Shopping experiences must be shared: this is why I’ve written down my opinion about purchasing online at Sephora, a beauty colossus which doesn’t need further introductions.
If you don’t live in a big city served by the main beauty and fashion retailers, shopping online is a great chance to buy at great prices and specific brands.
So it happened that, after receiving a newsletter from Sephora with an interesting offer, my sister decided to buy her signature scent online: Alien by Thierry Mugler.
The tempting offer consisted of a box with four Benefit mini-size products for all orders over 30€. The promotion was such a success that the available stock of those promotional kits ended soon; what to do? My sister placed her order, and Sephora had a replacement with the same, if not higher, value.
The shopping session was fast as she knew exactly what she wanted and already had an account.
The login is very quick, and the Sephora website is easy to browse. Putting your favourite products in your cart and proceeding is easy and fast as well. A feature that surprises us at Sephora is the box options: you can choose in which box your order will arrive and your own samples!
In Italy, it’s up to 5, exactly 3 for orders less than €80. This is an example: under my cart content, before paying, I can choose and select the desired samples…
The login is very quick, and the Sephora website is easy to browse. Putting your favourite products in your cart and proceeding is easy and fast as well. A feature that surprises us at Sephora is the box options: you can choose in which box your order will arrive and your own samples!
In Italy, it’s up to 5, exactly 3 for orders less than €80. This is an example: under my cart content, before paying, I can choose and select the desired samples…
However, since the site loads fast, you have to pay attention if you want to go back, change something and/or refresh the page, so my sister purchased the wrong perfume size.
When she realised that, she immediately called customer care and was able to talk with an assistant, but here again, the Sephora system is immediate: the order had already been put in preparation. It’s a matter of minutes, almost seconds, once you confirm your purchase. My sister could just change her Alien with another bottle size in the shop if she wanted.
After one week, the order arrived: the average but solid brown cardboard box contained an explosion of black and white graphics and an elegant red box with magnetic closure.
Inside her “matrioska box” with some tissue paper, there were both the scent, her samples (Narciso Rodriguez for her, Elie Saab Le Parfum and Guerlain L’Homme Ideal) and the promotional box.
The promo has amazed my sister: the magnetic black and white box contained two Marc Jacobs mini-size make-up items and a card with 3 samples of Re(marc)able Full Cover Foundation Concentrate.
The mini sizes are: Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara, a 5 gr tube in Black, and the Highliner gel eye crayon eyeliner in #42 Blacquer.
The Highliner #42 Blacquer is a gel eyeliner in pencil and has a twistable end: twist the bottom to use the pencil.
A. couldn’t resist and tried it immediately: it glides effortlessly onto the skin and is smudge-proof, intense, pitch black… she liked it, and now she loves it!
A. couldn’t resist and tried it immediately: it glides effortlessly onto the skin and is smudge-proof, intense, pitch black… she liked it, and now she loves it!
PROS:
- great offers
- a good selection of brands and exclusive products
- easy and quick account creation and shopping
- fast customer service
- attention to products and packaging
- customizable box
- sample selection.
CONS:
- instant purchase process = no edits
- toll phone number for customer service.
The final grade: B+. Sephora can easily get a higher score, but, you know, too fast isn’t good in life, right?
Yes, my sister made a mistake, but she fell in love with what she purchased and the overall presentation.
Do I recommend shopping online at Sephora? Yes, if you aren’t lucky and can’t physically visit and shop at a Sephora store, you can do it online, but only by paying attention and taking your time!
Valentina Chirico aka Valens
