The 12 Best Beauty Stores for 2024 | Free Buyers Guide (2024)

Thursday, April 25th

2024 Beauty Store Reviews

Ulta

• Free shipping on $35+ purchases
• Same-day pickup options
• Thousands of product reviews
• 60-day return policy
• Return new and used items
• Earn rewards with Ulta credit card
• "A+" Better Business Bureau rating

Originally known as Ulta3 in the late 90's, Ulta Beauty Inc. is an American chain of beauty stores based out of Bolingbrook, Illinois. They have figured out the beauty industry and created an incredible store for customers of all income levels with unique personal care preferences. Whether you are looking for high-end or low-end cosmetics, fragrances, nail products, and bath products, Ulta has it.

Incredible selection

Ulta has an appealing website where they make it easy to discover fun new products or quickly identify the ones you need replenished. We found Ulta to have the best variety of products of any beauty store with a range of unique, high-end brands as well as those that most people already use on the daily. Ulta doesn't seem to specialize in one category of products more than another. They have an equally amazing selection of cosmetics as they do hair products and tools, fragrances, nail items, and skin care.

Fabulous, user-friendly website

When you are looking at a category of products like face moisturizers, you can further narrow your search with additional features like dryness, paraben-free, sustainable packaging, anti-aging, uneven skin tones, dark spots, redness, and more. When we were shopping for conditioner, we could narrow down the products that were vegan, worked on damaged hair, helped with shine, had color protection, were curl enhancing, and more. Ulta's website is as user-friendly as can be.

Consider the Ulta credit card

We fully expect customers to be able to find all their favorite products at Ulta and be able to exclusively shop here for beauty items. If this is the case for you, you might consider signing up for their credit card where you'll save 20% on your first order and earn 2 points for every $1 spent on future purchases. Ulta periodically runs major sales on specific brands, sitewide, or on a category of products, but generally you'll find that prices here are reasonable and competitive with prices directly on the brands' websites. Ulta doesn't claim to be cheap or a place to undercut their competitors, but rather an all-in-one location for you to find everything you're looking for.

Thousands of product reviews

Ulta is clearly a favorite shopping destination for many people. Any given product might have upwards of 10,000 reviews from customers. They can ask questions, give feedback about the product's quality, upload photos, and more. We love that this is a part of every product listing as well as a wide range of shades, details about the item's features, how to use it, the ingredients, and shipping options.

Easy delivery and returns

If you live near an Ulta store, you could purchase your favorite items online and have them ready to pick up in-store within 2 hours or less. If you'd rather wait for your items to ship, they'll be delivered for free if you spend at least $35. If you end up needing to return anything you purchase, bring it to your local Ulta store or send it back through the mail within 60 days of the original purchase date for a full refund to your original form of payment. The company doesn't make statements about returning used products, so they'll likely accept them if they're opened and gently used.

Highly rated by the BBB and customers

Ulta has an "A+" rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). This is a favorite store for many people because of their knowledgeable employees, flexible and generous company policies, incredible selection, and fair prices. Ulta is a reliable retailer that carries legitimate products and always has the latest trends in beauty products.

Our #1 choice

Ulta seems to have it all together and we always have a good experience shopping here. They embody the best of beauty product stores all in one place, so they've easily earned our highest rating for beauty stores.

Sephora

• Over 340 beauty brands
• Upscale products
• Same-day shipping options
• Free shipping on all orders
• Thousands of reviews on nearly all products
• "A-" Better Business Bureau rating

Sephora is a French retailer specializing in personal care and beauty products. Their inventory includes skincare, fragrance, cosmetics, beauty tools, nail color, body lotions, and haircare. Although Sephora has become most popular over the last 10 years or so, the company was founded in Limoges, France in 1969 and is currently based out of Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Their name comes from the Greek word sephos, meaning beauty, and the Greek spelling of Zipporah, the wife of Moses.

Celebrity beauty brands

Sephora is home to over 340 brands along with their own private label, Sephora Collection. They feature brands from famous pop-culture icons like Selena Gomez, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and JLo. There are so many high-end beauty products at Sephora, it's hard to know where to begin if you're shopping here for the first time. For the category you're interested in (skincare, hair, makeup, or fragrance), there's a "Help Me Choose" section where you can take hair or skin quizzes, shop by concern, read a guide about clean beauty products, get style ideas, get healthy hair tips, and more.

Huge variety

There is a good variety of products at Sephora, which is why this is such a favorite place for so many people to shop. The best of the best brands can be found here and they have tons of tints, colors, and sizes for nearly everything listed online. They offer free shipping on all orders and same-day delivery or in-store pickup for certain locations. They show transparent ingredients for all their products, suggested usage, brand background, and more.

Top dollar brands

Sephora is a place you can expect to pay top dollar for your beauty products, especially since the brands here are high quality. Things do go on sale every once in a while and they have a "$20 and under'' category you could check out. Your best bet for saving money would be to choose to auto-replenish your favorite products, so you'll save 5% each time.

Thousands of product reviews

You can tell how many people are shopping religiously at Sephora by the amount of product reviews and Q&As listed on each item. A Gisou honey infused hydrating lip oil had over 1,400 reviews and 169 questions and answers. How's that for informative buying? And that's the norm here. There are so many reviews on every single product. There are also tons of product photos people upload as well as pictures of themselves using the hair tool, wearing the makeup, or showing before and afters from using an item.

Return new or gently-used products

No matter how high quality a product, there's still a chance you'll change your mind about it or accidentally order the wrong thing. If that happens when you shop online at Sephora, they'll allow you to return your new or gently used products for a full refund to your original payment method within 30 days. Anything returned within 31-60 days after purchase will be eligible for an online credit.

Posh beauty supplies

Sephora has an "A-" rating from the Better Business Bureau, but their customer reviews tell another story. In their defense, many of the customer reviews are in regards to in-store experiences where people feel extremely pressured by sales people and uncomfortable while they shop. Sephora gives off very "uppity" vibes that can be a major deterrent for some shoppers. Shopping online removes this sales pressure, but you can still tell that this company tries to position themselves as one of the fanciest, most upscale beauty stores on the market.

A top contender

Sephora is a top dog when it comes to beauty products. They don't sell any cheap garbage, but rather they've compiled some of the best, highest quality, most well-known brands for people to shop in one place. This may be a little out of some people's budgets, especially if they aren't worried about the best makeup products or hair tools and just need something functional and decent to use every once in a while. Otherwise, Sephora is a reputable store that provides a classy purchasing experience and they've earned a great rating from us.

Dermstore

• Free shipping on orders over $50
• Authentic beauty products guarantee
• Earn rewards with account creation
• Refer a friend and receive $15
• 60-day return policy

Dermstore was created in 1999 by a dermatologist who wanted patients to have more direct access to the treatments their skin needed. The company offers professional-strength formulas from some of the top beauty brands out there. They specialize in hard-to-find spa care and natural beauty brands that can sometimes only be found through a dermatologist's office.

Something for everyone

You can literally browse brands at Dermstore from A-Z. We like that they sell high-end names like Aesop, Elizabeth Arden, and Lumira while also carrying more well-known brands like bareMinerals, Dime Beauty Co, and Moroccanoil. Dermstore caters to a wide range of customers with different beauty product preferences and budgets, which is fantastic.

Huge inventory

To find a product you're looking for, Dermstore's website is organized so you can search by brand, bestsellers, sale items, or by category like skin care, hair care, makeup, tools & devices, sunscreen, bath & body, or fragrance. There are thousands of products in any given category, so we're confident this is the type of store you could get all your essentials from.

Prices vary by brand

As long as you're spending over $50 at Dermstore, your order will ship for free. If you've never shopped at Dermstore before, you can use a discount code listed on the website for 15% off your first order. The cost of products depends a lot on the brand you're interested in. Dermstore definitely doesn't seem to be overpriced, but they don't sell cheap brands like e.l.f, NYX, or Maybelline so expect to pay more than a couple dollars for any given item.

Become a member, earn rewards

If you do end up finding that Dermstore is going to be your top choice for beauty products, we recommend doing a few things. The first is to create a free account and become a rewards member. You'll earn 5 points for every $1 you spend here and get to be part of member-access only sales, plus earn extra points on certain products throughout the year. You'll get 100 points just for creating an account and an additional 100 for creating a profile. If you refer friends who make a purchase, you'll also get an extra $15 added to your account.

Never run out of product

The second thing we recommend doing if you frequently shop at Dermstore is to sign up for auto-replenishments on any products you use often. There are 1,040 products that qualify for auto-replenishment, so you can get deliveries automatically at whatever frequency you choose. You'll save 20% on each product and you can cancel at any time. After your first order, auto-renewals will also ship for free.

60-day returns on unopened products

Dermstore has partnered with the company ZigZag for registering and processing returns. Through Dermstore's website you can initiate a return within 60 days from the date of receiving your order as long as everything is in new, unused, and unopened condition.

Glowing reviews

The Better Business Bureau hasn't rated Dermstore, but plenty of customers have. Along with unfiltered reviews on each product listed on Dermstore's site, we found feedback from thousands of buyers on other third-party sites. A few of the great things we read referred to the company's speedy delivery and careful packaging, their huge inventory of products, high quality items, and attentive customer service. Many people use auto-renewals here and are loyal customers who have nothing but good things to say.

Big fans

We are big fans of Dermstore. It's great that they carry high quality, clean brands, without them being so extravagant that you feel like you're throwing your money away. There are plenty of ways to save money with their rewards program and their auto-replenishment program is a sure way to save money and never run out of your favorite products. We highly recommend checking out the beauty products at Dermstore.

Safe and Chic

• Free shipping on orders over $100
• Non-toxic, cruelty-free, natural products
• 15% off your first order with email signup
• Periodic sitewide sales
• 30-day return policy
• Fantastic customer reviews

Safe & Chic has a unique mission to provide customers with non-toxic, clean, and ethical beauty products. Their online store has a variety of high-quality beauty and personal care products that are gentle on the skin and less harmful for the planet. The company aims to transform the beauty landscape by proving that luxurious personal care products can be effective without the harmful chemicals.

Better for you brands

Some of the clean brands you'll find through Safe & Chic include 8 Days Botanicals, Artifact, Beauty by Earth, Emani, Inika Organic, Oats Cashmere, Pretty Simple, RiseWell, Zatik Naturals, and more. This isn't a fully comprehensive list since there are other great options available elsewhere, but it's a good starting place. Most of these brands pride themselves on being vegan, cruelty-free, naturally sourced, and free of yucky things like parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and artificial fragrances.

Beautify from the inside out

Safe & Chic's inventory is divided up by skincare, makeup, haircare, bath & body, home, wellness, and even clothing. You can find products here to nourish you from the inside out with things like detox cleanses, aromatherapy, supplements, and tea blends as well as body scrubs, deodorant, facial exfoliants, sunscreen, and more. You can even search by treatment for things like anti-aging, blemishes, dark spots, bug bites, eye care, intimate care, lip care, nail care, and pregnancy. Although you won't find thousands of products in each category, there is a wide enough spread of personal care items to find a few good options for anything you need.

Solid product listings

Navigating Safe & Chic's website is a piece of cake. Their product listings are simple and pleasing to look at. You'll see multiple product photos, a list of color options, fragrances, and bottle size options for the item, a description of the product and how to use it, and a bio about the brand. Customers can also leave unfiltered reviews on each product. Some have quite a few, while others haven't had any feedback yet. Always read through these reviews before making a purchase so you can get as much information about a product as possible, especially if it's something you haven't tried before.

Sitewide sales

Customers can save 15% off their first order with email signup. But better yet, Safe & Chic had a big 20% off sale sitewide at the time of this review. They do this every so often, so it's a good time to stock up on your favorite products whenever they launch their deals. You'll qualify for free shipping if you spend over $100 in a single order, otherwise the cost is $8.50. All orders ship from California and arrive within 2-5 business days.

Returns allowed for used and unused products

If for any reason you decide to return a product to Safe & Chic, they ask that you first email their customer service team for authorization and instructions. Anything that is unopened and unused can be returned within 30 days for a full refund. If you're opened a beauty product and tested it, it can still be returned within 30 days for a store credit. There are a few final sale items, like anything that was on sale or specific brands, so it's a good idea to read through the return policy before checking out.

Customers praise Safe & Chic

Customers have almost nothing but good things to say about buying from Safe & Chic, so we were surprised to see that they have an "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau. We found that this is due to their failure to respond to 3 customer complaints, so in this case we feel that the majority of customer feedback and product reviews speak more loudly. Some people have been loyal shoppers through Safe & Chic for nearly 10 years and have never had a bad experience. A lot of people have turned to this company as their trusted source for clean beauty products and say the products are high quality, the staff is helpful, and shipping is always on time.

Backed by a good cause

In a time where customers are pushing back on harmful additives and chemicals in their cleaning products, food, and beauty products, we're thrilled to see companies like Safe & Chic emerge to offer better options. Hormone dysregulation, reproductive harm, and neurological issues are just the beginning of how some unregulated beauty products can have a negative effect on our overall health. We want to support Safe & Chic's mission to provide better beauty products for individuals, so if this is something that's important to you, Safe & Chic is a great starting place for buying clean beauty products and they've earned our recommendation as a beauty store worth shopping.

Nordstrom

• Thousands of products in each category
• Free shipping
• Free returns without a time limit
• Earn rewards on purchases
• Thousands of customer ratings on products
• "A-" Better Business Bureau rating

Nordstrom has over 100 years under their belt in the fashion industry. Known for their high-end brands and trend-forward fashion products, the company has all the clothing, shoes, and beauty products you could ever want for men, women, and children. Nordstrom has over 368 stores worldwide and their inventory varies across locations, so their online store has the biggest selection of beauty products.

Lots to discover

There are over 2,723 types of makeup available at Nordstrom between their eyeshadows, foundation, lipstick, mascara, and eyeliner selection. They have over 4,500 skin care items, 2,900 fragrances, and 1,200 hair care products. Nordstrom is full of products and brands you've probably never even heard of, so there is much to discover here. You can shop by gender, color, brand, formulation, price, ingredients, skin types, hair concern, and more.

Hundreds of boujee brands

Unsurprisingly, there are hundreds of beauty brands at your fingertips when you're shopping Nordstrom's site. Bobbi Brown, CHANEL, ILIA, Lancome, MAC, Too Faced, Tom Ford, and Valentino Garavani are just a few of the well-known choices. Most of what you'll find here is nice, expensive makeup that has been formulated for a wide range of skin tones and skin concerns.

Nordy Club

Nordstrom always offers free shipping on all purchases, which we love. At the time of this review, they were offering free 2-day shipping for a limited time, which is awesome. If you become a member of the "Nordy Club" (which is free) then you'll earn rewards on purchases that you can redeem on future orders. When we were researching this, they happened to be offering 5x rewards on beauty products, so we earned more back on what we spent than what is normally available, which is 1 point per dollar spent. If you use a Nordstrom credit or debit card, you earn 2 points per $1. 1,000 points equates to $10 off a purchase. If you're a frequent shopper here, you might as well be racking up points.

Unbeatable amount of customer ratings

Nordstrom is a really popular store, so the amount of customer reviews on their products is through the roof. We were interested in an Oribe nursing hair oil that costs $59 for a 3 oz bottle and noticed that it had 1,400 reviews. There were tons of photos people had posted of their product along with comments and ratings of the product's effectiveness. Nordstrom also clearly lists out all the ingredients in the formula, details about the brand, how to use the product, and what the shipping and returns policy are.

No return time limits

Customers can return their orders to Nordstrom for free. This is part of Nordstrom's confidence in their products and desire to make sure buyers are really happy with their items. They'll provide you a return label you can use to mail your items back or you can return them to your nearest store. Amazingly, there are no time limits for returns and exchanges to Nordstrom. They reserve the right to accept things on a case-by-case basis, but they're extremely flexible about when you decide to return your products.

A reputable company

The Better Business Bureau gives Nordstrom an "A-" rating. This store originated in 1901, so they've been around the block and know how to curate a positive buying experience for their customers. The thousands of reviews on each beauty product are a great way to learn about the item and decide if you want to go through with your purchase.

Don't hesitate

We like that there is such a huge selection of beauty products at Nordstrom, their shipping is free, and you can earn rewards points on purchases. Their unusually flexible return policy is also a huge perk and goes to show that this company knows what they are selling is good. If you want quality beauty items, don't hesitate to check out Nordstrom.

Luminess

• Unlock 15% off with email subscription
• Free shipping on orders over $55
• Free returns and exchanges
• Try before you buy
• 1-year warranty on airbrush systems
• Try free for 30 days
• Price match guarantee

The idea to start Luminess originated nearly 25 years ago by an artist and entrepreneur named Sean Mehta. He had a flourishing garment and fashion business importing beaded gowns to the United States. During photo shoots, he noticed that the makeup artists always used airbrush machines to do makeup because it's the best way to achieve a flawless look that lasts. Mehta decided to try and make his own version of a small, portable, and easy-to-use airbrush system that women could use at home to achieve perfect makeup for themselves day after day.

Smooth and natural application

The smallest and most precise airbrush system available through Luminess right now is the ICON. It's their 5th generation model and comes in a basic and pro version. The airbrush is built to be quiet and powerful, allowing continuous airflow and two speeds for precise, touchless makeup application. Airbrushed makeup gives the look of a smooth, more natural complexion.

Choose a device for your skin type

The other devices that Luminess sells include the Breeze airbrush system, Breeze2, and Legend. Some of the devices are specifically for applying makeup while others work as a self-tanning device or microneedling. There are varying features between the devices, like some have one single speed while others have two. Some are slightly bigger and a bit louder than other devices and work better for certain skin types (combination, dry, normal, oily, or sensitive). The devices come with a charging cable, 1-year warranty, and the compressor and stylus.

Spray on foundations

The main products at Luminess revolve around airbrushing. You won't come here to find very many options for run of the mill makeup that you apply traditionally. All the foundations are meant to screw into the airbrush system. They have a range of tints to choose from and bottles come in either 0.25 or 0.5 oz sizes starting at $25 each. Depending on which airbrush system you buy initially, you could have some foundations come with your purchase.

Airbrushed skin care

Aside from the airbrush systems and spray-on foundations and blush, there are a few other products offered at Luminess. You can buy highlighter, bronzer, or concealer that you apply on your own after you've completed the airbrushed foundation step. There are very few options for most of these products, some with only 2 or 3 results. You can also shop from a few of Luminess' own lipsticks, lip stains, eyeshadows and liners, and skin care treatments. The Breeze airbrush system can be used in conjunction with a list of skin care regimens for a spray-on application.

Higher upfront costs

The amount you spend at Luminess will depend on the airbrush system you buy and the variety of makeup and skin care products you choose to go with it. The ICON Pro system was on sale at the time of this review for $179.95 and came with 2 foundations, a blush, and another free gift. The Breeze2 Pro comes with 8 types of makeup for $229.91 or you can buy the device on its own for $189. The tanning system is $129 and you can buy a microneedling device for $229. In short, there's a bigger upfront cost for this makeup since you'll first need to buy a device, but after that, you can expect to pay a similar amount as you might on another type of foundation or concealer, although the makeup might not last as long due to the unique application process. If you sign up for Luminess' email list, you'll get a code for 15% off your order, so we highly recommend doing this the first time around.

Trial period

You have 30 days to try out your Luminess system before having to pay for it, which is pretty amazing. After the 30 day period, you'll be billed in monthly installments until the device is paid off or you can opt to pay for it all upfront. Within this timeframe, you can send the airbrush system back for a refund by calling their customer service team and requesting a return authorization number. They'll email you a shipping label you can use to send back your order.

High customer satisfaction

Luminess does not have a rating from the Better Business Bureau, but their customer reviews are enough for us. People love how amazing the customer service at Luminess is and how promptly they process returns and ship out orders. The company is really generous with sending out different shades of makeup to ensure that customers find exactly what they want. The devices seem to be high quality and, as designed, makeup goes on smoothly. We appreciate that there are product reviews on individual items, so be sure to read through those if you want some additional insight into the performance of these products.

A fresh take on makeup

Luminess is a unique and interesting take on beauty products. It's uncommon to use airbrushing day to day, so it's fun that this company has made it more of a standard practice for people. You won't find all the beauty products here that you'd find at our highest rated stores, but if you want a fresh new take on makeup application, check out Luminess. They've earned a good rating from us and we are pleased with what we see from this company.

Macy's

• Thousands of beauty items
• Hundreds of brands
• Unfiltered product reviews
• Free shipping on orders over $49
• 30-day return policy
• "A+" Better Business Bureau rating

Macy's is an American department store chain that was founded in 1858. They are a sister store to Bloomingdale's known for their men's, women's, and children's apparel. In addition, Macy's has a huge inventory of home furnishings, intimate apparel, shoes, accessories, perfumes, and beauty products. A big part of their identity is attached to hosting the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, a 3-hour celebration that has been nationally televised since 1953.

Hundreds of popular brands

Macy's is one of those stores that just seems to be a catch-all for brands and products. Their inventory is massive and ever-changing and their beauty products are no exception. The categories of beauty products here include makeup, skin care, perfume, cologne, hair care, and gift sets. Within each of these categories are thousands of items from brands like Estee Lauder, Lancome, DIOR, Chanel, Clinique, MAC, Benefit, and others. There are hundreds of brands to choose from and you can sort by your favorites.

User-friendly site

You can sort by the type of skin care you're looking for, the hair care product you want to find, or the part of your face that you need makeup for. In addition, you can sort by price, trending products, delivery and pickup options, or just search for exactly what you hope to find. For as many products as Macy's has, their website is user friendly and they make it easy to sort through their thousands of products.

Lots of sale items

The cost of the beauty products you're interested in will vary based on the brand and size. Every once in a while, Macy's will run sales on a lot of their products. For example, at the time of this review, they listed a discount code for 15% off of many of the beauty products online. This way you can often get things a little cheaper than you might find them somewhere else. It's nice that Macy's carries high-end brands as well as good but less expensive brands so that customers of all preferences and on all different budgets can find some of their favorite beauty products. Plus, if you spend at least $49 on beauty products, your order will ship for free.

Great product listings

We were interested in a Lancome Renergie Lift anti-wrinkle foundation and found that Macy's stocked it in 20 colors. If you're looking for makeup, Macy's has a "shade finder" that compares the tints you use in other brands and makeup types to help you find the most similar option in the product you're viewing. They show lots of pictures of all their products, give expensive product details with ingredients, how to use the item, why people like it, and unfiltered reviews from buyers. The Lancome anti-wrinkle foundation alone had 2,847 customer ratings, which was more than enough to help us decide if it was a good purchase or not.

30-day return policy

Online purchases can be returned to a Macy's store near you or online. If you aren't a Macy's Star Reward member, it will cost $9.99 for return shipping. You have 30 days to send back your order for a full refund and it needs to be in new, unused condition in order to qualify.

Useful customer ratings

The most useful resource you can turn to when deciding whether or not to buy a product from Macy's is the buyer feedback on each item listed. You'll know if the product was carefully packaged, if it was high quality, and just about everything else you could wonder. Macy's receives an "A+" from the Better Business Bureau and has a long standing history as a reputable company that sells high quality products.

Good option

Macy's is a great option for beauty products since they have such a huge selection and their prices are fair. Depending on where you're located, you might be able to order online and do a same-day pickup at your local Macy's or even get same-day delivery. Macy's has such a huge assortment of products, so beauty items aren't their bread and butter, but we are still confident that most people will find something they were looking for here.

Strawberry Net

• Over 800 international beauty brands
• 30-day return policy
• Free shipping on orders over $50
• Constant sales
• Lower prices on well-known products
• Rewards program

Strawberrynet sells over 800 international beauty brands with over 36,000 products. Customers can shop here in over 38 languages since their customers come from over 200 different countries. Their inventory is impressive and contains most products you'd find at any other beauty store. The company has been around since 1998, launching in the same era as Amazon, eBay, and PayPal. Strawberrynet is one of the longest running e-commerce firms globally.

Know what you're looking for

Strawberrynet says their site is aimed at customers who have already purchased and experienced the products before. Their homepage seems a bit random with a slew of different brands and products highlighted, flash sales, best seller lists, top picks, and more. Ideally you'll be able to just search for what you want or use one of the categories (skincare, makeup, haircare, men's cologne, women's perfume, home scents, men's skincare, or health) to narrow it down. You'll find one of the biggest selection of brands at Strawberrynet compared to anywhere else online.

Always a sale

When you spend over $50 at Strawberrynet, you won't have to pay for shipping. There are always sales and discounts available here. For example, when we were shopping, Strawberrynet was offering a 2 for 10% off or 3 for 15% off deal. Fragrance and sunscreen were an extra 5% off and all sun care, bronzers, and travel sets were 15% off as well. Strawberrynet often discounts specific brands as well. We were able to snag all Christian Dior items for 35% off and Chanel for 45% off.

Hit and miss product variations

It's fabulous to get a discount on products at Strawberrynet, but you may not always get as many options for each product as you could elsewhere. For example, we were looking at the BareMinerals original SPF foundation and it only came in 3 shades. Their mineral veil only came in a single translucent color. This is the case for a lot of other products and brands as well. They won't work for very many skin tones, so you may find that the selection is hit and miss in some ways.

Unrewarding rewards program

If you're a frequent shopper at Strawberrynet, you could sign up to earn rewards points, although it isn't as great of a deal as we hoped. 2% of your total order value will become your points, so if you were to spend $100, you'd get 2 points. This isn't going to add up super quickly, but you might as well save up if you're going to be shopping here anyway. You can only apply your points to your purchase once you have $300 of items in your bag. But if your total drops below $50 once you've applied your points, you lose the perk of free shipping.

30-day returns for unopened products

Returns can be made to Strawberrynet once you've had them authorized by customer service. This can be done within 30 days of receipt as long as the item is unopened and unused. You'll be responsible for the cost of return shipping, so factor that in when deciding whether or not you want to send back your order.

Nearly expired items

Strawberrynet is definitely legit, even if a lot of people have never heard of them before. Their discounted prices, huge assortment of products, and flashy website might make people a bit skeptical of the company, but they are the real deal. However, a lot of customers feel like the reason they stock the products they do and are able to offer them at lower prices is because they are old products that are nearly expired. A lot of people are thrilled with this and have no issues, while others would rather pay a bit more to make sure their items are fresh and can last for a while longer. Their prices used to be more competitive, but have gone up a bit in recent years, so people don't feel like they're getting as big of discounts as they once were. Other than this, there's no reason to be worried about shopping here.

Good option, but not our first stop

Strawberrynet is a good place to look for beauty products if you want to save a few dollars on a full-priced item that you've found somewhere else. You might not find the right shade or variation you want, but it's worth checking. Strawberrynet has made a lot of customers very happy and you can read unfiltered product reviews on items that will assure you this is a reliable place to shop. This isn't our first stop for beauty products, but Strawberrynet has still earned a good rating from us.

Planet Beauty

• Free shipping on orders over $59
• 20% off coupon code
• 30-day return policy
• Thousands of hair products and skincare items
• Price-match guarantee

Planet Beauty was founded in Newport Beach, California in 1992. The company prides itself on providing an exceptional shopping experience for customers where education is at the center. Their employees are mandated to attend training that are brand-specific to ensure that their beauty advisors remain elite in terms of knowledge and experience. Many of their employees are licensed estheticians, hair stylists, and/or certified makeup artists.

Thousands of products for men and women

Planet Beauty offers over 20,000 professional beauty products in makeup, hair, skincare, styling tools, and fragrances. They also have a wide variety of items for men such as shaving tools, trimmers, shower gels, shampoo, body moisturizer, eye creams, cleansers, moisturizing treatments, and more. Their website is organized in easy-to-navigate categories to help you find the right product.

Chances for discounts

When you reach Planet Beauty's website, you'll see a form you can fill out with your email address and phone number. If you do, they'll send you a 20% off coupon code that you can put towards your next purchase. When you spend over $59 at Planet Beauty, you'll also get free shipping. On top of this, the company periodically runs sitewide sales for up to 15% or 20% off, so if you play your cards right, you won't have to pay full price on your orders here.

Price-match guarantee

Planet Beauty offers a price-match guarantee on their items. If you find an identical product from an online retail competitor (including shipping and delivery fees), you can send the ad via email to the company and they'll match the price. Some examples of major national retailers they'll price match include ULTA, Sephora, Amazon, Mays, and Nordstrom.

Smaller makeup selection than expected

Even though there are thousands of options for beauty products as a whole at Planet Beauty, we were surprised that their makeup selection alone only hosts over 460 products. Broken down, this only gave us results for a handful of products in categories like BB and CC creams, eye shadow and base primer, eyeliner, and even foundation. Although this is a decent enough selection to find something if you really needed it, we've seen such a bigger variety from other beauty stores. If you have a brand and product you really love, we aren't extremely confident that Planet Beauty will carry it. The hair products and skincare line have a bigger inventory at Planet Beauty, so you'll have the most luck if you're shopping for one of those.

Return items within 30 days

If you need to make a return to Planet Beauty, make sure you do it within 30 days of the purchase date. You'll need your original receipt (which will probably be in an email) and you should expect to have $5.99 deducted from your refund for return shipping. By emailing Planet Beauty's representatives at the provided email or giving them a call, you'll be able to confirm that your purchase qualifies for a return and start the process.

Bad BBB rating, high customer reviews

Planet Beauty's "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau was not thrilling. Luckily their customer reviews are more reassuring. In general, people really do like this company and feel like they are fast, efficient, and high quality. Many customers feel like they're able to get some of the best deals here, it's easy to order, and things arrive without any problems. However, we wish the company would allow reviews on individual products to give shoppers the most helpful buying experience.

Mediocre choice

Overall, Planet Beauty seems like a decent place to shop for beauty products. They've made quite a name for themselves throughout California, but are lesser-known in other places. The company has a decent selection overall, but we wish they had more makeup options. Nothing else about them really "wows" us, especially since they don't have reviews on their products. Planet Beauty has earned a mediocre rating from us.

Sally Beauty

• Save 15% with email signup
• Over 8,000 products
• Free shipping on orders over $40
• Free 2-hour delivery on orders over $35 (in some areas)
• Frequent sales like BOGO discounts
• 60-day return policy

Sally Beauty, often referred to just as "Sally's" or just "Sally" , is one of the most well-known beauty supply stores around the United States. They're a great go-to when you need something quick. If you've ever had a DIY hair disaster, you might have ended up at Sally's, finding products to fix it ASAP. The company started in New Orleans back in 1964 and by 1991 they had 1,000 brick-and-mortar locations. As they acquired new businesses they aggressively expanded throughout the world and now serve millions of customers through their website.

Sally online > Sally in-store

If you've ever been inside a Sally Beauty store, you know they aren't very big. Their stores carry a variety of all the basic essentials (mostly revolving around hair care), but their online inventory is where it's at. Here you have access to over 8,000 products ranging from hair coloring systems to hair extensions, foot spas and accessories, and cosmetics. For both men and women alike, Sally offers inexpensive beauty products to spice up your daily routines.

Something for everyone

There are hundreds of brands available through Sally Beauty. Some are lesser-known, but they always carry the common ones like Babe Lash, Clairol, Conair, Daily Dose, Framar, Mane "N Tail, Raw Sugar, Sally Hansen, and so many others. When you're in a pinch, you can usually assume that Sally will have what you need. They don't exclusively carry clean brands or high-end brands, but they have a good selection of everything in between.

BOGO deals

Like many companies do, Sally will give you 15% off your order if you sign up for their email marketing list. Another reason people like Sally is because it seems like they have sales all the time. At the time of this review, Sally was offering a buy 1 get 1 50% off deal. One of our favorite products here is the Daily Dose miracle moisture leave-in conditioner for just $19.79. It has 72 reviews from customers and Sally has a great product description with highlights, ingredients, how to use, and shipping information.

Same-day shipping options

If you live close to a Sally Beauty location, they often offer free 2-hour delivery when you spend over $35. How amazing is that? Otherwise, you'll get free standard shipping with a $40 purchase. Another option is to order online where you'll likely get the best price, then if you're out and about running errands, you could do an in-store pickup if they carry your item close by. There are a few ways to go about getting your order from Sally Beauty and all of them are quick and easy.

Love it or return it guarantee

If a product you purchase from Sally Beauty doesn't work out, you have two options for returning it. You can either swing by your local store and go through the refund process in-person or you can contact customer service and request a return shipping label to send your purchase back to their fulfillment center. As long as you return your items within 60 days of the purchase date, you'll get a full refund credited to your original form of payment.

Good potential, poor performance

Sally Beauty has the makings of a great, convenient beauty store to take care of all your basic personal care needs. Their prices are reasonable, shipping is convenient, and they've been around the block as far as being in the industry for a long time. So, it was disappointing to see that they have a "D-" rating from the Better Business Bureau because of quite a few complaints made against the business. They also have a laundry list of issues customers have run into when buying here, like people receiving their orders late, quality issues with products, and problems trying to work with customer service. We wish there were more consistent reports of positive experiences at this beauty store.

A mediocre choice for beauty products

There are some really fantastic beauty stores online, so we can't give Sally Beauty one of our highest ratings when they can't keep up with their competition. If you just need a quick product for a good price, we would still give Sally Beauty a chance. However, this is probably not the best go-to place to rely on for all your personal care needs. We've personally had some good experiences with them, but Sally has still only earned a decent rating from us.

Bluemercury

• Hundreds of unfiltered product reviews
• 10% off first order with email signup
• Free shipping on orders over $100
• Free returns
• 90-day return policy

Named after a combination of one of the founder's favorite colors and the ancient Roman messenger god Mercury, Bluemercury is recognized as a destination for luxury beauty and spa services. The company originated in 1999 and is currently owned by Macy's. Bluemercury has tried to position itself as a neighborhood beauty retailer by building locations in densely populated areas. Still, Bluemercury isn't accessible to most people locally, so their online store is home to all their products that can ship anywhere in the US.

Brand inclusivity

Some of the top brands sold by Bluemercury include Augustinus Bader, Diptyque, La Mer, M-61, Oribe, and Skinceuticals. If you are open to exploring new products and want to support diverse brands, Bluemercury has them organized into Asian American and Pacific Islander-owned brands, LGBTQ-owned, Hispanic-owned brands, women-owned brands, and black-owned brands. All of them include high-end products that you won't get cheap. If you're someone who uses mainstream makeup brands like Covergirl, Ogee, bareMinerals, L'Oreal, NYC, or others, Bluemercury will probably prove to have exorbitant costs and unfamiliar products.

High-end products and prices

Customers should expect to pay higher prices at Bluemercury than they might find at other beauty stores. The brands here are high-end, so you can easily spend $115 on face powder or $120 on a brush. Shampoo and conditioner might be $50 to $60 a bottle and an eye cream as much as $125. At the time of this review, all M-61 products were eligible for 25% off with a discount code, but for the most part you'll find items to be listed at full price. If you're up for some marketing emails, Bluemercury will send you a 10% off code if you sign up for their list and that's the best deal you'll probably find here.

Shop sales

If you aren't looking for a specific product from Bluemercury, but rather you're open to browsing and seeing if anything would work for you, then go ahead and sort their products by price or explore the "Last Chance & Offers" page. This might be a good way to snag a quality candle for 50% off or try out a boujee face mask for half the price. If you spend over $100 on your order, you'll qualify for free shipping.

Hundreds of customer reviews

Customers can leave unfiltered reviews on products from Bluemercury. Some of them have hundreds and most of them are really positive, so this is a great resource when purchasing expensive products. It will give you peace of mind to know that Bluemercury does not sell knock-off products. You'll also be able to see the different sizes that any given product comes in, read product information, highlights, ingredients, and learn how to apply the product when you're browsing a listing.

90+ days for returns

You have a full 90 days to make returns to Bluemercury if you choose to. Even if you wait longer than that, you can still get money back in the form of a gift card. That's pretty generous if you ask us. As long as products are new or in gently used condition, they'll be accepted back to the facility.

"Meh" company reviews

We aren't thrilled with the "D-" rating that Bluemercury receives from the Better Business Bureau. Their failure to respond to some customer complaints has earned them this low score. This doesn't dissuade us from shopping here, especially if we find a product that has been highly rated by lots of other customers. We wish there were more reviews for the company overall, but surprisingly there aren't as many as we expected. Some people have complained that orders are often canceled and that Bluemercury's in-stock inventory isn't as extensive as it appears to be. Others say shipping can take a while and every so often, they're sent the wrong product.

Not in most people's budgets

Bluemercury seems like a nice, fancy store for beauty products, but it will be overboard for most people. If you need new lipstick or a nourishing hair mask, you won't need to come to Bluemercury to find it. If you have money to blow and feel loyal to any of the brands at Bluemercury, we could see why you'd be a fan of the store. But ultimately Bluemercury isn't one of our top choices for beauty stores since it will probably fall out of most people's price range and it sells more niche products.

Beauty Brands

• 100% satisfaction guarantee
• Save $7.50 with email signup
• Free shipping on orders $25+
• Men's and kids' product categories
• 60-day return policy
• Unfiltered customer product reviews

Beauty Brands was founded in 1995 by a man named Bob Bernstein. The goal of the store was to save customers time and money by supplying all their beauty needs in one location. Early on, Beauty Brands was one of the first places to offer a full-scale salon and spa in their retail store. With their online store, they've been able to bring their products to customers around the world.

Flashy website

If you aren't a fan of websites with lots of pop-ups and bright colors and ads that feel like they're screaming at you, Beauty Brands won't top your charts. Big banners run across the website advertising deals like 62% savings on leave-in thermal sprays or 50% off OPI nail lacquers. There are a few sales on specific products that you can scroll through in case you find something you need, but mostly it's just overwhelming.

Small savings

It's not much, but if you enter your email and birthday into Beauty Brands' marketing list, you'll get $7.50 off your next purchase if you're a first-time shopper. There was a pop-up for a code that will save you $5 on your order as well. Again, these are miniscule discounts, but you might as well take advantage of any savings you can. The prices at Beauty Brands seem reasonable, but for stores like this, it's hard to mark things down too much since you're usually operating around the costs from some expensive brands.

Basic product details

The product categories at Beauty Brands include makeup, skincare, hair, bath and body, tools, nails, and gifts. There's even a kids' and men's section at Beauty Brands that include products for hair, skin, sun, anti-aging concerns, grooming tools, shaving, gift sets, and more. Within each category, you can view products from top brands or just narrow down to the exact item you're looking for. Each item has a list of product details, directions on how to use it, and ingredients (when applicable). Items available are listed as "in-stock" , but a shipping timeframe isn't posted. They do say that if you spend at least $25 on your purchase, shipping is free.

Unfiltered product reviews

All products from Beauty Brands are listed with the option for customers to review them. There are many items that have no customer reviews, but some have quite a few. Usually it's more specific products like blonde-hair shampoo that have people leaving feedback about their effectiveness. Standard products like a CeraVe facial moisturizer have less reviews since it's not something people would have strong opinions about.

Satisfaction "guaranteed"

Beauty Brands has a 100% satisfaction guarantee that states, "If you're not 100% satisfied with your Beauty Brands purchase, let us know and we'll make it right." It's not clear exactly how they'll make it right though. We can't be sure whether you'll get a refund or an exchange or just a replacement product, but it's worth trying to contact customer service if you have any issues with your purchase.

60-day return policy

If you simply need to make a return to Beauty Brands, you can send your item(s) back for a full refund as long as you have a receipt within 60 days of delivery. You need to have it in its original packaging with all its components, but it's also unclear whether or not it can be unopened or used at all. Once you send back your product(s), Beauty Brands will process your refund within 30 days (which seems like a long time).

A poor experience from A to Z

It's never comforting to see a company with an "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau, so it's disappointing that this is what Beauty Brands has earned. The company doesn't have nearly as many customer reviews as some of their competitors, so the fact that most of them are bad is not a good sign. A common problem is people placing orders and not receiving them when they expect to. Some orders never come at all and then it's extremely difficult to get in contact with someone from Beauty Brands to rectify the problem. A few customers felt like they got knock-off products from Beauty Brands and others say their orders are canceled altogether out of the blue. Everything you'd want to go right in an online transaction seems to go wrong for some people who shop at Beauty Brands.

Not trustworthy

There are enough red flags from Beauty Brands that we won't be shopping here for our beauty products. Since their prices are decent and they have a good selection, it would be nice to feel like we could rely on this company, but we really don't. You'll get more value from your money if you shop for beauty products from a higher-rated store.