Honest reviews, regular hauls and all things beauty.

Friday 8 March 2024

My favourite sites for beauty, high street and luxury shopping and why...

My favourite sites for beauty, high street and luxury shopping and why

I do the majority of my shopping online and have done for years. I like the convenience of it and knowing what's available, plus most sites have free shipping (although some limits to get the free shipping and some charges have crept up over the past 2/3 years). I have to say that when it comes to clothes, I prefer to try them on in the comfort of my own home but that being said, it's hard to beat feeling fabrics and seeing colours in the flesh. Today I want to share my favourite sites for shopping for beauty, high street fashion and luxury fashion and the reasons I favour these sites.

Beauty:

Look Fantastic: I've shopped on this site for years and I love how many brands are on there now. I also love that I have a discount code (BEAUTYLYMIN will save you 21% on most brands), which I share but also use myself because it makes a big difference when shopping. It can be used on luxury brands, budget brands and everything in between! I really love the beauty points system because I love being able to redeem my points to further reduce the cost of my order! The more you spend, the more you earn, which can be dangerous! My only little peeve is the delivery charge, which used to be zero, then £1, is now £4.99 for orders and the delivery time is still around a week (to Ireland).

Sephora: I used to order from Sephora in the U.S. using a post forwarding service but that became more difficult with restrictions and fortunately, this happened to coincide with the UK site launching. I love that we now have access to Sephora own brand products as well as so many other brands that we couldn't previously buy here. The stock levels always seem to be good and I've never paid for postage or been charged fees (keep your order to under £150 to avoid fees on this site). I also love that you get rewards, which can be redeemed against future orders and it doesn't take very long for them to build up. The only negative is the delivery time, which is usually around 9 days.

Space NK: Another site with a great variety of brands and a good rewards scheme. Their GWPs are always great value and I've noticed that their discount codes have become more frequent than they were 3//4 years ago. This is when I normally stock up. They always have the best Advent Calendar too!

Cult Beauty: They are now owned by The Hut Group, so they also have a beauty points scheme now, where you can earn points that can be converted to cash and then redeemed off orders but once converted, they must be spent within a week so don't convert until you want to spend. They offer free delivery and it's usually quite quick - around the 4/5 day mark.

Millies: This is an Irish site that has a good range of brands and regularly has sales or discount codes of 20% available. The shipping is fast (usually 1/2 days) and they always include a Lindt Lindor chocolate, which is a treat!

High Street Fashion & Accessories: I tend to buy high street fashion and luxury accessories. Maybe when I win the lotto, that will change but for now that's what I do!

Next: I love that they stock so many brands as well as their own brand products, Reiss in particular. I really like their home wear and know I can depend on them if I need to buy clothes for children. I especially love that delivery is almost always next day and I find the quality of the clothes to be good.

River Island: I tend to buy basics from here but also love their coats and sweatshirts as the quality and prices are good. I personally don't find their footwear to be particularly comfortable but for clothes that you know are just a trend and therefore, you don't want to spend too much, this is a good option.

ASOS: I have a love/hate relationship with this site! I love that I can get next day delivery if I've left it late to order something but I hate that they rip us off on the exchange rate and no longer allow those of us in Ireland to shop in sterling. Other sites allow it, so ASOS should too, particularly if they are completely inflating the exchange rate! That said, there's a huge variety of brands available and you'll always find something to suit your needs/occasion on there.

Luxury Fashion & Accessories:

Far Fetch: I love this site because it's basically a worldwide boutique. It will search worldwide for whatever product you want and you'll be able to see the best prices. There are no import fees, so the price you see is the price you pay. They have a reward scheme, which adds up pretty quickly and with each level increase, you will receive new perks - free shipping and returns, early access to sales, exclusive discounts and more. I've bought bags, belts, sunglasses and more from here and always find the delivery to be prompt.

My Theresa: Another brilliant site for designer purchases and if you're lucky and hold out, you might just get what you want in their sale, with another discount on top. This has happened a few times for me and I've struck gold! I love the bright yellow boxes that orders come in and how perfectly they're packaged. Delivery is prompt and returns are free and easy. It's just a pity that there's no reward scheme. No import fees here either. I don't shop on sites that charge fees!

24s.com: This is one of the lesser known sites but the sales on this one are brilliant, with discounts on brands that are often excluded from the sales on other sites. The boxes that the orders are delivered in are very classy and delivery is very prompt. And like the other sites, the price you see is the price you pay.

Brown Thomas: I love that I can buy beauty, clothes, candles, footwear, bags and more on here. There is a loyalty card, which earns money which can be used towards future purchases. The only complaint I have is that you have to pay for both delivery and returns.

Vestiaire Collective: I think that it's definitely worth browsing here for anything you have your eye on because some things are new with tags/box and others are in excellent condition, can be authenticated and will save you money. With the rate that luxury brands are increasing their prices (seems to happen every few months since the pandemic for some reason!), it makes sense to check out the pre-loved market.

Those are my main go-to sites but I'd love to hear your favourites in case I'm missing a trick?

Thanks for reading!

All products are bought by me, unless otherwise stated. Anything marked with a * has been kindly gifted, without obligation. I don't do sponsored posts. Opinion is always my own. Affiliate links may be used. 

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