This store could be so great because it's such a large store, carrying so many products. Unfortunately, they are always out of stock on so many items- as well as always being out of stock of testers as well, which is really frustrating if you merely want to "window shop" for makeup. I have been there many times and never leave feeling very happy with my shopping experience. There is also some attitude and negative energy amongst a few members of the staff, including managers. You are in a high profile store, please act professional and make your customers feel a little more welcome and appreciated. I work in retail; I know it ain't always fun. But being kind and patient goes a long way. I will instead shop at other Sephora's in which I've been treated much nicer. This one SUCKS. read more

I do really like how they managed to squeeze a lot of inventory in a small amount of space. But I think the people working the store need a lot of customer service skills. My last visit I was there for at least 45 minutes and absolutely no one offered to help me. I wanted to ask someone for help but they were all clustered gossiping to one another and it is intimidating to approach them. I asked one lady for help and she didn't even offer to help me try on anything. It was just strange because in other Sephora they usually have workers asking customers if they need help. It was just strange that several workers passed by and didn't offer any help. I left the store without buying anything because I was worried I would buy the wrong thing. read more

I want to give Sephora 4 stars. I really do. The selection is awesome (albeit no MAC, as Chloe D. said). This is where you go when you want to look like the girls in the glossy magazines. This is Mecca for makeup industry professionals. However, there are certain things about Sephora that make me want to run screaming for the exit and go kill some bugs, play some video games, eat a steak, and watch a good bloody zombie movie. Really, it's just too much. Examples: -The crowds are ridiculous. Granted, we were there on a Saturday, but every time I go into Sephora it's packed. One must navigate their way around girly girls looking for their fix. There was even a stroller or two blocking the narrow aisles between displays. -There's a real attitude problem among a lot of the customers. I had found the Urban Decay display and was checking out some of the eye shadows when some guy (maybe a makeup artist or an off-hours drag queen, who knows) rudely informed me that I was "in his way". Yes, maybe I was in his way, but there was certainly a nicer way to say it. Also, it's not necessary to completely block the display, preventing anyone else from taking a gander at the sparkly wares that drain my wallet. -After about 15 to 20 minutes in this store I start to lament my arsenal of drugstore makeup at home, my decision to go bare-faced into the store, etc. This is mixed with irritation at the other customers crowding the aisles, the strong scent of perfume and chemicals, and the need to GTFO before I spend more money. -Sephora even has a makeup line for little girls so they can emulate their ridiculously high-maintenance mommies and older sisters. Chloe and I think it should be called "Li'l Trollop". Catchy, isn't it? It's apparent that I have mixed feelings about Sephora. I love the selection of colors and products that one simply can't find at CVS or Walgreens. However, I also recognize that the beauty industry thrives on making people feel like absolute crap about their appearances (hello, cellulite cream!) and feel a twinge of guilt about supporting the industry, so it's a slippery slope I walk when stepping through those doors. read more

A store for the girliest of girls. You can always tell the women who shop at stores like sephora because over time they end up looking better than women who don't. read more

i don't belong here. i don't. the place smells funny; all of the products are pretty colors, with names i can't pronounce containing some kind of juice, bean, salt or sugar, displayed on back lit shelves and showed off by ultra-sophisticated salespeople - no, saleswomen - dressed in black; and i have the sneaking suspicion i'm the only hetero male here - not that there's anything wrong with that. the men's section consists of one shelf. one. they know i'm not supposed to be here. i don't think anything in the store costs less than $8 (and that for a .0001 oz. tube of some kind of sparkle-infused chapstick). i'm not supposed to be here. what i do want, however, is some kind of soap that will feel like i am washing with sandpaper. seriously, i want showers to hurt a couple times a week. out with old, in with the new and all that. i was about 2 seconds away from buying art-grade sand at michael's and mixing it in to my regular soap. this all started when i found a nice bottle of this stuff at target by barber's. it was called "rough stuff" and, at $5.95, worked great. like washing with sand and menthol. bracing isn't the word. if i'd known target would stop selling it and barber's would stop making it, i'd have bought a case. after fruitless internet searches and serious disappointment with multiple other scrubs (the things that scrub - salt, sugar, whatever - tend to dissolve on contact with water), i checked sephora. after trying the anthology sea-salt scrub for men ($25) and the peter thomas roth botanical buffing beads ($36) i'll stick with the roth for now. at $36 a shot, though, i believe i will try the sand next time. still, the store is nice and conveniently located, the staff is helpful and knowledgeable, their return policy is good. their prices seem to border on extortionate (dropping them from a 4 to a 3), but, maybe that's just because i shouldn't be here. read more

By the time I figured out what shade of brown eyeshadow would look natural and not muddy, brightening but not unnatural, I had spent more at Target in this experiment than if I had just gone to Sephora in the first place. A $20 gift card from a beloved friend launched me well into the land of Nars... The great thing about this place, is you can try it all out in the open...unlike horrible shoppers I see at CVS, breaking the seals of packages to see what the color is really like-- or me, who buys it only to find out it doesn't really look that way... I don't find the sales staff terribly helpful and I hate being in there with the teenage shopping crowd. Be sure to take a moment to check your items before purchase, because sometimes a CVS shopper finds their way into Sephora and tries a brand new product like it has the words 'try me' on it. Sephora is a neat concept, bringing it all under one roof...they just need better ventilation and more parental supervision (those gaggles of teenage girls...and CVS shoppers...) read more

This review is for Robert who did my makeup for an event Saturday night. He asked me exactly what I wanted and completely nailed the look. He took his time contouring my face and went above and beyond with a gorgeous gold smokey eye look, complete with fabulous fake lashes. I needed my makeup to stay put and look good all night, and it was perfect. I was redeeming my free makeover for becoming VIB, but I found out the makeovers are always complimentary with a $50 purchase so I will definitely be back. I was going straight to my event or else I would have bought the Smashbox contour kit he used on my face. Thanks, Robert! read more

Walking into this store you are slammed by perfume. Ack. Nearly unbearable (wow, I sound like my dad). The eyeshadows are very pricey and I much prefer Mac to the brands they sell. Go here for Rosebud lip glosses though! read more

I'm crazy about this place! It's just SO easy to get everything I need in one place that's nearby. The price is slightly better than the website prices, I often find things to have a $1-2 difference. However, the website ships for free (for purchases over $75) and sends little samples and has little promos going all the time. The place can get a teeny bit crowded. About the nasty testers, does anyone really use them? I thought little kids were just sticking their fingers in them. You can return anything you want, no receipt, months later, no problem. I don't use a tester; I buy the product, and if I don't like it I return it. Anyway, the only thing that really bugs me is that some people are seriously untrained. There are some people there that really know what they're talking about, but don't expect the person to know anything just because they are stationed in a section and have been assigned the job of informing you about the products. Update: I'm deducting another star because I go all the time and I've only met 2 people who knew what the heck they were talking about. I have however received the most confused looks and the dumbest answers. When I asked one person, who was stationed by the in the section with the job of answering questions about the products in that section, which mascara would be better for me she said, "Um, you should just buy both." I was asking because I just wanted to buy one and not worry about experimenting and returning. If I wanted to do that, I would have bought both and not asked her any questions. Then, I asked a cashier what the lotion sample was for, as in the face or the eyes, you know, general use. I asked her because the cashiers only have three samples to tell you about and they are supposed to run through what each sample does. She said, "Huh, what do you mean? Huh, oh, it's for the eyes." I thought she sounded uniformed, so I checked the website, she totally just made that up. Sephora is such a fun little store to play and shop in, but when I have a serious question I want an intelligent answer. Dear Sephora: please train your staff. If some people can't learn, put them at the door, handing out baskets, smiling, and directing me to people who know what they're doing. read more

Love Sephora!!! I had my first encounter of a bad experience. I always go to the one in Dedham legacy place. 2 weeks ago, as I do spend more than $50+ . The ladies that greet you one was so short and not smiling with me. She said I can't help you I'm with someone. I wasn't looking for help. I like to look around for new exciting things. Than as I check out she greets me with you all set . Not the warm hi did you find everything you needed. The next person who happened to be a white woman she said to her, hi how are you ???? I reported her to the manager on the floor. Crazy thing my cousin use to be a manager there. Hmmm read more

Service here lacks a lot to be desired. Had to ask for help to look up my make up color. Other Sephora stores have portable units in hand to look it up! This girl told me to go to the register and ask them! Then when I get up there she is trying to get the kid collecting trash to help me! Finally, she realized she has to really help me! Then when she checked to see if that had what I was looking for they were out of it!! Boylston store is ALWAYS out of what I need! Get with it! Stock your shelves and hire people whom want to work! read more

This Sephora is a decent size with an ample selection, although I've found that the service here is pretty spotty. I've asked for products and was told that the product either didn't exist or was out of stock only to find it myself after thoroughly perusing the store. Typically Sephora staff are very knowledgeable and helpful, but maybe there ought to be more staff training at this location. read more

The only bad thing about Sephora is how easy it is to spend money here. I love the "come in and play" set-up, to say nothing of the wide selection. I've helped a couple of friends pick out new perfumes/colognes from their ginormo wall, and there's usually no more than a six-month lag time between new perfume releases being super-exclusive in terms of availability (ie, just Saks) and finding their way to Sephora, which I appreciate. You just have to watch out for "I just spent $80 and all I got was these three tiny tubes" syndrome. read more

Your experience at Sephora is like Starbucks, it's different every time, depending on a number of factors. I went on a Tuesday during the day so it wasn't busy and it was great. The staff were really sweet. The woman who I asked help me find a concealer actually discovered the root of my problem, not using eye cream, and showed me the one she uses and gave me a sample. She was so helpful I wanted to give her a hug! The only minor downfall was I was awkwardly looking for somebody to help me among the 10+ staff walking around for a little before I interrupted somebody upfront. It would have been nice for someone to notice that and offer to help, however when you don't want help we all hate being bothered so it goes either way! read more

I used to refuse to shop here because I was convinced everything was too expensive and it would take an entire afternoon to look at the thousands of brands of makeup and endless aisles of perfume. BUT, a friend totally turned me on to these crayon eyeshadows and now I cant live without them. $5....you cant even get that at CVS. Really friendly staff too :) read more

Save your time and go somewhere else. Some workers here are so rude and racist. This is already my second experience that was extremely unpleasant. The attitude of some these workers are unbelievable... one time I asked a young lady if they had a product in stock. They didn't so I had her check to see if the other store had it. She went and rolled her eyes. Cmon now.. really.. this is your damn job and if you hate it so badly then fucking leave then.. Second time.. I was looking for a toner and this old white man was helping another old white lady so I waited until they were finished to see if they had the toner in stock. He didn't even ask me or greet me and left. So I kindly said excuse me to him.. no answer and just ignored me and went to help another white lady. Can't believe this. Please save your time and go somewhere else!!! read more

Love Sephora...finally a wider selection of mens colognes and skin care -european variety in boston!..a place where i can finally get my Hummer cologne! :-)) read more

I ordered over 100$ of gifts. I was on hold for 17 mins then got thru then some lady kept me on for another 30 mins said my order wouldnt process because i maybe wrote ave instead if avenue or didnt capitalize it. Then she hung up on me. I waited again on hold for another 17 mins got thru was put on hold again. Thistime they said my order didnt go through because my address is not verifiable. When I tried reordering they said the stuff was out of stock. I asked for a coupon to shop for more products and the supervisor said no. read more

If I didn't have to pay grad school loans, that $400 a month would be going to Sephora. I'll admit, I'm usually an online Sephora customer- but the store is AMAZING. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable and willing to answer any questions. The selection of perfume and makeup is great, and you can sample pretty much anything. read more

Absolute least favorite Sephora I've been to... I'm a very loyal Sephora customer (VIB FTW!!)... but the reason why I don't like this location is because of the people who work here. They are very snobby and unhelpful... I asked a sales associate for her opinion about choosing the right foundation color, and she gave me one of those uncomfortable once-overs and seemed very annoyed that I had asked her a question. Soooo if you're new to make-up and want a second opinion and need a bit of guidance, I would venture to some other Sephora because you're bound to feel lost and overwhelmed at this one. read more

So conflicted about this review which is why it's a 3. When this was the only Sephora in Boston it was AMAZING. Now there's Fenway and Newbury, so it seems like this place has definitely changed a bit. Still HUGE with plenty of stock, but there are less seasoned associates on hand at any given time, and they're not as ready and available to help you. read more

This Sephora location has terrible customer service. So many employees just standing around chatting with each other. And when asking for help in finding a product the usual response is a point and "it's over there". The only reason 2 stars instead of 1 was the helpfulness of the vendor sale representatives that were in the store -exceptional customer service from Drunk Elephant and Dr. Gross. As other YELP reviewers stated- time to shop directly from the vendor or AMAZON. read more

I had a good experience here. The staff found just the right level of being helpful and letting me do my own thing. When I asked for cologne suggestions based on something I used to wear a long time ago (they didn't carry it), the sales lady was familiar with it and we went on a mini smelling spree. At the risk of having anything to even do with the word metrosexual, I'll probably stop by again to pick up a thing or two. read more

I love the sephora line, not mention the other great names they carry. Yes, it's a little pricey, but well worth it, particularly for their lipsticks. This location in particular is good because it's large and the salespeople are actually helpful instead of trying to force you to buy lots of useless crap at high prices. Sephora lipsticks rule forever, they taste yummy (which boys appreciate!) and they have lots of aloe and vitamin e, so I don't have to slather on the chapstick before I put on lipstick, also nice! read more

First, The Good. As Sephora locations go, this one is huge. Huuuuge. They carry pretty much any makeup line you can think of, from the Sugar brand that appeals to 10-year-olds just starting to play with lip gloss to Laura Mercier and Christian Dior for those who are serious about their makeup. Their fragrance offerings are similarly comprehensive. I love being able to go in here and sample ten different brown eyeshadows on the back of my hand while I wander around and try to decide which I like best. It's great. The return policy is extremely permissive, and I love their points reward system where you can get deluxe samples for spending so many dollars. Now for The Bad. The bath and body lines.... well, let's just say that they carry the cupcake-scented shower gel and lotion sets from Dylan's Candy Bar. Seriously, I don't think they carry a single bath and body line that doesn't smell like a Cherry Merry Muffin doll from the early 1990s. I'm not 12 anymore, I don't want to reek of red velvet cake or gingerbread cookies or whatever. The staff is less than ideal. I do like that they let you browse by yourself and aren't all over you the minute you walk in, but if you do need their help, forget it. It seems like they are given a woefully small education on the products they carry, including Sephora's house brand! I have encountered exactly one helpful staff member there, who helped me pick a concealer color. And this is all assuming you can manage to butt into the conversations that groups of sales associates are inevitably having around the sales floor. The service isn't actively bad, but it could definitely use some help. Better product training would be in Sephora's best interest, as right now I honestly get the impression that most of their sales associates are there for an employee discount perk. The Ugly: I have seen enough people smearing lip gloss and lipstick and mascara directly onto their faces from the tube to make me permanently germaphobic. If communicable diseases are not something you'd like to see in your future, test on your hand only - don't even use the special tester lip gloss wands they provide. It is NASTY. The Conclusion: If you just want to play with makeup, come to Sephora. If you want a serious overhaul of your cosmetics bag, you're better off at a department store counter, where the staff knows what they're doing and you are less likely to get pinkeye or H1N1. read more

I used to love this location but it seems to have really gone downhill lately. I went in with my friend yesterday to pick up some essentials and find one of the eye shadow palettes that was on sale online. It looked like a fire sale was going on. Nothing was in stock and there were a number of displays that were completely missing samples. Not to mention the lack of tissues to wipe stuff off your hands. I had to travel across half the store to find one at the artist bench! I would be more understanding if this was during a weekend rush but it was a Tuesday afternoon. Unacceptable. I'm going to start getting my products online and skipping this mess. read more

I love trying out new makeup and skincare products, so I frequent Sephora. They remodeled in 2015 and this location is much bigger than the original. This also enables them to carry a lot of different high-end brands they never carried before (Burberry, for example). While I appreciate the vast selection and the fact that it carries a lot more product/brands than its sister store in Fenway, I am always wary of shopping at this location because it can get really busy. There are too many people completely unaware of their surroundings trying on makeup, so it can be challenging to navigate the store at times. read more

My friend and I refer to this store as Sephwhora, thanks to their super-sassy salespeople and their get-you-hooked-on-a-cool-new-product-and-then-stop-selling-it merchandising strategy. Sephwhora is a tease! I am a product fiend and I'm not boycotting the place or anything -- I still love popping in for a new lip gloss or to throw on some wild green eyeliner on my lunchbreak, but I have much better cosmetic shopping experiences in Saks, around the corner, than in Sephwhora. read more

Sephora is so much more than a makeup store. There is higher-end skincare (a step up from drugstore brands, ask for samples before buying, they give a good amount.) The perfume wall is awesome, and the service is the best out of every store I've ever been in. They are very genuine, and love to show you the latest colors and their favorite brands. If you go during the day, off peak hours, you have more room to browse, and can get a free makeup consultation. In the consultations, they always suggest the least priced choise for whatever product you need/want, and will explain what they are doing, so you don't leave feeling lost in how to apply your new makeup. read more

I adore Sephora. I am very, very, VERY picky about my makeup. I believe you get what you pay for, & the cheap stuff from brands you can buy at Wal-Mart or CVS is just good for learning/practicing. I couldn't use it even if I wanted to actually; the eyeshadow colors rarely show up on me, & when they do, they last all of maybe thirty minutes on my skin. Sephora makes the only mascara I have ever not regretted purchasing. It's a pretty blue color, it doesn't clump or stink, & it was cheap. They also carry wonderful brands like Urban Decay, which happens to be one of the first makeup companies I ever became obsessed with when I purchased their UD40 in junior high. I bought an awesome lavender train case from here that does a wonderful job of holding my precious, expensive makeup goodies. There's lots of fun beauty stuff to blow your money on here! Besides Dave Mustaine, it's my only weakness. Two things keep me from giving Sephora a perfect score: 1.) As far as I know, they don't really carry anything MAC. I don't know if there's a reason, or if that's changed, or if I'm just really bad at finding stuff, but eh. MAC's overrated, I'm just saying, I do occasionally buy their pigments & it'd be cool to just pick some up while at Sephora. & 2.) They don't carry Kryolan eyeshadows. FYI, Kryolan, hands down, makes some of the best & brightest shadows, & I SWEAR BY THEM. It's technically theatre/costume-ish makeup, & I guess most Sephora patrons don't want crazy popping colors. I've never found a store that actually carries their stuff, so I always have to order it online. Just saying. I should so become a distributor & start selling to the people who have complimented my eye makeup. If you want some Kryolan, drop me a line & I can try to hook you up. :) Anyways, yeah. Sephora is great. I'll probably continue to spend thousands here each year (whether in store or on sephora.com). read more

The customer service is really nice when you walk in the door but they keep you waiting a long time to retrieve products.Great location and lots of staff here to help you out while you're shopping.Happy customer !! read more

It's really a hit or miss at this Sephora. Yes, its a good size store but some of the staff are horrible (depending on if they feel like helping you or would rather talk to their friends). I think I am just going to go to Macy's @ downtown crossing next time and buy MAC products. read more

I have some general disclaimers about shopping in the Pru: a. Don't go on the weekends. If you do, bring plenty of patience and try to avoid just before dinner time when the crowds gather. If it's the only time you have you'll be fine, but consider yourself forewarned. b. AVOID THE HOLIDAYS. I don't even feel bad for you if you go around Christmas time and wait for hours; you knew it was coming! On that note, I have zero other complaints about Sephora. The above mentioned problems are totally out of their control and I think they manage them quite well. Case in point: one time mom insisted on going in around dinner time; there was a rather large check-out line; once we were in line it was only about 10 mins thanks to the speed of all four cashiers. Not only that, but they were FRIENDLY. I have one little secret about Sephora that will make me never stray from this store. Please don't abuse it Yelpers... MADELINE. Dear Lord do I love her. My mom started with Madeline before the holidays when she walked in and said "I don't know what I want, but I just ran out of EVERYTHING". Madeline knows that store like none other and will zip around showing you all sorts of options. She will sample things on the back of your hand, your cheek, or whatever you want so that you don't walk around with a half done up face (she'll also do the other side if you like it). She also makes reasonable suggestions. I'm not a big makeup person; if I can't have it ALL done in 10 minutes I don't want it. I'm also incredibly sensitive. Most people at Sephora would consider me a huge PITA, but Madeline just rolls with it. Best off is that she remembers us! We've gone about 3 times now (tried to go 4 but mom walked out when she found out Madeline wasn't there) and she remembers what we bought and our preferences. I have a serious girl crush on Madeline for having the capability to make me more girly. She also acknowledges my budget and doesn't try to push multiple things on me at once; she almost always ends with "Next time, tell me how you liked this and then maybe we can look at that". I always liked Sephora before, but was slightly overwhelmed. Now I'm in love and it's the easiest process ever. read more

sensory overload! this is the "sugar heaven" of makeup. i love that you can sample and play with all the makeup at sephora, though i really really hope they sterilize the hell out of everything. and the lip gloss samples - you KNOW someone with a VD has spread that directly on their lips, so i would skip it entirely. best feature of sephora is the parfum/cologne wall. i could stand in front of burberry spraying and sniffing until i permanently lost my sense of smell. this isn't a discount store, don't get confused. prices are equal to those in say, a regular burberry, but if nothing else it brings together a selection of makeup, cleansers and personal perfuming methods in a great open palate. though you'd never know that it's such a big store since it's constantly choked with other makeup lovers. read more

This place has pretty much everything I would ever want in terms of trying to look presentable. This location is always pretty busy, but with lots of staff at the cashiers, long lines still move pretty fast. It's somewhat difficult to find a staff member on the floor though, and usually I have to wander for a few minutes to find a staff member that is free. Because it gets busy, the makeup testing counters get pretty dirty and sometimes aren't cleaned for a while. This kind of grosses me out, so I never try things in the store, I take advantage of their buy it and return if not satisfied policy. I hate to do that, but I'm not sure what has touched the testers! read more

I first fell in love with Sephora while in Paris. If the rest of my tour group had let me spend my entire trip abroad wandering through the aisles of Sephora, I would have. By far the best place in the city to go to treat yourself to a little something something. The staff all seem to love working there and are simply chock full of helpful tips. They don't work on commission so they are never pushy. The best part of Sephora is that you get to try out all of the products before you buy them. So do yourself a favor and get lost in Sephora for a few hours. It's the perfect way to spend a snowy Sunday afternoon. Best buys: Nars eyeshadow, Dior mascara, and Bliss hand lotion. read more

my favorite sephora location! Not only is the selection great and the store nice and spacious, but I love the staff. I come in once in a while to get the custom makeovers done. Ambar is my absolute favorite! She is so talented and does an amazing job on my makeup every single time, and I specifically request her for the makeovers. Gabriel is also fantastic and does a great job. read more

Traveled over an hour to get here as it's the only one open late on Sunday. The holiday hours which aren't posted anywhere useful online say they close at 8 but it's 735 and the doors are locked. Thanks. read more

I LOVE this Sephora! The staff here is amazing. Felix, Sarah, Natalie, Chelsa, Tom, and more are all so wonderful and very talented and knowledgeable! I can't wait for the new store to open! read more

I recently went to the downtown Sephora for a custom makeover so that I could learn some tricks of the trade for doing my own wedding makeup. The experience was pretty awkward and despite being very clear about my budget and needs, the sales clerk (makeup artist?) still tried to upsell me and try to get me to purchase things I either didn't want or already owned. While the appointment was supposed to be 45 minutes (and I had told them my needs ahead of time so certain product could've been prepared in advance), I was there for nearly two hours because she had to a) clean the dirty makeup table and b) keep running around the store to find more various product for my face. I also didn't appreciate that she kept referring to the "texture" on my forehead - was she referring to wrinkles? bumps? laugh lines? I have no clue, but I felt like I had a horrible face without makeup. I was generally happy with the makeover, and the girl assisting me was nice. But, she quoted me an incorrect price on an item, so I went well over my $100 budget (for three items) AND I just felt that it took far too long and because I wasn't a makeup "aficionado," my requests weren't taken seriously. I understand this place is a makeup-lovers heaven, and I think that because I could easily be dubbed as being indifferent to makeup, I wasn't considered as a serious patron. (P.S. I ended up getting similar products to what I needed at the Clinique in Natick, and my salesperson was exceptionally friendly and helpful, only took 15 minutes to get the job done, and saved me a TON of money.) read more