At Byrdie, we do enough online beauty shopping to qualify for a makeup lover's anonymous group. Not the best thing for our wallets, we know, but here's the upside: We know the best websites for snagging cult brands, free shipping, and freebies with the click of a mouse.
Whether you're a K-beauty lover or love shopping on-the-rise brands, we've got you covered. These sites make it easier than ever to indulge your inner beauty guru. If you're in need of a little retail therapy, keep reading for the scoop on the best sites for online beauty shopping. You can thank us later.
Ask me where my favorite place to buy makeup is and you won't hear the words Sephora or Ulta leave my lips. I'm sure this is considered blasphemy in some circles—a crime as high as accidentally knocking a Naked Palette off your vanity and watching its shimmery contents explode into smithereens. People usually guess the drugstore or Amazon next, and while yes, I am thrifty and love a good CVS haul, it's those nondescript (sometimes tacky-looking) shops smashed right in the center of a strip mall that I could go on about for days. I'll say it louder for those in the back: beauty supply stores are sorely underrated.
My obsession with them has spanned as far back as I can remember, mainly because I fell in love with makeup years before I could afford to step foot in a Sephora. As a teen who grew up in Brooklyn and later on in Roanoke, Virginia, $30 for a (considerably cheap) palette—let alone a humble lipstick—just wasn't an option. Especially at the astonishing rate I burned through black eyeliner. Those were the days of emo music and angsty Jenny Humphrey, and I needed to be a part of it. The only makeup that came within the budget determined by my allowance were from brands like Kiss, NK Cosmetics, and Absolute New York. (If you're not familiar with them, don't worry, we'll get there.)
Even now, as a beauty editor with money leftover after rent and tons of access to beauty brands, I prefer my corner beauty shop to the bright lights and packed spaces of everyone else's beloved beauty meccas. They're low-key, there's no pressure to spend grocery money on a palette you'll use once, and the displays, no joke, are just as easy to navigate. I can say with certainty I've found the world's best matte lipstick and a $3 eyeliner that rivals every single spendy version I've ever tried—about a quarter of my makeup bag is filled with hidden gems I've picked up while strolling the shelves of Sally Beauty.
I'd be remiss—and honestly, just a really crappy beauty editor—if I didn't share some of my favorites. So after rummaging the shelves for years, I've put together a short list of the beauty-supply-store brands I'm impressed with time and time again. If you happen to find yourself near a corner shop (here's an easy way to find one near you) or spot one of these brands in the wild (they've been known to pop up in assorted drugstores), just know they come highly recommended. Also, one other tip: Don't forget to check at the front for coupons before you hit the shelves. The deals get so good, it's stupid.
NK Cosmetics
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