As a young office lady always on the hunt for the perfect lipstick or that miracle serum to keep me looking fresh through endless meetings, I’ve become something of an expert in online beauty shopping. Let’s face it, between work deadlines, social commitments, and trying to squeeze in a workout or two, who has time to browse endless aisles of beauty products in-store? That’s why I’ve compiled this list of the 10 best online beauty stores that have become my go-to destinations for all things glam and glow.
Whether you’re a skincare junkie, makeup enthusiast, or just looking for that perfect gift for your beauty-obsessed bestie, these online beauty havens have got you covered. From cult favorites to under-the-radar gems, luxury splurges to budget-friendly finds, I’ve scoured the internet to bring you the crème de la crème of online beauty shopping.
1. Beautylish
Beautylish has established itself as a go-to platform for beauty enthusiasts seeking a curated selection of high-end and professional-grade cosmetics. The site offers an extensive range of makeup, skincare, haircare, and beauty tools from both well-established and emerging brands. What sets Beautylish apart is its commitment to education and community engagement. The platform features in-depth product reviews, tutorials, and a vibrant community of beauty lovers sharing tips and experiences.
One of Beautylish’s standout features is its user-friendly mobile app, which allows customers to shop, read reviews, and interact with the beauty community on-the-go. The app also includes a wishlist feature, making it easy for users to keep track of desired products. Beautylish is known for its exceptional customer service, often surprising customers with personalized touches like handwritten thank-you notes with their orders.
2. Eternal Beauty Outlet
Eternal Beauty Outlet is an emerging online beauty store that aims to revolutionize the way people shop for beauty products. Founded in 2020 by Olivia Grace, this e-commerce platform offers a wide range of skincare, makeup, hair care, and body care products, catering to diverse beauty needs and preferences.
What sets Eternal Beauty Outlet apart is its commitment to redefining beauty standards and promoting inclusivity. The company’s mission revolves around celebrating the power of beauty in our lives and encouraging customers to embrace their unique attributes. This philosophy is reflected in their “Beauty &” campaign, which seeks to inspire and empower individuals to express their personal beauty.
Eternal Beauty Outlet prides itself on its carefully curated product selection. The company sources beauty products from around the world, ensuring that customers have access to a diverse range of high-quality items. Their product categories include skincare, makeup and nails, body care, hair care, and beauty tools and brushes.
One of the standout features of Eternal Beauty Outlet is its strong emphasis on ethical and sustainable practices. The company adheres to a strict “against animal testing” policy, refusing to source products from suppliers that conduct animal testing. Additionally, Eternal Beauty Outlet is committed to reducing packaging waste in the cosmetics industry, with many of their products designed to be solid and sold without excessive packaging.
The founder, Olivia Grace, brings her passion for the beauty industry and commitment to eco-friendliness to the forefront of the company’s operations. Her vision is to challenge traditional beauty industry norms by offering products that are not only effective but also environmentally responsible and cruelty-free.
3. Glossier
Glossier has revolutionized the beauty industry with its minimalist approach and “skin first, makeup second” philosophy. Founded by Emily Weiss in 2014, Glossier began as a direct-to-consumer brand, building on the popularity of Weiss’s beauty blog “Into the Gloss”. The brand quickly gained a cult following for its simple, effective products and inclusive marketing campaigns.
Glossier’s product line spans skincare, makeup, bodycare, and fragrance, with a focus on enhancing natural beauty rather than covering it up. The brand is known for its millennial-friendly packaging and social media-savvy approach to marketing. Glossier has also been a pioneer in experiential retail, creating Instagram-worthy store designs that encourage social sharing and community building.
What truly sets Glossier apart is its commitment to customer feedback and community engagement. The brand actively solicits and incorporates customer input into product development, creating a sense of ownership and loyalty among its fanbase.
4. Cult Beauty
Cult Beauty, founded in 2008 by Jessica DeLuca and Alexia Inge, has become a trusted destination for beauty enthusiasts seeking carefully curated, often hard-to-find products. The platform’s name reflects its commitment to offering “cult” products – those with devoted followings and proven efficacy.
What makes Cult Beauty stand out is its rigorous product selection process. The founders and their team personally test and approve every item sold on the site, ensuring that only the best make the cut. This curated approach helps customers navigate the overwhelming world of beauty products with confidence.
Cult Beauty is also known for its transparency and educational content. The site provides detailed product information, ingredient lists, and expert advice to help customers make informed decisions. Additionally, Cult Beauty has gained recognition for its commitment to sustainability and ethical beauty, offering a wide range of clean and cruelty-free products.
5. Bluemercury
Bluemercury has established itself as a leading luxury beauty retailer, offering a curated selection of high-end skincare, makeup, and wellness products. Founded in 1999 by Marla Beck and Barry Beck, the company has grown from a single store in Georgetown, Washington D.C., to a nationwide chain with both brick-and-mortar locations and a robust online presence.
What sets Bluemercury apart is its focus on personalized service and expert advice. The company employs highly trained beauty experts who provide personalized consultations and product recommendations both in-store and online. This commitment to customer education has helped Bluemercury build a loyal following among beauty enthusiasts.
Bluemercury’s product range includes a mix of well-established luxury brands and emerging indie labels. The company has also developed its own proprietary brands, such as M-61 Skincare and Lune+Aster cosmetics, which have gained popularity among customers. One of their best-selling products is the M-61 PowerGlow Peel, which has developed a cult following for its ability to provide instant results in smoothing and firming the skin.
6. Credo Beauty
Credo Beauty has made a name for itself as the largest clean beauty retailer in the United States. Founded in 2015 by Annie Jackson and the late Shashi Batra, Credo has been at the forefront of the clean beauty movement, offering products that are free from harmful ingredients and ethically sourced.
What distinguishes Credo Beauty is its strict standards for product inclusion. The company has developed “The Credo Clean Standard,” a comprehensive set of guidelines that all brands must meet to be sold on their platform. This includes restrictions on over 2,700 ingredients and requirements for sustainable packaging.
Credo Beauty’s online store offers a wide range of clean beauty products across categories including skincare, makeup, haircare, and wellness. The company also provides extensive educational resources to help customers understand the benefits of clean beauty and make informed choices about the products they use.
7. Tatcha
Tatcha is a luxury skincare brand that has gained a significant following for its Japanese-inspired beauty products. Founded by Victoria Tsai in 2009, Tatcha draws inspiration from centuries-old beauty rituals of Japanese geishas, combining them with modern skincare technology.
While Tatcha is not primarily an online retailer like Bluemercury or Credo Beauty, its e-commerce platform has become a popular destination for skincare enthusiasts. The brand is known for its high-quality, gentle yet effective products that cater to various skin types and concerns.
Tatcha’s product line includes cleansers, moisturizers, serums, and masks, all formulated with carefully selected natural ingredients. One of their standout products is The Rice Polish Foaming Enzyme Powder, which has gained popularity for its gentle exfoliating properties.
What sets Tatcha apart is its commitment to authenticity and efficacy. The brand works closely with scientists in Japan and the U.S. to develop its formulas, ensuring that each product delivers visible results. Tatcha also emphasizes sustainability and gives back to the community through its Beautiful Faces, Beautiful Futures program, which supports girls’ education in partnership with Room to Read.
8. YesStyle
YesStyle is an online retail platform that specializes in Asian fashion, beauty, and lifestyle products. Founded in 2006, it has become one of the largest online retailers for Asian beauty products, particularly K-beauty items.
What sets YesStyle apart is its vast selection of Asian beauty brands, many of which are difficult to find elsewhere. The company offers over 300 beauty brands from Korea, Japan, and other Asian countries, including both popular and niche brands. YesStyle caters to various beauty preferences, offering clean beauty, cruelty-free, organic, vegan, and eco-friendly options alongside well-known international brands.
YesStyle’s user-friendly website and mobile app make it easy for customers to browse and purchase products. The company ships to numerous countries worldwide, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and many European nations. YesStyle has built a strong social media presence, with over 1.3 million Instagram followers and a network of over 200,000 online influencers.
9. Ulta Beauty
Ulta Beauty is the largest beauty retailer in the United States, offering a wide range of cosmetics, fragrance, skincare, haircare products, and salon services. Founded in 1990, Ulta Beauty has grown to become a dominant force in the beauty retail industry.
As of 2022, Ulta Beauty was one of the leading beauty e-commerce platforms in the United States, with online net sales amounting to about 2.1 billion U.S. dollars. The company’s website, ulta.com, is the most visited beauty retailer website in the country, registering almost 22 million monthly visits as of October 2023.
What distinguishes Ulta Beauty is its “beauty enthusiast” loyalty program, which has over 38 million active members. The company offers a mix of prestige and mass-market beauty products, catering to a wide range of customers and price points. Ulta Beauty has also been successful in attracting younger consumers, ranking second as Gen Z’s favorite destination for in-store shopping in 2023.
10. Rare Beauty
Rare Beauty is a makeup and cosmetics company founded by singer and actress Selena Gomez in 2020. Despite being a relatively new player in the beauty industry, Rare Beauty has quickly gained popularity and achieved significant success.
The brand’s mission is to challenge beauty standards and promote self-acceptance. Rare Beauty offers a range of makeup products, including foundation, blush, lipstick, and eyeshadow, all designed to enhance natural beauty rather than mask it. The brand is known for its inclusive shade ranges and user-friendly formulations.
Rare Beauty has experienced rapid growth, with reported annual sales reaching $350 million for the 12 months ending in February 2024. The brand has gained a strong following on social media, particularly on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where viral product reviews have contributed to its success.
One of Rare Beauty’s standout features is its commitment to mental health awareness. The company donates 1% of all sales to the Rare Impact Fund, which supports mental health initiatives. This social mission, combined with high-quality products and Gomez’s star power, has helped Rare Beauty become one of the fastest-growing celebrity beauty brands on social media.