Not the classiest way of putting it, but it’s a simple fact of life that people love a bargain. The killer spring in your step that can only be achieved from walking away with a bagful of goodies you KNOW you couldn’t have afforded at pre-sale prices. Cheers to that.
My favourite brand for killer sales is Paul & Joe. Specifically in the Fenwicks store on Bond Street – which in itself, is one of my favourite places to shop in London. Come sale time, I will physically not leave the city until I’ve walked around it seven times and once more for luck. I’m still haunted by the fact that some HORRIBLE woman beat me to the last sale bottle of Calamity Jane (JHAG) when I was last in-store. It all happened in slow-mo — in fact, I think I may have let out a slow-mo “Noooooooooooooo!” as I watched her walk away with my dream. Bitch.
Anyway… where was I?
Oh yeah, sale goodies. Some brands are tight as… while others announce their sales with great flourish. My favourites are the ones that just silently slip last seasons goodies into a little box on the counter and let you get on with it. Guerlain are awesome at this. Lancome, getting better. The rest? Well, you can pretty much forget it.
Is it just the case that the brands who don’t put aside last season’s items simply don’t have any stock left? Or do you think it’s a status ‘thing’. Do you think it cheapens a brand’s image as ‘high end’ if it discounts their products?
I think it is undoubtedly a question of status but in these cash-strapped times, a real shame that some brands don’t have the foresight to be clever enough to attract new customers in this manner. There’s no need for all ‘bargain bins’ to look like the ones in Superdrug — you know, you need a hazmat suit to go near those right? — I strongly believe that all brands can do discounts without cheapening the brand image.
And would it pay dividends for the brands in question? I think so. From a personal point of view… I started small. I lived in my local chemist, hoovering up the bargain pencils from Collection 2000, a few months later… as my interest in beauty grew, I moved onto the Revlon. It’s like drugs. You know you’re gonna eventually end up on the hard stuff (Chanel) with a bit of puff (BarryM) inbetween to keep you high*. You just need your dealer to give you that first taste.
And just because drugs and porn** go so delightfully well together (so I’ve heard), I’ll leave you with a little makeup version. Three exquisite Paul & Joe beauty items, under £25…
Which brands get you running for their sale items and which brands would you give your eyeliner-applying arm to see throw some old stock in a discreet discount box?
* in my experience, brands absolutely love being compared to class A drugs.
** pornography works well too.
Hmm, really should peruse Bluewater more in the sales, I always focus on the clothes, never thought about make-up. I always thought it was just Boots and Superdrug that do it
Oh yeah, I love it when Guerlain puts their last season stuff on sale! I can never walk away without something, like a backup for my Meteorites Voyage Powder for half price, thankyouverymuch! 🙂
SHU Uemura. I love in space NK discount bins around January time. Shu Palette for 20 quid. BARGAIN
Probably anything from Sephora >< These look lovely!
Sephora seem ok when it comes to discounts and sales, although I only have one experience to share. A filthy dirty shelf with tatty boxes of Nars packed into it and a tiny little sign saying ‘all items 50% off’.
I can’t type a coherent comment because I’m laughing so hard
best blogpost ever.
I like the asos sales, the beauty one is amazing sometimes!
oh wow, such good bargains you made there. xx
Being cheap/poor I’ve been VERY happy with the Sue Moxley Famous goodies with 50% off in Superdrug. I hope the offer is still on as I haven’t entirely bankrupted myself yet, and if anyone actually stocks the display up, I might be able to go hell for leather.
I have bagged one or two bargains from The Cosmetics Company Store at Bicester, a nice Bobbi Brown lip gloss, Darphin gel cleanser and random Clinique. I guess the store is owned by Lauder. It’s very hit and miss though I don’t always find something. The Penhaligans shop at Bicester is also good place for a bargain, my friend landed on a couple of bottles of her favourite fragrance they were selling off cheap with the spray but no covers. I never do very well in the l’occitane shop. Everything is packaged in twos and seems expensive or you can select five small items and it also seems expensive. Last time I went it was being refitted so I hope they’ve changed the format. They also have a Molton Brown store but I’m not a fan so don’t visit.
Haha, you crack me up girl! love to read your posts (I’m subscribed to your daily newsletter too!) I love sales (if I find any) and my CCO with all the MAC, BB, Origins goodies. I agree that Guerlain has got best sales in department stores (I kinda regret I didn’t go for the -50% LE Meteorites, though I try to convince myself they were just too sparkly…). I haven’t seen Paul & Joe in my Fenwick buu but I had some great finds in Harvey Nichs with -50% The Balm and Louise Young brush sets. And of course there is always good ol’ trusty TkMaxx 🙂
Martita xxx
Givenchy do awesome sales as such too! You have to check them out at Debenhems around the sale period and the items are sometime less than half the price. They’re pretty reputed too but I don’t see them shying away from discounting last season stuff.
I recently scored Too Faced eye-liners (glitter and metallic) for ridiculously cheap at an Swedish on-line store. I usually never buy things like glitter eye-liner from high end brands but when it’s cheap as drugstore brands then I haul.
I might have found my HG black eyeliner pen, because a “foiled liner” in black slipped in with all the the glittery , shiny goodness and that was seriously the best black eye-liner I’ve tried so far.
/L
The nail polish is really a lovely shade!
I find a lot of bargains at my local Debenhams. Among the brands are nails Inc., Mavala, L’occitane, some smashbox, to name a few.