"You smell fabulous. Did you try on a perfume?" we ask.
"I did, it's Chanel Chance Eau de Toilette, $90, my favorite perfume. I have it at home, I was just respritzing. I come to Sephora often. I love it. I feel like a little girl on Christmas Day when I'm shopping here."
"I needed a new mascara, and I'm from Australia and we don't have Nars. I originally wanted to get their Larger Than Life Eyeliner in Black, $23, but it's out of stock at all the Sephoras. I've even been to the New York location and they don't have it. So I got the mascara." -- Elisa G.
"I got the BareMinerals set. I also got a Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick, $41, and the application brush. So basics, but basics are good." -- Stephanie T.
"I bought Nars Orgasm Blush and YSL Lipstick. My birthday is coming up and I'm planning a party so I wanted to prepare my look in advance. And I knew that Sephora gives you a birthday gift if you buy something in your birthday month, so I just got a present from them too. They gave me the Fresh Sugar Kisses Mini lip duo. Shopping is a personal indulgence for me. I usually go alone so that I don't get interrupted." -- Sarah K.
When Holly Golightly gets the mean reds, she goes to Tiffany's and the sparkling diamonds put her right at ease. Us? We go to Sephora.
Before a date, an interview, or a nervous breakdown, we head straight to the beautiful black and white store that's filled to the brim with shimmery eyeshadow palettes and heavenly-smelling perfumes.
We figured we couldn't be the only ones indulging in makeup and other beauty goodies when we needed a pick-me-up. So we wanted to know: What are you buying at Sephora? Is it Murad skin care products, the cult-status Nars Blush in Orgasm, or simply a new nail polish for a cheap thrill? There was only one way to find out: Stalk the shoppers walking out of Sephora .
So we spent a sunny Friday afternoon lurking around the beauty store's entrance and running after the customers. Some avoided eye contact and hurried off before we could grab them (which is a somewhat understandable reaction to a journalist and photographer chasing after you in stilettos). But there were plenty of other shoppers who gabbed about their new finds. Want to see what was in their black and white bags? It might be better than the stuff that comes in a little blue box. At least, we think so.
