Sephora

Full review
Sephora.com is an internet superstore for beauty (skincare,makeup,hair)/bath/fragrance items. You'll feel like a kid in a candy store! From the customer just looking for a basic, to the customer who needs counseling for their beauty product addiction, this online retailer should be able to meet all your needs.

The website is interesting, colorful, quick to load, and simple to navigate. You'll be provided with the most powerful tools to search the VAST inventory of products with ease. Categories drill down into logical, smaller segments which makes shopping at Sephora a pleasure. Within each category, there are always three tabs labeled weekly picks, best sellers, and what's new. I like this feature when I have time to look around, or when I'm looking for something new. It's like concierge service, or your best friend sharing her latest finds.

Speaking of categories, they have one I love! Airplane Approved Beauty with all the subcategories. This is really very helpful for travel.

The search feature is user friendly and will allow you to further refine your results. And search options allow a lot of flexibility by item, description, brand...

I mentioned the VAST inventory. This can not be emphasized enough. There are plenty of brands represented in all price ranges. Brands that may not be available in your area will be a few keystrokes away. Sephora also carries their own budget friendly private label.

Item descriptions are probably the weakest link on this site. Sometimes they're detailed including ingredients and precautions. Sometimes they're not; occasionally, things like ingredients are missing. (I noticed this on nail polish)

Colors are provided when color is an option. The samples are actual images of the product which makes it easier to discern qualities like shimmer, gloss, color saturation. A must!

Ordering online is quick and painless. You must register with the site in order to checkout, but it's a short process with basic information. Your order history will be saved and order status will be communicated to you accurately by email. Emails and order history will provide linked tracking information.

Shipping is free if your order totals $75.00 or more. If not, shipping is a reasonable flat rate of $5.95. Two free perks at checkout: 1)gift wrapping 2) your choice of 3 samples (from a selection of about a dozen)

Lots of options for payment: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and the JCPenney Card.

All of my orders are received:

Quickly
Error Free
Nicely packaged
NOTE: you can get the plain old cardboard box, OR you can choose to receive your items in a makeup satchel or glossy signature Sephora gift box.

Sephora.com offers a place to store your favorites and a gift registry.

Customer Service by phone or mail is always top notch.

Returns are accepted within 60 days of purchase and you can return by mail or to a Sephora store. One complication if you use a JC Penney card: * If you purchased with your JCPenney credit card, our Sephora store will gladly offer you a store credit or an exchange. To receive a full refund on your JCPenney card, please return your products to Sephora.com via mail or to a Sephora inside JCPenney.

Overall this is an excellent online resource for your beauty needs. One slight negative is the omission of customer reviews on Sephora's website, and of course if you're married to a brand not carried.