Welcome to the world of Sephora — or rather, worlds.

Sephora isn't your average drug or department store beauty counter. Despite its slightly overwhelming supply — hello, 13,000 products from 200 brands — the store is organized in easy-to-navigate worlds: colour, skincare, fragrance, and the exclusive Sephora line, as well as bath and body products and even smile care.

It's not just a store for makeup aficionados either. Novices in the world of eyeliners and shadows can get involved too. All cosmetics are available to test and play with — they were the first beauty retailer to use the open-sell philosophy — and there's no pressure to buy, said store director, Mary Hodges. Customers are encouraged to go home with samples of whatever they want.

Any customer can take advantage of the highly-skilled staff as well. Each “cast member” goes through six weeks of training about all the products, how to assess different skin types and putting hygiene first. There are even professional makeup artists there to help you figure out that elusive smoky eye look with their free consultations.

For those of you who haven't visited the store, here's the insider scoop on the must-have products — from the number one selling mineral foundation, Bare Minerals Starter Kit will be flying off the shelves so get yours while you can, said Hodges. At $75, regularly a $218 value, it has two shades of mineral foundation, mineral veil, warmth to give you a bronzed glow and brushes.

There are also all the exclusive lines — from cult-favourite, anime-inspired tokidoki to Kat Von D's line and Tarina Tarantino — that you won't find in department stores.

Besides a literal rainbow of cosmetics to choose from, Sephora also gives you every brush under the sun, and the products to make sure your skin's in tip-top shape to try these new looks.

Green girls will be happy to know they can stay environmentally- friendly when getting pretty with Sephora's “naturals” category. The company has specific criteria a product must meet in order to be part of that category and just saying “green” on the package is not enough, said Hodges.

Finally, for students on a budget — Sephora's got you covered. They pride themselves on their variety of price points and can point you in the direction of products that suit your budget.


A glimpse into the number of products found in Sephora