We finally got a Sephora!

Brisbane’s first Sephora (the eighth one in Australia) officially opened on Thursday last week at Westfield Chermside Shopping Centre, and I was one of the first 1,000 people or so who got to enter the store…after lining up for over 5 hours! Here are my thoughts on the whole experience.

Getting a new Sephora anywhere in Australia is a very big deal, and makeup lovers everywhere are prepared to camp out overnight to secure their place in line. As I wasn’t prepared to wait overnight in line without any friends, I decided to get up early the next morning instead.

I arrived just before 8am, and joined the queue that had already wound its way up and down the shopping centre. I’ve outlined the approximate line route from where I started to where Sephora is located, although in reality there were more winding parts of the queue, making it even longer!

Luckily I was prepared with snacks, a water bottle, iPad, phone and charger, and of course my wallet! It’s important to bring some entertainment for long waits like Sephora openings, especially if you’re going solo.

The pre-launch party started at 8am, which basically meant those with early access (media, guest bloggers/vloggers, competition winners etc.) got to shop in store early, while the rest of us had to wait until they officially opened at 12pm.

During these four hours we had lots of Sephora staff come around with little samples from different makeup and skincare brands, and to my surprise I was given the goody bag that the first 1,000 people received.

I made two friends in line during the wait, so I didn’t need to use much technology to keep myself occupied. It’s a great way to meet other girls who are just as passionate about makeup as you are, and the time went really fast!

After Sephora opened its doors to the public at 12pm, the line finally started to move, and by 1.30pm, we had made it to the very front! They let us in about 10-20 people at a time, but even with this crowd control, it was very chaotic in store.

I had my little wishlist ready to go, so as soon as I was allowed in, I raced to the Anastasia Beverly Hills section, and picked up the Nicole Guerreiro Glow Kit, before making my way to Becca and grabbing the First Light Priming Filter.

After that I did a bit of a wander around store, before joining the queue to pay – which wound around half the store! As we passed over lots of different products, I ended up grabbing a Korean fruit mask. About 30 minutes later, I was able to pay at the counter for my items. I think that’s the longest I’ve had to wait to pay for something before!

All up I think the experience was unforgettable and worth the effort, although I wouldn’t do it again unless I had a friend or two with me. For those of you in the other Aussie states who don’t yet have a Sephora, hopefully you’ll be next, as it’s a totally different experience to online shopping.

Would you go to a Sephora store opening? How long would you be willing to line up for? Let me hear your thoughts in the comments below!