LeanneBennett.com

I recently bought cosmetics on eBay. I really should have thought this through a lot more.

One item I received, but it's not what it says it should be.  It's a cream, and it doesn't smell the same or feel the same as the cream I purchased from the manufacturer previously. And, of course, the seller vehmently denies it is a fake, even though I'd had confirmation that it isn't real from a genuine representative of the company. So now I'm having to pursue a claim, deal with an angry and snippy seller and wait for 10 days before I can pursue it any further with eBay.

The second item I purchased just simply never arrived. I wrote to the seller -- no response. So I raised a case with eBay, and the seller refunded in about 10 minutes.  This one makes me think they never sent it and just hoped I wouldn't notice or wouldn't pursue it if I did. Sheesh.

So, two purchases and two complaints to eBay.

So I've learned my lesson about buying cosmetics on eBay. It may save a few pounds, but my time is worth more than that, and avoiding the aggravation I've received is worth a lot more.

Lesson for today (for me at least) -- buy cosmetics from the genuine retailer. At least then I'll know that I'm getting the real thing and if there's a problem, they'll make it right. 

When I was 20, I wore very little makeup at all. I was blessed with long eyelashes, but they bleached in the sun when I was a child. So I always had to wear mascara if I wanted my eyelashes to show, which was most of the time. If I were dressing up to go out or to a party, I'd put on eyeshadow. And as I grew in confidence (practicing makeup with friends and such) I would dare eyeliner are times, but that was it.

No foundation. No concealer. (What was there to conceal?) Definitely no blush. (I'm already pink enough, thanks.) I'm not sure I even wore moisturiser most of the time. The most I wanted to do was bring out my eyes a bit for special occasions.

Cut to three kids and a few (several?) some years later, and it's a whole other ballgame.

But now, things are different. I do buy more (my husband would probably say "A LOT OF", or else that's how much money he'd speculate I spend on it) makeup these days, and I'm careful where I buy it.

Unlike years ago, and even in some more recent years, if I'm honest, I don't just buy the first thing I see or whatever appears on an advert. That used to be me, and you could tell by all the discarded tubes and boxes in my medicine cabinet.

Not anymore.

Now I'm reading reviews online, watching YouTube videos to see the products (sort of) up close, testing makeup samples in the stores and having makeovers done by the cosmetic counter technicians. I want to know my products and how they perform before I spend my money on them.

And when in doubt, I go back to my safety position.

My cosmetic of choice is generally Bobbi Brown. These products are really, really good. Developed by a makeup artist, this stuff works. It doesn't produce miracles, but it does make you look good. The range, the makeup and moisturisers for specific skin types, the way the products work together, it's all good. I use their moisturiser, foundation, concealer, powder, almost everything. I do buy other cosmetics (especially things like eyeshadow, bronzer, mascara -- items that I can either use a cheaper version with little impact, or else other products that have fantastic reviews elsewhere) where appropriate, but if I'm not sure where to get something, or if I want to try something new, my default stop is definitely Bobbi Brown.

And I love visiting the Bobbi Brown counter at a department store. (Although for me, this means to trip to Fenwick in Tunbridge Wells. It's a bit of a drive for me, but worth it to see and try all the products firsthand. Plus all the technicians on the counter are well trained, good at matching colours to skin tone and very knowledgeable about the products they sell. Always worth the trip!

And once I know what colours and products I need, I can order online. Plus the website has a Talk To An Artist link that's just great. When I can't get to a store, I can ask questions about products (even about colours that will work with the cosmetics I'm already using) from a live Bobbi Brown representative online. And my results with this option have been really good -- they always recommend products that work well with my current makeup regime.

So I'm a die-hard Bobbi Brown fan now. And hopefully you can see why. My face isn't 20 years old anymore, but hopefully it doesn't look too (terribly) much older. And I'm careful to try to keep it that way. :-)

For months now (ever since the O2 store moved to a different spot and they moved in) I’ve walked past the Lush store in the Eastbourne Arndale Centre and absolutely loved the smells wafting out the door, but never went in. Finally, about a week ago, I decided to actually enter the premises and am I glad I did!

Given it was nearly 5:00 when I walked in, I expected a quick brush-off and maybe the chance to smell a few things on my way through. What I got was a complete tour, close-up attention and all the answers and explanations I could possibly need. A very lovely young lady showed us everything, recommended products, answered our questions – she was a real star!

And I came out with some really lovely products. Really nice soaps, bath bombs, skin softeners, so many wonderful things. All the things I bought have been so nice to use, they smell great and they make me feel wonderful.

If you’ve never tried Lush, I highly recommend them. It’s so clear from the moment you walk into the store that the highest quality ingredients and great care go into everything they sell. Give them a visit -- it's worth the trip!