How do you discover new things?

[PinkEvergreen]

Has anyone ever noticed that some products never seem to show up using typical search terms on Sephora? There’s no conspiracy. It happens because brands pay Sephora (and other retailers) to promote particular products. Fair enough, but I find that it can make it a tad boring to browse by usual topics because I always seem to see the same things.  

One way I’ve gotten around these repetitive search results is to use less-common search terms. Instead of typical search terms like foundation, eyeshadow, highlighter, etc., I seem to find things I’ve never seen before by using more unique search terms that describe colours, textures, scents, or particular items that interest me. Here are a few examples that produce interesting results:

pink

lime

green

strawberry 

cucumber

yellow

candle

cool

jelly

silk

Has anyone else found ways to discover lesser-known products on Sephora? (Apart from methodically browsing through every single brand...)

[KNC24]

I search by brands or specific items. Interesting 🤔

[GG84]

@PinkEvergreen I don't know that that makes sense. If I am Sephora I want to make sure all my vendors succeed because I have purchased xxx amount of inventory and future p/o's. If I only promote A and never B, eventually B is wasted real estate in my stores and warehouses and it's time to cut ties with B which means ending contractual agreements and going into possible litagation. It's really not as simple as you put it. I think you are more onto something when you say key words yield different results. It depends what your search settings are set at, doesn't it default to 'most popular'. 

[PinkEvergreen]

@GG84 Check out this article for a glimpse into how brands compete heavily to control what we see first in retail space. They compete the same way for online retail space as well.

Although this article is focusing on grocery stores, the same applies to virtually any major retail store. 

(Edit: The article I included was later removed by a Sephora moderator because it was a link to an outside website. For anyone interested in the fees brands pay to retailers to buy placement in certain areas of a store or website, google “slotting fees” for more information.)

[GG84]

@PinkEvergreen I can agree I see the bias in grocery retailers, I don't agree that applies to all retailers. I have worked in varies positions in the beauty bizz for 2 decades. I've held various positions from upper management to educator to buyer, the closet scenerio I can think of is having a featured brand every month at one company and sales reps were incentivized to push that brand. It didnt affect search results on the website however. And that was internal. I do sometimes see that at Sephora where no matter what im looking for the answer is always Urban Decay(or insert brand here), so when I see that, this tells me they have some internal contest going on. 

Anyway to answer the question, I find new products from being on here mostly, its a great resource. 

[playingdressup]

Fun thread @PinkEvergreen! I search by price like @darkiceis and I check individual brands I like for the newest products. I also search for certain ingredients or use the clean and color filters . I browse less than I used to on Sephora.com because I mainly browsed by reviews. Before influenster ruined the ratings system (in my opinion), I used to quickly go into all the subcategories and see what had the highest rating or the most reviews. It was so great, but that way of browsing is not as reliable any more. Now I browse BIC mostly, look at swatches online, etc.

[PinkEvergreen]

@playingdressup What are some of the ingredients you search for? I tend to look for the soothing ones (because I have sensitive skin) but I’m curious about other ingredients to search for. 

It’s really too bad that Influenster is negatively affecting the reviews system so much. I’ve heard this same complaint so many times in recent months. Like most people, the moment I catch a glimpse of the standard “but this opinion is entirely my own” disclaimer, I immediately move on. I find that I more often look for reviews from Rouge users that I know and trust. 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! ☺️

[darkiceis]

@PinkEvergreen On the app I search by dollar amount. $25, $10, $43 etc..and I just browse through the results. Similar to what you do but in dollars, we gotta get creative 🙂 

[PinkEvergreen]

@darkiceis I used to do this on the app, too 😊 I have found the app too glitchy so I now browse exclusively via my phone’s browser.

Does anyone know if there is a way to search by amount on the regular mobile site? I miss doing that.

[meghanneshea]

@PinkEvergreen This is such an awesome thread idea! I will definitely give your method a try next time I’m browsing products (in probably five minutes lol). 

I generally check out brands I’ve never heard of through the list of brands that Sephora carries or click on a product and endlessly go through related products, sort of what @alexasteph does! I also come to the community for ideas and suggestions all the time. 🙂

I’m interested to see what others do!

[PinkEvergreen]

@meghanneshea I definitely come to the community for ideas, too. Who hasn’t dropped cash at least once after seeing one of @veronika23’s product launch posts? 😂 Sephora really should send some gift cards her way because I’m positive that she generates thousands in sales every day for them! 

[veronika23]

@PinkEvergreen

[alexasteph]

@PinkEvergreen @meghanneshea True I depend on @veronika23 for all my release information. She’s basically a marketing exec for the entire beauty industry at this point! 

[veronika23]

Hahaha. Thanks @alexasteph 🙂

[alexasteph]

Interesting thread idea @PinkEvergreen! I just look at my go-to brands and see if there is anything new, or I search for different types of products with certain filters. I also have been know to click on random things and see where it leads! Sorta like a Wikipedia rabbit hole!

[PinkEvergreen]

@alexasteph I love Wikipedia rabbit holes 😁 I wish Sephora’s rabbit holes were a bit deeper and varied, like Amazon’s. I’ve been known to disappear in Amazon’s retail rabbit holes for hours at a time when searching for just the right something 😂

[alexasteph]

@PinkEvergreen Have you ever played the Wikipedia rabbit hole game where you choose 3 unrelated things and see how can reach one the fastest by starting at the other two? For example... one person starts at say ducks and another starts at sodium and the first one to get to photography wins? If you’re clever it can be done in like 5 clicks. 

[PinkEvergreen]

@alexasteph Haha, no, I haven’t. Looks like I have a new bedtime game for those nights when I can’t fall asleep lol 😄