Its official - Sephora is coming to Australia!!!

Yes, that's right beauty lovers! The wait is almost over and we will soon have our very own Sephora stores in Australia! 

I know that we have all heard the rumors that have been going around for years, that have left us nothing but disappointed as there was never any truth to them. We now finally have a credible and reliable source confirming that Sephora will be opening its first shop in Sydney in the first half of 2015!

According to the Financial Review published today, Sephora has confirmed that it has been looking at Sydney locations for its very first store. Not only that but they have also confirmed that they intend to open stores in other capital cities around Australia as well!

To say that I'm excited is an understatement! For so many years I have had to travel long distances to be able to visit my favorite store and that has been a luxury that I could not afford to do as often as I would have liked. 

I remember when I first set foot in a Sephora store in America - I was overwhelmed with the choice of products and ended up spending a good hour in there just looking around and playing with all these awesome new goodies! I was like a kid in a candy store! (Luckily they had free wi-fi so my husband was entertained, otherwise it would not have been a fun shopping trip!). Over the next week or so, I ended up making their VIB list due to the small fortune I spent in that store.

I love how they have all my favorite brands under the same roof, the staff are always friently and their loyalty program is the best ever! I love the fact that you get given samples every time you shop and you get gifts each time you achieve milestones with loyalty poitns. Oh, and they never forget your birthday - each year you get a gift from them.

No other store in Australia has such awesome loyalty perks like Sephora does. I just hope that Sephora offers the same loyalty program to its Australian customers as it does to its American counterparts.

That brings me to my next topic - whilst on holiday in Singapore in January this year, I noticed that their Sephora was missing a heap of brands. Brands such as YSL, Nars and Hourglass, just to name a few, were all missing. I assume it is because of the exclusivity agreements the brands have with their local department stores but it didn't really feel like the store I know and love.

I cannot help but wonder whether the Sephora store in Australia will stock their full selection of brands and be a one stop, shop like in America. Either way, I am glad to hear that I will finally be able to test and purchase Urban Decay and Too Faced products without having to get them shipped from overseas. I am also looking forward to being able to buy some of the Sephora branded products as I have heard that they are affordable and good quality as well. 

I just hope that their prices will be reasonable and excessively marked up like in my local Mecca Cosmetica store.

Still skeptical, need more information? Read the full article from the Financial Review here. 

What do you think about Sephora arriving in Australia? Do you think they will stock the full range of products at good prices? I would love to hear your thoughts.