The Best Online Beauty Stores to Shop From the Comfort of Home
The Best Online Beauty Stores to Shop From the Comfort of Home
While there’s a certain inimitable joy to walking into your favorite beauty store, swatching lipsticks, spritzing yourself with perfume, and meticulously scanning the rows of products, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by an endless supply of options to choose from. And don’t even get us started on those checkout line goodies (I mean, talk about irresistible). Shopping online, however, affords us the option to take our time, sort by category and price, and sift through product reviews from the comforts of our couch (bed, bath…you know the deal). Aside from the basic “sort by” function, beauty websites are now, more than ever, equipped with shade-matching tools, detailed product descriptions, and the option to return or refund easily, making shopping online more tempting than ever. From eco-friendly indie brands to those that have been around for decades, read below for the best places to shop for beauty products online.
1) Blue Mercury
Blue Mercury is a treasure trove for luxury beauty fanatics, where you can find tried-and-true beauty staples and emerging brands alike. The thoughtfully curated range of products—by real beauty and skincare experts—insures that no matter what you shop, you can feel confident in your purchase. If you prefer clean skincare products, browse through their “Conscious seal of approval products” for vegan and cruelty-free options.
2) Nordstrom
Nordstrom’s comprehensive selection of luxe beauty products is curated enough that you’ll never feel overwhelmed, while also featuring a broad range of items across every product type. Nordstrom’s exclusive makeup and skincare sets make the perfect gift for beauty junkies (or to treat yourself!).
3) Sephora
We’d be remiss not to mention this beauty store staple, whose online shop is equally as impressive as their brick and mortar stores. With one of the largest stocks of makeup, skincare, haircare, fragrance, and tools, Sephora is the place to go if you want plenty of options and high quality products. Browse through their buying guides if you’re looking for guidance, or sort through their hyper-specific categories (like shopping by age) if you prefer a more narrow search.
4) Follain
Follain’s mission is enough to make the brand worth shopping, but their online beauty store is one you’ll return to time and time again. Follain works directly with their clients and makers to insure that all of their products are non-toxic, gentle, and safe to use, with a five-step approval process for everything that they sell.
5) Ulta
It’s Ulta’s range of brands—and prices—that makes their online shop so great. From Dior perfume to Maybelline lipstick, Ulta’s balance of high and low is what makes the site so clutch.
6) Anthropologie
Anthropologie may not be the first place that comes to mind when shopping for beauty and skincare products, but their beauty and wellness section is not one to overlook. From big name brands like Supergoop and Sigma to smaller indie brands and eco-friendly lines, Anthropologie is the perfect place to discover new products you may have otherwise missed.
7) The Detox Market
What began as a pop-up in Los Angeles has since transformed into a failsafe shop for sustainably sourced, clean (and green!) beauty products. Everything at The Detox Market has been vetted by their team of experts, with less than two percent of brands actually passing their quality “test.” The Detox Market’s “Banned Ingredients List” shows just how meticulous they are about insuring that what they sell is good not only for your body, but the environment and industry as a whole.
8) Glossier
While nothing will compare to Glossier’s upbeat, bubblegum-hued brick and mortar shops, this startup’s online store is a pretty great alternative. The brand's “beauty sets” and “collections” are a great starting point to exploring their unique range of makeup and skincare.
9) Target
Hear us out: while Target may feel like more of a home, grocery, and tech destination, their generous selection of beauty products is one you don’t want to miss out on. From makeup, skincare, haircare, and tools, Target is the place to go if you’re someone who likes to do your own vetting. Target’s recently launched “Clean Beauty” section is a great place to start if you’re in search of affordable-yet-sustainable options.
10) Birchbox
Whether you’re new to the beauty game or not, Birchbox’s monthly subscription box is a great way to explore emerging brands and new products, all of which are curated based on the profile you fill out when signing up for the monthly service. For $13-$15 per month, you’ll receive between 4 and 6 deluxe samples of makeup, skincare, haircare, and nail products.
Because we all deserve a little pampering right now.