As much as possible I like to keep my promises. So here is the fulfilment for one of them! :)
I was in Singapore when I finished my 2nd bottle of Mario Badescu's Buffering Lotion (it's good for cystic acne, next time I'll do a separate post about the product itself). A quick online search showed that Sephora is on the list of Mario Badescu stockists in Singapore. I became super excited when I found out that there are 2 branches: one at ION and one at Takashimaya. Out of curiosity I went to both.
I'll start with my trip to ION. First impression: the store looked tidy and orderly, with very bright white lights. The overall effect is almost too sanitized, if you get what I mean. I was quite happy to see they stocked many brands that aren't normally found in Asia. Though Sephora seemed to be playing a little "too safe" by stocking familiar names on the side: like MAC, Clarins, and other usual department stores brands. I suppose it's a business, not a charity, so they have to try to maximise their chance of profitting from both familiar and not so familiar brands.
The very first counter I checked out was MUFE: to admire the mascaras and eyeliners. Admirably, I did NOT buy any of them - I was (and am) still sticking to my Post and Shame Challenge. I didn't wavered and didn't let any of the Aqua Eyes tempt me. I did feel a little sadness when I abandoned the counters, such good products... (yeah, reviews of MUFE I have are coming up soon!). The SA there was very nice and polite, a breath of fresh air in a country where the service standard can be below the par of other Asian countries.
Second counter on my list was MB. Did Sephora have the product I was after? Well, yes and no. Yes, because I saw a tester bottle on the counter. No, because they didn't allow me to buy an individual product: the Buffering Lotion was sold in a pack with 2 other products that I don't have the need of. The didn't sell it individually. Even my pleading didn't work, the lovely SA asked the manager whether it's possible for me to buy the BL only - to which the answer was "NO". I didn't think it was worth spending about $150 to get a product I want plus 2 others that I don't really want. And no, I can't be bothered selling the other 2. Afterall, I was (and I still am) living on suitcases - not much extra space and not much time to flog what I don't want. So yeah, with much regret I said goodbye to MB counter and moved on.
I wondered around, bypassing some UK brands (obviously, since I just moved on from UK), and stopped only when I saw familiar cute packagings in front of me. Some of you might remember my older post about Crazylibellule Crazy Stick Solid Perfumes. After much sniffing and trying on the skin, I decided that they're not really for me. Granted the packagings are as cute and as chic as on the website. Pity the most important thing about the perfumes (read: scents) didn't blow me away. I only liked 2 or 3 from the whole collection. They didn't pass the "skin test" either, as in they didn't smell as good on my skin. One actually gave me a headache. Which signals the end of my trip to ION Sephora. No purchase whatsoever - disappointing considering I was sucked into Sephora-hype after reading many good words about the ones in USA and France.
My trip to the branch at Takashimaya was pretty uneventful. I saw, I went in, I came out again a few minutes later. There wasn't anything worth looking that I haven't seen before. The SAs also looked scarily snooty. My words of advice for "you who are passing by Singapore": go to Sephora at ION, it's much bigger than Takashimaya branch. Plus the SAs are much nicer.
Conclusion: I'll try my luck with other Sephora stores in other countries next time. Or just be content with the online store...
On a more personal note: I'm still busy trying to sort things out here. Moving country is never easy, there are many joys and pains that come with it. So, till next time, my faithful readers! :)
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