How to: Shop online! Part One

Christmas is coming and we are all out on a hunt for those perfect gifts - not only for our family and friends but also for ourselves. The pre-Christmas time is a period of special offers, discounts and amazing value box sets. Particularly when it comes to beauty - online shops are filled with tempting treats and gift ideas. 
Now I know that I promised you a post about online shopping long time ago. It took me ages but I finally got round to doing it. Here comes a list of my favourite beauty websites. In Part Two I will focus on my personal tricks and tips when it comes to shopping online and all the pitfalls that await you on the Internet.

It will come to no surprise to you that I consider myself a mild shopaholic. Having said that, I do hate crowds, especially being pushed and elbowed by other customers who also want to see and touch and grab a product. Especially when it comes to beauty shopping, there is just something calming and satisfying about doing it online. Finding all the treasures you want and somehow managing to get them sent to your door. Quite often cheaper and with free shipping included.

 Below you can find a short description of my 'go-to' websites where I regularly do my beauty shopping. I can truly recommend all of them and I have never been disappointed with their service.

1. Feelunique.com.

Feelunique is an absolute best of the best. A place to go if you are in search of high-end brands (competitive prices) and more unique treasures like Emma Hardie cleanser, Antipodes face masks and Caudalie Beauty Elixir. Moreover, it's my go-to website when it comes to Benefit cosmetics, Real Techniques brushes and beauty electronics.
Feelunique was one of the first companies to offer free shipping worldwide. Their service is very fast and reliable as it never takes more than 4-5 days for the delivery to arrive in Sweden or Poland.  Feelunique has the best customer service I have ever encountered. Every issue I may have, they resolve it immediately, always with their customer in mind. And would you believe it?  They reply to your e-mails within 2-3 hours. I cannot praise them enough. However, be aware that the company is situated in Jersey. Being one of the Channel Islands, Jersey is not a part of the European Union, and,thus, some additional custom charges may be applied by your own country (it does not happen very often though).


2. Beauty Bay

 My second favourite when it comes to beauty shopping, Beauty Bay is a place to turn to when in search of Urban Decay cosmetics, Essie and O.P.I miniature sets and Alpha-H Liquid Gold. They have plenty of discounts and ongoing sale so you can really get a great deal on many of your favourites. Similarly to feelunique, I would recommend it for more high-end purchases rather then drugstore (you can find cheaper drugstore cosmetics on other websites). 

As for shipping, for some reason delivery tends to take a bit longer than at Feelunique (which is weird, since the company is based in Manchester). My experience is that it can be up to two-three weeks in some cases but everything always comes in perfect condition.

3. Cult Beauty

Now this website is a special treat. It stocks the most unique treasures from everyone's beauty wishlist. Truth to be told, this is not a place where you go to find amazing deals and discounts. The website's selection is, however, to die for. Kevin Aucoin, Jouer Cosmetics and Aesop to name a few, this online shop specializes in brands that are unique, luxurious and hard to find. A paradise for any beauty-lover who likes to go beyond the mainstream.

Cult Beauty ships internationally and the shipping is free over 50 pounds. Definitely worth checking out. 

4. Space NK Apothecary

Similarly to Cult Beauty, Space NK is a website perfect for those who want to find more high-end and rare products. I especially love it for its large stock of haircare brands and Hourglass make-up. Their offer is very impressive and the actual website is very easy to use. Just browsing through the Space NK pages is a  experience on its own. Worth giving it a closer look now, before Christmas, as they have some lovely gift sets on offer.

5. eBay

eBay is my first love when it comes to online shopping. You can either use the website by searching their eBay-based shops (where you can just buy the product on the spot) or you can make your purchase from an individual user by taking part in an auction (you bid on the product you like).

Although theoretically the purchases via eBay are less reliable than regular Internet shops, I've never had bad experiences with the service. I love it especially for great prices on my favourite brands of nail polish.You can find cheap O.P.I, Essie, Orly or Zoya polishes, even from old limited editions. 

The shipping is not too bad either. The only downside is the waiting time (especially if you order from U.S, Australia or China) and the lack of guarantee that the item is 100% genuine. While the nail polishes are almost always a safe option, I would be careful when ordering some popular make-up brands, especially M.A.C or NARS. So many fakes out there. Thus, always read the opinions about every seller or shop you buy from.

6. East End Cosmetics and The Cosmetic House

East End Cosmetics is a heaven for drugstore make-up. I absolutely love this website for its amazing deals. Their prices are low and, on the top of that, the website offers discount codes, promos and offers that can make you pay no more than a pound for an impressive stash of cosmetics. Similarly to Feelunique, their customer service is top quality and their shipping quick. I especially recommend checking their stock of Maybelline and W7 cosmetics. The only downside of the website is that, since they work like an outlet, they often don't have a full range of colours. 

The Cosmetic House works similar to East End Cosmetics: they specialize in competitive prices on various drugstore brands. They also seem to have a few high-end cosmetics in their offer but often only one or two products in each category. Not a wide selection but definitely a place to check if you're looking for a great bargain.

7. Beauty joint/ Cherry Culture

Both Beauty Joint an Cherry Culture are the websites I turn to when I lust for some drugstore American products. They seem to have them all. My favourites come from NYX, Physicians Formula and Wet n Wild but you can also find brands such as Lime Crime, Jordana, e.l.f, Milani as well as L'oreal and Revlon. The products are reasonably cheap and the value of the shipping is based on the value of your order. As your things are shipped from America it may take a while to be delivered but usually no longer than two weeks.

There are many more websites out there and some of them deserve at least an honourable mention such as Strawberry for great outlet deals, Net-a-porter for sophisticated beauty selection (check out Charlotte Tillbury's new make up collection) and Love-makeup for Zoeva and Sigma brushes. 
Let me know what your favourite online shops are. Where do you shop for beauty?
In Part 2 I will focus on questions such as how to pay online, what to think about when shopping on the Internet and how to make sure you always get the products you want.

And let's not forget. Christmas is coming so why not to buy some lovely presents online?