Throw the first lipstick who does not enjoy a trip abroad to fill the necessaire of new cosmetics! Whenever I go to some new destination, I like to check out a different pharmacy or shop – because, if you haven’t noticed, I am a real addict to cosmetics and makeup! I know that many of you who follow me enjoy the tips of products and stores that I give here. Today, I have some tips to optimize beauty purchases in New York. I hope it can help with planning – and also saving!
1. Drugstores are not the cheapest place to buy cosmetics – anyone who has been following me for some time knows that this is my mantra, but it’s good to remember: chains like Duane Reade, CVS and Walgreens are not the great places for you to buy those products from brands such as Revlon, Maybelline and L’oréal. The best place for these purchases is Harmon Face Values. Harmon is from the same group as Bed & Beyond and has a huge store in Chelsea (675 6th Ave) and its prices are better. To get an idea of the price difference, check out this video here. Be sure to subscribe to the newsletter of the website to receive offers, tips and a discount of $ 5 for your first purchase in the store. Also, sign up for Bed Bath & Beyond coupons, because Harmon accept them too.
2. You have to know when to shop at drugstores – drugstores are not the cheapest place to buy cosmetics, but sometimes they offer deals that worth. Look for orange promotional labels or labels that say “Buy one get 1 50%”. These promotions often worth! Also, if you see a Rite-Aid drugstore, check it out: this chain also have good deals.
3. New York City has a cosmetics outlet – yes, you did not read wrong! Cosmetic Market (15 E 37th Stt) has leading-edge stock products, which are not in the market anymore. There are makeup, cosmetics for body and face and products for hair. Prices are excellent, indeed! There are brands such as Maybelline, O.P.I., Sally Hansen, Revlon, Garnier, L’oréal, Elizabeth Arden, Bioré. Be aware of the expiration date of the products. Oh, and the variety of products changes every week. There is a post here on the blog and also a video with a tour there – worth checking to get a sense of the prices.
4. Explore the discount stores – .chains such as TJ Maxx and Nordstrom Rack are famous for clothing, footwear and home goods, but these stores also have a cosmetics department full of great products, at low prices. TJ Maxx, for example, is the best place to buy Joico. Besides, the chain stores have a lot of products for body and bath, as well as perfumes from well-known brands such as Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs and Dolce & Gabbana. At Nordstrom Rack (60 E 14th St), you can find the products from Bed Head line. It is also worth checking out Lot Less – which, in addition to cosmetics, has chocolates, decoration items, stationery and everything with discounts! You can find Sebastian products starting at $4. Oh, and Century 21 is probably one of the cheapest places to buy fragrances – it has many gift sets at great prices.
Lot Less locations: 17 West 14th St. (Check out more locations).
TJ Maxx locations: 808 Columbus Ave / 407 East 59th St / 250 West 57th St / 620 Ave. Of The Americas / 5 West 125th.
5. You can not always get discounts – Mac, Urban Decay, Dior, Benefit … all these brands are famous, but don’t waste your time with price researching, since all your products are priced at a fixed price. That is, you can check Sephora website or Mac website to get an idea of how much is a product that you want.
6. Sign up for Beauty Insider – when you sign up, you are entitled to a birthday gift, and you can get it at any of the stores during the month of your birthday (yes, free). Also, with each purchase at the store or on the site, you get points (which can be exchanged for products) and go up in status and gain access to more benefits. You have all the details on the program page.
7. Explore Sephora website – prices in the stores and on the website are the same, but the website has some advantages. First, is the number of brands and products: some are not available in physical stores. Also, the website has the section Sale, where there are always products from various brands on sale – something that does not exist in the physical stores. Besides, any purchase made through the website entitles you to three samples and it is up to you to choose from among the available options. Check the Weekly Specials section too, which lists several codes, which give you different gifts and samples, depending on your purchase.
8. Korean cosmetics stores are sample paradise – I’ve talked about it here in the blog – both in posts and in videos – about various Korean stores in New York (just browse the Beauty menu and check the playlist on the Youtube channel). These stores are probably the best places when we talk about free samples. Any purchase made at the store entitles you to samples – I have never seen any Korean store that did not follow this practice. If you buy something and realize that you will not receive any samples, kindly ask: “Do you have some samples for me?”. It always works.
9. Don’t forget Ulta – Ulta is very famous in USA. You can define Ulta as a mix between Sephora, Harmon adn Ricky’s. Most of people don’t know, but Ulta has a store in Queens – check out the details here. You don’t need to go there, but if you like online shopping, you should check out the website. Ulta has a rewards program – you can sign up here – and there are also samples with every purchase. Besides that, the website also has a Sale section and other special deals.
10. Coupons, coupons, coupons – before your trip – or before completing your online purchase – be sure to search for discount coupons. It is a quite common practice here in the United States. You can only put the name of the store/brand + coupons on Google or visit specialized websites, such as Retail Me Not.
Laura Peruchi is a Brazilian blogger, author, and entrepreneur. She has lived in Manhattan with her husband since 2014. Since then, she has shared on her blog varied content about the Big Apple. From travel tips, including unusual things to do, shopping tips, etiquette, restaurants, and a lot more, her blog has become a reference in Portuguese (also available in English) for anyone planning a trip to New York City.
