You know it’s probably cheaper to shop for cosmetics online but what if I told you that one item I checked was €52 cheaper online. Seriously I was astounded when I started to look into price comparisons. You might have heard of Strawberrynet.com? Well it wasn’t the cheapest online store for any of the brands I researched. Anyway, here are my findings and recommendations. I’d love to hear your comments and if you’ve found any other good sites you’d like to share.. Enjoy (and here’s to spending less on looking pretty!)

www.Strawberrynet.com
Stocks most brands including Mac, Bobby Brown, Benefit, Lancome, Estee Lauder- free shipping and is cheaper than the shops .

Price Comparison
BeneFit Cosmetics -Nonfiction Liquid Foundation
Price on site: €19
Price on high street: €29.20
Saving: €10.50

Verdict: Excellent brand range but is not always the cheapest. It’s worth checking out the other sites to see if the stock the brand and price compare. (Note some brand likes Bobby Brown, Mac & Estee Lauder may be cheaper in Brown Thomas)

www.CheapSmells.com
Despite the name is not the cheapest online perfumer seller. However they have a good range of skin and cosmetic brands including Lancome, Elizabeth Arden, Benefit, some Bobby Brown (eyeshadows).
Delivery costs vary and are not explicitly stated, so you only find out at the checkout.. (Foundation cost €2.50 and moisturiser cost €4.04 – so it really does vary.

Price comparison:
YSL Touche Eclat
Price on site: €19.69
Price on High Street – €35
Saving: €15.31

***Lancome- Anti-Aging – Absolute Premium Bx Creme, Absolute Replenishing Cream SPF 15 (Mature Skin) 50ml- is €52.91 cheaper than Brown Thomas

Verdict: For the most part cheaper than Strawberrynet but limited brands

www.Beautyfeatures.ie
An Irish company that is very price competitive. Brands include; Decleor, Clarins, Elizabeth Arden, Burts Bees and Bio Oil. They’re quite limited at the moment but they are only running since April and are looking to bring on more brand in the new year.

Price Comparision:
Bio Oil (125ml)
Price on site €12.95 (no delivery charge)
Price on High Street €22.50
Saving: € 9.55

Verdict: Excellent value just limited lines (you can get 125ml of Bio Oil for €12.95 (it’s €22.50 in Boots). Free delivery too! – One to Watch.

www.beautybay.com
Stocks more lesser known brands- Dr Hauschka, Dr. Seba and Yes to Carrots, as well as some known brands- Stila, Urban Decay and Nails Inc

Verdict : good for skincare, cheaper than StrawberryNet for the brands they stock- delivery costs are expensive for only one item £3.50 (€4) but only 50p per item thereafter – so better to buy in buy in bulk – worth checking out.

www.fragrancedirect.co.uk
Excellent for perfume, the cheapest I have found. The delivery charges are also not expensive (€2.78 for perfume). Only slightly cheap than www.CheapSmells.com  – so it’s worth doing a quick price comparison.

Price Comparison
Chloe Eau de Toilette 50ml
Price on site: €63.50
Price on High Street €51.27
Saving €13.83

Verdict: Best for perfume/aftershave

www.feelunique.com

Clarins, Decleor, Bare Escentuals etc , Elizabeth Arden, Fake Bake and L’Occitane (cheapest for L’Occitance Hand Cream and Clarin’s Eye Gel. would be the well known brands they stock. They stock a lot of lesser known brands and have good haircare products including Tigi and Bed Head.
Price comparison:
Clarins Eye Contour Gel 20ml
Price on site: €26.24 (no delivery charge)
Price on High Street €32.50
Saving €6.26

Verdict: Check out if they stock the brand you’re looking for, if they do, they could well be the cheapest. Free delivery too!

www.perfumeireland.com
Good product lines , but more expensive than the other sites. They’re still cheaper than the shops though.

Price comparison:
Dermalogica Active Moist 100ml
Price on site €41.50
Price on High Street €51.60
Saving: €10.10

Verdict: Free delivery but you need to allow 7-10 days for delivery.

Overall Verdict

Cheapest perfume site: www.fragrancedirect.co.uk

Cheapest high end skincare: www.cheapsmells.com

Best product range: www.stawberrynet.com

One to watch: www.beautyfeatures.ie (free delivery, Irish and excellent prices)

Extra Money Saving Tips and Advice
1. Always check the delivery charge, as sometime this can be expensive. For most UK sites the delivery charge is not stated up front and you need to go to the check-out stage of the purchase to learn the cost.
2. Always check www.myvouchercodes.co.uk for discount codes for the sites to get even more money off  (there are discount codes for the above sites at the moment, but last month they had 10% off Strawberrynet and the month before they had 10% off Beauty Bay.)
3. Delivery costs tend to be cheaper the more items you buy, so it might be a good idea to get your friends to order with you and share the delivery charges.
4. Check the cashback sites for cashback deals. www.Fatcheese.ie do 5% cashback with www.cheapsmells.com

Please leave a comment if you have found a bargain or have a cosmetic site to recommend!- thanks- Value Vera