There are a lot of good reviews for this place, but also some sour apples--mostly about customer service
Other people say it is their favorite Sephora store ( immediately contradicted by someone who says another branch is better)
Sephora
45 E 17th St
(between 5th Ave & W Union Sq)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhoods: Union Square, Flatiron
(212) 995-8833
(between 5th Ave & W Union Sq)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhoods: Union Square, Flatiron
(212) 995-8833
- Nearest Transit Station:
-
14 St. - Union Sq (N, Q, R)14 St. - Union Sq (4, 5, 6, 6X)Union Sq - 14 St. (L)
- Hours:
- Mon-Sat 10 am - 9 pmSun 11 am - 7 pm
- Price Range:
- $$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- By Appointment Only:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Theo M. said: "Don't hate me, hate the 9 floors I see, clothes that I had to buy Shirts I wanna wear, shades that I tried, close your eyes Picture yourself rollin', new clothes, money foldin' Tourist destination for the flagship of the nation So many…" read more »
121 reviews for Sephora
- A Yelpy Insight: 20-somethings give this spot props. See more places they like.
121 reviews in English
-
Review from Erin A.
One of the best Sephoras in the city. I never have to look far for a sales' associate's help. This place is always well stocked too.
They also offer free makeup classes to teach you how to master the smoky eye, false lashes, or a simple day look. The classes are taught by great instructors who are knowledgable about products and offer great recommendation.
My only gripe is that the lighting in this Sephora is darker than usual, making it harder to match foundations and other products. What looks good in the dark doesn't always look good in the light, as I've learned the hard way. -
Review from Ada C.
New York, NYI love Sephora as a brand, but this store is definitely lacking in customer service. I've shopped here for years as I live and work nearby, but I don't think I've ever had one good experience that really stood out. The associates either ignore you or greet you and then disappear when you want help.
On a brighter note, this store usually has most products in stock and I love the fact that if you don't love something, you can return it. I prefer shopping at the Sephora on Fifth though, which is just a couple blocks away. The associates there are much friendlier and actually are around when you have questions. -
Review from Kimi O.
Brooklyn, NYIt's a Sephora and they are pretty standard across the board IMO, but I like this one the most because it's always well stocked compared to others I have been to. I also like the way it's setup now that it has been expanded. The perfume's are FAR off in their own section stinking up their own corner of the store, followed by skin care, and then BAM makeup! You don't have to wander around to figure out where everything is and it is kept pretty neat.
My biggest gripe here is the staff. I know they aren't real makeup artists and they are sales associates, but I know plenty of makeup artists who come here to get hired and are turned down. They know about the products but I hear them telling girls tons of wrong info on how to apply products or gain a proper color match. They also don't know about product ingredients and why some dyes are not eye or lip safe and shouldn't be used in those areas, and they DEFINITELY do not know that they need to be cleaning those makeup brushes after EVERY use and not just once a day. EWWWWW (I will never get a make over here EVER) I think that makes it piss poor service coming from a place that wants to be #1 in makeup/beauty needs. I also don't like that the staff makes you feel like it's coming from their pocket if you ask for a sample of something. They will give it to you but they act as if you could never afford it just because you want to try it first.
Whenever I want to go in look at something and buy it and be in and out in 10 minutes, I have about 100000 sales people offer help to the point where it becomes annoying, but when I actually WANT help and Im looking around and walking around looking for someone it's a ghost town in there. WTF? Not really a pro or con in terms of a review, but I wish I could get some consistent service. Cashiers are the best part of the whole thing, they don't smile, they get you in and out quickly.
They also never know about Sephora Events listed on their website. I don't know if they are playing dumb or if this is a management issue, but it's really annoying when I get emails about an event and go to the store and there's nothing going on, and on Black Friday they didn't know they were supposed to be open an hour earlier (but yet, were all in the store?) and made everyone wait outside for an extra 30 mins so they could get their shit together. I mean come on. Half of Manhattan knows what's going on here and the employees don't? -
Review from L F.
New York, NYSince the renovation and expansion at this location, customer service has gone from first to WORST!
Other than the skincare people, everything else is iffy -- at best. The worst are some of the cashiers who are rude and condescending. I was so put off by one's rude and insulting attitude that I called the VIB Rouge hotline and registered a complaint. I was told that someone "above store level" would get back to me shortly.
But a week and a half later, I got an email -- addressed to someone I've never heard of -- from the store manager, Erin Kleinman, which didn't address the problem of the rude behavior. I wrote back to explain the actual problem and to ask why she addressed her (rather late) message to someone else. That was a month ago, and apparently Erin Kleinman has the same lack of manners and respect for customers that her employees do, because she couldn't bother to respond.
About 2 1/2 weeks ago, I sent a copy of our (non) correspondence to Sephora's corporate office, and have yet to receive a response.
Obviously, rudeness is the Sephora way of doing business. I'll be taking my money elsewhere.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
8/19/2009
My favorite of all Sephoras. The staff is always friendly and makes me feel welcome, even when… Read more »
-
8/19/2009
-
Review from chester k.
Brooklyn, NYI come here often - once a week at least, and I'm a VIB costumer. I like to think that I'm of some value to this company. I usually have a great experience here. Today was unfortunately an exception. The guy working the little side table early this afternoon (around 2 pm) where people pay with debit cards was VERY rude. So rude in fact, I would have rather gone out in the rain to get cash and stand in line all over again than have him "help" me. Not only was he rude to me, but tried to wave a customer over who was BEHIND me in line. Maybe I looked too bummy for anyone to be nice to me (sweatshirt on a rainy day, hair in a bun, etc) but I still had money I was willing to spend here.
I'll still shop at Sephora, but I'm thankful there are other locations to go to... -
Review from Crimson K.
Hackensack, NJBeautiful Location and selection but the customer service here is horrible! Not only was I not greeted or approached but when I did get help i was either "pointed" to the specific section or given incorrect information on the products that I later found out via google regarding who tests on animals and who doesn't. You get what you pay for and they must not pay well to have informed beauty advisors who engage in client interaction and have extensive product knowledge. I for one will not be shopping here again! I'd rather pay for quality service than shop in a "supermarket". -
Review from Sarah Z.
New York, NYMy favorite of all the sephoras! I think the staff is amazing. Audrey has helped me so many times with my makeup (and now teaches amazing classes too). I have always had a great experience in this sephora and love all that they have to offer! -
Review from Melia P.
I have to agree with some of the other reviews and say this place has some of the best sales associates. I went in looking for a specific brand of foundation that is cruelty-free. The associate tried a few colors, but also made recommendations for other brands (non cruelty-free) that may also match my skin.
Sad thing is I have light brown skin with yellow undertones and most of the deep foundations are made with red undertones, even the neutral ones!
The associate sent me home with the some samples to try. She also informed me my skin was dry and to try mixing my moisturizer and foundation - pretty good tip. -
Review from Tenicka B.
Brooklyn, NYI frequent Sephora at least once a week. I just so happened to be downtown, so I ventured into this one.
The service today was disastrous. Everyone was mysteriously busy (putting makeup on themselves). Save your time and head to the Sephora in midtown on 34th Street. -
Review from ann t.
New York, NYThis place is consistent (I finally learned my lesson) -- the salespeople are way too busy -- talking to each other! Don't waste your time.
I got there about 30 minutes after they opened (my last visit for sure) -- there were maybe three customers and what looked like three times as many employees -- only one customer being helped. I finally found the product I wanted - wrong color -- when I approached two ladies who were looking very busy talking -- they said they had nothing else. Too busy to stop chatting, I guess.
I'm actually writing to Sephora - because good business would have been to perhaps suggest something else. But then they'd have to work. -
Review from Dorie L.
Extremely convenient to get to in a heavy foot traffic and flagship area of NYC. But the service was less than stellar. I asked three staff for assistance and asked for their recommendation on a liquid proof crayon eyeliner.
First staff: Helpful to the extent that with a response it's right behind you." When I asked her again for something else, she first pointed to a direction but I didn't know exactly where she was pointing to so I asked her to take me there.
Second Staff: Same question, same response. This staff was better though since she did help me find something I need instead of just saying "it's anything here"
Third staff: omg first staff out of 3 that smiled and greeted you instead of the -_- face and wait for you to ask a question then walk away with the same face. The 3rd staff was very friendly and led me to the cashier's line when I got lost in the store.
The customer service I received did not reflect the chain's famous reputation. I highly suggest that Sephora have secret shoppers and undercover bosses to re-evaluate their customer service. Bad customer service drives customers out the door to other Sephora locations or cosmetic stores entirely. Customers paying those pricey cosmetic items want to feel appreciated and welcomed, not a 'oo man more customers I have to assist' face and attitude. -
Review from Rumpus P.
New York, NYI'm a big fan of Sephora so when wandering around the Union Square area I had to pop in as I'm new to the area and am scoping both new and familiar stores for future reference.
This isn't the best Sephora I've been in, however I would happily go back and no doubt will. The only real fault I have with it is that to enter the makeup area one must go through the perfume section... and the smell is so strong it makes you not want to bother. The kind of perfume smell and intensity that kind of catches in your throat and makes you want to hold your breath til you're past it.
However, once you do go past it, the store has all the standard great brands one sees at Sephoras and the aisles have plenty of space between stands. The staff said hello to me and offered to be of help but didn't badger or follow me when I declined with a "no thank you" and a smile.
If you're in the area and need a true-red eye shadow or just some clear lip gloss, go on in.
If you're not familiar with Sephora GO ON IN. lol. A ton of beauty products, multiple aisles of high quality makeup, perfumes, brushes, etc. The brands and items you find in Sephora won't be priced like drugstore cosmetics... expect 2-4X the price - but these are absolutely worth it. The brands sold here are not drugstore quality and give much stronger color with less product and lasts much longer (in wear time and in product use-up time). I'm not someone with a ton of money laying around, but I do use some of the major brands they sell due to the quality.
Aside from the perfume issue, this is a good store with not annoying but available staff. -
Review from Jaimie L.
I came in here because my friend had to return an item. And I gotta tell ya, I love, love, love the newly revamped location! The store's layout was a bit cramped before. But when I walked in here recently, I was pleasantly surprised to see just how expansive this place actually is now.
The new design allow you to sample a lot of products from the nail polishes, lotions, fragrances, and more without feeling crowded. I love the Fragrance Flight Bar that allows customers to test out scents without knowing the brand. Cool, right? I'll definitely come to this location to sample new products and test out fragrances. It's much better than I remembered it before its new floor layout. -
-
Review from Arielle R.
Los Angeles, CADo NOT let me in a Seohora or I WILL spend my paycheck within the hour. Especially this Sephora. Whoops. -
Review from C G.
Brooklyn, NYGo see Tara/Tarah, she's one of the make-up artists, she is AMAZING!!!
She took my blah face and transformed me to awake/alive with color, and she's NOT pushing anything on you, I never felt pressured to buy although by other ladies I felt pressure, Tara(h) is awesome and you should go see her...
I'll buy for THAT sephora just because I finally found someone who I feel is being honest with me.
good luck! -
Review from Nafeesha P.
Brooklyn, NYI LOVE LOVE LOVE this Sephora!! The renovations are gorgeous & the staff is always accomodating.
Ladies they now have nail polish stations where you can go polish your nails & try different nail looks. I've spent my whole lunch hour there on many occassions & enjoy the girly fun you can have. -
Review from Peter D.
It takes a real man to buy makeup for his girlfriend. At least that's what I tell myself when she sends me in here, hopelessly lost and pitifully whipped.
Lucky for me, this store is absolutely packed with friendly, knowledgable Sephora employees just waiting to help you find anything and everything you need (and if they are judging you, they are doing it silently). As soon as I walked through the door, a very nice young woman showed me exactly what I was looking for, and pointed me toward the cashier.
While she was ringing me up, the cashier asked me whether or not I found everything I was looking for. Upon hearing that I was hoping that they had the larger size of [whatever beauty product I've already forgotten], she was immediately apologetic; she checked me out, then left her post and walked me clear across the store to get me a free shipping code so I could order the correct item off the website at no extra charge.
And then when I walked out, satisfied that I've kept my girlfriend from breaking up with me for at least another week, each and every one of the Sephora employees gave me a genuine goodbye smile.
All customer service should be like this. -
Review from Michael U.
Las Vegas, NVSorry, I love this place - particularly as the FAA doesn't allow me to fly with more than 3oz of liquids. Staying in Brooklyn the Union Square stop is almost always where I get off the train and within a few steps I can wander over to Sephora to decide how I want to smell for the day.
Sure I could buy smaller bottles of cologne, but why? :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave a comment-- or suggestions, particularly of topics and places you'd like to see covered