all tax free so you save a little more.
As far as the local stores, I checked out Boots. They have Oilatum! I got that recommendation from the Pixiwoo sisters and I absolutely love it. It’s a face repair cream or moisturizer and it’s very good for dry skin. I did check out Sleek makeup and Bourjois but didn’t buy anything.
and I also agree with those who mentioned Pupa!!great packaging,very good quality…!
Catrice, Essence, Inglot (I know it’s available worldwide, but it’s cheaper in Poland), Sleek Makeup.
Im going to Florence in January to study abroad for 4 months and i’m planning on trying a LOT of different brands! This is very helpful guys 🙂 Now I just need to force myself not to overpack the makeup..
MAKEUP STORE! One of my favoritebrands, it is on the pricy side so it is high end but it is ususally worth it!!
Is there Illamasqua in Europe??? I’ve been to allot of countries in Europe and NEVER saw it!
If you go to Greece go to Korres, apivita AND Mastik spa!
You’ll definitely find Illamasqua in UK!! 🙂 (also it’s where the brand comes from I think)
I would recommend GOSH if you’re in Denmark or Ireland, their eyeliners are amazing!!! Defo second No7 and Barry M, get thee to a big branch of Boots in the UK and go nuts!!
If you’re in Germany and on a budget really go and try Catrice for Eyeshadows. You really get a lot for your money.
Go to Annick Goutal. It’s a perfume store that has many different scents. They also have this in the states but the experience is way better in europe. It’s a european brand anyway.
dr. hauschka, kiko, catrice and essence!
London – Go to Boots and Superdrug! You will find basically everything and
go to Carnaby Street,the MAC PRO is there!!!
There’s a lot of European brands available in Denmark
Such as Make Up Store which is Swedish
Inglot which is Polish
Gosh which is Danish
Cheap nail polish brand Depend is also Swedish.
The brand Tromborg is pretty expensive, but have some nice things..
INK by Dennis Knudsen is also a Danish brand, but expensive :/
Then of course we have the regular brands available like Bourjois ect.
ArtDeco, Catrice and Essence in the German speaking countries and in Easter-Central Europe. Catrice has one of the best eyeshadow color ranges ever as far as drugstore makeup goes, few MAC dupes too!
KIKO in Germany, Italy, Spain, France: high quality for cheap in MAC like stores.
Pupa in Italy and in Hungary: great packaging, super-super cute stuff!!
Sleek and Barry M. in the UK: Sleek palettes and blushes are a MUST!!! Go for a limited edition one, but the regular stuff is nice too.
Barry M. nail polishes are the best!
Superdrugs own brand MUA: £1 for almost everything and I must mention that Shade 9 is the most beautiful eyeshadow color Ive ever seen.
If’re in Italy i would recommend Kiko Cosmetics and Pupa Milano
So many: Ruby & Millie cosmetics at Boots chemists all over London (not as good since line was sold but interesting)…Miller Harris fragrances in UK…Jeanne Piaubert skincare in France (solid line of reasonably priced products inc face scrubs but crazy expensive in the US, plus impossible to find)…Rouge Bunny Rouge makeup line in the UK…definitely the Embryolisse light moisturizer in France…Elemis skin and body line in UK…Inoxa blue eye drops…Eve Lom skincare (esp the masks and washes) in the UK…Aromatherapy Associates if you’re into essential oils (I wasn’t until I discovered this line). And if you think Bourjois is that downmarket tired brand in TJ Maxx bins, look for it in UK or France and see the difference in selection and quality. Finally, pick up a few boxes of Solutricine (vit C cold-fighting lozenges) in France and Feminax at the chemist in the UK if you get terrible menstrual cramps. This last one’s a life-saver.
CATRICE and MANHATTEN.. they are both cheap.. for the european area.. but the quality is very good and the color range too!!
Artdeco, Astro, Manhatten, BarryM, Alessandro
If you come to Germany, definitely check out:
Gel Eyeliner and the Fix&Matte Powder by Essence
Eyeshadows, Nail Polishes and Lipstick by Catrice
Powder Products by Manhattan
Nail Polishes by Flormar (a Turkish brand, available at Douglas)
The palette system shadows by Artdeco
Eyeshadow Primer by Manhattan
Lipsticks and Lipliners by Misslyn
Lipsticks by Rimmel
And totally leave p2 and MNY stuff, cause it has really bad quality…
BARCELONA (Spain)
I would recommend you SEPHORA , EL CORTE INGLES. You can find there : BOURJOIS, RIMMEL,DEBORAH,L’OREAL,ASTOR,BIODERMA, MAKE FOR EVER, DIOR,CHANEL,YST, GUERLAIN, MAC, BOBI BROWN, SISLEY, LA ROCHE POSAY, AVENE, (many French brands)FRED FARRUGIA,etc…
In EL CORTE INGLES, if you go to the Parapharmacy, you can find many of the french brands.
If you’re come to Italy, Madina for sure. And Kiko Cosmetics! (You can find it even in Spain, Germany, and France).
Theh, Deborah Milano and Pupa 🙂
France: Galeries Lafayette is HEAVEN!!!! Fragonard perfumes are beautifully made and you can tour their factories. Vichy and Bourjois and Make Up Forever, of course!
Italy: Pupa
UK: Illamasqua, Sleek, Barry M
If you’re in Italy you should try KIKO, PUPA, DEBORAH, Debby and Madina 🙂
if you come to turkey definetly try flormar, golden rose, pastel and alix avien !
Madina Milano (check out their rEVOLution line especially), KIKO – Italian brands;
Illamasqua, Sleek MakeUP, MEMEME, Boots N°7 – British
Bourjois – French
;)))
bourjois-make-up, bioderma-skin-care, lancaster(sun-care stuff, face creams not bad too), collistar -body care and i like their lip products as well:) max factor mascaras-havent seen them in Canada so, I dont know if they are available in the states.
and i forgot the stuff i miss the most in Canada, and I buy all the time when Ièm in Europe or asia KENZOKI by Kenzo-fantastic face care and body care!!! also check out La prarie, Academie, Sisley:))) might be pricey but well worth it
one of the best primers of all time is la prarie rose illusion I think its the name as I ran out of it and I dont have a jar to check the name of this gel like primer:)
Switzerland : Essence – Catrice – Manhattan – Déesse – Leandra Monti – Cover Girl – Weleda
France : Bioderma – Revlon – Bourjois – L’Oréal – Gemey Maybelline – Avène – Caudalie
Italy / Spain : Kiko – Illamasqua – Milani
England : Sleek MakeUp – N°7 – Real Techniques – Beauty UK – Max Factor – Rimmel London – NYX – Ardell – Barry M – Benefit – Butter London – Burt’s Bees – Soap & Glory – John Frieda – Models Own