I must admit that ever since Sephora yanked its amazing Formula X line of nail polish roughly three years ago, I don't drop by the store as often as I used to. I enjoyed trying various colours on my nails in the store and coming out with a rainbow manicure.
Since then, I drop by at least once a year. If you are a Beauty Insider member, you get a free birthday gift during your birthday month. I love it, not just because it's free, but I get to try products that I am generally unaware of.
July is my birth month. I wanted to pick up my birthday gift. I also have been trying to change up my face-cleansing routine. I have always had oily skin, but my pores are clogged more often these days thanks to this heatwave.
We are still in a pandemic and I'm not ready to hit a huge mall, which is generally where Sephora stores tend to be. However, a year ago, when I was in a suburb of Montreal, I managed to hit one that was with a bunch of box stores. I thought that I'd try to find a Sephora with a similar setup in the GTA.
I had two options:
- Bloor Street West, a smidge west of Bay Street
- Weston Road, just south of Highway 7
I went with the latter. Parking is easier and it's in York region, which is where I live.
I got there on a soggy, rainy Saturday afternoon. I got a decent parking spot and backed into it. The store next door had a lineup. Sephora didn't.
I walked in the store and a friendly woman greeted me. I asked whether it was mandatory to get hand sanitizer from her, seeing that she was armed with the bottle. It is. I was game. I got some and we chatted as it absorbed into my hands.
She asked me whether this was my first time at a Sephora since the pandemic. It was and was my first time at this store. I mentioned that I wanted a Sephora that wasn't in a mall and I lucked out. She was pleased, pointed out that you can't test any products, but everything is business as usual. I thanked her. She opened the door for me by pressing the automatic door button. I loved that!
Other than all the floor signs saying to adhere to physical distancing, it felt normal. However, this store has the best customer service at any Sephora that I've been to.
All staff are required to wear masks. I did, too. Once staff member approached me while I was browsing and asked if I needed any help. I let her know that I needed a cleanser or a mask to help with my clogged pores. She quickly said that a facial beauty advisor could help me out and led me to Adrianne. I liked that she took the time to explain the problem to Adrianne without my repeating everything. It was a nice handoff.
Adrianne spent time getting to know what products I was currently using, whether I was using an exfoliator, and how oily my skin gets. I discussed my cleansers that had salicylic acid and charcoal in it. She nodded that I was doing things right. I loved that she gathered all facts and symptoms before recommending options.
She recommended the Peter Thomas Roth line of skincare products. The cleanser has a higher percentage of salicylic acid than what my products have. This one works harder to clean out oil trapped in pores without drying out my skin. Yay! She also suggested the clearing gel.
I then asked about a mask that would be suited for me. She recommend the GlamGlow line. It is mud-based and exfoliates. The downside was that the giant tub was $77! I didn't tell her that it was not a price that I was willing to pay right now, but I took a photo for reference.
I felt comfortable talking with a masked person about my face behind a mask. She had ruby red sequins in the inner corners of her eyes. It was cool looking at how well it worked on her as we talked. Okay, my aside is over.
As I continued to browse around the store, she came over to me and said that there was a mini version of the mask that I could try, if I wanted to. I loved that. The price was 60% cheaper than the large tub and was perfect. I thanked her.
I never felt obligated to buy all these suggestions. I ultimately went with the cleanser and the mini mask. I was excited to give them a try when I got home.
The lineup to pay was rather long. Somehow, while reading the instructions on how to use the mud mask, I was the next person in line.
The woman cashing me out was great. I asked if I could get my birthday gift. I had the option of getting the Milk mascara and lip cheek set, or the Sol de Janeiro line of body cream. Decisions, decisions! I went with the latter.
I got my points card scanned to earn points and claim my birthday gift. I used my debit card to pay for my items. She wished me a happy day and I reciprocated.
I thanked the woman who first spoke to me. She wished me a good day, too.
Staff truly do like to work here. I had an excellent experience. I tried the mask. I like that it changes from white to silver when it's dry. This mask peels off and my skin definitely feels better than it has for a while. I'm currently using the cleanser. Wish me luck!
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