Online Hauls: Makeup Geek, Glossier, and Beauty Bay (Shipping to Canada)

~ stashy

July was my “Low-Buy” month which coincided with my birthday month (it was no accident, I orchestrated it so that I was able to haul for my birthday 😉 ), so the floodgates were open and I especially went to town with online orders.  Here are the 3 online retailers I purchased from:

Makeup Geek, Beauty Bay, and Glossier!  It was my first time ordering from Makeup Geek and Glossier. 🙂 For reference, I live in Toronto, Canada and costs will be stated in Canadian dollars (CAD) unless otherwise noted. As an “international” customer from most online sources, it’s always a challenge when it comes to shipping time and costs from a Canadian perspective – here’s what I bought and my experience.

Makeup Geek

• Blush Pan in Secret Admirer $10 USD (this is listed as to be discontinued so I just had to grab it)
• Blush Pan in XOXO $4 USD (this was in their damaged section but it is in mint condition!)
• Foiled Eyeshadow Pan in Mesmerized $10 USD
• Duochrome Eyeshadow Pan in Steampunk $6 USD
• Duochrome Eyeshadow Pan in Mai Tai $6 USD
• Eyeshadow Pan in Barcelona Beach $6 USD
• Makeup Geek Travel Vault Palette $13.00 USD

I finally got my paws on some MUG goodies! By the way, I clicked through TheMakeupCase’s link to place my order (it’s on her sidebar). 🙂

Here are the pans all snug inside the palette:

I believe the palette could fit one more eye shadow – now I kick myself for not getting one more (had my eye on the shade “Prom Night” but just how many taupe eye shadows does one person need? It’s the greatest mystery of life! 😆 )

Shipping details:
Ordered: July 9th
Shipped: July 11th
Received: July 17th
Source: Jackson, MI (USA)
Via: USPS
Shipping cost: $6.99 USD, no free shipping offer
Prices shown as USD on site, taxes not included

The shipping was speedy and hassle-free – I did not get dinged on taxes / custom fees (my total came to $83 CAD). The packaging was stellar both in function (box was compact and items were wrapped in tissue) and in form (sleek black box with metallic logo sticker on the outside, and hot pink tissue paper inside).

Beauty Bay

• Anna Sui Eye & Face Colour Angel Feather in A700 Mouton $13.30
• Anna Sui Face Colour in 301 Apricot Peach Garland $18.70 (on clearance)

I ordered these mainly to fill out my Anna Sui compact! I listed these Anna Sui eye shadows in my last favourites and I’m very happy to add one more shade to round out my collection:

The blush was on sale and I like how this eye and cheek palette can be good for weekend travel.

Shipping details:
Ordered: July 10th
Shipped: July 14th
Received: July 31st
Source: Manchester (UK)
Via: Česká pošta Prioritaire (it was really odd that this was shipped via Czech Post but the return address is in the UK)
Shipping cost: free with minimum $25 purchase; otherwise $6.50
Prices shown in CAD (converted from £), taxes not included

I’ve ordered 2 other times from Beauty Bay and all the shipments take 2 weeks minimum to arrive. I’ve always kept the total below $100 and have not had issues with taxes / customs. The size of the shipping box was bit ridiculous – for 2 tiny items – I could have fit a pair of shoes inside that box! 😛  But, at least it was very well padded inside with lots of paper.

Glossier

• Balm Dotcom in Coconut $15
• Milky Jelly Cleanser $22
I wanted to dip my toes into this brand so I stuck with only 2 items (there’s a free shipping offer with any 2 items purchase).  I read so many online reviews to narrow it down to these 2. I was also eyeing the Cloud Paint and the Generation G lipstick.

Shipping details:
Ordered: July 23rd
Shipped: July 24th
Received: July 28th
Source: Mississauga, ON (Canada)
Via: DHL
Shipping cost: free shipping with any 2 item purchase; regular shipping is $8
Prices shown in CAD and all applicable taxes included – this makes sense since the warehouse is – surprisingly – a local source.

Why, thank you! Flattery will get you everywhere. 😛

When I learned that Glossier is finally shipping to Canada, I jumped at the free shipping offer.  Shipping time was quick given that Mississauga is only about 30 minutes away from Toronto.  Technically, I only paid for 2 items but when I opened the box, I was greeted with a lot of extras, plus a sample of their Priming Moisturizer.

This brand really has their image tightly controlled – no detail is overlooked; from the carton to the small extras like the reusable bubble wrap zip lock pouch, to the stickers, to the postcard – they all scream “I’m trying very hard!” 😆

And their efforts are paying off – I can be bought with freebie stickers. I’m easy. 😛

Tada, all the goodies together! 😀

Overall, the MUG and Glossier shipments were outstanding – very quick and packaged exceptionally well. Beauty Bay was a bit disappointing but I do like that they offer free shipping at such a relatively low dollar minimum (most sites require $50 minimum purchase for free shipping) and they stock some hard-to-find brands.  I would repurchase from all 3 sites in the future.

Have you ordered from these online sites before, or tried the items that I got? What are your favourite online stores to shop for beauty products?

93 thoughts on “Online Hauls: Makeup Geek, Glossier, and Beauty Bay (Shipping to Canada)”

  2. I order from Beauty Bay all the time as it’s one of the few places we can get American based brands in the U.K. Makeup Geek are one of my fave shadow brands too but I’m yet to try Glossier! Lx

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  5. Any chance we could see some swatches of the MUG and Anna Sui haul? I am very curious especially on the MUG shadows and blush. I would definitely like to hear your take.

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  6. Those Anna Sui blushes are so estethically appealing to me, (un)fortunately, they were out of stock on Beauty Bay when I wanted to order from their sale. It is a good information to include waiting time with orders.

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    1. I have a few Anna Sui blushes and they are all so beautiful. And, they apply and wear really nicely on the skin – they blend out so well and look really natural. I know a lot of people pass on Anna Sui because of the cutesy image, but I find the quality to be outstanding (most of her products are made in Japan). I hope you get your hands on them one of these days!

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    1. I like that the duochromes are the same price as the regular eye shadows. If I like them, I’m grabbing MORE, I have my eye on so many of them… Ritzy, Havoc, I’m Peachy, BUT I just learned that Rockstar is discontinued! 😥

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  11. Man, I want to try Glossier out so bad! I think they are coming to the UK soon though. Kat Von D just made it to one of our department stores actually and I saw it yesterday but I wasn’t in town to shop so I had to look away. 😂

    I haven’t ordered from any of these before but I hear very good things about Beauty Bay (from a UK perspective) – apparently they ship immediately and you get it next working day.

    It’s also nice that you talk about Anna Sui because NO ONE talks about Anna Sui! I haven’t tried any AS before but I have always adored the packaging! :p

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    1. Glossier will be shipping to UK by October! 🙂 Looks like brands are coming to the UK, finally. I’ve been hearing rumours about Sephora opening up too?
      Yes, I think if you’re in the UK, Beauty Bay would be a super online resource!
      I am a sucker for Anna Sui makeup and brushes – I did plan to devote a post to my collection but sadly, they recently stopped selling in the Canadian market! I even MET Anna herself in person! ❤

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  13. I’ve heard Glossier being tossed around every once in a while, but I’m coming across it more now. Not that I need to order anything else for beauty right now (I really don’t, thankfully), but I’ve heard good things about their Boy Brow product.

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    1. All I know is that Glossier was developed by the team behind Into The Gloss. It’s been really hyped on social media and only available online which can be a warning sign that it’s more for looks than substance. BUT, the reviews online has been pretty positive for their products and they’re not too pricey. AND, shipping from Canada is a huge bonus! I heard good things about Brow Wow too.

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  14. Ooh I was going to say MUG arrived really fast, but Glossier was super fast! I didn’t realize they were actually shipping from Mississauga.

    I MUST try MUG. I did not know their shipping cost was so reasonable… Love the haulage!

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    1. I’m a sucker for Anna Sui items! They’re really good quality too. Sadly, the brand is no longer in stores here anymore so I have to order online now.

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  21. Oh my goodness, the Anna Sui packaging is sooo cute! And I’ve been looking into Glossier products. I’ve been deciding between theirs and Deciem’s skincare products. I feel like I have to do a little more research before I decide though.

    Thanks for sharing your haul! It’s giving me so much inspo. x

    Valerie | avecvalerie.com

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    1. I wasn’t really planning on getting Glossier so soon. Deciem is a Canadian brand and they have several stores around me – I had planned on getting some items from them but I haven’t yet! 😛 Their selection is so large, I still haven’t narrowed down what I want / need.

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  22. Awesome haul! I still haven’t tried anything from MUG. I really would love to sometime! I have been to Jackson, Michigan many times in my life. In fact, I went to the community college there, now it is just Jackson College. It was only like 40 min from my hometown. I have to drive through there this weekend but further west. Anyway, I can’t wait to read your thoughts on everything, including your Glossier items. I just got a order from them. I ordered the moisturizing primer, skin tint, and another cloud paint in Puff. You can mix the cloud paints too. I love the pink bubbler you get and the cute stickers ❤

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    1. I’m surprised that you haven’t tried MUG yet! 😛 I thought pretty much all American beauty addicts have tried both MUG and ColourPop!
      I’m really curious about the Cloud Paint – I saw your post on your haul and the Cloud Paint really jumped out at me! So pretty.

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      1. I’m surprised too! Lol! I’ve been wanting to, I just have to think about which shadows I want to try. I will eventually. I love the Colourpop shadows though…I should try to do a post on the ones I have soon. You haven’t tried the cloud paint yet? I couldn’t remember of that was apart of your order with Glossier. I’ve been using their moisturizing primer and I really like it so far. If I can combine steps, then that works for me! 😄

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  23. Beauty Bay yes, the others no. Importints from the US has a 22 euro maximum here. If not, you have to pay duties and handling fees that can be as much as the worth of the package. Made that mistake with Colourpop once. Ordered 25 euro worth of products (they had a free international shipping deal) and I was charged an extra 24.75 when it arrived. I prefer shopping from places that are located in the EU or that charge an all in fee like Sephora and Nordstrom do.

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  24. Glossier is a brand I am hearing a lot lately so I hope you enjoy the products, they both sound great! The Makeup Geek items all look so beautiful too! Companies that have fast and reasonably priced shipping are always good 😛

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    1. Yes I started to hear a lot of hype around Glossier so it got my interest – it’s only available online so it’s a bit risky to order without trying. I hope they work out well! Yes, I like fast shipping – sometimes I order something and by the time I receive them, I had forgotten what I even ordered! 😛

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    1. What! I can’t believe you haven’t tried Makeup Geek yet! 😮
      I think a custom palette is a great place to start! She has a lot of different shades and finishes – you can choose what I want!

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  29. I was kind of wondering if Makeup Geek was still making good sales because ColourPop must be getting in their way! I have to say, for an inexpensive shadow, ColourPop does an amazing job. But I have recently discovered cream shadows and I’m so damn hooked! I wish I never tired them. It’s like Nutella. I wish I never tried it in the first place! LOL

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    1. I do wonder if ColourPop’s introduction of their pressed shadows have chipped away at Makeup Geek. And even to a great extent – other more established brands like MAC or MUFE that offer customizable eye shadows. Oooh cream eye shadows are handy, aren’t they? Which ones are you using? The ones from ColourPop? I really like the MAC Paint Pots.

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  32. Completely agree with you Glossier are trying very hard with their cool image, I want to try some bits from them but really haven’t had chance to research what I think I’ll like and get a lot of use out of, and I imagine I’ll get stung with horrendous customs like colour pop so want to be relatively sure I’m going to love something!
    That Anna sui palette does look like a perfect weekend getaway palette, I’d even be tempted to use some of those blush shades on the eye in the crease!
    Ahh I think you’ll love Mai Thai from MUG, it’s one of my fave duochromes,
    And you’re definitely going to love steampunked! I love that one in winter all over the lid for a grungy smudged look!

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    1. Wait until October when Glossier will be shipping to the UK. If they’re going to model their Canadian set-up, the shipping will be out of UK so you won’t be dinged with customs charges!
      Oooh yes, the Anna Sui blusher is a peachy colour – it would look really pretty on the eyes!
      I referred to your posts quite extensively for my research when selecting my MUG shades! I had to restrain myself… need to make sure the formula works well for me before committing to more. 😛

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  35. I haven’t ordered from MUG in 2 years and I’ve only ordered 2 shadows once! I always get so overwhelmed with the shades and I freak out and don’t know what to pick lol! Maybe, hopefully, this holiday-ish season I’ll be able to pick something up!

    Nice hauls though 😀

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  36. How did I miss this post? 😦

    Out of the three websites, I’ve only tried MUG and the my experience with shipping was similar to yours – quick and easy, with nice packaging. Also, to answer your question about the taupe shadows: a girl needs all of them. All of them!

    I’ve been eyeing Beauty Bay left, right, and center for the past year! Like you said, they carry brands that are not as easily accessible.

    There is so much hype over Glossier, which makes me super curious about the brand and already over it at the same time. Those Cloud Paints look aweeesome, though – definitely high on my list if I were to try anything from this brand!

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    1. I’m so glad I finally got some MUG items – I’m sure it won’t be the last! And yay, you finally answered life’s greatest mystery = ALL THE TAUPES! 😆

      Wait for the Black Friday sales on Beauty Bay – they had great sales last year. 😉

      Glossier has done a great job with marketing themselves – I do like that their prices are still fairly reasonable and they are trying to be innovative. Fingers crossed that the products work for me!

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      1. I personally think it’s justifiable to own ALL THE TAUPES because they’re all different! Some are a little brown-based, some are more purple-based, some are cool-toned, some are warm toned… 😉

        Awesome, thanks for that tip! Black Friday will be here in no time, hehe.

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  39. So jelly of the Makeup Geek and Glossier! I’ve been wanting to try MG forever but I don’t feel I can ever justify the cost given exchange and shipping – but shipping doesn’t seem so bad. I had no idea Glossier is shipping to Canada now – that’s super dangerous!

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    1. Yes I bit the bullet on the MUG stuff. The refill pans work out to be more expensive than MAC refills but the exchange rate is improving lately so it’s not a bad time to order! The Glossier order surprised me – I haven’t tried the products yet but they seem to have great reviews.

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