Sephora

I’m a Sephora fan. My VIB Rouge status proves that. I’m trying to use more drugstore products and not be such a makeup/​beauty snob but Sephora really sucks me in with their special deals, such as gifts with purchase (usually a deluxe sample of some kind) or the point perks (using points accumulated by being a beauty insider).
And being a VIBRouge member, I love having free 2-​day shipping on anything and everything on their website. This is why the only time I go into the actual store are for special invitation-​only events, usually held on Sunday mornings before the mall opens. I’ll be honest, I only go to those for the free samples they always offer. As I said, I’m such a sucker for the freebies, even though i usually have to buy something to get said freebies (argue with *that* logic, I dare you!) The other reason why I prefer to order online is because I go through
and get cash back on my purchase (usually 4% but sometimes they double that to 8%).
As far as the actual store goes, I have no issue with them. Customer Service is good. People are helpful, a little too helpful at times. However, here are the reasons for deducting a star from my review.
1. For the special events, I wish they would have someone manning the food/​beverage station. I think the first time I attended one, there was someone there offering to pour the Starbucks coffees and helping with the pastries. That was nice. The last couple times I’ve gone, I will grab a pastry but skip the coffee because it feels awkward trying to figure out the dispenser thing for the coffee (it isn’t a pump pot, it’s in a weird box thing). I’m sure it’s just me but I would just prefer 1 less person asking me if I need help (trust me, I know who to ask if I do need help) and have them offering me coffee & pastries.
2. I wish I could buy my jumbo size Living Proof shampoo/​conditioner from Sephora instead of Ulta. I would rather accumulate Sephora points than Ulta points.

I want to start by saying that I LOVE Sephora. LOVE it. Like, I’ve shopped at the Louisville store religiously since college, and have proudly maintained my VIB Rouge status for years. However, the Fayetteville location is definitely not the greatest in either customer service or product availability.
I was in Lexington this weekend, and stopped by the mall specifically to locate a new line of artisan perfume I had seen on the Sephora website. I really wanted to try some of the scents for myself before purchasing. Not only did the store not have the line, but not one staff member offered assistance to me the entire time I was in the store. I really find this very odd in my past experiences with Sephora staff – usually you can’t turn a corner without someone asking if you are finding everything okay. Honestly, every time I’ve been in this location, staff has been standing around, chatting amongst each other, looking disinterested.
Thanks, but I’ll keep ordering online or purchasing from another location.

Called three times to try to get directions since I couldn’t find the store for the life of me and never got through. I even waited in between calls in case they were busy. No answer. Turned around and went to ulta since at least I could find that.

When I walked in nobody said hello. Granted I had just come from work at the horse farm so I didn’t look or smell very attractive. Seems to me that the selection of perfume keeps getting smaller. I also couldn’t find the neutral plalette I wanted. Just a big disappointment as in the past they’ve been super friendly and helpful!

When Sephora first made it’s way into Fayette Mall, I wasn’t very impressed. I was a bit stuck in my ways and had a love affair with Ulta. Is Sephora like Ulta? Kind of. I think Sephora is more upscale and has more high end brands. I prefer Sephora over Ulta now when I want to splurge or spoil myself. And Sephora’s store brand items are better than Ulta’s store brand items.
My friend is part of the «I spend too much money here» club and she gets to attend VIP events. She invited me to one of the events and that is where Sephora officially earned my 5 stars. Yes, I spent too much money, but I really needed to take advantage of the 20% EVERYTHING offer. Not to mention that I racked up on free samples. Speaking of samples, anytime that we want to try a product, if they don’t have a sample then they’ll pour a small sampling from the testers, into a sample container.
The staff is always friendly, even when I stop in and only browse and only ask for a sample.

the tarina tarantino and kat von d displays were inspiring. they taught me to do cat eye makeup and sent me away with a step by step cheat guide card for 2 makeup looks. lots of products available to test before you buy, they give free stuff away on your birthday, and you can often get coupons if you sign up for the sephora e-​newsletter. everything in price has gone up but if you’re a high end makeup snob, this is your church.

My sister went in and before I could even get out of my mouth «Where are the Carol’s Daughter products located?» one of the saleswomen blurted «they’re back here.» How did she know? Did she just assume that, as women of color, we were interested in buying products of color ONLY?! Granted, we did buy some Carol’s Daughter stuff, but we wanted to browse and possibly purchase others, too. It’s bad enough that the CD is nearly in the closet in the back of the store. Unacceptable: both for product placement and staff assumptions.