Many thanks to Michele at Bluemercury in Berkeley for taking good care of me and my skincare! She…read morewas very generous with sharing her skincare expertise. I left the shop glowing. Lydia C

stopped in to buy product in person rather than online, thinking that i could test the colors in…read moreperson, buy from a smaller retailer, etc. I had a short list of items I wanted to buy. One sales person was rather pushy, asking me way too many questions from the moment I entered the store. I wanted to look around at everything and take it all in, but she made me want to grab what I came in for and run. She complimented my eyes, then followed up with a sales pitch for an eye product. It was gross. You have to go through an employee to get your products, so I gave her my order only to find that when I got home 2 of the products were completely wrong (I asked for a highlighter but got a blush). Now I have to drive all the way back (about 30 min from home) pay for parking and enter that lion's den again. Not looking forward to it.

Nancy did my brows today and recommended various products for my brows. Greatly appreciated itread more

One of my favorite Benefit locations that has the best services for brow waxing, arm waxing, and a…read morelot more! Everyone is so sweet and helpful. I recommend coming here to use their services. I love how they pay attention to how they will wax your brows and just double-check with you on how you want your brows to be done. They recommend some products too if you're looking for a little glam and such and help you test them out!

Gabrielle helped us so much and had so much patience. 10/10 service, 10/10 cleanliness. Would…read moredefinitely come back

I've been having allergy issues with lip products from big name brands (e.g., Lancome, Clarins,…read moreIlia) and found that they all contain red lake dyes such as CI 15850, etc. A big problem is that almost all lip tints use synthetic, red lake dyes for red and pink colors. After an extensive search, I found 100% Pure offers multiple shades of deep to bright red, purple-red, and light pink in lipsticks, lip glosses, and lip glazes! Most other brands can only offer red lake dye-free products in nude or clear colors. I was beyond stoked! And I found out that they were having a really great summer sale--items were 30%, 40%, or 50% off based on my receipt! One of my favorite things about this brand is that instead of products that taste like plastic, wax, or some other unknown substance, all my products actually taste like fruit, which is great given that they advertise being made of fruit juices and natural oils! The shelf life of their products is, of course, significantly less than other products that have preservatives, but honestly, I'd rather have cleaner ingredients and a shorter shelf-life. The store in-person had all the items that were out of stock online, too, which made my shopping experience that much better. I picked up a total of 7 lip products all in different shades and textures, which no other brand was able to offer me in that quantity for that quality. -- Additional things to note: - the store seems very hygienic: they have a sink where you can wash your hands, offer clean brushes and new, disposable lip product wands so you can try everything without using the wand in the tube, alcohol sprays, sanitizing sprays, tissues, etc. - the items that weren't fully red lake dye-free said "may contain", which doesn't necessarily mean they fully use it, but I didn't want to risk a reaction, so I steered clear of them anyway. - they have samples of everything--you can play around with literally every product and every shade! - dog-friendly (they even give treats!) - the location of the store is in a somewhat busy area, but if you scour the blocks, you're likely to find parking (pay by ParkMobile). I found a spot right in front of the store, and parallel parking was so easy into this spot because the road wasn't super busy. - they offer services, such as facials - the worker (I should have got her name) is so kind and won't push products on to you or make you feel rushed. I was in the store for a good 45 minutes at least, and she checked in once in a while, made herself available, but wasn't pushy or frustrated with how much time I took or how many products I sampled. -- I tried the Cocoa Butter Matte Lipstick in Winecup, Fruit Pigmented Lip Glaze in Elderberry, and the Fruit Pigments Lip Gloss in Pomegranate Wine, and none of them gave me an allergic reaction all day when I usually get a reaction within 30 minutes from other brands. Thank you, 100% Pure!

The ladies at MAC Berkeley are the best!…read more Came here to get wedding ready and they made sure I had everything that I needed including lashes and remover! Friendly service and perfect location on the corner of 4th street! Highly recommend!

I never get my makeup professionally done, I'm always afraid to. I've been afraid I would look…read moreoverdone. I made an appointment to get my makeup done for the day of our 30th wedding anniversary. Jaron was scheduled to make me up. He asked me if I'd like a natural, dramatic or in between natural and dramatic look. I told him I'd love in between because it was a special day and we were taking many photos. I showed him my dresses, I would be wearing two dresses and our anniversary party was an old Hollywood theme. I also asked if it was possible for the make up to last all day. My sister in law came to get her make up done as well as I was purchasing some of the makeup Jaron put on me my sister in law surprised me by buying everything as an anniversary gift. So so sweet and such a great treat. My husband prefers a natural look but he thought I looked gorgeous. He said he was hoping it would be more than natural for this special day. Jaron did a fabulous job! I was so very happy. He matched my foundation color to the T, he gave me a classic deep red wine lip color that had some shimmer/glitter to it. And my cheekbones were so dramatic. He gave me a beautiful Smokey eye. Hubby kissed me throughout the night yet his lips were not smothered with the lipstick. My makeup did not smear or fade even once. I was thrilled with every photo that was taken all because of Jaron's amazing flawless talent. I wish I could get my makeup done all the time now. I've already tried to get my makeup done again with Jaron but he wasn't there and the day was booked. Be sure to book your makeup appointments ahead of time. I'm adding quite a few photos because the awesome and fun staff here at M.A.C wanted to see photos. I'll most definitely be back!!!

I have never had a bad visit here. This location usually has what I am looking for in stock. I…read morereceived great customer service when I visited a few days ago, and a very kind employee gave my friend and me a helpful recommendation for concealer and setting spray. She also helped us find the right concealer. There are a few brands, like Armani Beauty, that they do not carry here. Overall, it is a great Sephora to stop at.

We've had a lot of experiences with the Sephora on 4th Street in Berkeley and most times we've…read moreexperienced really good customer service from the employees. Not last week. My daughter wanted to exchange a product that was malfunctioning. Instead of spraying like it should, its contents sprayed all over her hands. I had to go to another store first so she went in without me. She talked to the manager and when I got to the store, she was almost in tears because of the way the manager talked to her. She couldn't find her receipt, but she did pay for it. I understand that Sephora probably gets a lot of people stealing things and trying to return them but one can still use good customer service skills and communicate the same thing -- that they can only return it with a receipt. This can be done in a friendly boundaried way. When I came, I also spoke to the manager, who I would say was not very friendly. Maybe she had a bad day? I know being a manager is hard work but her attitude went beyond firm to quite cold and impersonal. It just wasn't the level of service that I normally expect from Sephora. When we did find the receipt, we told her and she told us to go to the register to make the exchange. No, "good, I'm glad it worked out for you, that would've been a bummer if you couldn't find the receipt." She seemed very uninterested in talking to us. I didn't get her name. I am not advocating for special treatment but respectful treatment would have been nice. The representative that did the exchange was very helpful and friendly. I remembered her from another day that I was in the store, a couple of months ago and I really liked her. Her name is Lauren and I hope that management recognizes her for her exemplary customer service skills.

Looking back, I'm disappointed I didn't get the name of the salesperson who helped me; she truly…read moremade the experience. I stopped in because I'm running low on my usual moisturizer and was planning to restock. I've been loyal to the same one for a while, but I recently fell in love with a different brand's face wash and was considering switching to their moisturizer as well. The only downside? It was significantly more expensive and my partner's immediate reaction was basically, "Expensive = no." Sensing my hesitation, a salesperson came over and offered to help. After I explained what I was looking for, she actually suggested a completely different brand. She gave me a sample to try, and even hours later, my skin still felt moisturized. The best part? It performed just as well (if not better) than the others I was considering and it was cheaper. What made the whole experience even funnier was that another customer nearby had the exact same dilemma. She overheard the recommendation and ended up grabbing the product too. At checkout, they were also giving out additional samples of the brands other products, which was a nice bonus. Overall, a great experience thanks to thoughtful and helpful service. Note: Yes, I've selected not to mention any brands by name.

I'm very disappointed with my recent experience at this Sephora location. I was waiting in line to…read moremake a return, and when I finally reached the front, an employee who was new asked if I was purchasing and whether I'd be paying with credit or cash. I told her I was returning an item and had originally paid with a credit card. She then took me aside with her handheld device and began to help me. Before we could continue, the manager came over and said she couldn't process my return there and that I needed to go back and wait in the regular line at the counter. By that point, the line had already become long and zigzagged again. I had already waited once, and being told to start over felt unfair and incredibly frustrating. I ended up leaving without completing my return. As a customer who had already done my part by waiting in line, I feel I should have been helped next at the counter instead of being sent to the back again because of an internal miscommunication.

They have a good selection of products and they're the same price or cheaper, but it varies.read more

I found this place through Yelp and I was surprised because I've drove past it at least 1k times…read more The cosmetics store sits in the parking lot of KP Asian market but you can't see the entrance from the street so it's easy to miss. Once you pull around the back there's a decent sized building with cosmetics, skincare, hair care and home goods (think pots, pans, serving trays, utensils, EVERYTHING). The cosmetics section has a ton of Korean skincare, makeup, and masks for the face, hands, and feet. Even hair care and mens products. I love the variety, I spent over an hour testing, smelling and browsing. Some advice before going: know your skin type, know what skin problem you want to solve, and set a budget. Their Korean skincare products range from $10-$60+ each. I splurged on moisturizer ($100 for 2) and got a less expensive skin peel ($20) and toner pads ($10). The rest I spend on 6 masks and the total was $149. The woman at the counter listened to my skin issues and recommended products based on our short conversation. I've had zero issues with what she recommended. The toner pads broke me out, but SURPRISE the woman suggested twice I choose a different product and I didn't listen. I'm goin to check out their exchange policy and will update after!

Came in with my mom who seen this place and wanted to look around and we were NOT disappointed!! We…read morewere able to find traditional herbs that we've been looking for, for a long time and were treated very well. The owner was very knowledgeable about different ways to utilize the herbs and all the herbs we inquired about!! We will definitely be back! Our new favorite go to place!!

I had a lovely experience here…read more Did nit know what i was coming for but wanted to explore the shop. The owner was very kind and welcoming. You can sign up for classes for late spring 2024 through their website. The owner has many teas and can help guide you for a possibly remedy (if you are experiencing parasites for example after a trip overseas) or something as simple as needing to boost your immune system to avoid being sick. He can also offer teas that help you retain supplements you take and if you are experiencing depression he will offer a 30min consultation for $45 prior to determining what herbs to prescribe you and to make sure they don't have a negative effect on medicine you might already be taking. *your teas have to seep 15 min prior to having them. He also makes a great lip balm and a lovely facial serum. Two tea sachets and one face serum cost me $70. I will definitely keep him in mind for future needs.

We "toured" all the refill stores around the east bay, and this is the one we've settled on as our…read morefavorite. The owner is almost always there and she is very knowledgable and helpful about all the products she carries. I'm hesitant to spread the word about the bulk Seka olive oil she carries lest there's a run on it and she has trouble keeping it in stock, but this olive oil is GREAT and at $0.60/ounce is a great deal. (You can bring your own bottle, or she has both new bottles for sale AND used bottles that she has cleaned that you can have for free). Lots of cleaning products in bulk of course, along with all sorts of products for cleaning, cooking and personal hygiene. Sweet little shop worth visiting AND adjacent to so many great spots -- Cheeseboard, Masse's and Epicurious Garden among them!

This place is so special. Between the staff, product, merchandising it is all so sweet. I always…read morefind new things I need and if I forget to bring a refillable bottle they have them there for you which has saved me! I have sensitive skin and this place is a god send during the hot weather.