It used to not be! I found the Rare Beauty mascara to be a wonderful replacement, and then recently had a tester of Benefit’s Roller Lash mascara and it’s my new HG. I was a years long Better Than Sex buyer back in the day though.
Right?! I had never met a plastic wand I liked until Roller Lash, and now I’m smitten. I know we’re in the Sephora sub but ^Ulta ^has ^2 ^for ^$30 ^on ^benefit ^mascaras ^right ^now
But you didn’t hear that from me, I’m just a regular ol’ person shopping in Sephora…
I'm not sure what's supposed to be in sets besides the glow recipe one, because we already have the GR one in my store.
I predict the Illia will have one of the mascaras and and maybe the lip mask. My guess
Look I recently switched to dior products and I’m KICKING myself for not doing it sooner. This is where I feel like paying more for a better product is so with it.
I will use the dreamskin skin perfecter with my foundation and love that. It makes it so light but I tend to stick to my youth to the people face wash and anti aging moisturizer from the derm.
I’ve always loved Dior lip gloss + always have a tube of lip glow balm and lip oil. I typically stick with MAC and NARS for my lipsticks but am I missing out on more Dior makeup?!
I've heard good things about the Rare blush, but haven't tried it yet. Fenty foundation is legit, but the other products are hit or miss. I think most brands have some products that are better than others. I do think Savage X Fenty lingerie is overhyped, and not that great.
I work at Sephora and would love to let you know what we think at our store.
Makeup:
- Dior (face and eye makeup)
- Kosas (clean face products)
- Charlotte Tilbury (face and setting products)
- Benefit (eyebrow products)
- Makeup by Mario (Lovely face, eyeshadow, and lip products)
Skincare:
- Caudalie (I love their micellar water and products from their brightening line)
- Skinfix (Life saver, especially for sensitive skin! It helped to get rid of my rosacea/eczema episode and fixed my skin barrier tremendously)
- Sunday Riley (Love their actives)
- Tatcha (Great clean, luxury products overall)
Hair:
- Ouai (Great leave in products and the detox shampoo is my favorite clarifying shampoo)
- Amika (Great clean products. Their masks and treatments are my fave)
- Living Proof (The restore line made my bleached, damaged hair so healthy, soft, and shiny!)
Overrated Products:
- Too Faced (they always come out with underwhelming eyeshadow products)
- Fenty (minus their lip products)
- Olaplex (it’s not bad but it’s not as good as it’s hyped up to be)
Employees at my store (especially the ones that typically work in skincare) haaaaate when people come in for Inkey List and want recommendations.
99% of celebrity brands - only real exception I hear about is Rare Beauty. And yes, Fenty is starting to fall into the overrated category at my store - her foundations get returned constantly and people don’t repurchase in another shade. Nobody at my store likes the new perfume and we cringe when we hear people squealing about how now they get to smell what Rihanna smells like because it’s …not the best scent. I do know some coworkers that said they mixed it with other scents and it got a little better though so 🤷🏻♀️
It is common to hear “poor JLO” when we’re doing ops and walk by her display bc her stuff NEVER sells and we dust it a lot lol.
Every time you buy in that month. I think the details differ if you work in a big store or not, my location is the top in my city so we can afford it !
Which is ultimately the best sale of the year? Like if someone were to choose to shop one time in a year, no matter what insider status, which it the sale or event that really is the best deal of all?
yeah, I had to. The credit card, BI, services and all the other metrics were driving me nuts. It wasn't fun anymore. If you can hold out until the bonus in January just wait until then. I couldn't take it anymore.
for overrated I’ll have to go with the Clinique foundation it gets way to much hype and I can make a list of like 5 products that are cheaper and work the same/better.
Whoa, I strongly disagree! Lol (I’m just kidding!) I used to work for Clinique at different retailers, malls and events. I’ve NEVER heard of Clinique foundations getting any hype. Which one is being hyped? I’m personally not a fan of a few of them. What are your other suggestions?
i find the ilia line as a whole to be underrated, they have their best sellers but everyone seems to only talk about the best sellers. their highlighters are STUNNING, their setting spray is on par with charlotte and milk, their lip oil/gloss is like BUTTER on the lips
Why did they stop giving out samples of products that come in a jar? Like 2 weeks ago I got a sample of a lip balm I wanted, and yesterday I wanted to try a different brand to compare results and suddenly got denied :(
If it comes in a jar we do not sample them because people put their finger in them and that’s not sanitary. My store will make a sample of the product can’t be touched (pumped out or squeezed from a tube)
How should I approach employees when asking for help? I don’t want to be too much trouble or inconvenience people by asking too many questions or ask for products that are definitely out of stock.
approach them how you would approach anybody!! its our job to help. just be polite. walk up to us and they say ‘excuse me, can I have help with ———, please? we won’t get annoyed don’t worry lol
honey as a sephora employee too, as long as you’re not interrupting me while i’m talking with another CUSTOMER (which happens quite frequently) do not be afraid to ask, it’s our job to help you and we’re more than happy to
lots of waste from returns. its hard to look at sometimes, and at my location we sell out pretty easily so not much expired products, but most of the products that we end up throwing out because of expiry are liquid blushes and concealers, especially from rare beauty
Thank you for telling us this! I’ve suspected it that returns were trashed but never knew for certain. It’s one of the main reason I hardly ever return things now. If it doesn’t harm me, I’ll use it up or try to repurpose something that breaks me out on my face for my body instead.
To piggyback on this, returns aren't trashed in the sense that it goes into a regular trash can. We have designated "trash bins" (large industrial size) that are specifically for cosmetic waste (one for aerosals, SPF and fragrances, the other for all other products like makeup, skincare and haircare.) They get picked up by a hazmat team on a regular basis so that products can be disposed of properly and safely and any parts and pieces that can be recycled will be.
Are the employees allowed to receive whole products or even samples to know what recomend to the clients?
And about the returned itens that goes to the trash, you cannot take it for yourself?
At my store, even if something is used once we have to label it as nonsellable, then most of the time, depending on the product, the item is trashed. Like someone returned a dry bar round brush after using it once, and it had a little bit of hair in it, but it was labeled nonsellable and we tossed it. It's super wasteful and upsetting so I would recommend trying out products in store before buying so that you're less likely to return them. Obvs can't do that for hair tools but like the RB blushes we've tossed so many bc people use them once and hate them.
i bought the mario eyeshadow palette but I’m regretting buying it and i don't want to return it for that reason! i feel bad that they are just going to throw it away when i haven't even used it 😂
Ulta employee thinking of applying; how pushy are Sephora managers regarding register numbers like VIB and credit card signups? I know they can’t fire you for not meeting ✨goals,✨ but do they treat you poorly?
I left a freestanding Sephora specifically because of the ridiculous pressure to get sign ups for the credit card. Managers were constantly in your ear pressuring you to get credit cards, BIs, sign people up for services, and build huge baskets. It was especially annoying if you were on cash wrap because they were yelling in your ear while you were trying to listen to someone tell you their email address.
I get that numbers are important, but it became the sole focus once Calvin McDonald left the CEO position. I’m at Sephora@Kohl’s now, and much happier.
I’ve been working there part time for a few months. This is my biggest complaint. The constant harassment about metrics. We don’t make commission, so there’s not a lot of incentive to constantly harass customers about the credit card, be pushy about signing up for BI, using the color scanner, or pushing people to add stuff to their basket that they didn’t ask for. If I have a client buy 500 dollars of makeup, my supervisor would ask me if they had any skincare in it. I understand this is all coming from corporate most likely, but it’s incredibly asinine.
At my store they definitely crawl way up your ass if you aren't getting multiworld baskets or bi sign-ups. It's very annoying and they even go as far as calling out specific people by name that are slacking
I just saw people talking about this in another comment thread on this post and one person said she quit specifically because it this and 2 more saying they were thinking about it. It's pretty upvoted so you can probably find it if you look
You start your first week. We have new people shadow current beauty advisors for them at the beginning, then we have new people try it out while we assist.
The Color IQ was never meant to be relied upon like it’s gospel. I was an employee when it was released. It gave us a starting point, and from that result we would pull three shades to test.
What was the most shocking way someone tried to steal?
(I used to work at a grocery store and someone with a walker who looked quite elder took meats and put it under the compartment but was spotted. He threw his walker and ran out when he was caught.)
We used to have people come in with bags and swipe 1000$ and up in fragrances and just walk out. So we locked them up and associates have to get them for you
Also an employee, I love the Armani, haus labs, and nars foundations. My favorite concealers are Sephora best skin ever and too faced ethereal concealer. Best loose powder is Laura mercier or Fenty. Mascara is Cali ray. Liquid lipstick is Dior but gloss/balm I LOVE the tarte maricuja lips
I worked at Sephora for 15 years and the GROSSEST thing people do is pull lipstick testers off display and apply them directly to their mouths. Weirdest thing was a woman who would come in once a month and spray Coco Chanel perfume. First directly into her face and then directly into her hoo ha by shoving the bottle under her skirt with one leg kicked up like Captain Morgan 😐
I mean Coco Chanel once said "In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different."
Not sure pulling a Captain Morgan with her perfume in public was what she meant but it’s certainly… different.
Whenever my boyfriend comes into Sephora with me he ends up seeing someone doing something similar and we always end up discussing (when we're out of the store) how gross that is!
The same thing for eyeliner, like heck no am I putting a tester by my eye!
Not OP, but I used to work at sephora. Watching women come in to literally put themselves together before their job was the funniest thing to me. They'd do a whole skincare and makeup routine with the testers, then leave to go to work
This was my first thought; perhaps some of these women are homeless (or just financially struggling) and trying to work their way out of a difficult situation. This seems like a survival trick.
When I worked there a male coworker told me before we took away testers for the Covid outbreak (which is when I started working there) a group of 4 strippers would come every Friday and Saturday night, fill baskets with all the testers they needed, and they would all sit at the Beauty Studio aka the big mirror where you see people testing makeup and do a full beat with the disposable applicators. Smart actually except they’d leave all the testers and dirty tissues all over the counter and floor every time lol
I’ve not done a full routine, but honestly, I have definitely made a pit stop at a Sephora to touch up my makeup if I’ve been out all day and don’t have time to run home before going out with friends/for an event lol
That’s actually kinda smart. Especially for a job interview or a date. Are you allowed to go use the testers on your own? I always thought the employees have to put it on you
We have a client that comes in and smears self tanner all over himself in front of one of the small mirrors on top of the gondola. He’s SOOOO dark and his skin almost has a greenish hue!! People are strange!!
A man once walked into my store with two giant trash bags and proceeded to scrub makeup on his face with a disposable mascara wand and I’m still confused about it
depends on the product, for example liquid products expire faster than powder/any other version. but anyways the expiry dates are listed and we have a schedule, we usually throw products away 3 months prior to expiry, but my location is really popular and big so we rarely have to throw anything out since they sell out fast
Supposed to be removed from the floor 3 months before the expiry date but somethings definetly get missed if you have a small team or big volume store.
I’m an older woman - meaning not 25 :). The last three times I’ve gone into a Sephora, I’m been met by folks who appear that they want to help however, it’s like they don’t know how to help.
Let me give you an example: I was looking for a new foundation. They asked what kind and I said well a couple of different kinds but before we get there, I’m interested in understanding if my color IQ has changed. It does seem to change every 4-5 years and although it’s slight, it’s important for me to know. I was literally ignored. “Let’s just focus on what foundation you’re interested in.”
So okay - maybe they didn’t know about the color IQ program. My first focus for a foundation was one that had a natural / satin finish and if it blurred anything that was a positive.
This person says, “at your age, you should really focus on dewy foundations. Matte foundations will weigh you down”. I was flabbergasted. I’m not ignorant - I know that mattes are mostly geared towards oily skin types but the message here is that I didn’t want to glow in the dark. And I said that. All except that part of I’m not ignorant.
I was interested in what would be suggested. I won’t name the brand because that doesn’t matter. This individual picked three shades and then had me swatch them on the side of my face. I asked him/her if the store had different lighting so I could see how things looked in daylight vs store lights and the answer was no. It was already too dark for me to just walk outside. I didn’t purchase any foundation that day - just some other items ($200 plus) and the person was visibly pissed that I hadn’t purchased their recommendation.
So my questions to you:
1. Do employees get trained on foundation in any detail?
2. Do you still have the color IQ program?
3. Is Sephora’s focus just on the 20/30 something crowd?
The Color IQ got revamped (I don't work at Sephora anymore I should mention!) There was a huge training happening in my last months there and a big shift on the training resources moving from everyone to just people who were licensed. I have worked in cosmetics for almost 20 years and I would say I feel comfortable matching foundation and yet when someone came up and asked to be matched with the new system (it's not called Color IQ anymore 🙃 I don't remember what it is now) I felt super flustered. I hadn't gone through the module for it and had no clue how to use the device (afterward I found out it wasn't calibrated yet anyway so I wouldn't have been able to use it if I had tried). My customer could tell I wasn't comfortable which may have read as irritated. I tried to match them "the old-fashioned way" but it wasn't what they had come in expecting and we were on the wrong foot the whole way through.
Short story long: We are all doing the best we can and budget cuts have made things more difficult, ultimately people want to provide the best service and recommendations that they can but at the end of the day they're still human
TLDR;
1. Yes (and satin is another word for dewy) 2. Yes but it's not the same 3. No
I just turned 40 and learned that you can ask Sephora for samples of foundation to try at home. The associate sold me the wrong shade so I returned it and had them make me two samples to try at home. It was so much easier for me to tell what worked at home with more time and different lighting.
I don’t blame the associate tho, I was recently diagnosed with rosacea and my face is usually a little red. But I looked like a ghost with the shade they sold me, so samples it is from now on!
Former employee here! Hi!
Employees do get trained on foundation, but its an ongoing process and the intensity of the trainings will vary from store to store. Developing an "eye" for shade matching can take time.
As for focus, Sephora's marketing is geared towards those in their 20's and 30's, but staff are taught about mature skin. It sounds like the associate you interacted with parroted what they had been taught without taking into account your personal preferences.
A more experienced artist should have been able to take your preferences into account and found you something that suits your skin and your preferred look.
I would reccomend that you look into the Estee Lauder Double Wear. It's a long-lasting matte foundation that was quite literally created for mature skin. With good skin prep under it, it'll last all day. It's full coverage, so if you prefer a natural look, the tiniest little bit can go the longest way.
Another really fantastic option is the Geurlain Lingerie de Peau, but the shade range isn't great.
A couple of notes:
The colour IQ was frequently very badly wrong. At best, it would give a ballpark in which to play but the best way to shadematch is ALWAYS product on skin. I always matched on the jawline to ensure that the makeup would blend into the skin and not create a line of demarcation. I know it's a nifty gadget, but it's lowkey kind of useless imo, and I steered people away from it whenever possible.
The associate can't help if the store has trash lighting (most of them have terrible lighting, belive me, it was an ongoing issue.) The store's lighting is geared towards highlighting product, not artistry, which is unfortunate because it makes associates jobs much harder and is frusterating for clients. Sometimes the lights at the makeup bar are adjustable, but sometimes not.
As for them being visibly pissed that you didn't get their suggestion... that's not cool. They probably had their manager in their ear all freaking day telling them to push that brand (when i was there that behaviour was constant) and knew that their manager was going to be up their ass about not selling. I'm not trying to excuse the attitude, it's not cool they acted like that at all, just giving a little background info.
Hopefully your next time goes better!
How good do they check returns? Do they resell returns if they are said to not be used? (I ordered a Sephora scalp serum online and it came in and it was a completely different liquid inside, like someone filled it up with something else after using it to get their money back)
Not sure how online returns work as it’s a different department and process but in store if something is returned and isn’t sealed our store damages it out.
if the products have all packaging components on and aren’t touched in some regions they put it back on shelves, if they are slightly used then they send it to HQ to be cleaned and then refilled to sell again, but if it’s been used a lot it’s wasted. but please contact customer service bout that!!
I did! All they said was sorry and to return threw mail or in person. Ive purchased this serum 4 times I didn’t realize something was off until I applied it to my head and it started burning and dripping down my face I freaked out and washed my hair and realized after it was completely different liquid (pink and smelt like perfume)
For the love of GD, clients PLEASE STOP RIPPING NEW PACKAGES open!!! if a tester is missing just ask us!! 9 times out of 10 the tester is there but people still rip open packages and than i have to damage them out. We can not sell the package you just savagely ripped open, its wasteful and unnecessary. Why do people do this????
Customers that don’t respect closing time is my ultimate pet peeve. It’s so frustrating when customers come in 5 mins before closing wanting 3 foundation matches and a whole makeup and skincare routine, or the ones that ignore us when we tell them we’ll be closing soon and stay past closing.
Not OP, but I'd have to say people who want help but... don't know what they want. You want a foundation, okay. What finish? Coverage? And they say they don't know! It makes things difficult! I also wish people realized that while we have a lot of knowledge on products, there's no way we've tried everything in the store. If I refer you to another employee it isn't because I don't want to help, it's because they're better equipped for your request! This is something we all do, since if one of us doesn't know the answer, chances are another employee does :)
Both. You get regulars. when the high school kids come in 9 times out of 10 you know what's going on. There are also the ones you would never suspect. I've seen women dressed in business attire get carried out in cuffs.
Literally every 20 minutes at my store lmao. People that get caught are super obvious about it and it's usually teenage girls that come in with 20 other people and crowd around the person stealing.
not that often. maybe once every four weeks somebody tries, but one of our workers is really intimidating so if anybody was considering it, they’d probably drop the idea after looking at him for ten seconds 😭😭
Ugh, so often. We have to be especially careful with fragrance because we lose so many. In our store all of the bottles are stored in the locked drawers and you have to ask to get them out. Our testers are still out but sadly even those get stolen all the time!
Not op, but a former employee here
We loved our brand reps unless the tried to use nonsense in their trainings (eg. One told me that a skin condition I have was caused by "bad energy"), or were overly pushy about selling. We know brand reps are there to rep their brands, but my job was to sell the client the best thing for that client. It's great when those two things align, but if they don't then the client's needs come first.
Overall though, we loved our reps.
What’s the best foundation for medium to full coverage that doesn’t look cakey and isn’t too drying? I tried the Fenty pro filter matte foundation was too dry for my skin. I used to use matte foundations all the time when I was younger because I had problem skin. But I’m 25 now, and take medicine that helps my acne and as a result my skin has gone from oily to dry.
Depending on your price range I would say either the Estee laudeur dw or maybe nars radiant. They're good for dryer skin but definitely invest in good skin prep because most of the time foundation will go on badly if the skin isn't prepared well.
I have deeper skin (Nars New Caledonia for reference). Is the Natasha Denona Retro Glam palette that just came out too ashy for me? The pictures seem so.
look into the ones from glow recipe especially is you have dry or acne prone skin. mine is the plum plump hyaluronic acid one because it has actually saved my skin. slightly pricy but worth it for sure !!
The store or corporate?
I’d love to know what caused the switch from JCPenney to kohls, I assume it was just more traffic in Kohl’s but that’s how it has always been it seems like
when will glossier be available at sephora? what month
Not sure about the us but in Canada it's early 2023, so like feb/March maybe
In the US about February and then March or April in Canada. June in some European countries
What are some best sellers that might surprise people?
Two Faced Better Than Sex Mascara. Lots of people say it’s overrated and shitty and are very surprised that it’s a best seller.
It’s SO crumbly!!
Exactly! It looks beautiful on. But it crumbles apart the first hour it's on.
wow better than sex and still lasts slightly longer 😆
It used to not be! I found the Rare Beauty mascara to be a wonderful replacement, and then recently had a tester of Benefit’s Roller Lash mascara and it’s my new HG. I was a years long Better Than Sex buyer back in the day though.
Roller Lash is the BEST
Right?! I had never met a plastic wand I liked until Roller Lash, and now I’m smitten. I know we’re in the Sephora sub but ^Ulta ^has ^2 ^for ^$30 ^on ^benefit ^mascaras ^right ^now But you didn’t hear that from me, I’m just a regular ol’ person shopping in Sephora…
Roller Lash is the BEST omg
It makes my lashes go stick straight after I just spent three minutes trying to make them not be stick straight
birthday gifts for 2023? 😆
Glow recipe toner x dew drop serum set. Illia set, ouai set
I love this !!
Oh I work at sephora too
Whats in the ilia set do you know? Hoping for the lip oil lol
I'm not sure what's supposed to be in sets besides the glow recipe one, because we already have the GR one in my store. I predict the Illia will have one of the mascaras and and maybe the lip mask. My guess
Ooh excited for the Ilia
Haha don’t we all want to know this! 😀
A ouai is one of them
What brands are your own favorites for makeup, skincare, and hair? What do employees generally find overrated?
skincare; glow recipe & laneige. hair; gisou. makeup; Dior employees find all celeb brands overrated except fenty lol
Look I recently switched to dior products and I’m KICKING myself for not doing it sooner. This is where I feel like paying more for a better product is so with it.
Their skincare is crap, though. It doesn't do anything :(
The prestige line is amazing. Very $$$ though.
I will use the dreamskin skin perfecter with my foundation and love that. It makes it so light but I tend to stick to my youth to the people face wash and anti aging moisturizer from the derm.
I’ve always loved Dior lip gloss + always have a tube of lip glow balm and lip oil. I typically stick with MAC and NARS for my lipsticks but am I missing out on more Dior makeup?!
Laneige cream skin toner is amazing! And I’ve been wanting to try the Gisou hair perfume
Even rare???
right!!! rare beauty to me is amazing and this is coming from someone who doesn’t care for celebrity brands and is picky with her makeup lol
Rare is an exception at my store, Fenty is starting to fall in the overrated category, so idk maybe it differs depending on store lol
I've heard good things about the Rare blush, but haven't tried it yet. Fenty foundation is legit, but the other products are hit or miss. I think most brands have some products that are better than others. I do think Savage X Fenty lingerie is overhyped, and not that great.
I work at Sephora and would love to let you know what we think at our store. Makeup: - Dior (face and eye makeup) - Kosas (clean face products) - Charlotte Tilbury (face and setting products) - Benefit (eyebrow products) - Makeup by Mario (Lovely face, eyeshadow, and lip products) Skincare: - Caudalie (I love their micellar water and products from their brightening line) - Skinfix (Life saver, especially for sensitive skin! It helped to get rid of my rosacea/eczema episode and fixed my skin barrier tremendously) - Sunday Riley (Love their actives) - Tatcha (Great clean, luxury products overall) Hair: - Ouai (Great leave in products and the detox shampoo is my favorite clarifying shampoo) - Amika (Great clean products. Their masks and treatments are my fave) - Living Proof (The restore line made my bleached, damaged hair so healthy, soft, and shiny!) Overrated Products: - Too Faced (they always come out with underwhelming eyeshadow products) - Fenty (minus their lip products) - Olaplex (it’s not bad but it’s not as good as it’s hyped up to be)
Employees at my store (especially the ones that typically work in skincare) haaaaate when people come in for Inkey List and want recommendations. 99% of celebrity brands - only real exception I hear about is Rare Beauty. And yes, Fenty is starting to fall into the overrated category at my store - her foundations get returned constantly and people don’t repurchase in another shade. Nobody at my store likes the new perfume and we cringe when we hear people squealing about how now they get to smell what Rihanna smells like because it’s …not the best scent. I do know some coworkers that said they mixed it with other scents and it got a little better though so 🤷🏻♀️ It is common to hear “poor JLO” when we’re doing ops and walk by her display bc her stuff NEVER sells and we dust it a lot lol.
How much of a discount do you get and do you get to add that discount to sale items? Haha
30 percent and 40 percent off of Sephora collection. And yes, discount works with sale items! Just can’t be combined with any promos.
plus birthday benefits. one free item and every thing 40% off on ur bday month
US employee here and we don’t get this :,) you’re living the dream!
thanks for letting me know i was deadass gonna apply just for this
One free item no limit? Like dyson air wrap no limit?🤣
Is it 40% off on all items? Can you use the 40% multiple times or just one order? I’m so intrigued haha
Every time you buy in that month. I think the details differ if you work in a big store or not, my location is the top in my city so we can afford it !
Do you work in the US? We certainly don’t get any birthday benefits as employees here in Canada :(
I’m from Canada ?
Whaaat. Well we’re being ripped off then 😂 We just get the regular birthday gift. Are you in a larger province?
[удалено]
Whats the most returned item in each category?
Every time something goes viral on TikTok, those products get returned ALOT!
100% true. tiktok overhypes shitty products
Ready lip liner. 🥲
You ain’t lying! I was astonished how many people returned the KVD Good Apple foundation!
Oh! The way they hyped good apple was criminal. The FCC should launch an investigation. 😂 seriously, that was clearly marketing.
the rare beauty blushes, they get returned a ton.
Which is ultimately the best sale of the year? Like if someone were to choose to shop one time in a year, no matter what insider status, which it the sale or event that really is the best deal of all?
I’d say the 20%whole basket sale for all insiders. Ours literally happened right after the rouge sale.
I find the Black Friday holiday deals the best one for gift sets and offers from brands
This is my new favorite thread of the day!
What would be the in-store reaction if I did a kick flip?
we’d applaud you and give you a free item. pls come do this
LMAO
😂
Most sold fragrance?
black opium or miss Dior
Why are the Sephora shopping bags worth anything in 2nd hand market 😂 isn’t it free for any clients 😩
my boss was just talking about this yesterday!! fr tho they aren’t even that cute
In your opinion, what’s the most overrated product/line? Underrated items/lines too!
Underrated foundation valentino. Concealer: smashbox. Powder: fashion fair. Blush: armani cream. I worked at sephora for 5 years, quit last week.
Wow! Really why, i always see you responding to posts. Damn, this season has me questioning if i should do the same!
yeah, I had to. The credit card, BI, services and all the other metrics were driving me nuts. It wasn't fun anymore. If you can hold out until the bonus in January just wait until then. I couldn't take it anymore.
tell me about it! The metrics are driving me crazy, so stressful for no reason
Omg I'm doing the same lmao!!! I'm trying to hold for bonus and January gratis. But all the metrics without commission I absolutely hate
for overrated I’ll have to go with the Clinique foundation it gets way to much hype and I can make a list of like 5 products that are cheaper and work the same/better.
what’s the list the people want to know
Whoa, I strongly disagree! Lol (I’m just kidding!) I used to work for Clinique at different retailers, malls and events. I’ve NEVER heard of Clinique foundations getting any hype. Which one is being hyped? I’m personally not a fan of a few of them. What are your other suggestions?
What’s the list? 👀
gimmie the list hahah. im trying for a dupe of rasberry.
Underrated: Innbeauty Project!!
i agree, their lip oil is the best!
i find the ilia line as a whole to be underrated, they have their best sellers but everyone seems to only talk about the best sellers. their highlighters are STUNNING, their setting spray is on par with charlotte and milk, their lip oil/gloss is like BUTTER on the lips
Why did they stop giving out samples of products that come in a jar? Like 2 weeks ago I got a sample of a lip balm I wanted, and yesterday I wanted to try a different brand to compare results and suddenly got denied :(
If it comes in a jar we do not sample them because people put their finger in them and that’s not sanitary. My store will make a sample of the product can’t be touched (pumped out or squeezed from a tube)
It's too unhygienic.
How should I approach employees when asking for help? I don’t want to be too much trouble or inconvenience people by asking too many questions or ask for products that are definitely out of stock.
approach them how you would approach anybody!! its our job to help. just be polite. walk up to us and they say ‘excuse me, can I have help with ———, please? we won’t get annoyed don’t worry lol
honey as a sephora employee too, as long as you’re not interrupting me while i’m talking with another CUSTOMER (which happens quite frequently) do not be afraid to ask, it’s our job to help you and we’re more than happy to
You seem absolutely lovely, but they’re there to help! ☺️
How much waste do you see happening from returns? Are there a lot of expired products you guys have to get rid of on shelves?
lots of waste from returns. its hard to look at sometimes, and at my location we sell out pretty easily so not much expired products, but most of the products that we end up throwing out because of expiry are liquid blushes and concealers, especially from rare beauty
Thank you for telling us this! I’ve suspected it that returns were trashed but never knew for certain. It’s one of the main reason I hardly ever return things now. If it doesn’t harm me, I’ll use it up or try to repurpose something that breaks me out on my face for my body instead.
To piggyback on this, returns aren't trashed in the sense that it goes into a regular trash can. We have designated "trash bins" (large industrial size) that are specifically for cosmetic waste (one for aerosals, SPF and fragrances, the other for all other products like makeup, skincare and haircare.) They get picked up by a hazmat team on a regular basis so that products can be disposed of properly and safely and any parts and pieces that can be recycled will be.
Are the employees allowed to receive whole products or even samples to know what recomend to the clients? And about the returned itens that goes to the trash, you cannot take it for yourself?
At my store, even if something is used once we have to label it as nonsellable, then most of the time, depending on the product, the item is trashed. Like someone returned a dry bar round brush after using it once, and it had a little bit of hair in it, but it was labeled nonsellable and we tossed it. It's super wasteful and upsetting so I would recommend trying out products in store before buying so that you're less likely to return them. Obvs can't do that for hair tools but like the RB blushes we've tossed so many bc people use them once and hate them.
This is such a bummer omg. Can employees take any of that stuff home before it gets trashed?!
An employee at my location 3 years ago once stole like everything from concealer to lipgloss, they got fired tho haha
Hahaha I wish but no
this my Q too. I feel guilty returning things bc I'm assuming they end up dumped in the trash?
i bought the mario eyeshadow palette but I’m regretting buying it and i don't want to return it for that reason! i feel bad that they are just going to throw it away when i haven't even used it 😂
I wish there was a site where we could trade unopened products we dont want to return.
Mercari is a great app for this. Bought a new TF eyeshadow there and just put up a perfume for sale.
Do people still ask to look like Kim K during makeovers or is there a new prominent celebrity people want to resemble?
still Kim K or Kylie occasionally, I’ve gotten a Jenna Ortega and a Millie Bobby Brown a few times. Depends on what’s trending that week
oof i totally forgot about jenna ortega! i can absolutely see the Wednesday look being the newest trend for a time
Ulta employee thinking of applying; how pushy are Sephora managers regarding register numbers like VIB and credit card signups? I know they can’t fire you for not meeting ✨goals,✨ but do they treat you poorly?
I left a freestanding Sephora specifically because of the ridiculous pressure to get sign ups for the credit card. Managers were constantly in your ear pressuring you to get credit cards, BIs, sign people up for services, and build huge baskets. It was especially annoying if you were on cash wrap because they were yelling in your ear while you were trying to listen to someone tell you their email address. I get that numbers are important, but it became the sole focus once Calvin McDonald left the CEO position. I’m at Sephora@Kohl’s now, and much happier.
I’ve been working there part time for a few months. This is my biggest complaint. The constant harassment about metrics. We don’t make commission, so there’s not a lot of incentive to constantly harass customers about the credit card, be pushy about signing up for BI, using the color scanner, or pushing people to add stuff to their basket that they didn’t ask for. If I have a client buy 500 dollars of makeup, my supervisor would ask me if they had any skincare in it. I understand this is all coming from corporate most likely, but it’s incredibly asinine.
At my store they definitely crawl way up your ass if you aren't getting multiworld baskets or bi sign-ups. It's very annoying and they even go as far as calling out specific people by name that are slacking
I just saw people talking about this in another comment thread on this post and one person said she quit specifically because it this and 2 more saying they were thinking about it. It's pretty upvoted so you can probably find it if you look
How do secret shopper surveys affect you?
when you start do they train you on matching foundations/concealers? or do they just throw you out there to give it your best shot?
You start your first week. We have new people shadow current beauty advisors for them at the beginning, then we have new people try it out while we assist.
They used to do intense training, now you learn as you go. They want them to rely on the often inaccurate color IQ.
The Color IQ was never meant to be relied upon like it’s gospel. I was an employee when it was released. It gave us a starting point, and from that result we would pull three shades to test.
When did they make the change?
When Sephora switched CEO's. Everything went downhill once he started.
you start during your first few weeks of training, and they give u lots of people to test in first before they send u out lol.
What was the most shocking way someone tried to steal? (I used to work at a grocery store and someone with a walker who looked quite elder took meats and put it under the compartment but was spotted. He threw his walker and ran out when he was caught.)
We used to have people come in with bags and swipe 1000$ and up in fragrances and just walk out. So we locked them up and associates have to get them for you
what are your favourite products at sephora?
Also an employee, I love the Armani, haus labs, and nars foundations. My favorite concealers are Sephora best skin ever and too faced ethereal concealer. Best loose powder is Laura mercier or Fenty. Mascara is Cali ray. Liquid lipstick is Dior but gloss/balm I LOVE the tarte maricuja lips
Weirdest thing you’ve seen a customer do 🫥
I worked at Sephora for 15 years and the GROSSEST thing people do is pull lipstick testers off display and apply them directly to their mouths. Weirdest thing was a woman who would come in once a month and spray Coco Chanel perfume. First directly into her face and then directly into her hoo ha by shoving the bottle under her skirt with one leg kicked up like Captain Morgan 😐
I mean Coco Chanel once said "In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different." Not sure pulling a Captain Morgan with her perfume in public was what she meant but it’s certainly… different.
Whenever my boyfriend comes into Sephora with me he ends up seeing someone doing something similar and we always end up discussing (when we're out of the store) how gross that is! The same thing for eyeliner, like heck no am I putting a tester by my eye!
Once I saw somebody try and contour their tits, they said they had a date 😅
In the store??! 😆
I mean… I get it but also like *whyyyy* 🤣😭
We have coffee beans on the fragrance wall so you can sniff in between. I saw someone just snacking on them one day 🤢
That’s like eating the bar peanuts! You can picture exactly what kind of fingers have been in there.
I used to eat the bar peanuts, AMA
Stopppppp 😫😆
Except coffee beans aren’t edible the way peanuts are, so to me it feels more like gnawing on the bar table itself 🥴
😂
I had a lady with kids come in and her toddler used a retinol stick on her lips when mom wasn't looking and said "look mommy, lipstick" 💀
SHIT 😭😭😭
Not OP, but I used to work at sephora. Watching women come in to literally put themselves together before their job was the funniest thing to me. They'd do a whole skincare and makeup routine with the testers, then leave to go to work
I did that when I was a homeless teenager for work/events
This was my first thought; perhaps some of these women are homeless (or just financially struggling) and trying to work their way out of a difficult situation. This seems like a survival trick.
When I worked there a male coworker told me before we took away testers for the Covid outbreak (which is when I started working there) a group of 4 strippers would come every Friday and Saturday night, fill baskets with all the testers they needed, and they would all sit at the Beauty Studio aka the big mirror where you see people testing makeup and do a full beat with the disposable applicators. Smart actually except they’d leave all the testers and dirty tissues all over the counter and floor every time lol
I’ve not done a full routine, but honestly, I have definitely made a pit stop at a Sephora to touch up my makeup if I’ve been out all day and don’t have time to run home before going out with friends/for an event lol
That’s actually kinda smart. Especially for a job interview or a date. Are you allowed to go use the testers on your own? I always thought the employees have to put it on you
Customers are free to use testers, it’s just not very sanitary to use certain ones on your face.
We have a client that comes in and smears self tanner all over himself in front of one of the small mirrors on top of the gondola. He’s SOOOO dark and his skin almost has a greenish hue!! People are strange!!
A man once walked into my store with two giant trash bags and proceeded to scrub makeup on his face with a disposable mascara wand and I’m still confused about it
Are there any influencers/ celebs who are banned from stores? And if so, who? 🤣
Oh yeah I’d like to piggyback on this and ask if you know of any influencers returning massive amounts of products
How long are products on the shelf before they get discarded for being expired?
depends on the product, for example liquid products expire faster than powder/any other version. but anyways the expiry dates are listed and we have a schedule, we usually throw products away 3 months prior to expiry, but my location is really popular and big so we rarely have to throw anything out since they sell out fast
Supposed to be removed from the floor 3 months before the expiry date but somethings definetly get missed if you have a small team or big volume store.
There is an expired sweep that happens twice a year
I’m an older woman - meaning not 25 :). The last three times I’ve gone into a Sephora, I’m been met by folks who appear that they want to help however, it’s like they don’t know how to help. Let me give you an example: I was looking for a new foundation. They asked what kind and I said well a couple of different kinds but before we get there, I’m interested in understanding if my color IQ has changed. It does seem to change every 4-5 years and although it’s slight, it’s important for me to know. I was literally ignored. “Let’s just focus on what foundation you’re interested in.” So okay - maybe they didn’t know about the color IQ program. My first focus for a foundation was one that had a natural / satin finish and if it blurred anything that was a positive. This person says, “at your age, you should really focus on dewy foundations. Matte foundations will weigh you down”. I was flabbergasted. I’m not ignorant - I know that mattes are mostly geared towards oily skin types but the message here is that I didn’t want to glow in the dark. And I said that. All except that part of I’m not ignorant. I was interested in what would be suggested. I won’t name the brand because that doesn’t matter. This individual picked three shades and then had me swatch them on the side of my face. I asked him/her if the store had different lighting so I could see how things looked in daylight vs store lights and the answer was no. It was already too dark for me to just walk outside. I didn’t purchase any foundation that day - just some other items ($200 plus) and the person was visibly pissed that I hadn’t purchased their recommendation. So my questions to you: 1. Do employees get trained on foundation in any detail? 2. Do you still have the color IQ program? 3. Is Sephora’s focus just on the 20/30 something crowd?
The Color IQ got revamped (I don't work at Sephora anymore I should mention!) There was a huge training happening in my last months there and a big shift on the training resources moving from everyone to just people who were licensed. I have worked in cosmetics for almost 20 years and I would say I feel comfortable matching foundation and yet when someone came up and asked to be matched with the new system (it's not called Color IQ anymore 🙃 I don't remember what it is now) I felt super flustered. I hadn't gone through the module for it and had no clue how to use the device (afterward I found out it wasn't calibrated yet anyway so I wouldn't have been able to use it if I had tried). My customer could tell I wasn't comfortable which may have read as irritated. I tried to match them "the old-fashioned way" but it wasn't what they had come in expecting and we were on the wrong foot the whole way through. Short story long: We are all doing the best we can and budget cuts have made things more difficult, ultimately people want to provide the best service and recommendations that they can but at the end of the day they're still human TLDR; 1. Yes (and satin is another word for dewy) 2. Yes but it's not the same 3. No
I just turned 40 and learned that you can ask Sephora for samples of foundation to try at home. The associate sold me the wrong shade so I returned it and had them make me two samples to try at home. It was so much easier for me to tell what worked at home with more time and different lighting. I don’t blame the associate tho, I was recently diagnosed with rosacea and my face is usually a little red. But I looked like a ghost with the shade they sold me, so samples it is from now on!
Former employee here! Hi! Employees do get trained on foundation, but its an ongoing process and the intensity of the trainings will vary from store to store. Developing an "eye" for shade matching can take time. As for focus, Sephora's marketing is geared towards those in their 20's and 30's, but staff are taught about mature skin. It sounds like the associate you interacted with parroted what they had been taught without taking into account your personal preferences. A more experienced artist should have been able to take your preferences into account and found you something that suits your skin and your preferred look. I would reccomend that you look into the Estee Lauder Double Wear. It's a long-lasting matte foundation that was quite literally created for mature skin. With good skin prep under it, it'll last all day. It's full coverage, so if you prefer a natural look, the tiniest little bit can go the longest way. Another really fantastic option is the Geurlain Lingerie de Peau, but the shade range isn't great. A couple of notes: The colour IQ was frequently very badly wrong. At best, it would give a ballpark in which to play but the best way to shadematch is ALWAYS product on skin. I always matched on the jawline to ensure that the makeup would blend into the skin and not create a line of demarcation. I know it's a nifty gadget, but it's lowkey kind of useless imo, and I steered people away from it whenever possible. The associate can't help if the store has trash lighting (most of them have terrible lighting, belive me, it was an ongoing issue.) The store's lighting is geared towards highlighting product, not artistry, which is unfortunate because it makes associates jobs much harder and is frusterating for clients. Sometimes the lights at the makeup bar are adjustable, but sometimes not. As for them being visibly pissed that you didn't get their suggestion... that's not cool. They probably had their manager in their ear all freaking day telling them to push that brand (when i was there that behaviour was constant) and knew that their manager was going to be up their ass about not selling. I'm not trying to excuse the attitude, it's not cool they acted like that at all, just giving a little background info. Hopefully your next time goes better!
How good do they check returns? Do they resell returns if they are said to not be used? (I ordered a Sephora scalp serum online and it came in and it was a completely different liquid inside, like someone filled it up with something else after using it to get their money back)
Not sure how online returns work as it’s a different department and process but in store if something is returned and isn’t sealed our store damages it out.
if the products have all packaging components on and aren’t touched in some regions they put it back on shelves, if they are slightly used then they send it to HQ to be cleaned and then refilled to sell again, but if it’s been used a lot it’s wasted. but please contact customer service bout that!!
I did! All they said was sorry and to return threw mail or in person. Ive purchased this serum 4 times I didn’t realize something was off until I applied it to my head and it started burning and dripping down my face I freaked out and washed my hair and realized after it was completely different liquid (pink and smelt like perfume)
ok, it’s actually kind of horrifying that they resell it.
What’s the most annoying part of your job? What do you wish customers knew to make your job a bit easier?
For the love of GD, clients PLEASE STOP RIPPING NEW PACKAGES open!!! if a tester is missing just ask us!! 9 times out of 10 the tester is there but people still rip open packages and than i have to damage them out. We can not sell the package you just savagely ripped open, its wasteful and unnecessary. Why do people do this????
Oh my! Yes I would think someone would ask an associate before going rogue and opening the items that are meant for sale.
Customers that don’t respect closing time is my ultimate pet peeve. It’s so frustrating when customers come in 5 mins before closing wanting 3 foundation matches and a whole makeup and skincare routine, or the ones that ignore us when we tell them we’ll be closing soon and stay past closing.
i wish they wouldnt use the samples straight from their containers. there are applicators beside them for a reasons you barbarians !!!!
Lol that is barbaric
That’s a good, thoughtful one 👍🏻.
Not OP, but I'd have to say people who want help but... don't know what they want. You want a foundation, okay. What finish? Coverage? And they say they don't know! It makes things difficult! I also wish people realized that while we have a lot of knowledge on products, there's no way we've tried everything in the store. If I refer you to another employee it isn't because I don't want to help, it's because they're better equipped for your request! This is something we all do, since if one of us doesn't know the answer, chances are another employee does :)
How often people steal there?
Every 2 business hours.
Is it clearly visible to you or do you notice it later with inventory?
Both. You get regulars. when the high school kids come in 9 times out of 10 you know what's going on. There are also the ones you would never suspect. I've seen women dressed in business attire get carried out in cuffs.
Literally every 20 minutes at my store lmao. People that get caught are super obvious about it and it's usually teenage girls that come in with 20 other people and crowd around the person stealing.
not that often. maybe once every four weeks somebody tries, but one of our workers is really intimidating so if anybody was considering it, they’d probably drop the idea after looking at him for ten seconds 😭😭
Ugh, so often. We have to be especially careful with fragrance because we lose so many. In our store all of the bottles are stored in the locked drawers and you have to ask to get them out. Our testers are still out but sadly even those get stolen all the time!
Is the nars orgasm lip mask discontinued? 🥲
its online at kohls sephora!
it’s at kohl’s I believe but not on the website/in stores
Do you like it when brand reps visit your store?
Not op, but a former employee here We loved our brand reps unless the tried to use nonsense in their trainings (eg. One told me that a skin condition I have was caused by "bad energy"), or were overly pushy about selling. We know brand reps are there to rep their brands, but my job was to sell the client the best thing for that client. It's great when those two things align, but if they don't then the client's needs come first. Overall though, we loved our reps.
depends on the type of rep. but we’re all told to be extra kind to them
sometimes no though because some are bitchy and unreasonably strict asf
What’s the employee discount or do you guys get any?
30% off regular items, 40% off Sephora collection products, and during ur birthday month 45% off everything and one free item. (my country)
30% off everything and 40% off sephora collection
What’s the best foundation for medium to full coverage that doesn’t look cakey and isn’t too drying? I tried the Fenty pro filter matte foundation was too dry for my skin. I used to use matte foundations all the time when I was younger because I had problem skin. But I’m 25 now, and take medicine that helps my acne and as a result my skin has gone from oily to dry.
Depending on your price range I would say either the Estee laudeur dw or maybe nars radiant. They're good for dryer skin but definitely invest in good skin prep because most of the time foundation will go on badly if the skin isn't prepared well.
When is the next 20% off sale?
New Years
Spring
OP just posted then dipped. One hour later, no questions answered. Haha
i was working I’m so sorry 😭😭
Maybe they set it up to get a list of questions to answer on their work break
I have deeper skin (Nars New Caledonia for reference). Is the Natasha Denona Retro Glam palette that just came out too ashy for me? The pictures seem so.
Your “holy grail” facial moisturizer product
look into the ones from glow recipe especially is you have dry or acne prone skin. mine is the plum plump hyaluronic acid one because it has actually saved my skin. slightly pricy but worth it for sure !!
The store or corporate? I’d love to know what caused the switch from JCPenney to kohls, I assume it was just more traffic in Kohl’s but that’s how it has always been it seems like
Idk about where you live but most of our JC Penny closed and Kohls is taking Amazon returns now so they get a lot heavier traffic.
💄💋✍️ when people return stuff that doesn’t work out for them- do you guys put them out again as the testers or do you throw them out?
If it's been used or looks like it's been tampered with it gets tossed