A step-by-step guide to Sephora Sydney.

We are there, Sydney.

Sephora in Pitt St Mall officially opened it’s doors TODAY at 12pm. Huzzah!

If you’re not in Sydney, or your boss very inconveniently won’t let you take the morning off to queue up, fear not. We’ve got a sneak peek inside Australia’s first ever Sephora store.

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The Glow team were at the media preview last night, and while our beauty cupboard is heaving we STILL couldn’t resist buying a few things while we were there. Yep, that’s just the power of Sephora. It makes you buy shiny, pretty things you never knew you needed.

Sephora is open! Here’s what you need to buy first.

Like for example…

1. Sephora My Cosmic Sneaker Nail Patch Art, $15.

2. Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon in Th(ink), $30.

I have a thing for Marc Jacobs and if I wasn’t married... kidding. This eyeliner is a fantastical shade of metallic navy. It’s also waterproof, but I don’t mind because I never want to take it off. (US price $25.)

3. Formula X nail colour in Provactive $20.

So this is the perfect shade of not-too-baby-blue for summer (top left). Right, guys? (US price $10.50.)

4. Sephora Lotus Face Mask, $4.

Not even the thought of putting a $4 mask on my hypersensitive skin could stop me from buying this. One of the uber-helpful staff members of a similar age (this never happens) and skin type recommend the Hydrating & Soothing Lotus mask. But they also come in 9 other flavours including nourishing avocado and hydrating honey. (US price $6.)

5. Balenciaga Florabotanica rollerball perfume, $25.

I’m a sucker for a rollerball perfume, and always buy one or two when I’m overseas. This baby is exactly the same price as Balenciaga’s Florabotanica rollerball sold in the US. Winning. (US price $25.)

All your affordable makeup dreams are about to come true.

Are they price matching?

Good question. The answer is complicated.

The Australian Financial Review has just reported that Sephora Australia is indeed price matching to the US.

There is a catch though - the global cosmetics retailer will only be price matching brands that are exclusive to Sephora.

“If a brand is already in the market we don’t tell them to give us a cheaper price (and) we don’t want to compete with department stores and other players based on lower pricing,” Ravi Thakran, Asia and Middle East president for global luxury goods group LVMH Moët Hennessy told AFR. “But any brand we bring in we’ll bring that in with pricing equality (with the US).”

That means items that you can already buy at David Jones and Myers (So brands like Lancome, Estee Lauder, Jurlique and Benefit) will NOT be cheaper at Sephora. Sad face, cry face.

The brands that will match prices from abroad are Marc Jacobs Beauty, Tarte, Skin Inc and Formula X and Sephora's private label range Sephora Collection.

“That’s a big promise and we will certainly keep that – that’s a real bone of contention to Aussie consumers,” Mr Thakran also said.

“Many brands have done a disservice and many retail players have also done a disservice to the retail consumer, I believe the Australian consumer does deserve to be treated exactly the same [as US consumers].”

“It could be a short-term sacrifice for a long-term game and we certainly want to go for that,” he said.

Your Game Plan.

If you’re planning on heading into Sephora today, over the weekend, or before Christmas, you’re going to need a game plan. The beauty mega store runs over two levels and stocks 65+ beauty brands. Ready?

Grab a basket, head to your right and stock up on all things Marc Jacobs beauty. The brand is exclusive to Sephora in Australia, and the US website doesn’t ship to Australia. Behind M.J. is YSL, Dior, Giorgio Armani, Givenchy, Clinique, Becca, Perfekt Beauty, and Aussie brand Red Earth. Are you still with me? Good. Sephora’s own beauty line runs down the entire right side wall. Which means tools, sponges, nail polishes, pencils, makeup in every shade you can dream up, THE WORKS.

At the back of the store is the Benefit area, but maybe wait a few weeks/years for the lines to die down to get your brows done here. Through the middle you’ll find OPI and Formula X nail polishes, and the Beauty Studio where the in-store beauty gurus are more than willing to do makeovers and test out products on your pretty faces.

Hope you wore your comfy shoes because we’re about to hit the left side. Fragrances line the entire side wall. Here you can expect to find every single perfume / aftershave you’ve ever wanted to try out, ever. This includes Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen’s exclusive Elizabeth and James Hers (black) and Hers (white) fragrances. If you’re a fan of Tarte, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Make Up For Ever, Cover FX, IT Cosmetics, Bite Beauty, Nee’mah, or Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics then you will not be disappointed on this side of the store. Go nuts, you have our permission.

If you have any steam left,  (of course you do) head upstairs for bath, body, skincare products and the helpful skin consultation counters. There’s Clarisonic, Creme Simon, Leif, Dr. Jart, Alterna, Percy & Reed, and New York hair tool brand Amika. Upstairs is also where the payment counter is. Do not go past go without collecting at least one rollerball perfume on your way out. This area is solely designed to make you impulse purchase things, so you will naturally oblige. Resistance is futile.

Go forth my pretties! And report back on what you bought in the comments below, I need to know what you picked up.

The full list of brands.

Exclusive:

Alterna
Andrea Fulerton
Antonym
Arcona
Aspar
BECCA
BITE
Clean
Cover FX
Crème Simon
Dr.Jart
Elizabeth and James
Estelle & Thild
Etat Libre d’Orange
For Beloved One
Formula X
Givenchy Colour
Hello Kitty
IT Cosmetics
Kat Von D
Leif
LQD
MAKE UP FOREVER
Marc Jacobs Beauty
Nee’mah
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics
Ole Henriksen
Patricks
Percy & Reed
Perfekt
Sephora Collection
Shiffa
Skin Inc.
Tarte

Not exclusive (but STILL ace):

Armani
Diesel
Clinique
Lauder
Dior
Clarisonic
Giorgio Armani Makeup
Lancome  (Cosmetics)
YSL (Cosmetics)
GUERLAIN SKINCARE
Givenchy  (Cosmetics)
Shiseido (SKINCARE)
SK-II
Clarins (SKINCARE)
Bioeffect
Foreo Luna
Jurlique
Butter London & Nails Inc
Gorgeous Cosmetics
Red Earth
L'occitane
Coast to Coast
Glasshouse
MAISON BLANCHE
OPI
Anastasia Brow (Beverly Hills)
Benefit

What's the first thing you're planning to buy?