Sephora

I used to not be a fan of Sephora, however the more I’ve gone in recently the more I’ve been treated better. As other reviewers have stated I have in the past had the flag down staff working there, as well I remember being completely ignored upon walking. So I must say things have changed for the better. I have frequented the store so much that I «accidentally» became a VIB member I find the staff extremely helpful and honest and knowledgeable in the products they sell and I continue to have positive experiences there. The only downfall to the store is the price, you need to know what you’re getting for the price you are paying and do your research before hand, like wether or not something cheaper will do a better job? I love the sample sizes and travel sizes and find that sometimes that’s all I need. I will continue to shop here for some things but not everything. I also wish they had more special events. Get with the times Ottawa! Lol

I love Sephora! I could spend thousands of dollars in this store.
The staff are friendly and knowledgeable about the makeup, perfume, and other products that are sold in the store. I also like the fact that the staff are not pushy.
I gave 4 stars because I preferred the previous location in the Rideau Centre. I have the impression that the new store is smaller and more cramped… It could just be an impression, however.

I’ve been a huge Sephora fan and have been coming to this location for about 3 years now. In the past I have had really great service and attribute some of the best parts of my daily beauty/​makeup régime to suggestions and samples that I have been given from the staff there!
I am sad to say; however, that my last few experiences at this location have been rather disappointing. I have had to flag down staff to help me find things, no one has come to ask me if I need help. I was there two days ago and they were out of my Marc Jacobs foundation which I am obsessed with. I was completely out of it at home so in a panic I asked the staff member I finally flagged down if she could suggest a similar product to tide me over in the mean time. She had zero clue as to any other products I could use which suggested to me that she was uneducated and had no idea what she was talking about. I asked her then if she could check in the back for me just to make sure they didn’t have my Marc Jacobs for sure. She refused.
I went in today with a friend of mine to find a Bobbi Brown cream which we had sampled at Nordstrom a few weeks before. Not only did the store not have the cream in stock, similar to my foundation (I’m starting to see a trend here) but the staff member helping us basically refused to let my friend sample any similar creams.
I have spent a lot of money at this Sephora (probably a little too much I have to admit) so to receive such poor service lately has really been disappointing to me.
I ended up going to Nordstrom where the consultants at the various counters were more than happy to help me in my search for a foundation similar to my Marc Jacobs one (they don’t carry Marc Jacobs makeup in their store). I found an amazing Bobbi brown foundation that is even better than the one I had from Sephora, and the consultant spent almost an hour helping me find the right shade for my skin.
I have basically decided that I will now be going to Nordstrom for the majority of my beauty and makeup needs, aside from the products that Sephora carries which Nordstrom does not. I’m actually real, y sad that I can no longer get good service at Sephora but I would rather take my business somewhere that is well stocked and has educated and helpful staff to assist me.

I must say I am not a fan of Sephoras normally. I have boycotted the company for years because of bad customer service in oodles of location in different city’s/countries. 99.9% of Sephoras I’ve been into have unbelievable rude, uneducated staff. As a make-​up artist it’s a huge pet peeve of mine to be looking into a product & the staff have no idea about what they’re selling. This location on the other hand has been very different.
I have spoken to a few different staff & they have all been able to answer my questions. The store is well stocked, the floor plan is easy to navigate threw. I found the most amazing staff member named Leah. She was unbelievable! I have never in any other store, company, anything had such AMAZING customer service over & over again. You should definitely see if she’s in, if you stop by.
Overall I would say check this place out.

Sephora is great. This sephora is not.
No hands on deck and lots of items missing. See pic of grimy merch presentation.
Normally i see more sephora coats than regular folks at their stores (Chicago, Toronto, DC) but waited so long that I had to ask a cashier to grab a staff member to help me. Even then I had to wait another 20 minutes cause everyone was ‘tied up’. So much for quick stops. They must have been understaffed.
I finally got someone’s attention and asked to try two Kat Von D lipstains. The station was super dirty and there was no chair for me to sit. She gave me the colour and didn’t give any suggestion or assistance. I got one of them at a whopping $ 25. Color is so me but I won’t be going back to this retail location.
See my tip pic and tell me I’m wrong.

I’ve been to this Rideau Sephora location twice now and I am really impressed with the staff. Sephora staff is really well trained and knowledgeable when it comes to products. I had this wonderful guy helping me pick out the perfect shade of powder mineral foundation yesterday. He really knew his stuff and picked out the perfect blend for me.
I love this company as well because you have 30 days to return a product if you don’t like it. I’ve had a couple issues with a few products (I was allergic to one) and I had no problems returning the product for a refund. They also give out samples if you want to try something before buying it.
I just wish this place was a little cheaper. Their Sephora brand is really well priced, but some lines are really expensive.
I am a Sephora fan for my cosmetics and will be going back for years to come, unless I can find a better price :)

If you guys are looking for a perfume, cologne, make up product of any sort, bath product or pretty much anything related to beauty and are willing to cough up some extra bucks, please do yourself a favour and visit Sephora.
Sephora is where I let the girly girl I have hiding deep inside of me run free. I will spend excessive amounts of money shopping here, but that is okay because I always feel gorgeous after leaving, if it’s makeup you’re buying make sure to ask them to try some out on you. They love dolling me up with makeup before I even buy anything. Best part? The staff is extremely helpful and they aren’t on commission, so they will help you all you want but will not push any products on you.
A lot of the time they’re featuring a sample product or are offering free mini makeovers. I’m not sure if I’d recommend one because I got turned into an oompa loompa and she had to wash the foundation off of me, but I’m sure for anyone who isn’t ghostly white it would look great.
If you are looking for anything beauty related, or you don’t know what you want but want to look lovely, come here because you will find everything you need.
Edit: changed the rating to a 4 because it just occurred to me it takes forever to get the attention of someone to help you.

Alright I know most of you guys are wondering what the heck are you doing going into this makeup store?
I found out they have cologne and a very solid selection to boot! If you want to avoid smelling like «The Axe Effect» crowd or want to get help choosing a new cologne you should drop by here and get some help from the assistants.
They’re pretty helpful most of the time and friendly all of the time.
PS — The Mrs. will ALWAYS give you points for getting them something from here… but much like shopping for any other item for her, you may want to get a second opinion ;)

Oh, Sephora, I miss you so!
When I was still living in Ottawa, Sephora was my go-​to spot for Philosophy bath and body products (my absolute favourite!), as well as their extensive selection of makeup tools and brushes.
The front walls of the store were lined with the top perfumes, including Sephora’s «top ten» selling perfumes. I could spend hours sampling each one– but alas, because my job involves a no-​scents-​is-​good-​sense protocal, I have to forgo buying many perfumes save for the occasional weekend wear.
The store also features tons of luxurious top-​of-​the-​line hair products, including Fekkai and Oscar Blandi hair treatments, which can be a tough find at other stores. There are also a bunch of quality hair brushes available for purchase (I bought one of my boar bristle brushes here, and it’s one of the softest ones I own– and it’s great for DIY blow-​outs!!)
The body products and cosmetics are the biggest draw in the store, and there are samples for virtually everything Sephora sells. If you’re not sure what color schemes work for you, or if you are iffy about your foundation/​concealer shades (like me), one of the friendly, knowledgeable staff can certainly help. Or, if you’re looking for the real deal, you can have your makeup done by one of the staff members (I never had the chance to try it, but a friend did for a birthday party, and it turned out great).
I’m hoping that eventually Sephora will move eastward to Halifax… in the meantime, any time I’m back in O-​town you can bet I’ll be stopping by for more Philosophy goods!

I’ve been to many Sephora chain stores in the Toronto area, and while doing a little Christmas shopping at the Rideau Centre, I thought I’d check this location out. It only opened in 2008, and it’s the only Sephora store in Ottawa. so far.
The second I walked in, I was greeted by one of the ladies working there, and asked if I needed a small bag to hold all of my purchases. She was so helpful in showing me where to find certain products and making suggestions, as was another employee.
There was a man doing a mini-​makeover to the right, at one of the little makeup stands. I couldn’t help but stare because he has such flawless skin, and was so amazing makeup application. You have such a higher level of confidence and trust in those whose skin and makeup look great, so I’d actually be a lot more willing to try one of their free mini-​makeovers here, rather than at the ones in the GTA.
When I went to pay, I realized I forgot my Beauty Insider card, but the lady at the cash just looked up my phone number to find my account. She also suggested that I hold off on redeeming my points, since I was only a few more away from getting a larger gift.
All the staff is extremely friendly and helpful, and are skilled at applying makeup on customers, as well as themselves. I like this location WAY more!