Five things I miss about makeup shopping in physical stores

I recently accompanied my boyfriend to his office in BGC. Since we were already out, we decided to go to Uptown Mall for dinner. Before heading back home, we walked around and did a bit of window shopping. Looking around, I couldn’t help but remember the days when I would go to the mall just to shop for makeup.

Adapting to the global pandemic, we embraced online shopping as part of the new normal. After all, it’s safer and more convenient than shopping in person. However, there are just several experiences about going to a physical store that you will never get from an online store.

Here are five things I miss about makeup shopping in physical stores!

Swatching, swatching and more swatching

Oh, the satisfaction of swatching makeup on my hand and arm. It’s always fun to get to randomly select a product and swatch it. Also, don’t you just feel empowered when you leave a store with a bunch of swatches on your hand and/or arm?

Getting to test a product before purchasing

After taking a liking to a certain swatch, wanting to test it comes next. If you’re shopping in a physical store, you can easily try that particular product and do a wear test, which will help you make an informed purchase decision. Don’t forget to ask the salesperson or makeup artist to sanitize and disinfect the testers, or do it yourself. Sometimes, they even have trial samples that you can take hom!

Discovering new makeup

Sometimes, I would go to the mall just to see if there’s new makeup out there. I know I can check online, but it’s different when you get to see it in person and try it on the spot. Also, there are situations when you go to the mall for a specific product and leave with a totally different makeup product.

Talking to fellow makeup enthusiasts

Have you ever experienced striking up a conversation with a complete stranger because of makeup? Oh, I do it all the time in stores! Whether it’s over the product a person is curious about or what the person’s already wearing, talking to fellow makeup enthusiasts is just such a joyful experience. It could also be a learning experience when recommendations and reviews become part of the conversation.  

Developing relationships and friendships

Ah, one of the best feelings is when you step into a physical store and the salesperson or makeup artist greets you by your name. Whether you draw the line there or take it to the next level is up to you. Personally, to this day, I have friends whom I’ve met through makeup shopping. Going to a physical store to buy makeup is an experience, and it is elevated when you realize that it has the power of connecting people.

Bonus: Taking the product/s home

When buying makeup online, you have to wait before you get your order. While it can feel like a surprise gift, sometimes the waiting game sucks, especially when it takes more than three days. When you buy makeup in the physical store, on the other hand, you get to instantly take the product home. Oh, I miss the excitement of heading back home so I can unbox the makeup I bought.  

Okay, I know that we are in a pandemic, which is why the purpose of writing this isn’t to tell you to go out and buy makeup in stores. I am writing this because looking back on what it was like before the pandemic gives me hope and gets me through the day.  

Take this as a reminder of what awaits us when we can finally step out of the house without a face mask on. Oh, I can’t wait for that day to come. Trust me when I say that I’ll head straight to the nearest mall just to physically buy makeup again. I hope to see you there!