10 Brands You Should Never Buy From Sephora

The Sephora Spring Savings Event recently wrapped up and it really got me thinking. For those who are not aware about this event, it is a sitewide sale where consumers can save anywhere from 10-20% based on their membership tier. The tier is dictated by how much you spend in a calendar year. This past sale, I started paying close attention to the plethora of posts on Instagram of beauty lovers sharing their new goodies. While I love seeing what other people pick up, I also found myself getting frustrated. I started feeling a sense of injustice as I observed products people had purchased that I know they could have gotten for a better deal elsewhere. The Sephora sale is an exciting time but there are brands where you can easily get double the discount directly on the brand’s website. I have always used this sale to purchase beauty brands that either do not ship to Canada or are not Canadian-friendly meaning they charge duties and other fees. Here are 10 brands you should never buy from Sephora as well as where to shop to get a better deal.

1) Bobbi Brown

Bobbi Brown is a global beauty empire started in 1991 by world-renowned makeup artist herself, Bobbi Brown. The line debuted with 10 lipsticks at a department store in New York City and rapidly grew from there. The success of her brand prompted Estée Lauder to buy the company in 1995 and the line has since grown in popularity. It is carried at many places in Canada including Hudson’s Bay, Nordstrom, Sephora, as well as Bobbi Brown’s Canadian website. Without question, there is absolutely no better place to buy this brand than on the brand’s site. Not only are the promotions very generous, but every sitewide sale comes with a gift with purchase (GWP) and they almost always include full size products. While the Sephora sale offers a discount of 10-20%, the frequent sitewide sales on Bobbi Brown offer 25-30% off. See the sales schedule here to plan your Bobbi Brown purchases in the future.

2) Pat McGrath

Pat McGrath Labs is a make-up line created by British Make-up Artist, Pat McGrath. She has been called the most influential make-up artist in the world by various magazines and commentators. In 2019, she was even included in Time’s 100 Most Influential People List. The brand is valued at over $1 billion and has become world-renowned for its iconic and beautiful eyeshadow palettes. Just like Bobbi Brown, the best place to buy Pat McGrath products is directly from the brand’s website. They have significant sales promotions regularly (anywhere from 20-30% off) and the best part is that shipping is ALWAYS FREE with no minimums. This is a brand that you should never buy from Sephora. Click here for the many sales and the best time to buy Pat McGrath products.

3) Smashbox

Smashbox is a cosmetics company that was founded in a photo studio in Los Angeles in 1996. Known for their primers, foundations, and lipsticks (all cruelty free), they pride themselves on making high quality, super comfortable products that look beautiful both in front and behind of the camera. This brand used to be carried mainly at Sephora and Shoppers Drug Mart but Smashbox has come through with a Canadian website that offers great promotions, GWPs, and free shipping, no minimums. Way to go Smashbox! They have sitewide sales almost monthly where you can get anywhere from 20-40% off. There is never a reason to pick up this brand at Sephora as you can’t beat the deals on Smashbox’s site which are summarized here.

4) Urban Decay

Urban Decay is a cruelty-free American cosmetics company that was introduced in 1996 in California. The brand’s goal was to disrupt the pink, red, and beige tones that dominated the beauty industry in the 90s. This brand is mainly carried at Sephora and Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada but they do have a Canadian website which is definitely the best place to fulfill all your Urban Decay needs. They run sitewide promotions frequently that usually offer a minimum of 25% off and it is worth mentioning that they also run pretty major sales monthly on different products or lines. Check out their sales schedule here.

5) Clinique

Clinique was founded in 1968 under the Estée Lauder brand. It was introduced as the world’s first allergy tested and 100% fragrance free line in the beauty industry. It has since grown and today all products are free from parabens, pthalates, and fragrance. This brand is carried at many places in Canada including The Bay, Nordstrom, Sephora, and Shoppers Drug Mart, but none of these places even come close to offering deals like Clinique’s Canadian website. Their website literally runs a 30% off sale every month and there is no reason to ever look elsewhere for your Clinique needs. This is a definitely a brand that you should never buy at Sephora. Click here to check out the schedule for their many sales.

6) IT Cosmetics

IT Cosmetics is a makeup and skincare company that works with plastic surgeons to develop “clinically proven, innovative, problem-solving products that harness cutting-edge, anti-aging technologies and skin-loving ingredients.” The brand was founded in 2008 in California in a response to the Founder not being able to find products that solved her beauty concerns. It has since grown globally and has won multiple beauty awards especially for their “Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream.” When I first discovered this brand, I was purchasing it exclusively from Sephora until I discovered their Canadian website and the MANY sales and offers they run throughout the year. They are very generous with their discounts beating out any other Retailer from which to buy this brand. Check out their sales schedule here.

7) Tarte Cosmetics

Tarte is a cosmetics company that was founded in 1999 in New York City and claims to combine glamourous makeup and good-for-you ingredients “offering eco-chic, cruelty-free cosmetics & hypoallergenic, vegan skincare.” Although I don’t use their products regularly, I am a big fan of Tarte. I think they have quality products at competitive prices and they are constantly launching new items. Tarte has a brand website that can be toggled to ship to Canada and show Canadian prices. The prices include duties so there are no added charges at checkout or upon delivery. Also, the cost of the products on the Tarte website that include duties is exactly the same as the prices at Sephora so buying them from Tarte is your best bet given the MANY MANY promotions they run. They just recently wrapped up a sitewide 35% off sale which is unbelievably generous. See their sales schedule here.

8) Armani Beauty

Armani Beauty is an extension of Italian designer, Giorgio Armani’s, fashion empire. After years of perfecting the perfume side of the business, Armani finally came out with a cosmetic line in the year 2000. Armani Beauty is now acclaimed by makeup artists worldwide for its avant-garde colors and breakthrough formulas. This brand is mainly carried at Sephora and The Bay in Canada but they do have a Canadian website which is hands down the winner for stocking up on your favourite Armani Beauty products. They run frequent sales which are summarized here.

9) YSL Beauty

YSL Beauty is the beauty arm of the French Yves Saint Laurent and was introduced in 1978. YSL stepped into the world of beauty with perfume and later expanded into cosmetics. Their makeup is described as high end and luxe but edgy and youthful. This brand is mainly carried at Sephora, Holt Renfrew and The Bay in Canada but they do have a Canadian website which is my choice for stocking up on my favourite YSL products given their frequent sales. Their sitewide sales are almost always 20% off which still beats Sephora as this same discount is only offered for those with Rouge status. Click here to see their main sales listed but keep in mind that they do have product specific sales as well almost monthly.

10) Lancôme

Lancôme hardly needs an introduction. Originally a fragrance house, Lancôme was founded back in 1935 in France. Very quickly, skincare and cosmetics products were added, some of which have remained bestsellers for over 30 years. L’Oréal acquired Lancôme in 1964, and it is now one of the largest luxury skincare companies in the world. Finding Lancôme products in Canada is not a challenging task by any means. It could be found at Sephora, Shoppers Drug Mart, The Bay, Holt Renfrew and more. The best place to buy it, however, is the Lancôme Canadian website as they truly deliver with unbeatable deals! See their sales schedule here.