Shopping for Beauties: Makeup Shopping in the UK

T.G.I.F. Seriously.

I thought this day would never come. It just turned really busy midway through the week and I've been practically crawling towards Friday, and I just can't wait to hit the sack tomorrow. *snore*

But before that, let me share with you the makeup shopping destinations you'll want to look out for if you're in the UK. While I know there are many of you who've been to the UK before and some of you fortunate ones have even lived there (*envious scowl*), I'm hoping this little list will help those who are heading there for the first time or new to makeup hauling.

Shopping in the UK is not impossible, especially with the current (fabulous) exchange rate!

1. Boots & Superdrug

The two main drugstores in the UK, they are loaded with makeup, skincare, bodycare and haircare goodies. You'll be able to find brands that are not available here in Malaysia like Cargo, No7, Jergens, John Frieda, Too Faced, Urban Decay, Bourjois, Frontcover, James Brown and Soap & Glory.

And while there are a few brands that we do have in common - think Prestige, L'Oreal, Garnier, Vaseline, Dove etc. - they will of course, have a selection/range of products which is not brought in here.

And of course, as they are direct competitors, competition abounds in terms of pricing and promotions. Which works jolly well fine for me, the customer. Don't forget to check out their various offers, such as BOGOF deals, Buy 2 for £X amount, Buy 2 for 3 etc. If you're staying there long-term, don't forget the Boots card too, which Kahani has exploited to the max. I'm not sure if Superdrug also has a loyalty card though.

2. H&M

Again. Don't diss H&M. While this chain is noted more for its fashion, don't forget to check out their makeup corners for cheap makeup. I've bought quite a few items before, such as eyeshadows, and they come highly recommended!

3. Space.NK.apothecary

If high end products are what you're looking for, then SpaceNK is where you want to go. Here you'll be able to find brands like NARS, Eve Lom, Frederic Fekkai, Bumble & Bumble, By Terry, Jemma Kidd, Lipstick Queen and Serge Lutens. There are quite a few all over London and the rest of the UK, but the one I shopped in was in Covent Garden.

4. Sally Hair

This one I found by accident. I was walking towards Leicester Sq along Shaftesbury Ave. when I looked up and saw a door with the name "Sally Hair" and looking past the glass doors, I saw aisles of products. I walked right in. This place is like the hair shop for the hairdressers. They've got everything from shampoos, condis, styling products to hair dyes, brushes, extensions, rollers, perm rods etc. In short, everything hair related. I can't really remember the brands here (they were too many!), but whatever it is you're looking for on hair, chances are you'll find it here.

(Btw - I just read that Sally sells Queen Helene Mint Julip stuff too! Why didn't someone tell me before I went? *pouts*)

5. The Body Shop

Yes, we have The Body Shop. But no, we don't have some of the stuff they have. Like the Coconut range. And I'm guessing they have pretty awesome deals too every now and then. When I was there, there was a BOGOF offer, and I ended up getting 2 body scrubs for only £12! That's like RM30 for a full-sized body scrub tub. And to think I almost paid RM85 for a tub of the Coconut scrub while I was in Hong Kong! *phew*

6. LUSH

If you're a fan of LUSH, then you'd DEFINITELY want to shop for it here. Compared with many other countries, LUSH is cheap in the UK. And it's almost everywhere. And I sure hope it stays that way.

Happy shopping!

PS: If you know of even more great places to shop for makeup in the UK, do tell in the comments!