Beauty cheaper in the US than the UK

crazy-cat-lady_2

I go to the US once a year and live in Sephora, which is one of the best make up and beauty shops. I make sure i have enough of everything to last until the next trip.

It is far cheaper for a lot of things over there than here, even after tax. US brands are cheaper there..philosophy, OPI, fresh and other brands like that you pay a lot less (dependant on exchange rates), but you pay through the nose for UK brands. Molton brown for example, i often see for double the UK prices, same with Jo Malone and similar brands.

shipping is so expensive it means i can't order from there. I often use ebay and amazon to find US brands that i'd either pay a fortune for in the shops over here, or not be able to find at all. But then there's always the competition from other people wanting it..

One place i used to use (and you'll have to forgive me, i haven't used it in a long time so it may not exist now) is makeupalley they have members worldwide who list new and unwanted items for swap, you list yours and you post things to each other. You're only paying postage on the items you send, so it isn't extortionate like from a lot of international websites and you can get some pretty cool swaps. The only thing is, you have to have something they want too. Not always the case

crazy-cat-lady_2

Another idea for you, if you don't mind being unsure of what you get is subscription boxes. I'm a make up junkie too and can't get enough. I'm subscribed to a few of them; Birchbox, glossybox, my little box, love me beauty and latest in beauty.
They're usually around £10 a month. You can buy a one off or subscribe. You get about 5 items a month, mix of sample size and full size products and they're often from a mix of countries. I often get US products if that is what you're specifically looking for.