Question regarding cosmetic's prices.
 

Hello all,
i suppose it must be a 'silly' question but still...
In our forthcoming trip to NY we want to buy several perfumes, creams (estee lauder, calvin klein) etc... Do all the shops have the same prices? Is it cheaper to buy them from the airport before leaving NY or from the city?
Thanks

Sephora will have the best selection but the prices don't vary much from place to place.

I'm sure you can save some money buying from is discounter like Century 21 but I'm not sure how much and the perfume is probably nearing the end of its shelf life.

Saks also has a fantastic selection.

However if you know exactly what you want and can buy it duty free, that is what I would do.

I checked some prices at Century 21 once and didn't find them to be any less expensive than the other department stores (on costmetics/perfume, that is).

Duty free often has pretty good deals and exclusive sets that you will not find in the store.
Large department stores will also have gifts with purchase that can sweeten the deal.
Mostly the prices are all about the same.
We have an Estee outlet that sells all their brands (MANY!) here in Allen, Tx. Even at the outlet, I find the prices are not low enough to justify forgoing the 'gift with purchase' at the department stores!

May not help you... but the best place to buy this stuff is at Military installations. Discounted and no tax... plus the gift! If you have a military ID from another country you may be able to get into the PX.

You might enjoy a shop called Cosmetic Market (9 East 39th Street, just east of 5th Avenue). Not a great selection of perfumes, but good deals on skin care creams, cleansers, makeup, etc. Brands vary from time to time so it can be hit or miss, but they always have lots of Estee Lauder and Clinique samples for about $1.00 each, as well as Lancome, Clarins, Chanel, among others. I like to try a sample before purchasing a full-size product, and they make great stocking stuffers.

If you know exactly what you want you will usually get a better deal on ebay than in any of the stores. (I don't know where people get these things, but everything I've bought has been legitimate.)

You need to be especially careful with perfumes. Some "discounters" are selling fake (but the unrealistic price should tell you that), while other "discounters" change prices by customer. (I've had them ask me for higher than full retail price.)

Thanks everyone! Yes i know exactly what i want and now that the dollar is low it's almost half price to buy them there! Probably i'll buy all the 'must haves' from NY and all the extras from the duty free depending on time!

Don't count on huge discounts on cosmetics in the duty-free at JFK. You do save the sales tax so many things are cheaper than they are at a NYC dept. store, but not by much....perfumes may be the exception; I have never purchased them in the US so I do not know the prices..