Where to shop for makeup?

It's been too hot lately to want to do up my face if I don't have a gig, so I figured that this week I'd talk about where I shop for makeup. Consider it a bit of a continuation of yesterday's theme on dressing like a pro. Once you've got great clothes for your body, you need good makeup for your face.

Ulta was the first place that I started buying makeup. I like that it's like a department store for cosmetics and hair, that there's one in the mall I frequent most often (in fact, when I first started buying makeup there was a Borders bookstore next door, which meant I spent a lot of lazy Saturday afternoons shopping for books and makeup), and that they carry upscale brands and drugstore brands. They also frequently have sales and coupons. Unfortunately, those coupons are rarely good on "prestige" brands like Urban Decay (my addiction).

Sephora is my current favorite. It's across town, which saves me from making too many visits, and they don't carry drugstore brands, so I usually spend more money there. I tend to get great service at my local Sephora and I like that they'll put pretty much anything on my face, and that if I don't like it when I get it home, I can return it. They seem to rotate things pretty often, which means there's always something new and exciting, but also that sometimes they just stop carrying stuff that you like. They do coupons and sales less often than Ulta, but their sales are less restrictive.

The MAC Counter. I haven't let myself go into an actual MAC store, but the counter at Dillards is pretty nice. Because MAC is a little more expensive and it's not really a browsing sort of place, I usually only go when I need something specific. That said, my favorite gel liner and dark neutral eyeshadow are from MAC, and I always get great service. I like that if I just want one thing, they find me that thing and don't try to sell me anything else.

Target. Yeah, I buy stuff at Target, because sometimes you just want a Blast Flipstick (hehehehe) or some e.l.f. lashes or some Sally Hansen nail polish. Of course the problem with Target is that you can't try anything on, and there's no trained employees to advise you, so you just have to hope for the best. But they have a pretty big selection, they put stuff on sale, and it's convenient.

On-line. I don't buy on-line very often, mainly only if there's a sale or what I want is sold out locally. Occasionally I'll take a chance on some handmade stuff from Etsy. But in general I prefer to try my makeup on, and of course when it's 100+ degrees out, things would just melt and get gross.

Do you shop someplace that I didn't cover here? Tell me about it in the comments!